The Sway Machinery is a Brooklyn-based collective that performs a cosmopolitan amalgam inspired by ancient Jewish Cantorial music, blues, afro-beat and rock. It sound stems from guitarist and vocalist Jermiah Lockwood's rich musical relationships with his grandfather Cantor Jacob Konigsberg and his mentor Carolina Slim, the renowned blues player who fondly guided Lockwood's musical development. Lockwood's deeply personal bond to these two musical traditions was brought to life in the band's debut album, Hidden Melodies Revealed. Mixed with the sounds of afro-beat horns, hard-hitting drums and the blues, the album re-contextualized the cantorial tradition into the broader spectrum of world music to critical acclaim. The Sway Machinery’s new album The House of Friendly Ghosts, Volume 1 released on JDub Records features Timbuktu vocal superstar Khaira Arby. The album explores the ideas of diaspora, pilgrimage and spirituality by pulling together an array of content including Arby's songs, Lockwood's compositions and field recordings captured along the way.

“Lockwood's arrangements of Jewish cantorial songs whip up a frenzy wherein all the world's music can do that which music does best: celebrate. Such joyful synthesis is what music is all about," - The Village Voice.

Featuring: Jermiah Lockwood (guitar/vocals), Stuart Bogie (tenor saxophone), Jordan McLean (trumpet), John Bollinger (drums), Colin Stetson (bass saxophone).