Quotes about Joe LoCascio
Joe LoCascio is a first rate jazz pianist and composer with a style growing out of bop, but completely his own.
Randy Brecker
I love Joe LoCascio’s writing! His pieces have an innocence that sings to the heart while providing a challenge in harmony and form at the same time.
Art Lande
When you hear a composition for the first time, the artists have to win you over twice, with their writing and their playing. This can be a challenge, though not apparently for pianist Joe LoCascio, whose In the City of Lost Things succeeds on more than one level.
****(Four Stars)-Robert Doerschuk
Downbeat Magazine
LoCascio has dazzled since his 1986 debut; what’s impressive is the way his talent continues to grow.
Jeff McCord
Texas Monthly
His prowess on the keys is dynamic but never overstated. There’s a controlled fire that's constantly in motion.
Each selection is a display of many influences and paths that show a musician in complete command of his vision and art. This is again another jewel that shines bright.
Mark F. Turner, All About Jazz
This one has the goods. A classic piano trio effort, and right on they are, too. All original material from LoCascio, some of the melodies are strong enough to carry a lyric, a rarity nowadays. But who are these guys, and how come they aren't terrifically famous?
Cohesion is evident throughout and we would be amazed if these men haven't played together a great deal. "Idiot's Delight," a LoCascio solo, has some of the mixed-style eccentricity that Roger Kellaway would have loved. A very fine set indeed. Highly recommended.
Lawrence Brazier, Jazz Now
LoCascio's playing on Close To So Far, like his writing (all the tracks are his originals), is heady, clean and crisply swinging, and while he describes his writing and playing as "linear," he's downplaying his strongest quality: texture....gorgeous ballads.
Harvey Siders , Jazz Times
"Close To So Far" also reminds us quite a lot of Keith Jarrett/ Gary Peacock/ Jack DeJohnette in the sense that the arrangements are interwoven and collaborative. LoCascio unravels some rather otherworldly progressions that drape the composition with an extra layer of mystery and intrigue".
Keith Zimmerman, Yellow Dog Jazz Report
"A great deal of inventiveness.....a very fine set indeed...highly recommended"
Lawrence Brazier, JazzNow
Pianist Joe LoCascio’s hypnotically engaging tunes evolve gradually, growing from soft spiraling themes into intense cascades of emotion or delicate spider webs of melody. Along the way the members of his trio display tremendous empathy for the material, playing in finely tuned balance.
Forrest Dylan Bryant, Jazz Times Magazine
Book of Days is ten compositions which reveal a modern jazz approach performed by a delightful quartet. Each song brings new colors and emotions, often cinematic but consistently delivering a unique musical journey.
--Geannine Reid, All About Jazz
"LoCascio's strong sense of melody is elegantly realized...one of the finest artists on the contemporary jazz scene."
--Jazziz Magazine
"LoCascio shows off his considerable talents as keyboardist, leader, and composer...he can swing mightily...the quality of musicianship and writing is very high."
--Jazz Now Magazine
"Silent Motion establishes LoCascio as a national-class pianist."
--Houston Chronicle
"LoCascio continues to play at the edge...one must either work like hell to keep up with him or get out of the way. The ride is worth it. Joe LoCascio is a poet at the keyboard."
--Public News
"LoCascio is a musician whose creative inner flame burns so clean and pure the fire within is near invisible even while the light and heat of his playing radiates in all directions."
--Austin-American Statesman
"As a composer, LoCascio takes an unshakeable command of mainstream jazz."
--Houston Press
“In Book of Days, LoCascio expertly crafts a sonic journey custom-made for this ensemble to express themselves with their unique talents and form a profoundly musical whole. The compositions, while deeply rooted in jazz traditions, push the boundaries and invite listeners to embark on a journey of discovery. Whether you are a new listener to jazz or an expert jazz cat, Book of Days offers a refreshing and illuminating experience that celebrates the enduring power of relationships through the beauty of jazz.”
- Darnell Jackson, 5 Finger Review
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