Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Zach Rich - Solidarity
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Solidarity consists for the most part of warm, gentle chamber jazz ably performed by Denver-based trombonist Zach Rich, his quintet, a four-piece string section and half a dozen invited guests. Besides playing elegant trombone, Rich, who teaches at Denver's Lamont School of Music, wrote and arranged all of the album's eight handsome songs.
The strings are present on the first six numbers; the seventh, "What Is America Rated?," features Julian... read more
Gustavo Cortinas - Esse
by Jeff Potter, DownBeat
4-STARS Drummer/composer Gustavo Cortiñas' second disc as a leader intends to unite his dual passions of music and philosophy. The music, he explains, was "inspired by prominent figures in the history of Western philosophy," and his 11 compositions were meant to "illustrate their concepts of being." That could potentially be a red flag for an intellectual slog. But nothing could be further from the truth. Cortiñas' music is uplifting,... read more
Mark Buselli / Claude Sifferlen - Take The Mitsu
by Amazon.com, Amazon.com
First of all let me say that I am a true jazz fan who enjoys the classic music such as Miles and Coltrane. Second of all let me say that I am a trumpet player, which means I am a bit biased in this review. But putting that aside, this is an excellent album with great chemistry between the two musicians. Buselli has a very personal tone on the flugel that is also unique. In my opinion, the last track, The Nearness of You, is worth the price of... 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
Mason Razavi - Quartet Plus, Volume 2
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
The "plus" in San Francisco Bay area-based guitarist Mason Razavi's CD Quartet Plus, Volume 2 is a front line consisting of trumpet, trombone and three reeds, which on the second half of the album more than doubles the size of Razavi's quartet. There are many ways that could be done. For example, the nonet tracks might have been interspersed at random, placed ahead of the quartet tracks, replaced the quartet on odd-or even-numbered tracks and so... read more
Nadav Snir-Zelniker - Thinking Out Loud
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
It is apparent over the last decade or so that Israeli-born jazz musicians are becoming increasingly a factor in the jazz pan¬orama. Consider the arrivals of guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, scat singer Ori Dagan, piano maven Tamir Hendleman, and, in the review that follows this one, tenor saxist Benny Sharoni. This time it's drummer Nadav Snir-Zelniker who has followed his passion for the jazz art from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Now a busy... read more
Mark O'Connor - Suspended Reality
by Michael Steinman, Cadence
O'Connor and colleagues, heard on 'Suspended Reality', are sophisticated soloists and ensemble players. This is only O'Connor's second CD, and he shows great skill as a saxophonist. However, the CD presents all but two of his original compositions, which occasionally meander (his tribute to wife Betony an exception): the overall result is fervent but somewhat derivative late- period lyrical Hard Bop. But he is someone to keep an eye on in... read more
Jim Olsen - We See Stars
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Composer and arranger Jim Olsen brings together a richly textured and snazzily swinging big band which includes top notch soloists such as Bobby Shew/tp, Dick Oatts/sax and John Harmon/key. The eight originals mix toe tapping swing such as on “Illogical Conclusion” with lush ballads such as “Wistful,” with even a touch of modern sounds a la Stravinsky thrown in. A piece such as “ Dark Sun” does some exciting work with harmonies, while solos by... read more
Looking for a specific review?
This is just a small collection of the OA2 Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Search Reviews:
Recently Added Reviews:
Angela Verbrugge - Somewhere
by Raul da Gama, That Canadian Mag (Toronto)
Peter Lin | AAPI Jazz Collective - Identity
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Russell Haight - Go Forth
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Charlie Apicella & Iron City meet The Griots Speak - Call to Action / Call to Prayer
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Premazzi / Nasser Quartet - From What I Recall
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Russell Haight - Go Forth
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Premazzi / Nasser Quartet - From What I Recall
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Mai-Liis - Kaleidoscope
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Premazzi / Nasser Quartet - From What I Recall
by Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Medler Sextet - River Paths
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz