Ken Francis Wenzel, a singer/songwriter/saxophonist, based out of Washington, DC, has a brand new album for release, which is titled, ‘…Beneath Potomac Skies.’
Ken, who happens to hail from Champaign, Illinois, is an expert saxophone player, which he studied at the University of Illinois before graduating from UNLV in Las Vegas, NV with a degree in jazz studies. Ken has played in many places after his graduation program, such as Las Vegas, Northern Europe, Africa, and Asia.
He has even played at the Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan and has been on several national tours with the Broadway musicals and festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and 2010 Chicago Blues Festival.
The artist published his last work in 2010, which was an acoustic EP “…This is Cross Kentucky,” which managed to fetch commendable reviews from audiences and critics alike.
In this album, the artist has expressed the times and experiences that he had near the Potomac River, which is located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
The Pomotac River is said to bring out the different cultures that thrived along the side of the river. Be it the coal miners belonging to the upstream part of the lake or the suburban and the urban parts of the lake downstream, along with the waterman of Virginia’s Northern Neck.
The 12 tracks of this album are a beautiful compilation of the beautiful times spent and the moments that have amassed over the years, along the river. The songs are variations of different genres that the artist has explored, which include rock, country and a touch of jazz.
He talks about love, life, moments that passed by, the nature, what he has learned throughout the years as he spent his times beneath the Pomotac skies.
The 12 tracks of the album, each with a different variety, tell the stories in an intricate manner. The tracks are brilliantly composed to suit the coarse, sensuous voice of the artist, which is compliments the tracks.
Each track reflects the passion in the artist’s voice and his work reflects perfectly well of the beautiful times he has spent on the banks of the Pomatic river. He paints an idyllic picture, one that is strife with energy, compassion and nostalgia.
You can see the artist’s saxophone roots in some of the songs and it definitely adds to the charm of the album.
https://instagram.com/crosskentucky/
URL: http://kenwenzelmusic.com/
Album rating: 4/5 Stars
Rufus Taylor
