The Last Word Quintet
Wellbeing Is Our Passion
The Last Word Quintet is a collaboration between four of Chicago's best musicians and songwriters with Marc Kelly Smith, performance poet, founder of the Uptown Poetry Slam and a leader of the worldwide poetry slam movement. Marc's performance of original and classic poetry meshes seamlessly with Al Day's vocals and lyrics and the hard-driving jazz of the Last Word to illustrate multi-dimensional tales of urban life. With pianist Bob Long, bassist Doug Lofstrom and saxophonist Brian Gephart, the Last Word creates new worlds to be explored. As Robert Rodi wrote in New City, "it's apparent we're hearing an entirely new kind of poetic conversation, and it's thrilling." Here is a link to that article:
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Anonymous Amazon review (5 stars)
The best way to truly experience The Last Word is live, so your eyes can see and your body can comprehend what's really going on. How does the brain know when to concentrate more on Marc Kelly Smith's spoken poetry, or Al Day's vocals, when both are being spoken/sung at the same time? But it does, and you do, and it works. And both the poetry and lyrics -- sometimes separate, sometimes together -- are heartfelt and brilliant by themselves, and each informs the other. It's hard to describe because it's totally unique. I've been to the live shows and I've never seen or heard anything else like it.
And that's not even mentioning the musicianship behind all these songs. Bob Long (piano) Doug Lofstrom (bass), and Brian Gephart (sax), as well as Al Day, soulful vocals and intricate guitar and more: phenomenal. Watching live is like seeing art created before your very eyes. Let the friendship between these guys draw you into their world; for indeed a unique world is created here.
from Sue Fink:
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These guys kid about how their songs are depressing, but they're NOT depressing. They're real. They write about subjects which thinking people think about. It's a relief to hear someone singing/saying the words that pass through our own minds anyways, they give voice to our thoughts.