Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Glenn White - Sacred Machines
by Richard Kamins, Courant.com
Tenor saxophonist White, a native of Arizona, assembled a top-notch band to bring his music to life. With the help of producer David Binney (a noted saxophonist-composer), the results really shine.
The blend of White's brawny tenor sound with the sparkling and adventurous flute work of Jamie Baum (a Fairfield, CT, native) keeps the listener involved. Add to that the heady keyboard contributions of Roberta Piket and the music shines. The... read more
Randy Napoleon - Rust Belt Roots: Randy Napoleon Plays Wes Montgomery, Grant Green & Kenny Burrell
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
4-STARS One's response to jazz—indeed, to music of any kind—most often depends on where he or she is coming from. To erase any doubts about where he is coming from, guitarist Randy Napoleon has subtitled his album, Rust Belt Roots, "Plays Wes Montgomery, Grant Green and Kenny Burrell." This is music born of a Midwestern ethos: Indianapolis (Montgomery), St. Louis (Green), Detroit (Burrell). Napoleon called Michigan home before moving... read more
Nathan Eklund - Crafty Christmas
by Rob Young, Urban Flux
As we approach the upcoming Christmas Season holiday music is beginning to emerge impeccably with expected side effects of cheer that fills the air with a fragrance draped in the spirit of love, peace and hope. Maybe it�s by happenstance regardless of our condition for our pleasure these sounds arrive with the sole purpose of inspiring us at this time of year. In this case, trumpeter, composer, flugelhorn and producer Nathan Eklund is one of... read more
Debbie Poryes | Bruce Williamson - Two and Fro
by Larry Hollis, Cadence
Another meeting of two souls is chronicled in 'Two & Fro'. A sort of West Coast (CA) meets East Coast (NY) with pianist Debbie Poryes and master-reedman Bruce Williamson putting their heads together on a mix of evergreens, a pair of Jazz staples and an original each. Like Dorothy Leigh and Alva Nelson, these two are no strangers to one another. Williamson was present on Poryes' last release for Origin, 'Catch Your Breath' a quartet date which... read more
Nathan Eklund - Crafty Christmas
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
The title is an inside joke among the Eklund clan, the music isn't. Another in a recent wave of tasty, original Christmas albums, this jazz holiday is the kind of gathering I'd like to be invited to. With Eklund's trumpet leading the way on a familiar set of musical, holiday comfort food, the schmaltz has been trimmed off the meat and here's the proof you don't need fat to make it tasty. There might not be anything new under the sun here,... read more
Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington - Bicoastal Collective: Chapter Five
by George Harris, Jazz Weekly
Paul Tynan and Aaron Lington equally divide up the writing chores while the former plays trumpet and the latter baritone sax on this exciting big band album. The Lington tunes include an elliptical post bop "Two Views" with punchy horn sections and a fiery bass trombone delivery by Josh Brown, while moody shadows features some rich baritone sax and clever soloing by guitarist Noel Johnson, and his "'Sup" has a fun and funky backbeat.
With... read more
Daniel Jamieson's Danjam Orchestra - Sudden Appearance
by Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes
From a radical reinvention of "Alone Together" to the lushly orchestrated "Calming" and the burnings Liebman protege Daniel Jamieson shows great promise as an arranger-composer-bandleader on his ambitious debut. Jamieson's company shines as well: Veteran drummer John Riley underscores solos by bassist Justin Gray and guitarist Nils Weinhold on "Calming" with supple brushwork, and then fuels the jauntily swinging "Crunchy Peanut Butter" with an... read more
Debbie Poryes - Catch Your Breath
by John Barron, All About Jazz
Recording a disc half-filled with overdone standards should require, at minimum, an attempt at dissection and redirection, investigating any harmonic and rhythmic possibilities left over after decades of use. Such is the case with the release of Catch Your Breath, from San Francisco Bay-area pianist Debbie Poryes. Poryes' approach to arranging involves sophistication with warmth and open-ended possibilities. As a result, Amercan songbook gems... read more
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