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Ken Saydak
Foolish Man
Delmark DE-725
Released: 1998

Ken Saydak is finally stepping out as a front man showcasing himself fully on his own somewhat unconventional terms. Ken's skills shine through as a master of deep blues, swing, New Orleans gumbo and their honky tonkin' cousins. Foolish Man represents a lot of good things revolving loosely around the Chicago blues piano tradition, delivered with good feeling and a serious intelligence and craft. It won't take the listener any time to heed the call of Saydak's enticing mix of good times and thoughtful reflection. Enjoy the fun! Notes by Dick Shurman enclosed.

1. Mama Please 4:28 (Ken Saydak)
2. Ain't Found The Answer Yet 4:24 (Ken Saydak)
3. Where Is My Life? 4:01 (Ken Saydak)
4. Time I Spend Alone 4:32 (Ken Saydak)
5. Crazy Arms 5:24 (Mooney/Seals)
6. Just To Hold My Hand 5:22 (Don Robey)
7. Shoppin' And Snackin' 4:24 (Saydak/Baker)
8. Foolish Man 4:10 (Ken Saydak)
9. Save Her Doctor 3:49 (Eddie Boyd)
10. Mother Earth 7:42 (Chatman/Simpkins)
11. This Little Girl Of Mine 5:13 (Ray Charles)
12. Walkin' Thing 3:23 (Ken Saydak)
13. Thinking and Drinking 4:33 (Amos Milburn)

Ken Saydak, vocals, piano, organ on 2, accordion on 6
Ron Sorin, harmonica
Jon Hiller, drums (except 5, 9)
Rob Amster, acoustic bass on 7
Roland Miller, electric bass on 2
Kenny Smith, drums on 5, 9

Album Production and Supervision: Robert G. Koester
Recorded at Riverside Studio on June 29 & 30, July 2 and August 28, 1998
Photography: Black/Toby
Design: Kate Hoddinott

When Ken Saydak says "I cook at a low simmer. It takes me a long time to do things," he's not kidding. One thing's for sure about the quarter century of professional preparation leading up to the debut CD by this Triple Threat Chicago-based pianist (with occasional organ and accordion)/singer/songwriter: it won't take the listener any time at all to heed the call of the enticing mix of good times and thoughtful reflection on disk and start enjoying the fun!
One of Saydak's many assets is his comfort with who he is and who he isn't. He laughs about pulling up to blues clubs "in a Honda and a parka" and knows he's not a product of levee camp barrelhouses and house rent parties. It's obvious he was raised in Chicago, but his music is more a kaleidoscopic pastiche of styles and antecedents than a concentrated pure shot. "Any one song is probably a blend of influences" is how he catalogs this set.
For most of his distinguished career, he was content as a conscientious sideman and team player. His international profile dates back to mid '70s tenure as a fixture with Mighty Joe Young (still a mentor and friend) and Lonnie Brooks. He's backed Johnny Winter on four Grammy-nominated albums, and has a fifth nomination. In the '80s he achieved additional notoriety with the Blueprints and the eclectic roots band Big Shoulders. More recently he's played on twenty Delmark albums by a broad cross-section of the label's roster. Between studio dates he's toured the world; in fact, he headed off to South Africa and Switzerland after finishing this project.
Now that Saydak is finally stepping out as a front man, he's able to showcase himself fully on his own somewhat unconventional terms. He's chosen a lineup ranging from solo to trio (generally featuring second lines from his old Big Shoulders partner, harpist Ron Sorin, and elemental, locked-in drumming by Jon Hiller)-- not a note of guitar to be heard. His hefty resume speaks for itself about his musical capabilities, but for this album he downplays establishing himself as a Man Of Monster Chops. His skills still shine through as a master of deep blues, swing, New Orleans gumbo and their honky tonkin' cousins. But the emphasis is on well-conceived, well-rounded songs and fun. The latter is no surprise to the many who know Saydak as one of the readiest wits and humorists on the scene, worth a slice of studio budgets just for the Laugh Quotient. He states "I really wanted to emphasize the songwriting more than anything. 90% of song lyrics have to do with male-female...I particularly am drawn to songs that are outside that." Memphis Slim's paean to mortality, "Mother Earth" is cited as a prime example. On this CD, the topics cover darkly hidden family problems ("Mama Please," accompanied with a piano approximation of finger-picked acoustic folk guitar) through restless seeking, nostalgic remorse, recognition that youthful recklessness has led to an accumulated legacy of bad choices and a whimsical, easy swinging social inventory ("Shoppin' And Snackin") that updates his 1984 Razor 45.
Culled from 77 tracks, the program represents a lot of good things revolving loosely around the Chicago blues piano tradition, delivered with good feeling and a serious intelligence and craft. He "just picked songs I was fond of performing" by Slim, Amos Milburn, Big Boy Myles, Eddie Boyd, Ray Price and Ray Charles to complement originals that "represent what I do musically and what I think about." "Time I Spend Alone" (a fitting appreciation of solitude set to two-fisted Chicago blues) and the uptempo "Foolish Man" are solo pieces. Saydak cites the country strain in his blues, and knows his professed fondness for a sixth chord flirts with heresy in some circles. He articulates the unity and diversity in his music: "The categorization of music is a convenience or contrivance invented so that people can talk about what they're hearing... to me, all indigenous American music is drawing water from the same well... it's all music that originates from real life experience, but depending on the person who did it, with different influences... the blues is a melting pot of sorts, as influenced by anything you hear, especially with the advent of recording. The real experience is in the air."
Ken Saydak is proud that during his long tenure as a sideman, he did his best "to do what the leader wanted with their music." Along the way, he built an overwhelming portfolio as a mature, savvy, multidimensional part of Chicago's music community. Saydak notes "It's taken me this long to feel like I have something I want to put out. It's a culmination of 25 years of getting ready." Now it's time for the listener to be ready to put ears, brain, heart and feet in gear!
-Dick Shurman


"Ken Saydak's solo debut is an accomplished set of deep bluesy songs, and sees him flavoring his Chicago blues piano with hints of Cajun gumbo, honky tonk and swing."
ALLMUSIC Review by John Bush

Thanks to Linda for all the years of faith and support, for insisting that I chase my dreams and for working so hard to make it possible for me to do that. This is our baby, to Martha and Morgan for all the joy, to Mom and Dad for the accordion lessons, to Pat Brennan for introducing me to Roland "Stumpy" Miller, to Bob and Sue Koester for their confidence and encouragement, to Elizabeth Stewart for her friendship and for being a fabulous babe, to Duke for pointing out the subtle differences between thatch and mulch, to Rufus for being such a big part of me, to all the MAWGs for sharing the struggle to make sense of this silly world.

This album is dedicated to the memory of my friend and fellow-musician, John Duich. John, I missed you at the sessions. It is also dedicated to Alain, Jean and family in Atlanta, and to all other good people to whom life has been inexplicably cruel. 


Free catalog of jazz and blues:
Delmark Records
4121 N. Rockwell, Chicago, IL 60618
UPC: 038153072520
C P 1998 Delmark Records

Other Delmark piano blues albums you'll enjoy:
Speckled Red, The Dirty Dozens (601)
Curtis Jones, Lonesome Bedroom Blues (605)
Roosevelt Sykes, Hard Drivin' Blues (607)
Gold Mine (616)
Feel Like Blowing My Horn (632)
Raining In My Heart (642)
Sunnyland Slim, House Rent Party (655)
Pete Johnson, Central Avenue Boogie (656)
Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine (687)
Aaron Moore, Hello World (695)
Albert Ammons, Boogie Woogie Stomp (705) with Meade Lux Lewis and
Pete Johnson
Blues Piano Orgy (626) with Roosevelt Sykes, Memphis Slim, Sunnyland
Slim, Otis Spann, Little Brother Montgomery and others.