Album Notes

ABOUT ZEN RANT... "Putting our words to the rhythms of the drums, and putting our minds to the business of culture-building and spiritual survival, is the highest province of the poets and drummers. From the rhythm of our heartbeats, to the streetwise rhythms of city life, to the rhythms of the natural forces that surround us, we shape our music and our stories. We have passed these stories on from generation to generation since the moment when language began...And that's exactly what I'm doing with Zen Rant. I'm looking to add my voice and my stories to the mix." (Tony Vacca). Zen Rant is a collection of rants and rhythm-driven poetry by Tony Vacca. It's all about the connection between Spoken Word, Jazz, The Beat Poets, World Music, Hip-Hop, and the Griots of West Africa. That's a lot to put on one plate, but it's an accurate reflection of the forces at work in this recording. And it works because every player on this CD is directly connected to one or more of these worlds. Ju