Album Notes

Marcus Strickland's third release on Strick Muzik Idiosyncrasies finds the world-renowned saxophonist in the setting of his exhilarating trio (with bassist Ben Williams and drummer E.J. Strickland). From the start of the record it is truly apparent that you will not be able to sit still with the poppin' groove of Strickland's opening original "Cuspy's Delight", written for the drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. The catchy melody soaring above the rhythmic playground of bass and drums immediately dives into Strickland's sax solo, which will make you consider whether the horn is a percussion or woodwind instrument. Then just when an idea of the album's direction starts to formulate Strickland's second original "Rebirth", a song about the healing powers of love, tantalizes the listener's chakras with his sax whispering the chant-like melody through the interweaving bass harmony. "Idiosyncrasies" takes you on an acoustic journey that is rare to find these days.

The album's title refers to what Strickland has developed through his horn and music, a sound so strong and distinct that in addition to his own intriguing compositions he, on other half of the record, is able to put his own stamp on cross-genre gems from Bjork, Andre 3000, Jose Gonzalez, Stevie Wonder, Jaco Pastorius and Oumou Sangare - this all done without the commonly expected use of substitute harmony. The many textures of horn, bass and drums are fully utilized on this album to create hip-shakin' African grooves, Electronica inflections, funky odd-metered bass figures and high-octane swing - Idiosyncrasies is a true testament to Strickland's eclectic musical upbringing, as well as his refusal to fit in a box.