Philly Jazz quartet featuring Bob Mintzer and Liberty DeVitto.

12 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Traditional Jazz Combo, JAZZ: Weird Jazz



Details:
"All the guys in your group play great. Your drumming sounds like it should--it swings!"

-Dave Brubeck (11/12/06)


Erin Stroup, saxophone
John Stenger, piano
Raymond Clemens, bass
Seán J. Kennedy, drums

Featuring guest artists
Bob Mintzer, tenor saxophone
Liberty DeVitto, drums
Frank DiBussolo, guitar

Excerpt from the CD liner notes about the the title of the...

"Throughout time, the righteous people of the world have worked tirelessly, earning any success through honest labor and dedication, yet have remained vulnerable to thieves and pirates â self-indulgent crooks, heartlessly unaffected by grave injustices committed against their innocent victims. Among the filthiest of pirates in history stands Blackbeard, a grotesque plunderer with an insatiable appetite for misbegotten treasure, who ravaged the Caribbean waters in the early-eighteenth century on his stolen ship, Queen Anneâs Revenge.

While this piece is not specifically about Blackbeard, and such parrot-toting swashbucklers of yore, it is the barbaric insensitivity of that lot, and the turbulent battles that ensued between good and evil, which inspired its foundation. The pirate theme is a metaphor, representing the camouflaged pirates we encounter on a daily basis, who slash and slice at our self-worth, belittling our successes, in an attempt to steal our good fortunes. They board our minds, striving to overpower us with their negative attitudes, as we thrash about in the sea of life, struggling to persevere.

The two drum sets and arsenal of percussion instruments are not representative of the battle between good and evil; rather, they signify the intensity of the waves in the tumultuous sea. Turkish scales and rock motifs are used in a jazz context to provide mystery. Just as Blackbeardâs origin remains unknown, often times, attacks on our personal value seem to come from nowhere. Though much of the tune is dark and heavy, it is also triumphant for those who persist and hold tight to their faith.

The Queen Anneâs Revenge was eventually swallowed by the sea, as relentless waves nailed her hull to her gritty grave⦠"



[Heather High Kennedy, Copy]