Gilly's Caper by Sweet Sue Terry

Still a rogue, even on his deathbed: holding the nurses? hands, going hog-wild on the morphine IV. Back in the day, when the old man used to run guns during the Moldavian War, they used to call him the Toothless Soothsayer. He always had a sixth sense for when the police were on their tail, and he?d say so with a gap-toothed smile acquired during a bar brawl one night in Tunisia under a desert moon.

Gilly sighed. No matter what, he had to do it, he had no choice. He was glad he had no choice. Why did people think that freedom meant having a lot of choices? The greatest freedom was to be found in having zero options--no possibilities to weigh, nothing to decide. Yes, having only one path to follow was a blessing, especially after a lifetime of agonizing decisions. Life was a waterwheel, and a person was just a drop of water getting churned up and tossed around. Who knew where you?d end up?

Even though his task was clear, Gilly had been on edge ever since he had discovered where the Seal of Solomon was hidden. He knew he had to rescue it and safeguard it until the Commanders gave further instructions. He also knew he might die in the process.

As Gilly reflected on all that had transpired till now, he also remembered all the debts he owed that he would never be able to repay. For all the wrongs he had done, he could only humbly say ‘I?m sorry? in his heart. Maybe, someday, he would be able to do more.

Gilly reached for the phone. No--he would wait until everything was in place before he called her. He knew she was in town, he had made sure of that. After all, he?d been away for a year, he couldn?t assume anything. It had taken him that long to find out where they were keeping the Seal. It was in the basement of a bar on 5th Avenue called Terra Incognita. Ironic--he had searched the world over for the Seal, and it turned out to be five minutes from his apartment.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS STORY, BUY THE ALBUM! LISTEN TO THE 'SOUNDTRACK' OF THE STORY WHILE FOLLOWING THE ADVENTURES OF GILLY.

"Sue Terry has never been your typical jazz saxophonist. A protege of Jackie McLean who was subsequently mentored by the late great tenor sax giants Clifford Jordan and Junior Cook and living legend Barry Harris, Terry is one of the very few female horn players to achieve acceptance on the tough New York hard bop scene in the '80s." --Russ Musto, All About Jazz

'Sweet' Sue has too many credits to be listed here--please check out her website for her extensive discography, press quotes, and other info! There is a link to it on the sidebar on the left side of your screen. Sweet Sue's homepage will open in a separate window, so you can run right back here & buy the album, OR you can buy it right on her website if you want!

"Sue Terry: Superwoman of Jazz." -- Hartford Courant

"Sue Terry is a forward voice in modern music. . .She has been universally recognized among her musician peers for decades as one of the most articulate players of the alto saxophone."

Tim Price, Saxophone Journal

"She plays like Charlie Parker reincarnated! She smokes!"

Jazz Central Station

"This incredible artist wails out her soul to any and all who would hear -- as in, you know, really listen. This is playing where the music breathes as alive with breath as any vocalist can give you, even the best of them."

Michael Redmond

". . . Sue Terry was the crowd pleaser with a fiery expressiveness that got the crowd cheering and urging her on. Her style had some of the angular inventiveness of Wayne Shorter, undercut by a bluesy edge that kept things down to earth."

Michael Hotter, Greenville Press

". . . has a pure, burnished sound on each instrument . . .Technically, nothing seems beyond her reach, and her improvisations are consistently sharp and persuasive. . ."

Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

"Sue Terry's ‘The Troubadours,' a polyrhythmic feast for the ears, is the most ambitious and impressive tune of the set."

David R. Adler, All Music Guide

"Terry performed in the contemporary, progressive role that the new woman in jazz is demanding."

Amsterdam News, New York

"Sue Terry's work on the Billie Holiday medley ‘Strange Crazy Heartache' suggests that she has a formidable musical intelligence; her solo statement catches something of Lady's voice."

Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD

"Sue Terry possesses a truly individual voice . . . she is especially compelling."

Cadence Magazine

"The roaring Charli Persip Superband . . . closed the weekend with highlight after highlight, including the debut of superb alto saxophonist Sue Terry's suite on Billie Holiday tunes."

Len Dobbin, Montreal Gazette

"The most eloquent and elegant solo of the double-header, though, was played by Sue Terry. . . her chorus on a Jordan composition filled the park with a remarkably big, billowing, bitter-sweet tone poem that was the emotional high point of the night."

Owen McNally, Hartford Courant

"Sue Terry, who crafted the stunning arrangement, offers a statement on alto that reaches into one's soul."

W. Royal Stokes, JazzTimes

"I'm presenting some very talented young musicians who in my estimation are budding superstars, especially Sue."

Charli Persip in JazzTimes

". . .nor can too much be said about the youngish and loving way in which Sweet Sue Terry saluted Charlie Parker, playing with the passion that sent some of the band's reed players back to the shed when they realized they would have to work next to someone so intent on firing from the heart every chance she got."

Stanley Crouch in "Down Through The Years" liner notes

"Sue nailed it!"

Paquito D?Rivera

"She's been compared to the great alto players like Charlie Parker and Phil Woods. . .Sue Terry exemplifies excellence with a commanding sense of swing and a burnished tone."

National Public Radio

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