Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Rich Pellegrin - Passage: Solo Improvisations II
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The esteemed pianist Rich Pellegrin recorded this batch of tunes at the Whidbey Island's Langley Methodist Church, and he certainly embraces the aura of the setting where he connects with water, mountains and forest across these solo pieces.
Set One leads with 9 warm, graceful segments that lay the foundation for a very reflective mood, as much intimacy is present versus swifter moments of adventurous manipulation of the keys.
Set Two... read more
Rich Pellegrin - Three-Part Odyssey
by Kyle O'Brien, Jazz Society of Oregon
Seattle is a place where jazz can be treated as an experiment, and pianist/composer Pellegrin, who is getting his Ph.D. at the University of Washington, takes a studious approach to his music. This is dense jazz from note one. The opener, "Nothing Comes to Mind," is an atonal but rhythmic exploration, with trumpeter R. Scott Morning and saxophonist Neil Welch sharing an obtuse melody before Pellegrin takes over on the solo, which gets hot and... read more
Tunnel Six - Lake Superior
by Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
****
The six promising young musicians who comprise Tunnel Six met while attending the International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. They quickly discovered a chemistry and worked to interpret the members' compositions, touring parts of Canada and the U.S. for a few weeks prior to entering the studio to record their debut album. The interaction between them makes it sound like they have been playing... read more
Wil Swindler - Universe B
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Wil Swindler, fresh off of a Gil Evans Fellowship endorsement, began putting together new pieces for his Elevenet in 2008. The key to the ensemble is the mix of fresh (and classic jazz-inspired) compositions with an interesting set of instruments. Rather than only using the standard horns, guitars, and such, Swindler invokes less common jazz sounds (indeed, many of those used by Gil Evans in his ensembles): French horn, bass clarinet, flute.... read more
Jeff Baker - Phrases
by Editor, Amazon
Phrases is a Real Treasure, 5-Stars Let me just say for the record, I am not a big fan of jazz vocal music. Of course there are notable exceptions, mostly consisting of those whose heyday was some time ago (see: Nina, Frank, Nat). But last week, I saw this singer I'd never heard of, Jeff Baker, show up in the new release jazz panel on Apple Music. Seeing dependable Brian Blade attached to the project, I decided to give it a whirl. Man,... read more
Carolyn Graye with Jessica Williams - Songs
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
On this album of vocal jazz from Carolyn Graye, a Seattle resident and occasional traveler on behalf of the U.S. government, Graye sings with only the accompaniment of Jessica Williams on piano, giving the album a nice nightclub mood. The vocals are given just the right intonation to keep a smoky atmosphere in the mix, and the piano, while given a good deal of freedom, usually keeps to relatively simple riffing, only occasionally going for... read more
Carrie Wicks - I'll Get Around to It
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
In the crowded and talent-filled lady jazz vocalist field, standing apart is no small feat. Some natural vocal chops, combined with a bunch of hard work and a good backing band, can make for a very viable artistic effort, and there are a lot of those around. But a very workable artistic effort is not enough. The singer has to connect on a personal level by telling the stories of her songs in a convincing fashion - in her own vulnerable or tough... read more
Ben Markley Big Band With Ari Hoenig - Ari's Funhouse
by Ed Enright, DownBeat
Editor's Pick / 4-STARS
Pianist-composer-arranger Ben Markley completely immersed himself in the music of drummer Ari Hoenig in conceiving and orchestrating Ari's Funhouse, a big band celebration that's as thrilling and cool as taking a deep dive in someone else's pool. Markley and his marauding crew had permission to pool-hop, of course; they even invited their host to play in the band, closing the circle on a truly authentic... read more
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