Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Alex Goodman - Border Crossing
by Chris Spector, Midwest Review
A non-stop Canadian award-winning guitarist...With a technique and a vision that will make you think he's got some Ralph Towner blood flowing through him somewhere, he may not be mainstream now but if he ever decides to go George Benson on us - this cat is a sure thing break out star of tomorrow. It sounds like there's nothing he can't do with those six strings. Hot... read more
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
Shawn Maxwell - New Tomorrow
by Robert Rodi, New City Music
Another local bandleader, Shawn Maxwell, is back with a new album and a new, smaller outfit. "Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow" doesn't have any trouble establishing an identity apart from 2014's ten-member "Shawn Maxwell's Alliance;" where the earlier album was more of a richly textured ensemble outing, here we've got a stripped-down program designed to show off the chops of its powerhouse players.
"Embraceable Excuses" is a bold, jazz-funk... read more
Jason Keiser - Shaw's Groove
by Michael van Gee, Jazz'n'More (Switzerland)
5/5 - "UNMISTAKABLY GREAT" There are many young musicians who are making jazz connoisseurs sit up and take notice with their debut albums. This is also the case with the guitarist Jason Keiser and his album Shaw's Groove, which (with the exception of the title track) contains compositions by the trumpeter Woody Shaw and the pianist Ronnie Mathews ("Jean Marie") and the organist Larry Young ("Obsequious" ) has dedicated. The... read more
Carrie Wicks - Maybe
by J. Gage, Amazon
There is an old interview with Luciano Pavarotti where he compares preparing his voice and lungs for a performance to a Ferrari just before a race - just the right blend of air and energy must be harnessed for the performance to reach its apex, for the car to win the race. I would argue that, in the case of race car drivers, Pavarotti and all great singers, soul is a third critical component, and that Carrie Wicks vocal performance on "Maybe"... read more
Russell Kranes / Alex Levine / Sam Weber / Jay Sawyer - Anchor Points
by Miquel Tuset Mallol, Radio Sant Vicenc (Barcelona)
This is a very delicate project, for the compositions, but also for the fact that of the 8 tracks, 4 are played by piano, guitar and double bass trio. And also by the fact that five of the tracks go to ballad tempo or similar. And that's the track 8 "And So It Goes" (Billy Joel, arranged by Weber), the 4th "Old Folks" (Robison & Hill, arranged by Levine), the 5th "Two Sleepy People" (Carmichael and Loesser, arranged by Levine), the 6th "I'll Get... read more
Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington - Bicoastal Collective: Chapter Six
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Paul Tynan brings his trumpet and flugelhorn skills to Aaron Lington's baritone sax prowess for these 6 involved pieces that are quite diverse and welcome Trifon Dimitrov and Joe Abba to the formula.
"By Iron And Fire" opens the listen with frisky drums and bright brass populating the rhythmic and fluid landscape, and "Traveler From An Antique Land" follows with much attention to mood and softer dynamics that benefit from Abba's gentle drums... read more
Rich Pellegrin - Passage: Solo Improvisations II
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
It might have been recorded in Seattle but this set of improvs from the same session as an earlier volume is loaded with that ECM/miniature sensibility that just screams Eurocentric. Seeming to be a vortex of Jarrett, new age and classical, this solo piano set is a boon for the high minded, but you don't have to be an egghead to get it, just someone that wants an oasis from noise. Delicate, skillful and always beautiful, this is a solo piano... read more
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