Album Notes

A recording of jazz versions of pop tunes heavily featuring the music of Steely Dan. Some lovely string arrangements by Sean (if I do say so myself) of Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb) and Song of Sand (Suzanne Vega). Adam Armstrong is the bassist again and the drummer is Simon Barker.

Stolen Van is rhyming slang for Steely Dan so the starting point for this album was five Steely Dan covers brought to life in a jazz trio context. Other songs include the much loved Jimmy Webb song 'Witchita Lineman', Elvis Costello's 'Alison', Suzanne Vega's 'Song of Sand' and Lennon & McCartney's 'I'm Only Sleeping'. Joining Sean, Simon Barker (drums) and Adam Armstrong (bass) is a string quartet adding another dimension to the arrangements. Sean plays around a melody with a distinct personal style that is often pretty but never trivial or vacuous. His playing is accessible in terms of harmony, quite poppy at times but quirky as well saving it from sounding too easy and therefore boring on the ears. These songs are more sad and beautiful than upbeat and groovy which is my kind of thing and the strings offer a mournful, stirring kind of a mood which contrasts beautifully to the lightness of Sean's touch.