OA2 Records Reviews



George Cotsirilos - On The Rebop
by Ric Bang, The Davis Enterprise

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

Raul Agraz - Between Brothers
by Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat Magazine

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

Ben Neuman - Introductions
by Brad Walseth, Jazz Chicaco

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

Katie King - Harry's Fight
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

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 - Six-String Standards
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly

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

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

Ezra Weiss Big Band - We Limit Not the Truth of God
by Andrew Read, Jazz in Europe

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

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

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