“Michael Lauren is a master of time and not only worships at the altar of creativity, but also brings his chops to
the
sacrificial table with extravagant gestures always informed by the rich legacy of drummers from the history of
Jazz”.
Pick any song in this repertoire – including songs that have been composed by his Portuguese contingent, who
are
masters in their own right – and you will be awed by Lauren’s ability to play in the pocket, while consistently
referencing melody”. Raul da Gama – JazzdaGama (Canada)
“A generous compilation of sparkling new music. This CD delivers its jazz promise multiple times over” –
Debbie
Burke/author (USA)
“A new success for The Michael Lauren All Stars.” - La Habitación del Jazz (España)
“Great Music” - João Moreira Santos - Jazz a Dois“ (Portugal)
These musicians are All Stars. Their playing and composing proves it all the way through. Exciting music, rooted
in
the hard bop tradition without being mired in the past”. All About Jazz - Mark Sullivan (USA)
“Traduzir musicalmente a alma com tal coolness é coisa, de facto, de All Stars. Michael Lauren, na condução na
bateria, é magnânimo.” Arte Sonora (PORTUGAL)
“Michael has managed to bring together a group of musicians playing as if they had played all their life in this
group.
Their sound is modern, but it also takes us to the best of New York hard bop. Lot’s of swing and a sound that
transports you to the clubs where you can hear good jazz”. La Habitación del Jazz (ESPAÑA)
“With Once Upon A Time In Portugal, drummer Michael Lauren delivers a no-nonsense blowing date of hard-
bop-
style jazz. This is sturdy, swinging stuff, played by musicians paying homage to a sound from long ago, but
filtered
through modern sensibilities”. For him, “It don’t mean a thing….” are words to live by”. Illya Stemkovsky - Modern
Drummer Magazine (USA)
“A second outing for drummer and composer Michael Lauren and his All Stars continues and strengthens their
fresh
path through intelligent modernism.” Jim Worsley – All About Jazz (USA)
Lush horn work and harmonies make the Michael Lauren All Stars’ “Once Upon a Time in Portugal” swing and
sway.
Debbie Burke/Author (USA)
“Elegant and sophisticated. A high quality work, both sound and artistic-wise, where an exceptional sense of
groove
rules. A magnificent recording with eloquent improvisations.” Michael Lauren leaves a masterly and hopeful
footprint
with this great recorded work, in which he joins the past and the present, with effort, talent and creative
originality”.
José Antonio García López, 2016 - Tomajazz (España)
“When the new mainstream threatens to be no more than a dead end alley, Michael takes it back to where it
belongs,
providing swing, passion and dynamics. You can simply call it jazz and be understood by what you mean from
New
York to Hong-Kong. “An album that really stands out of from the crowd” João Moreira Santos is the author of the
daily
radio show “Jazz a Dois“ and has penned 8 books on music and the history of jazz in Portugal (Portugal)
“Michael has managed to bring together a group of musicians playing as if they had played all their life in this
group. Their sound is modern, but it also takes us to the best of New York hard bop. Lot’s of swing and a sound
that transports you to the clubs where you can hear good jazz. The result is a great album with good jazz,
whose hearing meets the expectations of the most demanding”. La Habitación del Jazz 2016 (España)
It is Lauren's strong leadership that is felt throughout. Never overpowering, Lauren's nuanced ability to
comfortably
and skillfully execute many jazz interpretations provides a presence that allows his band mates to stretch,
explore,
and improvise freely”. Jim Worsley – All About Jazz (USA)
Love the tunes! -Tizz Shearer -Program Director XRP Radio (United Kingdom)
“The Michael Lauren All Stars takes us into music with clear, rich stylistic variables, in which tradition and
modernity come together in a multidisciplinary and eclectic context”.Tomajazz (España)
“Michael Lauren once more shows his great versatility as a drummer, bandleader and producer.” La Habitación
del Jazz (España)
“The Michael Lauren All Stars have created another smooth, lively collection of melodic jazz that can be
appreciated by both die-hard fans and listeners with only a casual interest. This band is like a gateway drug to
jazz” Harry Connelly - Author (USA)
“Congratulations on your final result”. Miguel Cruz – Program Director Smooth FM (Portugal)
"With strong melodies and concise solos" Old School / Fresh Jazz "mixes longer pieces with duets that show
Lauren's great versatility as a drummer and exalt the tremendous talents that make up the All Stars." João
Moreira dos Santos - Antena 2 (Portugal)
“The Michael Lauren All Stars have created another smooth, lively collection of melodic jazz that can be
appreciated by both die-hard fans and listeners with only a casual interest. This band is like a gateway drug to
jazz” Harry Connelly /Author (USA)
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