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Following the 2001 release of his cd "Odyssey", Jeffrey Scott Penn began work on "Militant Optimist". Those who know him best can attest to the appropriateness of the title as a description of the man. A collection of songs written in the wake of tragedies on both a personal and an international scale, Jeff's lyrics reflect his sense of outrage at the abuses of humanity, coupled with his unshakeable belief, seemingly against all odds, that the good in mankind will prevail. Like "Odyssey", this collection was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Mass. where Jeff collaborated in the creation with engineer Jim Fogarty and a host of his musical friends. Jeff and Jim had serendipitously met when Jeff was tentatively exploring the possibility of recording "a few songs". Those explorations resulted in "Odyssey", which, although relatively unknown on more than the local level, was nonetheless a very well-crafted, mature recording. In that project, as in this one, Jeff and Jim formed an extremely effective team- each lending a sophisticated creative vision, but neither overshadowing the other. Musically, Jeff's influences span a broad spectrum. They include his aunt Midge, who taught him to play guitar and joined him in playing folk standards when he was about six or eight years old. He also draws on the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, as well as a host of other artists from classic rock to more recent. SWH to purchase music, contact jeff |
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