David Frain and Mark Dunlap played together in rock bands throughout New England in the ‘80's. In 2001, the Massachusetts’ natives collaborated on the original, jazz-driven, rock-edged instrumental compositions found on “Pull the Shades.” This first release under their jointly owned and operated independent label, “Simmer Music,” features four distinctly different jazz quintets performing a range of styles that run hot and cool blending influences from hard bop, straight-ahead jazz, Brazilian sambas and bossa novas along with rock-fusion and odd-meter grooves. The leading independent A&R music critics, TAXI, reviewed the recording and wrote “You guys have a truly amazing ensemble … [this is] hard driving serious jazz” and rated the recording a 9 out of 10 for music, arrangements and production.

Guitarist David Frain, attended Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA, until 1992, where he studied Jazz Composition and Performance with Jon Damian, John Baboian and Hal Crook. In 1995, he co-founded Zing Recording Studios, Westfield, MA, which is a 32-track commercial multi-room facility. Frain suggests that after spending hundreds of hours recording all genres of music, now it’s time to focus on his own original compositions that he has been creating and polishing since his Berklee training.

First studying guitar, Mark Dunlap switched to electric and then double bass. Dunlap studies composition with Grammy Award nominated composer, and long-time mentor, Ed Byrne, DMA. Dunlap also studies bass with accomplished NYC Bassists, Santi DeBriano and Joe Fonda. Dunlap is a founding member and serves on the board of the Western New England Double Bass Society, a group of almost 200 performing double bassists that sponsors bass workshops and concerts throughout New England.

Frain and Dunlap manage every aspect of creating, performing, recording and promoting their own sound through their newly formed independent recording label and publishing company “Simmer Music.” They perform regularly in clubs and festivals in the Northeast. “We feel extraordinarily lucky to be able to combine our talent, imagination and resources to produce our dreams,” says Dunlap of his collaboration with Frain.