A DEDICATION
The work of Stephen Starkman came to my attention through his brother, Mitch - the bass player in the quartet. Stephen was a gifted artist/photographer. I didn’t get to meet him, but I got a sense of him through his final artistic work and through the amount of love left in the room when he departed from this earth. Stephen was diagnosed with a terminal illness shortly after Mitch and I started playing together. Stephen, remarkably, chose to document this final life challenge through his photographic work, producing and releasing a book, to much acclaim – The Proximity of Mortality.
Mitch Starkman, a master on bass guitar, crafts impeccable foundations for our quartet pieces. It has been a real pleasure to create and produce music with him. On the morning of his brother’s passing, Mitch posted a childhood picture of himself with Stephen – it encapsulated the wonder of childhood, adventure, the bonding of brothers.
No one knew the level of creative energy those two adventurous boys would sustain in life, how expressive and deeply committed they would be to their art, or how they would both flourish creatively. All they knew was wonder was present. Star ships were being launched.
Star Men is dedicated to Stephen Starkman - to his courage and to his artistry, including how he lived and how he loved. It is also a tribute to these superbly talented brothers and to the wonder that they shared.
Carrie - The Carrie Armitage Quartet
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THE QUARTET
Carrie Armitage - Piano, Keys, Vocals
Bob McAlpine - Guitars
Mitch Starkman - Bass
Gary Craig - Drums
Star Men Special Guests:
Laura Disenhaus - Flute
Anton Evans - Additional Background Vocals
Star Men Cover Drawing created by David Quinton
Produced & Arranged by Carrie Armitage
Mixed @ Village Works Canada
Mastered by Erman Aydöner - EA Masters, Istanbul
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