Browse some recent OA2 Reviews.
Alex Goodman - Border Crossing
by Bill Robertson, Saskatoon Star Phoenix
Border Crossing: how appropriate a title is that for a genre-bending, genre-crossing gathering of jazz-ish tunes?
A young guitarist from Toronto, Goodman gets his opener, Acrobat, off to a slow start with those familiar squeaks of hands on the neck of the guitar. The other musicians chip in their own sounds, exploring textures, until they find their groove.
Felicity Williams brings a haunting vocal to match Michael Davidson's vibraphone... read more
Jeff Baker - Phrases
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
RINGER OF THE WEEK There aren't a lot of male vocalists who stray form the same old Great American Songbook, so a guy like Jeff Baker immediately grabs my attention, and should yours. He's got a low tenor-high baritone sound, and his style is like a troubadour, telling stories that feel personal and observant. You can't beat his ensemble here, as it includes Brian Blade/dr, Steve Wilson/as, Marquis Hill/tp, Darrell Grant/p, Clark... read more
Glenn White - Sacred Machines
by Jay Deshpande, All About Jazz
New York-based saxophonist Glenn White presents a set of eloquent and somewhat haunting tunes on Sacred Machines. The machines herein are a platform for the strong soloists in the ensemble, but the album's unity comes from a common palette that transcends the bandleader's harmonic tendencies (White wrote six of the disc's seven songs). Sacred Machines presents a pleasant interplay between able musicians, in a firm, stylistic... read more
Amy Stephens - My Many Moods
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
The third album from pianist Amy Stephens shows off a noteworthy maturity in composition. While portions of the album rest in somewhat stereotypical nightclub-style balladry, the majority of the works are in a highly structured modern jazz vein. Stephens suggests Keith Jarrett on the keys from time to time, with some dexterous moves inspired it would seem by classical training (there are hints of third stream embedded in some of the compositions... read more
Idit Shner & Mhondoro - Heat Wave
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The saxophonist and bass clarinet wizard Idit Shner is in the company of John Mambira (percussion, vocals), Torrey Newhart (piano, keyboards, vocals), Garrett Baxter (bass), Ken Mastrogiovanni (drums) and Ratie D (mbira, vocals) for this powerful debut album.
"Obsidian Horses" starts the listen with soulful, wordless vocals that are met with firm keys and playful percussion for the very cultured opener, and "Heatwave" follows with a swift... read more
Tom Tallitsch - Medicine Man
by Karl Stark, Philadelphia Enquirer
After 12 years in Philly, tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch can meet the demands for what a tenor should sound like.
This is no small thing. The Cleveland native, who was schooled at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is a regular on a club scene here, where the tenor standards are high. Tallitsch doesn't hammer you with technique; instead, he finds the magisterial in an unhurried way.
Tallitsch plays a big tenor,... read more
Ben Neuman - Introductions
by John Barron, All About Jazz
Chicago pianist Ben Neuman explores the realm of piano trio jazz for his debut release Introductions. A straight-ahead affair with clever re-harmonizations of familiar standards, as well as classics by John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver, the young pianist demonstrates an enlivened approach to hard-swinging improvisation. A pair of Chicago stalwarts, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas join Neuman.
Coltrane's... read more
Francesco Crosara - Circular Motion
by David Witter, Fra Noi Magazine
A GRAND MUSICAL JOURNEY
In the old days, when folks traveled by ship and train, passengers' trunks were adorned with colorful stickers indicating the cities and nations they had passed through. Jazz pianist Francesco Crosara's latest recording is a musical version of such a suitcase. Born in Italy, Crosara immigrated to the United States and has lived in Honolulu, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities before settling in Seattle. At each stop,... read more
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