Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Rich Pellegrin - Episodes IV-VI
by Andrew Luthringer, Earshot Jazz
Pianist and composer Rich Pellegrin is a somewhat musically elusive figure. During an initial listen to his new album, Episodes IV-VI, I found myself rummaging for reference points, trying to get a handle on how to describe and process his strikingly original music. Episodes IV-VI can be described with the increasingly ineffective label of "jazz," yet it contains very few of the typical elements by which the term is usually defined and... read more
Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington - Bicoastal Collective: Chapter Six
by Ed Sapiega, Jazz Views (UK)
The Bicoastal Collective is a contemporary jazz partnership that was formed in 2007 by Nova Scotia-based trumpeter/flugelhornist Paul Tynan and baritone saxophonist Aaron Lington from the San Francisco Bay Area. For Chapter Six, they pair with the New York rhythm team of electric bassist Trifon Dimitrov and drummer Joe Abba for a chord-less quartet. Tynan and Lington split the writing credits on the album, each contributing three songs.
This... read more
Stephen Jones & Ben Haugland - Road to Nowhere
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Pianist Ben Haugland joins forces with Stephen Jones on soprano and tenor saxes for some wonderfully lyrical and conversant duets. Kevin Whalen adds his trumpet and flugelhorn to a sweet "Silhouette" and lilting "Autumn In New York", but after that, it's sound and space. Jones goes bel canto with his tenor on "Estate" and bluesy with the soprano on the title tune. Haugland supports like the net of a trapeze artist throughout and gives serenity... read more
Anthony Stanco - In the Groove: Live at the Alluvion
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The trumpet wizard Anthony Stanco is joined by a first rate cast for this 3rd album that brings grit and soulfulness to the hard bop ideas.
"T. Sea" opens with Xavier Davis' swift keys and Stanco's radiant trumpet across the quick and dynamic climate, and "Say You're Mine" follows with a distinct intimacy thanks to the rich horn and John Webber's elegant bass lines.
"Pyramid Point" arrives in the middle and displays intimacy via the... read more
Medler Sextet - River Paths
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Rich post bop tones are delivered by tenor saxist Michelle Medler and her flavorful team of Paul Mazzio/tp, John Moak/tb, Clay Giberson/p, Ben Medler/b and Todd Bishop/dr. Medler has a rich and mellow melodicism, hinting at vintage Hank Mobley, and it works well on the collection of compositions by Michelle and Ben Medler, such as the Horace Silver-inspired "River Paths". She blows some blue smoke rings on "Subway Jam ("Evening)" and bops with... read more
Markus Rutz - Blueprints - Figure One: Frameworks
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Trumpeter Markus Rutz creates moods that both bop and reflect on this album that mixes and matches drummers Xavier Breaker or Marcus Evans, saxist Brice Winston, pianist Adrian Ruiz, guitarist Matt Gold, conga man Heitor Garcia and bassist Marcos Varela.
Most intriguing is when the leader eschews drums altogether, deftly bopping with Varela and Ruiz on an easy "The Musicaner," giving an aria with the pianist on "Very Marie" and the sweet... read more
Kelley Johnson - Something Good
by Ian Gwin, Earshot Jazz
Consisting of mostly lesser-known standards and a few re-tuned classics, vocalist Kelley Johnson's Something Good lives up to its title with a set of vocalist-trio arrangements that offer crisp, clean lines. Listeners coming to the recording by chance, invited in by its warmth and atmosphere, might notice the hints of laughter and the clink of glasses that add to the live recording like specks of dust in a sepia photograph.
Much credit goes... read more
The Here & Now - Break of Day
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Built from Seattle's powerhouse high school jazz programs and refined in the East Coast conservatories, the Here and Now quintet combines a number of elements of their upbringing to form an excellent, cohesive debut album. From the high-end high school ensembles, the players appear to have picked up a sensitivity to the collective -- rather than showcasing their solo talents, they generally prefer to form a unified front: doubling melodic lines,... read more
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