Karen Marguth is one of those talented American musicians whose notoriety has not crossed the Atlantic. Born in Minneapolis but settled in California for a long time, the singer is also a teacher and engages in various activities around music. She has recorded several albums acclaimed by American critics (especially Down Beat and Jazz Times magazines) and this, your favorite magazine, has also echoed that critical acclaim of her work. If she has... read more
Carrie Wicks' voice has a slightly raspy quality which is perfect for the cool Jazz path she follows on I'll Get Around to It. Her singing is relaxed and fits right in with her instrumental support, particularly Teuber's husky tenor and Anschell's sweeping piano. Her scatting on "Ill Wind" sounds as natural as breathing, her slightly behind the beat phrasing on the "Moon Samba" medley is hypnotic, and her treatment of the ballads like... read more
When a drummer signs a record with his name, it is often a role of stooge that he takes on. Here, none of that, the drummer is really the master of the ceremony. First of all by the compositions that he writes entirely but also by his well marked presence behind the skins and cymbals.
The third album from this young drummer from Seattle, well surrounded by musicians who regularly collaborate on his recordings, Phil Parisot has, as he says... read more
Briefly quoted from the press release for the album: "Trombonist, composer & arranger Zach Rich's "Solidarity" is an expansive, vivid program of original music, orchestrated for his Denver-based jazz quintet and chamber orchestra. Rich channels mentors, stage-mates & influences—from Billy Childs to John Clayton and Rufus Reid—infusing the music with a mergence of modern jazz dynamism and contemporary classical counterpoint, while his playing... read more
Big bands may be a rarity as a professional touring concept, but in the university setting they thrive, thanks to exceptional teachers like Gailey, from the University of Kansas. Gailey's compositions and arrangements for this group, made up of polished professionals, bristle with electricity, as on the pounding swing and horn punches of the opener, "Audacity," which features counterpoint stabs of chordal fortitude. There are moments of lighter... read more
I've become a passionate fan of pianist and composer Danny Green, whose trio albums have been among my favorite jazz releases of the last five years or so. On his latest, he combines his trio with a string quartet to brilliant effect. This is not actually his first foray into the trio-plus-quartet format-several tracks on the group's last album, Altered Narratives, were similarly configured-and it was his previous experiments along this line... read more
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
Beautiful debut album by American guitarist (and banjo player) Erik Skov, who plays a kind of landscape jazz with his sextet Liminality . In his self-written compositions we hear a range of beautiful instrument combinations with which he creates splendid sound colors.
Jazz guitarist and composer Erik Skov works in the Chicago area. He studied at Northwestern University / Jazz Studies in 2015 and has since worked with various classical and... 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)