Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Liam Sillery - Outskirts
by C. Michael Bailey, Kultur.com
Trumpeter Liam Sillery seeks the aural confines outside of the comfortable ordinary. He extends this journey in the title of his third OA2 release, Outskirts. This disc is about exacting composition within non-standard time signatures, making for craggy, inventive music that satisfies without bewildering. It is an evolution from his previous On The Fly (OA2, 2005) and Minor Changes (OA2, 2004) where Sillery's stark, tart trumpet chips precise... read more
Daria - Strawberry Fields Forever
by Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene - Waxing Poetic
Daria, a very talented singer from Northern California, on Strawberry Fields Forever performs ten songs composed by either Paul McCartney or John Lennon. However this is not a typical Beatles tribute album or an attempt to merely duplicate the famous versions of their hits. The arrangements of Daria and bassist Sam Bevan turn the pop/rock songs into jazz, often in surprising ways. "When I'm Sixty Four" and "Can't Buy Me Love" swing hard (with... read more
Florian Hoefner - Songs Without Words
by Rob Young, Urban Flux
In retrospect, when I think about music particularly jazz I usually hear it from an abstract prospective. In other words, the seed is planted by the author to generate innovative, alluring melodies and stimulating progressions. From this point, creativity follows to develop a sequence of patterns, colors, and shapes. These of course are the essential elements formulated to create a montage of eclectic, cultured and emotional nuances nurtured... read more
Gail Pettis - Here in the Moment
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
Seattle singer Gail Pettis has released her second CD for OA2, and it's another winner! I love her singing because she's a natural who doesn?t go over the top with unnecessary fluff. She's blessed with a great voice and lets that voice do its thing. With a couple of Seattle trios led by pianists Randy Haberstadt and Darin Clendenin,
Pettis works comfortably on 11... read more
Danny Green - Altered Narratives
by Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist
On his fourth release as a leader, pianist Danny Green does something highly unusual and impressive: he gives us an album that consists entirely of what is, in every discernible way, straight-ahead piano-trio jazz, with no wild harmonic or structural experimentation, but which nevertheless sounds entirely personal and original. It's really kind of frustrating: I keep listening and trying to figure out how he does it, and I keep failing. Now, I... read more
Dan Cavanagh - Heart of the Geyser
by Tim Willcox, Jazz Society of Oregon
Fans of Brad Mehldau might enjoy this album, which starts off with the groovy 7/4 "Josephine," which Cavanagh admits is sort of a "Tom Petty meets Brad Mehldau" tune. While Cavanagh doesn't have the technical proficiency of Mehldau (who does?), he makes up for it with beautiful writing and spacious comping and blowing. The only negative aspect of the recording is the piano sound, which seems to be a bit bright and brittle. I wouldn't blame this... read more
Chris Amemiya & Jazz Coalescence - In the Rain Shadow
by Michael Davis, Founder/President - Hip-Bone Music, Inc., In the Rain Shadow
Jazz Coalescence's new release In The Rain Shadow gives the jazz-rich community of the Pacific Northwest something to hang its hat on and sink its teeth into. An abundantly solid release from top to bottom, Rain Shadow features a mix of spirited originals and solid jazz classics, beautifully crafted arrangements, dynamic solos and synergistic ensemble work. The rock solid front line of trumpet, saxophone and trombone hearkens back to the classic... read more
Afro Bop Alliance - Una Más
by David Franklin, Cadence
Afro Bop Alliance's 2008 Caribbean Jazz Project won a Latin Grammy Award and was nominated for a regular Grammy in the "Best Latin Jazz Album" category. That's not surprising, since the Washington, D.C. area-based big band is a superb ensemble of outstanding players, some of them members of the premier D.C. military bands. Indeed, one of the group's most impressive soloists, the Brecker/ Mintzer-school tenorist Luis Hernandez is also musical... 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:
Jun Iida - Bellflower
by Faith Alexis, Occhi Magazine
Kate Olson - So It Goes
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Gil Livni - All In
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Jun Iida - Bellflower
by Editor, Modern Drummer
Anna Kolchina - Reach for Tomorrow
by C. Michael Bailey, Wild Mercury Rhythm
Jun Iida - Bellflower
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
Jun Iida - Bellflower
by Editor, Jazz Chill
Jun Iida - Bellflower
by Jim Motavalli, Music Without Borders
Jun Iida - Bellflower
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Afro Bop Alliance - Una Más
by David Franklin, Cadence