Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
George Cotsirilos - On The Rebop
by Veronica Timpanelli, Jazz Review
George Cotsirilos, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, studied classical guitar privately through the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has been a member of the San Francisco Bay Area jazz community for many years, and best known for his work as a sideman, has performed with a wide array of artists such as Etta James, Bill Evans and The Whispers. He is more recently known for his recordings with the San Francisco... read more
Liam Sillery - Outskirts
by David Kane, Cadence
Liam Sillery may be a U.S. born and bred musician but the music on Outskirts has a very European feel to it. Though at its heart, this CD is in the Modern Mainstream tradition, the rhythmic extrapolations of "Prana" and the Free Jazz of "Black Rag" have more in common with the music coming out of Frankfurt than they do of the Blues-derived Modern Mainstream of U.S. based groups. Even the track "Blues for Lifetime" is more about cool... read more
Juli Wood - Synkka Metsa
by Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm
Wow, what a cool recording. Based on Finnish folk songs, but delivered with a post-hard bop style that sounds equally solemn and tuneful. Tenor saxophonist Wood's quartet flirts with a spiritual jazz sound, but the deep swing of the rhythm section and the earthy blues of Alejandro Urzagaste's guitar gives it more of a Tristano-style cool jazz sound. A real magnetic personality to this recording, which should appeal to both old-school and... read more
Jihee Heo - Flow
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The esteemed pianist Jihee Heo is aligned with Alexander Claffy, Joe Farnsworth and Vincent Herring for these mostly trio selections that embrace Heo's time in South Korea, Amsterdam and New York City- her current home.
"New Yorker Step" opens with Heo's swift keys that are complemented by Farnsworth's frisky drums and Claffy's lively bass lines, and "I Can See Only One Step Ahead" follows with much melody, where the trio interact with grace... read more
Ben Markley Quartet - Slow Play
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
4-STARS The jacket cover on this splendid new studio recording from OA2 Records reads "Ben Markley Quartet Featuring Joel Frahm," and for good reason: the New York City-based saxophonist lends considerable improvisational weight to Slow Play, which would be a far different animal without him. That's not to say that pianist Markley, bassist Marty Kenney and drummer Jim White couldn't succeed or even prosper without him, only that Frahm's... read more
Fumi Tomita - The Elephant Vanishes: Jazz Interpretations of the Short Stories of Haruki Murakami
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Even English majors might not be up on what's going on here as the bass ace does his impressionistic versions of Japanese short stories that probably fall somewhere in the range of Aesop's Fables. Often having some form of despair as their theme, some of these tracks blow forward with too much of a force to be taken that way. In any case, he knows his jazz and this is a fine change up from a new voice that's been honing his skills in New York... read more
Libby York - DreamLand
by Thierry Docmac, Paris Move
Libby York isn't the kind of jazz singer who needs vocal pyrotechnics to captivate an audience. Whether she sings a ballad or swings a standard, her deep connection to the lyrics and her subtle improvisations on the melody convey an intimacy that makes each song feel like it tells its own life. On Dreamland, her latest recording and new opus, she once again puts her so expressive voice at the service of a set of standards, for the most part... read more
Darden Purcell - Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood
by Steven Miller, Sound in Review
Hello, connoisseurs of intricate soundscapes and narratives told through melody and rhythm. It is splendid to delve into an artistic endeavor that presents itself as a veritable amalgamation of influences, techniques, and emotions. We find ourselves today discussing Dr. Darden Purcell's latest offering, Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood, released under the Origin Records imprint on September 16, 2023. In this review, we'll explore how Dr. Purcell and... read more
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