Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Alex Goodman - Border Crossing
by Morton Shlabotnik, Shepherd Express
With Border Crossing, it's easy to hear why Alex Goodman earned First Prize at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition. The Canadian guitarist (now living in the world's jazz capital, New York City) weaves intricate, finely threaded patterns while allowing plenty of space for his small ensemble of acoustic players to shine. The wordless vocalizing of Felicity Williams adds a pleasant near-1960s vibe to the music, showing that words... read more
George Mitchell - Play Zone
by Lynn Darroch, Oregonian
George Mitchell's versatility shows on CD 'Play Zone'
"That's the kind of musician I aspire to be," says George Mitchell. "Somebody who does a variety of things."
So there is a lot of variety on Mitchell's new CD, "Play Zone." A Portland native, the keyboard player and composer has toured with pop diva Diana Ross for 20 years. But when he's in town, about nine months of the year, Mitchell performs nightly with various jazz groups,... read more
Ben Markley Big Band - Tuesday Morning Feeling
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
4 1/2 STARS When a bandleader says he plans to rely less on arranging the music of others to focus more on his own compositions and charts, the usual response is a prolonged sigh or indifferent shrug of the shoulders —which makes it all the more remarkable that when pianist and composer Ben Markley did exactly that on Tuesday Morning Blues, the third recording by the Colorado-based Ben Markley Big Band, the finished product demands not... read more
Randy Napoleon - Rust Belt Roots: Randy Napoleon Plays Wes Montgomery, Grant Green & Kenny Burrell
by Lawrence Cosentino, City Pulse (Lansing)
Guitarist Randy Napoleon wanted his latest album, "Rust Belt Roots," to conjure up a world before the Internet and satellite radio, when each region of the country had its own jazz sound. Close your eyes and you feel the pulse of Midwest dynamism — breezing along on the freeway, taking in the glimmering lights of a steel plant or an oil refinery, people watching on a bustling riverfront.
The music's subtle moods don't announce themselves... read more
Susan Reed - Thousands of Ways
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The violinist, vocalist and storyteller Susan Reed has enjoyed a diverse and exceptional career, and here she reflects on life, love, the pandemic and politics with help from Craig Wagner's guitar, David Friesen's bass and Stever Barnes' drums.
"Flying My Kite" starts the listen with warmly plucked strings, as Reed's comforting and eloquent voice guides the gentle climate, and "Fresco" follows with Reed's playful violin and the light... read more
Errol Rackipov - Distant Dreams
by Lyudmil Fotev, Radio Bulgaria
30 years ago a young vibraphonist dreamt of the Berklee College of Music and the school of Gary Burton. A few days ago he discovered the same vibraphone in the same studio on the BNR, where he recorded his demo for Berklee at the time. This time he brought with him another of his albums, with words of dedication writeen on the cover by this same Gary Burton. Does this mean the Errol has made his dreams come true?
The answers are not simple,... read more
Rich Pellegrin - Down
by Paul Simpson, The Answer is in the Beat - WCBN, Ann Arbor
Rich Pellegrin's third album for OA2 features the brilliant Seattle duo Bad Luck as well as the Mizzou New Music Ensemble (on the alternate version of the album's title track). Opening piece "Trial" is an instant attention-grabber, filled with complex, stop-on-a-dime arrangements and an overabundant amount of energy. Absolutely fresh and exciting. "Birthright" isn't quite as explosive or colorful, but it's still intense in its own way, slowly... read more
Daniel Jamieson's Danjam Orchestra - Sudden Appearance
by Jeffrey Morgan, Jeffrey Morgan's Media Blackout
From Clint Eastwood's Sudden Impact to JCVD's Sudden Death, it's long been a proven scientific fact that anything with the word "Sudden" in its title is bound to be a bona fide hit - and this album is guaranteed to be no exception to that beholdin - rule even though this ain't no moving picture by a long shot. But it is a soundtrack of sorts in that your brain will be conjuring up an endless array of cinematic images nonetheless, thanks to the... read more
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