Shawn de Salazar & The Pack Rats are a hot new band with a cool old-soul vibe. The band specializes in traditional standards, as well as fresh, contemporary arrangements of the timeless classics for a whole new generation, with unique rhythmic influences that include jazz, reggae, samba, swing and New Orleans funk.

The collaboration between accomplished young crooner Shawn de Salazar and these four talented seasoned players may be a fairly recent one, but members of this distinctive and dynamic band have long been making their individual marks on the music scene in South Florida and beyond:

Sonny Boyd Williams (piano), also a noted songwriter and arranger, has recorded and toured with several renowned artists, including Blondie, Jay Black & the Americans, Marc Cohen and many more.

Al Ferreira (sax) has worked with Ben E. King and numerous Florida blues bands, including Fleet Starbuck Blues Band, Joey Gilmore, Motel Mel & The Innkeepers and The Wise Guys, among others.

Sergio Caiazzo (bass), who holds a master's degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami, has performed with such notables as Arturo Sandoval and Al Di Meola, and has extensive credits in his native Italy.

Al Ferreira, Jr. (drums), who started studying percussion at age 10, has played in various bands in New York and Florida, including Destiny, Work of Fiction, Gridlock, Blue Collar Band and Men In Black.

Listen to selections from the band's first CD, Mood Swings, on the first six web pages and hear what sets them apart from other "standards" bands.