Allied Forces receives its first review!
Special thanks to Chris Spector at Midwest Record Review for the kind words on my second solo CD, Allied Forces!
“STEVE FIDYK/ALLIED FORCES: Straight ahead swinging jazz powered by a crew of leaders in their own rights, drummer Fidyk makes no statements here other than he can keep things on track from the back of the stage and that good are meant to be shared by all. Not the kind of feel good jazz you’d associate with water front bars on summer nights but you have to call it that for lack of a better name, this is smoking stuff that works throughout and is the kind of friendly hard core jazz that brings new listeners into the tent despite themselves. On the money throughout and totally hot- Midwest Record Review (http://www.midwestrecord.com).”
Special thanks to Erika Funke, host of the radio program Art Scene on WVIA-FM, the PBS and NPR affiliate for Northeastern Pennsylvania. We had fun talking about my new CD project Allied Forces (available now at http://www.stevefidyk.com/).
In case you missed the live interview, here’s the link to check out the archived feature:
https://soundcloud.com/wvia-public-media/steve-fidyk-july-14-2016?in=wvia-public-media%2Fsets%2Fartscene-1
One of my favorite tunes from the record was the final song I wrote for the project called “High Five.” The concept and inspiration came while watching a video of the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet play their smash hit “Take Five” with my youngest son, Joey. Joey is named after one of my teachers, the late great Joe Morello.
I first met Joe when I was a student at Wilkes College when I was 18. The college jazz ensemble was performing at the Mansfield State Jazz Festival in Mansfield, PA, in the fall of my freshman year. My jazz band director, Tom Heinze, knew Joe Morello very well and suggested that I contact him for lessons. Morello did a clinic at the festival, and afterwards, I sheepishly asked if he would have time in his schedule to teach me.
He gave me his number and said to call his wife, Jean, to schedule the lesson. It took six months for me to have the courage to call and schedule that lesson, and I’m so thankful that I did. This was back in 1987, long before the distractions of cell phones, computers, and iPhones. I would take a two-hour lesson every two weeks with him throughout my college years. After joining the military and being stationed in DC, I would drive up to see him for periodic “check-ups” to make sure my form, technique, and coordination were on track. Joe is responsible for developing my sound and reflex for music.
My teaching at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, is based in part on his teaching and his style of presenting information. As I listened with my son to that classic recording and drum solo, my son Joey turned to me and said, “Hey, Dad, why don’t you write a tune in 5/4 and call it ‘High Five?’” I set out to come up with a new 5/4 rhythm that was different from the classic accompaniment to Morello’s solo (played by Brubeck and Eugene Wright). The rhythm I conceived is the backbone of the tune and can be heard throughout the melody and drum solo section as an homage to Joe and his work with Brubeck.
Here’s a Soundcloud link to the tune “High Five” from the new CD Allied Forces.