"A long-overdue return by this up-and-coming Chicago talent -- and a really amazing batch of tracks! It's been a number of years since we last heard from singer Sean Haefeli -- but he's really been using that time to develop his groove tremendously! The sound here is much jazzier than on Haefeli's debut -- but it's also not strictly a jazz album -- because Sean uses jazz vocal roots, and fuses them to a hipper 21st Century sense of rhythm -- one that's really amazing, and which brings fresh surprises with each new track on the EP! There's only 4 tracks here, but they're all pretty darn great -- provided with live instrumental backings by a small combo, but coming off with a deftly creative flair that reminds us of some of the best contemporary work coming from the London scene." --Dusty Groove Sean Haefeli’s music represents a convergence of sensibilities and aesthetics. As threads of jazz, soul, and the poet/emcee's lyricism intersect, the music arrives, distinctively modern and probing. Uncontrived, this convergence accurately reflects Sean’s musical awareness, study, and seeming contradiction. Trained as a classical pianist, his first cassette tape was L.L. Cool J. Though he entered Depaul University as an opera major, he graduated with a degree in English literature, while cultivating an appreciation for artists such as Andy Bey, Freestyle Fellowship and Yusef Komunyakaa. After graduation, he immersed himself in jazz and improvisation, working with a diverse group of musicians, while further widening his listening sphere. In 2002, Sean released Natural Hunger, a promising debut, which triggered references to the Last Poets, Roberta Flack, Michael Franti, “soft jazz crooners and even old school rhythm and blues masters.” Three years ago, Sean began assembling the pieces to realize his latest vision, the Sean Haefeli Project. At that time, the group consisted of vocals, keys, brass, with electronic beats and textures. As time went on, the group evolved, expanding with the addition of a drummer and bass player, balancing the live elements with subtle electronics. In 2006, Sean began recording the new album, Sound Strategy. This music reflects the hybridity of the group, while at the same time, maintaining a consistency. The album integrates sophistication, as with the metrically shape-shifting "off-speed," the lyricism of “balance,” the deceptive melody of "stimulus," and the harmonically intricate "speaking of race,” counterbalancing these elements with passion, flow and groove.