Liner Notes from Muse Stew's Live Compact Disc:

Scott Samenfeld is the creator and sustainer of "Muse Stew". As you can see, the bulk of the compositions belong to him. Some new, some written in the 70's, and some having their maiden performance right here. Other than holding down the bass duties, he elevates our senses with solos played on an ancient Nigerian oboe in "Crossings" and "Maelstrom". These two pieces and "Badoolyadooba" utilize West African rhythms, which contrast nicely with the swing nature of "Mercury" and "Spacewalk". Susan Capestro's "Take Three" uses Brazilian caxixi and alludes to Brubeck's "Take Five". The use of hand drums and percussion instruments exclusively is a conscious effort not to rely on the modern drum set that dominates most jazz and popular music today. This allows a deeper exploration of the roots of swing and other jazz forms that have been derived from African traditions. "Muse Stew" got together to explore the possibilities presented by blending all kinds of traditional and avant-garde jazz and classical elements with ethnic rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic traditions to produce a unique and original musical expression. The title tune "Crossings" was originally written for a Senegalese drum ensemble. It begins with swirling winds on the horizon, and follows the progress of a caravan crossing the desert. The caravan reaches an oasis and spends time in the village there before heading off into the sunset. This is our epic dedicated to all crossings in life.

Program Notes from Muse Stew's October 26, 1996 Concert:

Muse Stew began as a collaboration between words and music; the name of our group reflects the mixture of poetry, jazz and percussion we initially cooked up. These days, we’ve been doing more music and less poetry, but the ingredients are varied nonetheless. Badoolyadooba and Maelstrom feature the djembe, a wooden drum with goatskin head from the Mandinka people of West Africa. April, 1980 alternates between sections of bossa, samba and swing rhythms. Many of the compositions you’ll hear tonight were written by Scott Samenfeld, our musical director and bassist, and range from the lyrical April, 1980, to the tumultuous Maelstrom, which evokes a swirling, surging, whirlpool descending to the bottom of the sea. Our longest piece, Crossings, begins with the merest whisper of desert winds and whorling sand. A caravan approaches, the drums grow louder; and soon the piano, trumpet and bass are weaving exotic melodies around the drums, only to slowly vanish in the distance. Featured are piano, trumpet and musette, a double-reed instrument from Niger. We like to juxtapose form and structure with stretches of open space and freedom . Of course, one can never be sure exactly what will transpire in those wildly improvisational sections; we invite you to join us tonight in our explorations.

Band Members:

Scott Samenfeld - Musical Director, String and Electric Bass, Ancient Oboes, Percussion

Karen Gruber - Congas, Djembe, Percussion

Bill Case - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion

Susan Capestro - Piano, Percussion

Listen to the tunes from the CD:

1.) Mercury - Scott Samenfeld, 1972
2.) Badoolyadooba  - Scott Samenfeld, 1970
3.) Spacewalk - Scott Samenfeld, 1978
4.) Maelstrom - Scott Samenfeld, 1970
5.) Take Three  - Sue Capestro, 1996
6.) Crossings- Scott Samenfeld, 1994

Crossings