Bio

The Slow Learners is more of a community than a band. The Slow Learners don't always win them over or blow them away or any of that stuff that bands love to do in their bios. Band bios are so "this and that" these days -- boo to your pretentious noise! [Oops! Couldn't help but join in a little...] The internet is one big contradiction anyway; embrace, damn it! Special Ed & Co. do what they do and want you to do the same for yourself.

However, just for the record, this is a brief synopsis of what happened.... Special Ed got his break back in the day as an engineer with Mike Ivey's Basehead. After experiencing the technical side of touring and the studio for far too many years, Special decided to take a lead from another member of the Basehead community and friend, Clarence Greenwood (aka Citizen Cope). He followed in Cope's footsteps and started doing his own thing by recording his own music. With the help of the talented Kraig B. Greff on organ, keys and accordian (not to mention his amazing sense of humor), things really started taking shape.

Ed met Sweet B at a party. B joined Ed in the studio, then in the formation of the live band. Joey was a long-time friend of Ed's, and also was soon on board. Another long-time friend and collaborator (and esteemed member of the DC-area musician community) Mr. Aaron Burroughs arrived shortly thereafter on drums. Finally, original band member Paul Palombo has returned after a few years' rest to pick up the lead guitar once again.

As a community, have many guests who sit in to complement the core during both studio sessions and live performances. The Slow Learners have been playing select live shows, always with an eye towards developing their sound, or at least pondering the past & putting it towards the future (and maybe smoking some cigarettes while they're at it) -- always trying to do their own thing & wishing the same to you and yours.

One more thing about The Slow Learners: if you've read this far, your attention span is at least equal to -- and probably greater than -- all of the band members' put together.

Playing original roots-rock with a hard blues edge, The Slow Learners really are a throwback to the glory days of soul and groove. Our influences range from The Band and Bob Dylan through Steve Cropper and Aretha Franklin, then on to Moby Grape and Joe Strummer -- with a touch of Lenny Bruce and John Belushi thrown in for flavor.