"This new CD is indestructibly outrageous, and inexhaustibly refreshing. Real jazz, played with commitment and artistic depth from all."
Tim Price, musician; educator; author
www.timpricejazz.com
I had never "soloed" on a record or in a live performance before, so when Sean Kennedy asked me to play a drum duet with him, I was a little hesitant. The tune titled "Queen Anne's Revenge" became my challenge. The first time I heard his drumming was when he sent me the MP3 of the song. Sean and his wife Heather (she play's percussion) soloed over a jazz rock feel. My first thought was "obviously he doesn't know I don't do solos" The drums and percussion on the track were great, why did he want me? I had no idea what to do. Luckily for me Sean is also an excellent teacher. He has been a fan of mine for many years and knew what he wanted from me. He actually taught me about myself, like the great teacher he is, he pulled out of me exactly what he wanted for the track. I think "Queen Anne's Revenge" show's Excellence in Sean's drumming, teaching, songwriting, and arranging.
If you or anyone you know wants to learn drumming or just brush up on your chops, call Sean. Oh and did I mention, he's a nice guy too!
Cheers,
Liberty DeVitto
www.myspace.com/ldthedrummer
"I listened to your CD yesterday morning and I liked it very much. It is a very cheerful sound, especially on the first track. All the guys in your group play great. Your drumming sounds like it should--it swings!"
-Dave Brubeck
"CD is killin'...oh man, Amazing...you are (Stroup) channeling Dexter on that tune..."
Dave Champion, trombonist with The Hoppin' John Orchestra
"When he (Sean) plays those skins, the place just comes alive!"
John Stecker, WRDV-FM, The Mainstream
"Hey Sean,
QAR sounds great. Very soulful playing on your part. The band is great, too! I dug Lib's contribution, Mintzer, Munsters, Horace and that daunting cover!!
best,"
Will
Will Lee, Bass Player Late Night with David Letterman, and about 300 other projects! www.willlee.com
From Jazzreview.com
Sean J. Kennedy and his Quartet (SJK4) have done it again! They have taken a mixture of the old and the new and through creative arrangements and just some down-right fine playing, have delivered yet another solid piece of work. Queen Anne's Revenge is a collection of excellent compositions, arrangements and collaborations by the Sean J. Kennedy Quartet with some very special guest musicians brought in to add texture and color to the collection.
My first reaction to the opening cut "Priceless” was this is not going to be just another SJK4 collection of works aimed at finding a place for them to make their sound. They were pushing it, right from the opening bar. I loved Erin Stroup's composition and the soloing that he laid down was the hook that kept me on the line for the rest of the CD.
Solid jazz playing and collaboration by the four members of SJK4 makes this CD a Jazz must have among the contemporary works that available. There are two songs treated especially well, "Theme from the Munsters" and "Cookin' at the Continental." Coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, it goes to show you the versatility of SJK4. The Munsters theme was a treat, that old familiar groove, with a new twist, it is addictive! The Horace Silver standard, on the other hand, right from the vault of premium jazz music, gives the band a piece to stretch it out on and really wail, old school style and wail they do. It is fun to hear a band take two distinctly different genres and sew them up into one tidy package of great entertainment.
A pleasant surprise for me was a re-work of "Boogaloo Sub," this 12-bar blues piece is at the top of my Most Played list on my iPOD. The song is from SJK4’s debut album Road to Wailea. I can’t get through a session of listening without revisiting the “Sub Song,” and the new version is everything the old one was and more.
For a real treat check out "Candy Sticks at the Palm Court," a Kennedy composition that is just as relaxed as a jazz song can get. It paints a picture of a cool Sunday brunch at any sea-side luxury hotel, the mood of a warm sunny morning, and everything going right, for the band, and you!
The track "Wipe My Cry," is as personal as any composition I have ever heard, Kennedy takes you inside his angst of fatherhood, and shares the rollercoaster of emotions that accompanies that hardest of jobs. Music is a channel for the soul to deal with conflict, Kennedy and the band resovle that conflict beautifully in this piece.
Prepare yourself for track 8 it takes off at one-hundred miles an hour and never slows down!! This modal piece inspired by Coltrane's "Impressions," left an impression on me! Great sax work and the rhythm section is tight and pushes hard. Great solo turns by all involved.
"Steng, Stang, Stung" while reputedly written as a reminder of a fopar Sean was guilty of, he is not guilty of screwing up this composition! This piece is what the SJK4 is all about to me. Solid, in the pocket execution of creative new pieces of jazz for everybody.
Another favorite of mine is Erin Stroup's composition "Sweetie Pie." It is a New Orleans second-line groove that demonstrates the bands command of all the classical forms. This song swings and does not mind getting down there in the steamy heat of NOLA for some fun and games. If you can sit still for this one, have them pull the respirator out!
The title song "Queen Anne's Revenge" is the only song that I had to listen to more than once to get a taste for. The composition is complex, the number of guests and extra instruments tells me it is a studio song not to be heard by the quartet themselves. It is unique, and creative, and well, different. I commend Kennedy for exploring the topic, and he captures the chaos of the pirate's life well. A new dimension for Sean and the band, perhaps illuminating the future of the band.
I look forward to their next effort. Kennedy and the band take some new compositions, arrangements and interpretations of time honored standards and deliver a great new CD to keep the SJK4 band at the top of my playlist. I am a fan, plain and simple. I looked forward to their second work, and was not disappointed. Believe me, if you hear it, you will not be disappointed either. I can only imagine that their live shows as the quartet have evolved into some tight and kickin’ sessions. For those lucky enough to be in the Philly area to catch this band, good for you, for the rest of us, we will have to depend on CDBaby for our fix!
Tracks: Priceless, Theme to the Munsters, Candy Sticks at the Palm Court, Cookin' at the Continental, Wipe My Cry, Boogaloo Sub, Chim Chim Cheree, Twins of Spirit, Stranger on the Shore, Steng Stang Stung, Sweetie Pie, Queen Anne's Revenge
Reviewed by: Charles Vecoli
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Copyright© 2007 JazzReview.com®. All Rights Reserved.
About the first SJK4 CD "Road to Wailea" and live performances, etc...
"The Sean J. Kennedy Quartet is one of the outstanding groups on the scene today. Sean has managed to create a signature sound with four individual virtuosi. They are reminiscent of the MJQ in their interplay and exciting to watch and hear. Don't miss them."
-Frank DiBussolo
"I enjoyed your CD and thought it was quite good...keep up the good work!"
-Joe Morello
"Got the CD and it sounds great. Love the compositions, your playing and its always great to hear Larry. Some people say you are judged by the company you keep and you keep great company. Congrats on a great project!!"
-Denis DiBlasio
"Sean's playing has volumes of beauty in the sound of his creativity in jazz. Even at his wildest, whacked out moment, you'll find intensity and grace in his playing that is stunning. His music has a universal vibe that speaks to all and is in a class of its own."
"Saxist Erin Stroup, is a delight, creating moods with mellow ballad stylings, setting the pace with bop, or for whatever is the call of the moment. Stroup is a talent to watch!"
-Tim Price [Saxophone Journal Magazine]
"I have known Sean Kennedy since his days as a student at West Chester University (Penna.) He attended both my Jazz Improv and arranging classes. He was an excellent student and I was very pleased when he asked me to be on his CD as a guest artist. I was also pleased to find his compositions and arrangements to be both interesting and inventive. They were a pleasure to play and the musicians assembled for the session were first rate. Sean is emerging as a fine percussionist and composer. I expect to be hearing a lot of excellent music from him in the future."
-Larry McKenna, (quote from Spring 2003)
"Love the CD. Great writing and playing!"
-Gerald Veasley
"...I enjoyed it...You really wrote some great tunes..."
-Mark Summer (TISQ)
"I really enjoyed drummer and composer Sean Kennedy's new CD "Road to Wailea" His compositions are highly enjoyable! The compositions Sean wrote for members of his family I found most enjoyable and being a family man myself can identify with the sentiment found in each of the compositions. Whether it's a straight ahead rhythm, Latin beat or Funk groove, drummer and composer Sean Kennedy and the fine musicians on this CD take you on a great musical journey as they travel down the "Road to Wailea!"
-Eric Mintel
"I'm a strong believer in good chemistry, and Seán J. Kennedy's new CD Road to Wailea has a very strong chemistry. And the members (starting with Seán) have just that special blend. The well composed compositions work as a vehicle to bring out the talents of ALL the musicians as a unit. I love the fact that there's no one person in the band that stands out, it's a group sound. The ideas and creativity flow from one composition to the next. And the more I listened, the more I felt that the music is being played with no industry influences or hidden agendas. The music is very pure and natural (which is hard to do these days) Seán puts a nice 'bed of rhythmic variety' for the band to build on, and they do!"
-Tommy Campbell
"I thought it sounded real good!...you have a good feel!!!"
-Tony Miceli
"Congratulations. You're doing something that is really enterprising, and that is: presenting your own music and vision of it, making it available not only to your audience but to potential colleagues, contacts, etc. I applaud the fact that you're writing your own material and producing your own work."
-Peter Erskine
"The Seán J. Kennedy group knows how to cook and swing with precision and grace. These guys keep the musical traditions in sight with new ideas for the future. The original compositions hold your interest like a good short story. Jazz fans all over are going to enjoy listening to their tasty tunes live or on the debut CD. Check them out!"
-Peter Blaikie
Jazz DJ, host of The Mainstream on WRDV-FM
