Sweet

Sweet was a project that I always wanted to do...a concept album. This was my attempt to raise the ghost of yesteryear in a whirlwind of rock, classical, and jazz flavors. The story is about ajuvinile dinosaur that is orphanded and must embark on a fantastic journey to survive.

Stylistically, the music is written in a film score format - whatever needed to compliment the story. The range is from Pat Metheny to Miles Davis to Pink Floyd to Sergey Prokofiev.

Sweet Story Board Slide Show Demonstration

All music and story © Stan O'Daffer

Reviews

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Sweet is a most enchanting excursion into the realm of visual soundscapes for the mind. The adventure rather defies genre classification, as it is a soundtrack given to utilization of a broad palette of instrumentation and effects. Rather likened to a concept album ala' the Alan Parsons Project days of old. The musicianship, engineering and composition are all world class. Sweet rocks, is introspective and packed with all of the aural allegories required for a rewarding listening session that takes one upon a magical journey. -

New Age Sampler, WWSP Radio

Sometimes, a work comes along that is so unique that a review can scarcely communicate the recording's essence. Such is the case with Stan O'Daffer's new release, Sweet. Sweet is not just a concept album; it is part of an ambitious attempt to unite the written word with music in an exciting way. It turns out that Stan, a Minneapolis keyboard artist, is also an accomplished writer, as well as a paleontology buff. So, besides the album Sweet, there is also the book Sweet, due out at about the same time as the CD.

Sweet is the story of a baby allosaur (named Sweet) who is living during the Jurassic period of prehistory. The album and book detail his travels through his land and time as he is separated from his tribe and must grow up on his own. Now, you cynics can go right ahead and start chuckling about baby dinosaurs and such. However, by dismissing this CD with such a near-sighted opinion, you will be missing an incredibly varied musical portrait that encompasses such diverse genres as jazz-pop fusion, blistering guitar-oriented rock, piano-based tone poems, and neo-classical adult contemporary. This complete lack of a single musical motif will undoubtedly throw many people for a loop. It is to Stan's credit, however, that this vast palette is exactly what his vision called for.

Joined by capable session players (acoustic guitarist Dean McGraw, electric guitarist and bass player Rik Stirling, fiddle player David Stenshoel, tenor sax player David Marden, trumpet player Tom Beyer, and cellist Tim Perry), O'Daffer has produced a rich sonic story, showcasing his uncommon talent that cuts across many genres. His piano chops really shine, but it's his composing ability that distinguishes this recording the most.

Musically, here are just a few of the cuts detailed. There is the lush synth and cello opener Dawn, followed by the breezy piano of the jazzy Journey. This segues into the wah-wah pedal-led rockish Storm of Years. Still later, we have the new age-jazz fusion of Gliders (bringing the collaborations of Paul Speer and David Lanz to mind), the smoky slow jazz of Solitude of Silence and the upbeat fun of Hatchlings. The album closes with the anthem-like Eternity's Tomb which may remind some of you of the prog band The Flock with its use of rock rhythms married with fiddle.

All in all, the scope of this recording is such that, as I said to Stan recently, it's a hard sell to any but the most open-minded. Jazz fans may be put off by the rock or "new age" textures. New age music fans might recoil at the outright rock and jazz songs. And as for ambient lovers, forget it. But, if your tastes are broad enough and your spirit adventurous enough, the rewards which Sweet offers are many. - Wind & Wire Magazine, New Instrumental Music Reviews and Interviews

Minneapolis-based pianist/composer Stan O'Daffer's Sweet is an ambitious compilation of cinematic music based on the artist's eponymous novel. The music and the story follow the adventures of O'Daffer's unlikely hero, who happens to be an Allosaur from the late Jurassic period.

The score is rich and evocative, running the sonic spectrum from solo piano to rock combo to orchestral. It's worthy of a big screen soundtrack. Tom Beyer's muted trumpet solo on "Solitude of Silence" (dedicated to Miles Davis) is a fitting tribute. Fine solos on the project also are posted by Tim Perry (cello), Rik Stirling (guitar), David Stenshoel (fiddle), and David Marden (sax). The variety of styles that the composer covers in this epic is quite impressive and so is the crisp, luminous recording thanks to the able and artful engineering of Rik Stirling.

It's amusing to note that when the steel drums tinkle and calypso rhythms are pumping along on "Courting the Future, "the liner notes tell us our dinosaur hero has found a willing mate (Love Boat, Jurassic style?). There's even an Enigma-like trance dance cut, "Eternity's Tomb,"to round things out while the credits and rolling on the imaginary screen. Indeed, Sweet is a suite of Jurassic-sized music. Grrrrr! - The Edge, July 2002

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