Flash Point

I love hearing Randy play. He has humor, drama, conviction, and a sense of purpose in his approach to music.
- Jessica Williams

Seattle pianist Randy Halberstadt returns with a quintet date for his second Origin release, featuring his working trio along with trumpeter Thomas Marriott and saxophonist Mark Taylor. With enticing, involved, and swinging arrangements of jazz classics such as "Solar," "Green Dolphin Street," and "Beatrice," along with several firey post-bop originals, Flash Point serves as another dynamic document of Halberstadt's continued creative explorations.

Production Info:

Produced by Randy Halberstadt
Recorded by Reed Ruddy, assisted by Jonny Mendoza
at Avast Studios, Seattle, WA, January 30/31, 2010
Mixed by Reed Ruddy, assisted by Brian Valentino
at Studio X, Seattle, WA
Mastered by Ross Nyberg, Ross Nyberg Productions
Band photography by Andrew Nguyen
Design and layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Flash Point

All Music Guide (Adam Greenberg)
Though the Origin label has a special knack for finding excellent bands led by drummers, they have also had considerable success discovering groups led by talented musicians who play other instruments. Pianist Randy Halberstadt is an excellent example of this. On his second album for the label, Halberstadt combines with a quartet of additional nota ...

Oregon Jazz Society (George Fendel)
Seattle pianist Halberstadt is one of those rare, all-purpose cats who, when all's said and done, shines most brightly in a post-bop setting such as this. The quintet here includes Jeff Johnson, bass, and Mark Ivester, drums (his working trio), plus Mark Taylor on alto sax and Thomas Marriott on trumpet and flugelhorn. Of the nine tunes played here ...

100 Greatest Jazz Albums (Ken Watkins)
Seattle-based pianist Randy Halberstadt's second release for Origin offers three attractive dimensions to his music as performer and composer. The band is Randy Halberstadt's regular trio - Randy Halberstadt (piano), Jeff Johnson (bass), Mark Ivester (drums) ? expanded to a quintet on seven of the nine tracks with the addition of Mark Taylor (a ...

Audiophile Audition (Tim Taylor)
Pianist Randy Halberstadt is a major player in the Pacific Northwest Jazz Scene. Flash Point is another fine presentation of post-bop jazz coming out of Seattle. Randy recorded this album with his working trio of Jeff Johnson-bass and Mark Ivester ? drums adding Mark Taylor ? alto sax and Thomas Marriott - trumpet to make it a quintet. Randy com ...

Earshot (Peter Walton)
With Flash Point, the follow-up to his Origin debut Parallel Tracks, Randy Halberstadt augments his trio of bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Mark Ivester with the dynamic frontline of trumpeter Thomas Marriott and saxophonist Mark Taylor. The Seattle pianist has been much celebrated for his versatility as an accompanist, for years working behind ...

JazzTimes (Bill Milkowski)
Seattle-based pianist Randy Halberstadt leads a potent quintet date featuring Origin regulars Thomas Marriott on trumpet and Jeff Johnson on bass, as well as alto saxophonist Mark Taylor and drummer Mark Ivester. They deliver strikingly original interpretations of Miles Davis' "Solar," Sam River's "Beatrice," and "On Green Dolphin Street," in addit ...

Cadence (Don Lerman)
Pianist Halberstadt, a prominent musician in the Pacific Northwest Jazz scene and a Jazz professor at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, has previously recorded CDs which feature his writing (compositions or arrangements) for Jazz trio (Inner Voice, 1991 on Pony Boy, Parallel Tracks, 2004 on Origin) and for vocalists (Clockwork, 1996 on Pony B ...