Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Lynn Baker Quartet - Azure Intention
by James Nadal, All About Jazz
From the opening bass lines of "Color Line" on Azure Intention, it is evident that saxophonist Lynn Baker's Quartet comes out swinging and grooving. But there is also a captivating sense of sophistication, thoughtfully played into the selections.
Baker -- ?who doubles deftly on both soprano and tenor saxophones -- composed all of Azure Intention's eight tracks, each performed with enough time and space as to allow the musicians... read more
Charlie Apicella & Iron City meet The Griots Speak - Call to Action / Call to Prayer
by Mariusz Zawi Zlak, Multikulti Project (Poland)
4 1/2-STARS A 40-minute improvisation bathed in a world of soothing meditation and emitting an infectious joy of playing. The Griots Speak — Daniel Carter, Charlie Apicella, Juma Sultan and William Parker — traverse the path set by Alice Coltrane in the early '70s, while organist Brad Whiteley and drummer Austin Walker of Iron City introduce the urban energy of modern jazz.
This 8-piece suite offers the sophisticated art of sound,... read more
Charlie Porter - Hindsight
by Cedric Hendrix, CirdecSongs
Trumpeter Charlie Porter fronts a high-energy band performing compositions that may remind one of Dizzy Gillespie or Freddie Hubbard in a post-bop setting, with the occasional electric overtones. The compositions contain intricate melodies with nicely interwoven lead lines. The band's rhythm section continuously pushing the boundaries normally created by this style of music, making for an exciting journey within every piece. Porter plays with... read more
LP and the Vinyl - Heard and Seen
by Frank Kocher, San Diego Troubadour
Jazz lovers are in for a treat: the Danny Green Trio is established as a solid presence in the San Diego area jazz scene, with five CD releases and well-earned international recognition. Leonard Patton likewise has a considerable cachet as an expressive jazz, gospel, and blues singer, with several of his own solo recordings, and has been heard with such local jazz luminaries as Peter Sprague and Geoffrey Keezer. No surprise that when both... read more
Ben Winkelman Trio - Balance
by FILIPE FREITAS, JazzTrail
Melbourne-raised, New York-based pianist/composer Ben Winkelman, an adept of the trio format, odd meters, and Latin scents, teams up for the first time with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Obed Calvaire on his fifth album as a leader.
Balancing composition and improvisation, he crosses the lines between Latin, jazz, and classical, bestowing a distinct feel to each of the 10 tunes that compose the album, which appropriately got the title... read more
Randy Napoleon - Rust Belt Roots: Randy Napoleon Plays Wes Montgomery, Grant Green & Kenny Burrell
by Lawrence Cosentino, City Pulse (Lansing)
Guitarist Randy Napoleon wanted his latest album, "Rust Belt Roots," to conjure up a world before the Internet and satellite radio, when each region of the country had its own jazz sound. Close your eyes and you feel the pulse of Midwest dynamism — breezing along on the freeway, taking in the glimmering lights of a steel plant or an oil refinery, people watching on a bustling riverfront.
The music's subtle moods don't announce themselves... read more
Andrew Moorhead - Mirage
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
5 STARS
Daybreak in Austin starts the same way for me: a hot cup of coffee, headphones on, and the simple act of listening. That first sip burns a little. A curl of milk disappears into the dark. Piano notes trickle in, just enough to remind me I'm awake. If I'm going to really listen, to notice every shift and detail, this is what it takes. Closed off, all in. No distractions.
The album gets down to business right away. Andrew... read more
Jeff Baker - Phrases
by Michael J. West, Downbeat
***
Phrases is a collection of beautiful, unquestionably soulful songs by singer Jeff Baker and a remarkable group of 11 musicians. The disc is moody and meditative, but spends about 80 minutes never altering its cast, to its detriment.
The album's title applies to four of its six originals. Baker cribbed lines from his favorite writers, including Stephen Chbosky, Pablo Neruda and J.D. Salinger, and recontextualized them with... read more
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