Aaron L. Hurwitz established the Crowmatrix to deliver contemporary blues grounded in the idiom’s earliest conventions. Prior to that step, Hurwitz had served as keyboardist for the Mighty Gospel Giants Of Harlem and had joined Mercury Rev on tour. He also produced releases by Four Men And A Dog and, most prominently, produced and contributed instrumental work to albums by the Band. Additional ensembles with which he performed, and in several cases recorded or produced, include the David Nelson Band and Graham Parker. Within his own ensemble Hurwitz handles keyboards, Hammond organ, and accordion while supplying vocals and composing the bulk of the arrangements. The initial plan for the group centered on shaping a selection of Hurwitz compositions that might suit performance by the Band. Fellow musicians who have appeared in the lineup encompass Miss Marie (b. Marie Spinosa; vocals), Jim Eppard (guitar/mandolin), Mike Demicco (guitar/mandolin), Mike Dunn (bass), Gary Burke (drums), Josh Colow (guitar), and Frank Campbell (bass). Issued in 2004, the album Century Of The Blues traced a loose chronological course through the genre by blending original pieces from Hurwitz and his colleagues with longstanding selections from the blues catalog. Operating from the New York region, the ensemble undertakes sporadic, restricted tours.
Hurwitz further recorded with Garth Hudson (The Sea To The North) and Rick Danko (Times Like These) while working under the Crowmatix name. In an earlier period he had performed as a duo with Danko, earning substantial praise for those appearances.
