...with Turrentine like grit and breathiness, Otto effortlessly navigates the changes with just the right concentration of notes.
For his 5th recording as a leader, Los Angeles-based saxophonist Matt Otto teams up with old friends from his years spent in New York to explore a set of 8 originals. Now a regular in Los Angeles clubs, he can be seen there and touring the west coast with Anthony Wilson & Alan Pasqua, and around the country with his own quartet. In the tradition of Wayne Shorter, Joe Lovano, and Joe Henderson, Otto's close musical relationship with his bandmates allows for music of depth and clarity.
Track Listing:
1. CLASS STRUGGLE 9.13
2. WORK DAY 10.15
3. FER 8.40
4. BROTHER JIM 8.42
5. FORCES AND RELATIONS (BASS INTRO) 4.33
6. FORCES AND RELATIONS 11.02
7. RED 8.35
8. LE MORT 7.06
Performers:
MATT OTTO - tenor saxophone
GREG TOUHEY - guitar
QASIM NAQVI - drums
DANTON BOLLER - bass
Production Info:
Produced by DAVID J. CARPENTER, Big As Records and MATT OTTO
Recorded live, December 15-17, 1999 at BIG AS Recording Studio, Anaheim, California
Engineered by DAVID J. CARPENTER
Mastering engineer: ALEX SALTZ
Photographer: LAURA CROSTA
Art Designer: BRIAN TORTORA
Layout & design: JOHN BISHOP
Reviews of Red
All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
Saxophonist Matt Otto is Los Angeles-based these days, but for his fifth CD, Red, he got together with some musical running mates from his time in New York: guitarist Greg Toughy, drummer Qasim Naqvi, and bassist Danton Boller. Considering its standard jazz lineup of tenor sax and a rhythm section, the band has crafted quite an original sound.
...
All Music Guide (Scott Yanow)
A fluent tenor saxophonist with a cool tone and a relaxed style, Matt Otto is able to glide over the most complex chord changes gracefully. For this pianoless quartet set with guitarist Greg Touhey, Otto creates cool jazz of the 21st century. The music is mostly quiet with its heat being just below the surface. Even "Class Struggle," which is essen ...
Jazz Review (Kevin Cox)
Tenor saxophonist Matt Otto's latest release, Red, is an intriguing collection of 8 original compositions. Otto, now based in Los Angeles, is joined here by a trio of friends from his years on the New York scene. On this disc, Otto and his band have crafted a sound that is immediately enjoyable, and increasingly impressive with each subsequent list ...
JazzTimes April 2006 (David Franklin)
If Paul Desmon was, as he proclaimed, the "world's slowest alto player," then Matt Otto may be the world's quietest tenor man. On the eight originals that comprise Red, Otto's dynamics rarely rise above the level of an intimate conversation. His delivery is so relaxed and subtle that even the intake of breath is sometimes audible. But although O ...
