George Cotsirilos is relatively unknown outside the San Francisco jazz community. He plays guitar beautifully, with great phrasing and a genuine jazz feel.
"On the Rebop" features Cotsirilos' trio, which includes Robb Fisher (acoustic bass) and Ron Marabuto (drums). These two musicians also work primarily around the Bay Area, and actually are better known that Cotsirilos.
Fisher toured with Cal Tjader's group for more than six years, and... read more
FOUR STARS ****
Passion, confidence and an unshakable commitment to groove are the ingredients for great Latin jazz, and Venezuelan trumpeter Raul Agraz exhibits them in abundance on his solo debut. For this ambitious project, Agraz convened a summit of New York's best session players, with special seats reserved for a few titans of Latin jazz: vibraphonist Dave Samuels, reedist Paquito D'Rivera, pianist Luis Perdomo and... read more
Young pianist Ben Neumann arrives on the scene with a stirring and surprisingly assured debut. Paying tribute to pianists like Horace Silver ("Peace"), Oscar Levant (the lovely ballad "Blame it on My Youth") and Herbie Hancock ("Riot") the grad student at the U. of Chicago (in philosophy, no less!) announces that his intellect isn't limited to the study of Plato. In fact, Neuman has studied piano with people like the legendary Dr. Billy Taylor... read more
She's not quite a torch singer, but you're likely to get that sense from the album cover and the American songbook selections. For her fourth album (and first in 10 years), Katie King plunges through some admittedly torchy pieces, but also includes a few rather catchy original numbers and adaptations of a few pop (primarily the Beatles) pieces. The album opens with an original that comes out a bit stuttered, almost in the realm of a slow rap... read more
Mason Razavi gives a workshop of how to use various guitars ranging from archtop, nylon and steel stings,in how to interpret The Great American Songbook in a solo setting. His nylon strings glow on 'Body and Soul", while glistening on a tender intro to "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry". He swings easy when plugged in, as on "Stompin' At The Savoy" and cozy during "Like Someone In Love", casually cascading during "I Thought About You".... read more
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
I've received many CD's recently that have some form of social commentary as part of their concept but none so "In your face" as the new album from Portland based composer/arranger Ezra Weiss. Titled "We Limit Not the Truth of God" the album contains 11 tracks and is in effect a musical time capsule for Weiss's young children.
The following text, included in the press release puts this perfectly in context:
We Limit Not the Truth of God,... read more
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
This is just a small collection of the OA2 Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Darden Purcell - Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood
by Illiam Sebitz, 5 Finger Review
Libby York - DreamLand
by C. Michael Bailey, Wild Mercury Rhythm
Live Edge Trio with Steve Nelson - Closing Time
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington - Bicoastal Collective: Chapter Six
by Ruud Jonker, FWD Magazine (Netherlands)
Angela Verbrugge - Somewhere
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Idit Shner & Mhondoro - Ngatibatanei / Let Us Unite!
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Anthony Stanco - Stanco's Time
by Michael van Gee, Jazz 'N' More (Switzerland)
Charlie Apicella & Iron City meet The Griots Speak - Call to Action / Call to Prayer
by Kira Grunenberg, DownBeat
Angela Verbrugge - Somewhere
by Katchie Cartwright, All About Jazz
Jason Keiser - Kind of Kenny
by Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz'halo (Belgium