Jazz Uncorked
By David Ginochio

January 2001

Jazz Uncorked
Archive

Deerfield Ranch Pinot Noir Sebastopol Syrah Sunce Cabernet Simonsig Estate Wines Deerfield Ranch Wines Sobon Estate Barbera Peterson Zero Manipulation Roche Merlot & Pinot Noir Yorkville Cellars Wooden Valley Wines Milone Zinfandel Argonaut Syrah Claudia Springs Zin Pellegrini's Cab Westover Cab Storrs Grenache Tocai Friulano Lodi "Fancy Quest" 1998 Il Chiaretto Guest Columns Jacky Terrasson Prunotto R.H. Phillips' Malbec

Grenache Storrs Central Coast 1999 By David Ginochio This wine is the perfect neighbor: the dude with the stunning wife, the greenest lawn, and 2-point-whatever beaming children with perfect teeth, the guy you see in church every Sunday, until one night you see him on "Cops" being dragged away for something less than savory. This one is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, followed by filtration and bottling. Storrs' 1999 Central Coast Grenache comes off as the perfectly mannered light bodied red-dazzling clarity, elegant, lightly oaked, ripe red fruit--you know the story. Subsequent sips, however, reveal a darker side. Even riper fruit, hints of vanilla, spices, violets and pepper come out of the woodwork, pointing to something perhaps more sinister. Plus, this baby is a hefty 14.2% alcohol, bringing to mind those commercials imploring you not to be fooled by the smooth taste. The very fact we were able to quote Churchill and malt-liquor advertising in the same review should give you some idea of the sophistication paired with the allure of danger found in this very distinctive and delicious wine. Rating: 91 Visit the Storrs Web Site

Reoccurring Dream The Onus Hipnotic By Chris Hovan First glances suggested this was going to be another quirky avant garde project (taking in account the name of the band and the album cover), yet things proved to be quite different and in the end Reoccurring Dream blossomed into a mainstream set of substantial strength. Now just because we’re talking about working “within the tradition,” doesn’t mean this is another one of those hard bop retreads. For one thing, the ensemble make-up assures that. Lead instrumentalist and clarinetist Darryl Harper, a native of Philadelphia and graduate of the jazz program at Rutgers, fronts a quintet that also includes guitar, piano, bass, and drums. Harper’s own approach falls somewhere between the audacious work of Don Byron and more conventional models such as Jimmy Hamilton and Pee Wee Russell. Attention-grabbing twists and turns keep things popping on a number of well-arranged standards. For instance, Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square” is only taken in full-fledged manner after Harper hints at Coltrane’s take on “Inchworm.” For “Night and Day” the melody comes into play after a catchy vamp and pianist Kyle Koehler’s adroit piano spot. Harper’s own works tread on appealing ground, including the lovely ballad sentiments expressed in “Kiss Me Again” and the modal waltz “Narcolepsy.” In the final analysis, this date speaks confidently with poise and maturity and that clearly has something to do with the empathy that Harper and cohorts have developed over the past four years together working as a unit.