OA2 Records Reviews

Darden Purcell - Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood
by Michael Doherty, Michael Doherty's Music Blog

Darden Purcell is a vocalist who has performed with the Airmen Of Note, as well as several other artists. She put out her first album, Easy Living, in 2009, and followed it in 2016 with Where The Blue Begins. She opens her new album with a seriously cool, bluesy rendition of "Willow Weep For Me," which features a strong vocal performance. This track is a delight, and Darden Purcell includes a bit of scat in the middle, adding her voice to the... read more

Unhinged Sextet - Clarity
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

The gents Will Campbell/as, Matt Olson/ts, Vern Sielert/tp, Michael Cocour/p, Jon Hamar/b and Dom Moio/dr add to the hard bop tradition on this collection of originals. The rhythm team shows its ability to crate some frenetic grooves as on "Unhinged" and the bopping "Squiggles" while Hamar's bass lopes on "Scout, No Doubt" and serves up an impressive boogaloo on "Down South." The three horns create some wondrous harmonies during "Too Deep "which... read more

Michael Kocour - Wherever You Go, There You Are
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon

You probably haven't agonized over this, but solo piano recordings nowadays are nearly as rare as the Mariners in the playoffs. So not only was I surprised to see such an item, I took a look at the tune list and said, "Wow." Michael Kocour is not a rookie in the jazz biz. He's originally from Chicago, where he spent years working with no less a bop icon than James Moody. For the last ten years he's been director of jazz studies at Arizona State... read more

Erik Jekabson - A Brand New Take
by Rotcod Zzaj, Improvisation Nation

If SMOKIN'-hot jazz trumpet work is what you're yearning for, you will be listening to the near-hour recording over & over again, I can guarantee that! Erik leads with his trumpet and flugelhorn, but is also joined by some of the finest Bay-area jazz players on the planet - Kasey Knudsen, alto sax; Matt Clark, piano; John Wiitala, bass; Hamir Atwal, drums.. as well as guests Dave Ellis, tenor sax (1,5) and John Gove, trombone (5)... as you... read more

Gordon Lee and the Gleeful Big Band - Flying Dream
by Bill Donaldson, Cadence Magazine

The fact that Mel Brown's septet has gone unrecorded, but for an album in the eighties, raises the question of how
many other not only worthy, but individually remarkable, groups remain undiscovered. Their members may be
satisfied with performing as the occasions arise at local venues before going back to make a living at their day jobs.
In Brown's case, the album's name refers to its weekly gig at Jimmy Mak's in Portland, Oregon for... read more

Matt Olson - Open Spaces
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect

The saxophonist Matt Olson has made quite a name for himself performing in Chicago and the midwest, and his recent move to South Carolina has him in the company of Adib Young, Matt Dingledine, Shannon Hoover and Justin Watt on this swing, bop and ballad friendly set of originals.

"Ups And Downs" starts the listen with a lively energy as Olson's playful brass is met with frisky drums from Watt and warm guitar lines from Dingledine, and... read more

Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington - Bicoastal Collective: Chapter Five
by j. poet, DownBeat Magazine

Players Forge "Bicoastal" Partnership

When the Bicoastal Collective launches into a tune, audience members soon get the sense that they're being pulled into a distinctive sonic space. The ensemble features five saxophones, four trumpets and four trombones, in addition to a rhythm section of guitar, bass, drums, and piano. At this year's San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, the band played some of the music from their new album, Bicoastal... read more

Vince Norman / Joe McCarthy Big Band - Words Cannot Express
by Jack Bowers, Cadence, Oct-Dec 2007

The Vince Norman / Joe McCarthy Big Band bears more than a passing resemblance in a number of ways to the Taylor / Fidyk Big Band. First, it is also from the DC area; second, it is co-led by a splendid drummer (McCarthy) and resourceful arranger (Norman); and third, its sidemen were recruited by and large from the area's armed services bands(I counted four each from the Airmen of Note and Army Jazz Ambassadors, three from the Navy Commodores).... read more

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