With 10 new arrangements (45+ mins), and some dynamite musicians, the spirit of “Strawberry Jam 1975” is about groove and mood, conjuring up a wide array of emotions from the listener, and all while telling a story or two. For those that were part of St. Mary’s Street, I thank you and trust you will hear the continued evolution of fusing blues, jazz, and rock influences into my own sound. When putting together music for an extended play release, I write material that I feel fits together in a thematic way, like the pieces of a puzzle, with the goal of telling a musical story from start to finish. To do that, I try to employee a variety of tempos, feels, moods, dynamics, and key changes, but making sure there's enough commonality to bind the arrangements together like a book. Having been raised on vinyl and 8-tracks, my favorite records were those that maintained my interest though out, as it wasn't easy to skip tracks. Sometimes I stretch and test boundaries to surprise the listener, and it's sure to happen on SJ75. We introduce drummer Bugs Garza on this release, and also see Chris Doege return from St. Mary's Street for a few songs - both are incredibly gifted and accomplished. Many of the upbeat tunes have a funky swagger with bluesy overtones, but chord arrangements and voicings often found in the jazz idiom are used to make more interesting, and insure a stamp of originality. There's also a variety of moods also, but several tracks that carry a certain darkness, whether it be sad, bad, or mad. There's a story told on the title track, some spiritual metaphors continued, and additionally, three instrumentals, including one that intentionally tests the boundaries of the collection. We hope you enjoy... Keep On Keepin’ On…. Mark Searcy