The horn work, the fluid harmonies, and the interplay between the soloist and the live rhythm section are wonderful all the way through. From the gritty guitar solos and Wes Montgomery inspired octave lines to the gentle Rhodes breakdowns... this is a well informed, articulate and consistently well played, creative, strong work. Hats off to the whole team.
“Mixed metered funk smolders under limber melodies in performances by this Philly-based band.”
On the jazzy-funky side for sure...
Mixed meter, progressive soloing and melodic sensibilities point toward an accessible yet modern sound. The melodies have a memorable quality and stand on their own as original and unique.
This is a very refreshing sounding group with an adventurous ethos. At the same time the music is in an accessible place; not too out as to scare the uninitiated away. People who can feel the funk and folks who have listened to jazz should be able to sit down at the same table and dig this music.
This stuff is slammin’!
This guy is really amazing, perhaps THE best live guitarist I’ve ever seen. The chord movements and rhythms are unique and light-hearted. I was enthralled by his fantastic talent, energy, and passion.
Dirk Quinn -- an immense talent, who is becoming increasingly well-known and highly regarded for his expressive and unconventional playing style -- can be seen and heard every Wednesday at Birches in Burlington City, NJ. Quinn, a Philadelphia-based musician has a unique and progressive style that incorporates elements of jazz, funk, alternative and new age, often infused with other genres of music. His style is often compared to that of other innovative performers like Keller Williams and Michael Hedges. Whether in a live performance or on a recording of his compositions, you are immersed in an eclectic mix that is unpredictable, bordering on frenetic, yet always maintaining a continuity and fluidity of tone and rhythm that defines his style, while, at the same time, defies easy compartmentalization into a single style of music.
Jazzin' up Philadelphia
Pennsylvania native Dirk Quinn is hardly new to the music scene. But when he sits down and picks up a guitar, you might have trouble believing that this 32-year-old hasn’t been playing his entire life.
Believe it. “I started playing guitar when I was 16, but I wish I had started earlier,” muses the jazz/funk musician, leaning back on the couch where he’s sitting at MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore. “I was initially attracted to the guitar after being introduced to classic rock giants like Led Zeppelin and The Who.”
But although Quinn’s music career may not be decades-old, it doesn’t seem to make a bit of difference to the quality of his sound. The reason? Perseverance, plain and simple. Quinn explains that after he started playing, he would come home from high school and immediately pick up his guitar.
“I don’t think a day would go by where I didn’t play for hours,” he says. And that dedication didn’t stop after graduation day. “I went to Penn State for engineering—and skipped a lot of classes to play,” Quinn says, smiling.
“After college, I got a job as a computer programmer, but I quit to be a musician. I figured if I spent as much time a day playing as I did going to work, there was no way I was going to fail.”
He certainly wasn’t wrong: Quinn’s musical endeavors thus far have been anything but failures.
And while some may be surprised by the absence of vocals in his songs, we’re willing to bet that after a few minutes of soaking in Quinn’s guitar riffs, they won’t mind. Besides, there’s a good reason behind the lack of lyrics.
“I’m more drawn to the instrumental,” explains Quinn. “Music is such an effective way to communicate emotion. The marriage of words and music is beautiful, but for me, the music comes first and the lyrics just don’t seem to fit. It just felt more natural [to leave them out].”
Another technique Quinn uses to convey his style is a piece of equipment called a loop station, which allows him to layer musical phrases in real time to create a fuller sound. “There’s a pedal on the floor that I hit with my foot and record what I’m playing—and I layer over top of that. I kind of build a band, minus the percussion,” he says.
And the attraction to jazz? “It’s just about being honest with myself and not judging what comes out,” Quinn says. “That’s what led me into jazz. It seemed like jazz music embraces every emotion—it’s unafraid; it’s about not being scared of who you are. I’d rather have the music define my image.”
“My solo acoustic sound has been compared to the guitar ‘pyrotechnics’ of Keller Williams and Kaki King,” he says, and his tone is modest—but his proud smile reveals that he’s pretty pleased about the apparent connection to two of his musical inspirations. Who wouldn’t be? He’s earned it.
While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what Quinn’s appeal is, because both the musician and the music have so many endearing qualities, our best guess is that it’s partially his scruffy, approachable appearance and funky jazz melodies, but that more importantly, his audience can see and hear the passion that he pours into every note he plays.
His honesty and raw enthusiasm are also evident in one of his main musical styles: improvisation.
“I enjoy the freedom and the challenge of a show that’s to a large extent improvisational,” says Quinn. “What you’re getting is a cross-section of me—of who I am at that particular moment—every time I perform. Everybody wants to blow the doors off a venue every single night, but it takes a hell of a lot more guts to get up there and tell it like it is. An audience can innately recognize honesty when they hear it, and they respond to it on a much deeper level. The challenge then for me becomes not how to consistently ‘wow’ people, but how to most effectively and clearly express myself. And there’s no formula for that; it’s a lifelong pursuit.”
This truthful approach to music is probably part of what gets him booked for so many concerts.
“I’ve played all over Philly,” he says, “as far south as Maryland, as far north as New York, as far west as Penn State, and pretty much everywhere in between”—and wooing listeners at every venue, too, we’re sure.
And for now, he’s flying solo, but that’s something he’d like to change in the near future.
“The solo acoustic thing definitely satisfies that need to perform, but I’m looking for the right group of musicians to bring it to life. That said, I need to get it together by Jan. 4,” Quinn says. Jan. 4, by the way, will be Quinn’s debut at the World Café Live in Philadelphia.
Once you get a taste of Quinn’s melodies, his new self-titled album will be whirling around your cd player nonstop. “I just got this cd done. I got it finished in August. It took me a little over a year to put it together,” says Quinn.
“Playing solo satisfies the need to get out and perform while still allowing the band to come together and form more organically,” he adds. “The songs definitely take on a more earthy feel when played acoustically. I still try to bring out the funk a little with the bass, though.”
And bring out the funk he does. Dirk Quinn isn’t quite world-famous just yet (we think it’s only a matter of time), but he’s certainly winning over ears and hearts every time he strums another chord. His increasing popularity in the Philadelphia area comes as a result of both word-of-mouth reviews and the frequent appearances he’s been making in local cafés. He performs at the Crossroads Café in Roxborough every Friday from noon to 2 p.m., and at MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore on Saturdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
“I don’t want to take myself too seriously,” Quinn confesses. And yeah, his humility is definitely admirable, but the rest of us can’t help but to take him seriously. He’s worked too hard to receive anything less.
And once you listen for yourself, we’re sure you’ll agree—Dirk Quinn definitely strikes a lovely chord with Philadelphia.
RACHEL PERRY
Staff Writer
©Play 2008
This disc has what it takes to satisfy everyone who likes good music - more than enough technique to keep it interesting, tons of groove to keep your head nodding, and enough fun to encourage repeated listens. This is some great stuff and I look forward to future releases.
Um... Where are the words??
