Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Joan Hickey - Between The Lines
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence (Oct-Dec 2007)
On Between The Lines pianist Joan Hickey delivers a CD that is more Jazz-centered with emphasis on Blues accents and the free floating pulse established long ago by the '60's Miles Davis Quintet. "With A Song In My Heart" and "The Man I Love" get strong, exuberant interpretations that feature saxophonist John Wojciechowski going wild, playing a hard, burrowing tenor on "Song" and a strong melodious soprano on "Man."
Hickey proves herself a... 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
George Mitchell - Play Zone
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
Play Zone is the sophomore effort from George Mitchell, 20-year veteran of Diana Ross' band. Here, he's more at home, playing more straightforward jazz piano (with some exceptions) and making use of a fine ensemble of Portland jazzmen. The basis of the album is jazz piano, but, that said, the group wanders often into territory of the blues and motifs from Brazil and Europe. The group dynamic works well here, with a good deal of group... read more
Mike Steinel Quintet - Song and Dance
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Mike Steinel mixes his trumpet and flugelhorn in a velvety way as he blends it with Rosana Eckert's vocals in both wordless and lyric form. The remaining team of Pat Coil/B3-p, Carl Hillman/b and Steve Barnes/dr show flexibility and rich pulses throughout, particularly with Coil at the Hammond. With the Leslies, voic e and horn prance over the lovely "Haitian Banana Run" and the soulful "Basement Waltz #12."
With everyone on the acoustic... read more
Kronomorfic - Entangled
by LMNOP aka dONW7, babysue.com
Kronomorfic is a San Diego-based modern jazz ensemble created and led by David Borgo (saxophone) and Paul Pellegrin (drums). According to the band's web site, the group is "dedicated to the exploration of polymetric time." Being the kinda ignorant folks that we are (not knowing the meaning of such a word)...we decided to look this one up. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary polymetric means "relating to, exhibiting,... read more
Kristen Strom - Moving Day: The Music of John Shifflett
by Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist
John Shifflett, who died prematurely in 2017, was one of the more in-demand bass players on the Bay Area jazz scene, very well-known to the cognoscenti there. What was less well-known was his tremendous gift as a composer. On this album, a shifting combo of his friends have gathered under the leadership of saxophonist/clarinetist/flutist Kristen Strom to pay tribute to Shifflett with a program of arrangements of his tunes, plus his setting of a... read more
Chris Parker - Full Circle
by Jakob Baekgaard, All About Jazz
Pianist Chris Parker is a musical explorer. He has travelled around the world musically and as his latest album Full Circle indicates, he has reached his destination and found an aesthetic where all the different aspects of his musical curiosity come together.
While Parker travels a lot musically, he doesn't visit the melancholy North on this album, even though he is definitely capable of writing reflective ballad-like compositions like "Free"... read more
Mason Razavi - Quartet Plus, Volume 2
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
The interesting thing Razavi does on this second 'quartet' outing is show that you can be a classically styled guitar jazzbo without having to show that you can chase the ghost of Wes and catch him. Firmly his own cat, this solid program of mostly originals is right in the pocket of great playing making for great listening. A real winner of a set, this is the kind of stuff that fools you initially into think it's dinner music but gently... read more
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