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CD NOTES "I first heard Steve Fidyk play when he came to Washington, DC to be the drummer for 'The Army Blues.' I remember thinking then, 'What a swingin' drummer!' A few years later I had been considering doing a recording of my charts and out of the blue after a gig Steve approached me and said, 'What do you think about recording a CD together?' I immediately replied, 'You get the band and I'll bring the charts!' "So in April and August of 2002 we went into our favorite studio, Bias Recording, for 2 nights of recording the debut CD of 'The Taylor/Fidyk Big Band!' "This band is made up of some of the best players in the DC area and I couldn't have asked for a better performance of my music. The energy in the studio was amazing and from the first note to the last this band came out swinging! Of course as any big band fan knows you need a great drummer to make that happen and Steve took charge from the start. Many thanks to Steve, Bob Dawson, and the band for a writer's dream come true!" Mark Taylor "A Perfect Match" represents a journey that began over 20 years ago when I was first introduced to the music of Mark Taylor. An alumnus of the arranging staff of the Stan Kenton Band, Taylor contributed two big band anthems to his library: Samba Da Haps and Granada Smoothie. I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Mark on a daily basis as a member of The Army Blues Jazz Ensemble. As a colleague, I slowly began to understand the intricacies of accompanying and shaping his music. Like Kenton, his writing is harmonically and rhythmically innovative with an emphasis on "the groove." It is my distinct honor and privilege to share the leadership duties with Mark on this recording. The music for this project was thoughtfully chosen and represents his finest work. I hope you agree. Steve Fidyk Taylor/Fidyk Big Band Reviews : "The Taylor/Fidyk Big Band is a welcome addition to today's music scene. Their new CD is powerful, fresh, and honest, and a lot of fun to listen to ... the playing is superlative and the writing is great. Mark Taylor, Steve Fidyk and company are indeed a "Perfect Match." Peter Erskine "This is a great band! Taylor is superb arranger/composer with years of experience, Fidyk is a top of the line jazz drummer in the Mel Lewis tradition...With great respect for the music, these musicians of today's generation are suggesting new directions for all of us to enjoy." Phil Wilson "It's rare in this day and age to hear a band that has both an instrumental and compositional identity, and this band has it: great solo and ensemble playing of great arrangements." Ed Soph "Yeah! great recording!!!!!! The band is tight, soloists are blowing and you sound fantastic. You've got power and subtly, not to mention great solo chops...a nice combination. I've always been a Mark Taylor fan and his writing is better than ever. This BAND swings hard!" Steve Houghton "This is big-band music making at its spine tingling best, and if a Perfect Match doesn't light your fire, you'd best double check to make sure the pilot light hasn't gone out." Jack Bowers-all about jazz.com "Nothing's perfect, so they say, but the big band alliance of arranger Mark Taylor and drummer Steve Fidyk is so close to the mark that one would need a magnifying glass and golden ears to uncover any flaws...Taylor who wrote half the tunes and arranged all of them is the strategic panner, planner, the hands-on drill sergeant who keeps everyone marching neatly to the same drummer (and we know who that is)." Cadence Magazine, August 2003 "An exceptionally tasteful outing for this Washington, DC big band. The arrangements allow for well-structured solos. Steve Fidyk is an excellent big band drummer playing with an ensemble, not intrusive but providing a solid basis for tunes that are long on musicality and devoid of showy pyrotechnics." www.jazzreview.com where to buy online: CDBaby.com Amazon.com Tower.com |
