Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Zach Rich - Solidarity
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
*Ringer of the Week* Yes, there are tones of "jazz and strings" albums out there, but this one by trombonist Zach Rich is vastly different. First, it's not just a musician blowing around the strings, but the quartet of Anton Smirnov/vi, Rachel England/vi, Mathew Diekman/va and Erin Patterson/cel is an organic part of the rest of the band, consisting of Denin Slage-Koch/g, Gavin Dunn/p, Garbriel Mangion/dr and Seth Lewis-Gonzalo Teppa/b... read more
Glenn White - Sacred Machines
by Chris Spector, MidwestRecord.com
GLENN WHITE/Sacred Machines: There's a sax playing jazzbo that's one of those cats whose done everything with everybody. Playing with much more skronk than an educator should be allowed to have, White is one of those cats that has the chops to play progressive jazz and mainstream soul with equal style. While you can certainly hear the echoes of a Dave Holland group going on here White never shies away from adding his own special sauce and... read more
Hans Luchs - Time Never Pauses
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Once again, Chicago has something to be proud of. Here comes a young guitar jazzbo that brings a rock sensibility to his left leaning playing and cooks up a dandy contemporary set that really works well. Sleek and modern with just the right touch to bring young and old into the tent, Luchs is a real comer with an impressive debut well worth your attention. A fine set... read more
George Cotsirilos - Variations
by Jason Bivins, Cadence
This is quietly accomplished, mainstream guitar stuff. With solid and slightly understated rhythm work, Cotsirilos� buoyant playing and generally sunny lyricism generally shine. After the brisk, at times dense work of the opener, the slightly lazy �I Know You Know� brims with some fine post-Wes octaves and hints at the melody for �Blame It On My Youth.� At times Cotsirilos has just the slightest trouble on his double-time runs but in general his... read more
Carrie Wicks - Maybe
by J. Gage, Amazon
There is an old interview with Luciano Pavarotti where he compares preparing his voice and lungs for a performance to a Ferrari just before a race - just the right blend of air and energy must be harnessed for the performance to reach its apex, for the car to win the race. I would argue that, in the case of race car drivers, Pavarotti and all great singers, soul is a third critical component, and that Carrie Wicks vocal performance on "Maybe"... read more
Laura Welland - Love Is Never Out Of Season
by Don Williamson, Jazz Review
Laura Welland seems to be one of those multi-talented people who can accomplish any task she tackles, including engineering, playing the trumpet and learning the bass from none other than John Clayton. Once Clayton found out that she could sing too -- but of course she could, and play piano too -- he worked with Welland to produce her first CD. Possibly, Welland has found her niche as a vocalist after her artistic search for self identification,... read more
Craig Yaremko - CYO3
by Pierre Giroux, Audiophile Audition
The organ trio construct has been around for so long, that listeners of a certain age would be hard pressed to recall when it was not part of the jazz scene. The challenge always is to try to find something new in the musical telling using this format. The Craig Yaremko Organ Trio does credit to the concept, but it still is following down a well-worn path.
In this debut outing of his organ trio, Yaremko and his band mates tackle a set list... read more
The Taylor / Fidyk Big Band - Live At Blues Alley
by David Franklin, Jazz Times
Eleven out of the 16 musicians on this live recording by the Taylor/Fidyk Big Band are members of the U.S. Army Blues, including co-leader and drummer Steve Fidyk. The Blues is an outstanding group in its own right, and the added presence of local D.C.-area stalwarts like tenorist Tedd Baker just reinforces the Taylor/Fidyk band's high quality. Pair the ensemble with accomplished arranger Mark Taylor, whose charts for Stan Kenton and others are... read more
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