Name: Aydin Say Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware Previous Band: comet vs planet Influences: miles davis, flea,norwood fischer, edgy funk reminsent of living colour Gear: DR Strings, ErnieBall MusicMan, Trace Elliott
BIOGRAPHY OF AYDIN SAY At the age of nine, Aydin first started playing alto saxophone. By age eleven, he began playing tenor sax as well as learning the electric bass guitar. A year later, he was performing both instruments in his middle school’s jazz band. He attended Alexis I. DuPont High School in Wilmington Delaware, a school who has the reputation to be State’s finest music academy. He performed in the school’s wind ensemble and jazz bands, earning honors as one of the school elite players. In high school is where he began to focus more attention on his string performance. He along with two friends forged his first extra curricular band, the three piece, rock trio Canadian Moose Mafia. The Mafia, although under age, played local establishments and released the full-length album Absolute Moose. In 1991, Say enrolled at the University of Kentucky, where he focused on his bass technique. During his sophomore year, he hooked up with the Lexington based Sam I Am, a five piece rock band that was building a reputation. With the 19 year-old’s addition, the band’s popularity grew. Throughout, the Kentucky-Ohio-Tennessee-Indiana region, Sam I Am had become an area favorite; playing bars and colleges that ranged from Cincinnati to Nashville. Say’s edgy-funk sound, which would later become a trademark, gave rebirth to the band. He would play with the band for 3 years and perform on their debut album Boxing at Uncle Barry’s. After leaving Kentucky, Say went on hiatus to Steamboat Springs, Colorado and eventually moved backed to Delaware in the Summer of 1996. He quickly formed the funk-fusion band, Tastes Like Chicken. After a short-lived stint with TLC, Say joined up with members of the Wilmington, Delaware based Bag of Nickels to form Southpaw. While playing East Coast venues with Southpaw, Say formed a side project called Homeslyce Soldiers, a studio project who’s focus was to get area musicians to collaborate artistically and philanthropically. The full-length album, Time to Eat, had its proceeds donated to area food shelters and soup kitchens. Meanwhile the up-tempo, jazz instrumental “Mercer #5” cracked the Top 20 request list of College Music Journal. In the Summer of 1999, Say formed the funk-rock band, Comet vs. Planet; a band who’s music was reminiscent of edgier funk bands like Bad Brains and Living Colour. The all-star, four-piece band, composed of already popular area musicians, gained an immediate following. Shortly after their formation, CVSP, recorded The Red Half, EP and began playing a steady diet of East Coast gigs. Comet vs. Planet’s reputation began to spread and the band started playing regular dates in music hot beds such as Manhattan’s Upper East Side, South Street, Philadelphia and Baltimore’s Federal Hill. The band went back to the studio for a second time and recorded the 17 track, concept album Escape Velocity. The band unfortunately broke up just prior to its production. Since Comet vs. Planet’s break up, Aydin Say has moved to Los Angeles, California, where he now plays with the popular, alt-rock quartet Drawing Down; a band crafted in the year 2000 in the mold of such popular acts as Tool, Helmet and Incubus. The band plays regularly in the Los Angeles and Orange County. Get up to the date band information at www.drawingdown.com.