Composer / arranger / pianist Dan Cavanagh's inaugural CD, Pulse, begins and ends on an explicit high note. It is what lies between those bookends that gives one pause. There are moments of emergent promise leading to others that are, not to put too fine a point on it, less than inspiring. Of course, that is a purely subjective appraisal, as one man's trash may well be another's treasure. And no matter how one perceives the music, Cavanagh must... read more
Take the Mitsu is an almost entirely spontaneously improvised album of jazz mildly in honor of composer Toru Takemitsu, recorded by Indianapolis jazzers Mark Buselli and Claude Sifferlen. The album opens up with the songbook standard "My Ideal," before moving quickly into some more progressive numbers, with the more energetic "Bhutan," and the almost third stream "Syncretism." Buselli gets to stretch out a bit with his flugelhorn phrasing in the... read more
Picking songs that are well known but not well worn, jazz singer Fisher does a reversal on the usual jazz diva route by making a quiet album of songs you think you know as opposed to giving Cole Porter more over exposure. With composers that rank well above chopped liver represented here, this is a quiet album for quiet times when you want to shut most of the world out. Sexy without trying, this is the real deal for jazz vocal fans that want... read more
The Millennials are here.
Keyboardist Josh Moshier and saxophonist Michael Lebrun, a pair of Chicago-based jazz artists born in the 1980s, delve deeply into the jazz world with Joy Not Jaded. On this fine, high-energy set, the pair and their band craft a modern-leaning sound that remains true to the post-bop tradition.
The set of all original material?five tunes from Moshier's pen, six from Lebrun's?opens with Moshier's "King's Road,"... read more
The dress rehearsal for this recording took place in KUVO Jazz's Bonfils-Stanton Performance when Ted and the band played to a pack who enjoyed every song played! The next day the ensemble went into Mighty Fine Studios here in Denver and recorded this album that is on the OA2 Records label out of Seattle. Ted is an accomplished New York City based vibraphonist who likes coming to the Mile High City so he recruited a formidable line-up to... read more
Of the hundreds of albums I�ve listened to in 2012, Florian Hoefner�s Songs Without Words possibly excels best at offering lovely melodies made memorable. These are not simple tunes, but they are simply presented.
There is a congeniality to this album akin to pop music, and the melodies are infectious as hell, but they are anything but sweetness and light. In fact, in the middle of all this pop music buoyancy, the melodies have a note of... read more
An extremely creative listen, the combination of organ grooves and free improvisation come together here for the hard bop presence that has Charlie Apicella handling madal drum, Tibetan singing bowls and guitar with much expertise alongside The Griot Speak's inimitable playing.
"As The Sun Rises" opens the listen with Daniel Carter's fluid clarinet complementing Apicella's playful drumming and William Parker's strategic strings, and "Titan... read more
A rising young Chicago trumpet man knows his notes. With a full crew in tow, he delivers a fine, well toned and intoned workout that shows him as a leader and a writer in fine form. Not afraid to really let the fur fly, this is one of those solid sets where a good time is had by... read more
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.
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by Patrizia Marinelli, BackDigit Magazine (Italy)
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by Hiroshi Ogawa, Jazz Life (Japan)
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by Yves Dorison, Culture Jazz (France)
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by Oscar Groomes, O's Place
Zach Rich - Solidarity
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Ted Piltzecker - Vibes on a Breath
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Jason Keiser - Shaw's Groove
by Michael van Gee, Jazz'n'More (Switzerland)
Stephen Jones & Ben Haugland - Road to Nowhere
by Michael van Gee, Jazz'n'More (Switzerland)
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by Anne Carlini, EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by Music Editor, Udite Udite (Italy)