Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Jarod Bufe - New Spaces
by George Harris, Jazz Weekly
Jarod Bufe plays it muscular on a spacious quartet outing with Tim Stine/g, Matt Ulery/b and Jon Deitemyer/dr. Bufe does an impressive arm wrestle with Deitmyer on the duet "The Journey" with wondrous sparks flying, while the drummer's ride cymbal coaxes the pulse on a percolating "Begin Again" and a gently cadenced "basement Reality." Bufe works his way adroitly through the spaces created by Stine and Ulery on "Climbing" and the team is sleek... read more
Ben Paterson - Breathing Space
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
If Ben Paterson and his trio had come along in a different time, they might have been tagged by Miles Davis as his backing band. In the mid-fifties, Davis was searching for an Ahmad Jamal sound, and settled in with Red Garland in the piano chair to fill that spot. Buoyant swing with the ability to segue into interludes of the light, sparkling touch is what Davis got with Garland, then the more introspective Bill Evans, and later the more... read more
The Taylor / Fidyk Big Band - Live At Blues Alley
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Here's a second impressive album by the outstanding Taylor/Fidyk Big Band, in every respect a worthy successor to its superlative studio date, A Perfect Match, from three years ago. The same basic ingredients -- exhilarating charts by co-leader Mark Taylor, inspired blowing by the ensemble -- are amplified this time around by the adrenaline rush induced by the presence of an audience at Blues Alley in Washington, DC.
As before, the band is... read more
Raul Agraz - Between Brothers
by Chris Spector, Midwest Review
This swinging trumpet player might have started out with the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra but a move to New York that let him kick it out with the best of Latin jazz has given him the impetus to lead his own big band. He starts this set off with such a powerful kick in the head you never recover, you just say 'huh?'. Wild, wicked and wonderful, you know Tito Puente is smiling down on this session---and he was a drummer. A simply killer date... read more
George Cotsirilos - Past Present
by Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz.com
Guitarist George Cotsirilos has nearly thirty years experience as a musician, working with acts as diverse as Etta James and Pharoah Sanders. He was also, with bassist Robb Fisher, a founding member of the San Francisco Nighthawks. Past Present is the second album from the Cotsirilos Trio, following On The Rebop (OA2 Records, 2005), and it's a graceful and sophisticated mix of standards and Cotsirilos originals.
Cotsirilos'... read more
Daniel Barry - Walk All Ways
by David Kane, Cadence, Jan-Mar 2008
Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra arranger Barry steps out on his own on "Walk All Ways" with a darkly-hued collection of Latin tinged originals. The dark colors stem from the choice instrumentation (which includes a bass-clarinet), the predominantly minor key compositions, the lack of fast tempos and the leader's own dusky-toned cornet. This focus on shadow is not necessarily a bad thing and tracks such as "Prayer" and the title track benefit from... read more
Jay Lawrence - Thermal Strut
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger, All About Jazz
Drummer Jay Lawrence has a long and serious resume which includes teaching, composing, arranging, and working with everyone from Sammy Davis and Cher to Phil Woods and James Moody. While he's been on more than ninety recordings, this is his first as a leader -- and it's a corker.
This is partly because Lawrence couldn't have chosen better shipmates for his maiden voyage: Lynn Seaton, an always-in-demand bassist whose playing is unusually... read more
Liam Sillery Quintet - Minor Changes
by Paul Oberlin, Jazz Review
This is Liam Sillery's debut album, a tribute to his mentors who include Red Rodney and Joe Henderson. Sillery plays trumpet and flugelhorn and has been active in New York for some time. He also attended the University of Florida and the Manhattan School of Music. The supporting musicians include David Sills (tenor sax), Jesse Stacken (piano), Thomas Morgan (bass), and Richard Huntley (drums). I have not heard Sillery's name or any of his... read more
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