The GUMMYZ Trio—an offshoot of the twice New York Times-featured “mix-and-match jazz ensemble” Uncivilized—return with a new single, “B [LIVE],” out October 24 via Tom Csatari’s Ignore Heroes imprint.
Recorded live at Link & Pin in Woy Woy, the track distills the trio’s signature fusion of raw post-jazz and nu-psych improvisation, offering a glimpse into their forthcoming GUMMYZ LIVE EP (due December 26, 2025). To celebrate the release, the band will perform a special hometown show at Link & Pin on Sunday, October 26, previewing new material from the upcoming EP.
Led by Tom Csatari on amplified acoustic guitar with effects and slide, the trio features J. Dale Pearson on electric bass and Eli Knox on drums. The single was produced and visually designed by venue owner Adam Brzozowski, with Tom Miritello handling mixing and mastering.
“Playing live at Link & Pin felt like a perfect collision between old friends and new frequencies,” says Csatari. “There’s something special about performing in a space that supports the chaos and beauty of experimentation. B [LIVE] is us capturing that feeling in real time.”
Since relocating to Australia in 2021, Csatari—known for his genre-fluid compositions and collaborative ethos—has continued to expand the Uncivilized universe. His discography includes UNCIVILIZED (2014, Tiny Montgomery), Melted Candy EP (2016), Garden (2020, with Jaimie Branch), and 5 by Monk by Csatari (2023, Ignore Heroes). The GUMMYZ EP, released in late 2024, marked the debut of this evolving project, while GUMMYZ LIVE promises to dive deeper into ecstatic, exploratory soundscapes.
Interview: Uncivilized Tom on GUMMYZ and “B [LIVE]
How did the GUMMYZ trio come together, and what inspired you to form this offshoot of Uncivilized in Australia?
I teach guitar, bass, drums, etc. down in Erina at an after school music studio. Jamie (J.Dale Pearson) and Eli Knox have both taught there. J slide into my DM box one day via Heath Crawley (Tiki LaLa) when I first moved here from NY and he was looking for some like-minded weirdo-musos on the coast. The inspiration came out of necessity -- Link & Pin offered me a few dates and I couldn't get my normal jazzers to do the first gig, so Jamie Eli and I put something together that was super loose and sort-of "un-jazz". I kept the rehearsal demos and had them mastered up a bit and thought they sounded pretty cool and fit the whole Uncivilized ethos, and ended up putting them out as an EP-- entitled GUMMYZ-- a few months after the gig together. The music sounded pretty spacey and psychedelic and over text we strated throwing around some joke names and that one stuck... I also had a pretty hilarious episode with some gummies in Long Jetty one day when I was trying to get rid of a headache-- made a fool of myself and nearly vomited after a triple dose but was memorable, to say the least.
What drew you to record “B [LIVE]” at Link & Pin, and what made that particular performance feel worthy of release?
Eli recorded the first set on his iphone and those recordings always have a great vibe and the mic on those phones is actually pretty legit, so I sent it to my dude Tom Miritello in Brooklyn, NYC and he fixed it up a bit for digi-release. The first track is definitely the most epic and searching and builds incrementally over 7 minutes. The other tracks on the EP, which comes out later this year are much shorter and a bit lighter too.
Can you describe the atmosphere of that night — the crowd, the energy, and how it shaped the recording?
It was pretty raw. It was raining but we were under shelter out back at Link & Pin. Was pretty packed actually for a Thursday night, thanks to some good friends I met down at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Umina where they used to have a wednesday jazz night. The energy was very off-the-cuff and loose as we had only tried the sets a few times at Jamie's place. The sets were planned out on paper with no stopping in between sections and some sort of guide-posts to signify when to transition but a lot of it was more-or-less improvised in a semi-structured way... they have a nice bass amp at Link & Pin!
How does the creative chemistry between you, J. Dale Pearson, and Eli Knox differ from your past Uncivilized lineups?
Smaller, power-trio type-thing , more on the Hendrix spectrum, but with a side of freak-folk and musique concrete. When I listen back I hear myself ripping some Marc Ribot stuff (guitarist in Tom Waits' stuff). Jamie and Eli gave it a kind of Dirty Three post-modern aura -- they are actually both great drummers so it was easy to float on top of that. Uncivilized is a vaporous beast so this fit right in with its various incarnations and incantations...
You’ve been praised for your “organized dissonance” and “meticulous roughness.” What role does tension play in your sound?
I don't really know I try and just be real and listen and leave space, but I do like dissonance , and consonance . . .
How has your move to the Central Coast influenced your writing and approach to improvisation?
I mean the beaches are insane , the coffee is great , and the Entrance, where I reside , is pretty bombed out but charming -- sort of a small town and it takes a lot to get people out these days but there are always heads around which are essential to my "approach" -- I try and be true but it's for other people , in the end.
GUMMYZ seems to balance jazz, psych, and folk influences in a very fluid way — what anchors the trio’s sound?
the term "post-jazz" really sticks with me, even though genres are absurd and somewhat oppressive. The terms Americana and Austrialiana come to mind but just as silly words...
What can listeners expect from the upcoming GUMMYZ LIVE [EP], and how does it expand on the first GUMMYZ release?
It's shorter, and way better than the first EP-- I love live recordings because they capture the humanity and happy accidents better than pressurized, moneyed studio sessions but I get a bit obsessive with the concept of purity too, hence no vocals . Also, Eli is playing a real kit ; he was a student of the great Toby Hall , and I think is highlighted well on this recording (he's only 22!). Jamie writes music of his own and never overplays, and our kids our friends-- a bit of a Dad vibe in there somewhere lol.
