Anton Schwartz: The Slow Lane

Jim Santella

Senior Contributor since 1997

Jim Santella has been contributing CD reviews, concert reviews and DVD reviews to AAJ since 1997. His work has also appeared in Southland Blues, The L.A. Jazz Scene, and Cadence Magazine.

Recent articles (1,677 total)

Published: February 1, 2001

With a rich, brawny tenor saxophone tone, Anton Schwartz leads this quartet through a program of slow ballads and medium-tempo fare. His warm saxophone sound captivates the heart and lets you forget the harsh realities. Music for a rainy day? Could be. However, everyone solos and breathes so much subliminal creative energy into the session that things never dull.

Schwartz's title track moves unhurriedly with a blues feeling that recalls the expressive wealth of Stanley Turrentine. His web site indicates that the saxophonist studied with Warne Marsh and Eddie Daniels in New York before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area. Schwartz's treatment of standards "Along Came Betty" and "Chelsea Bridge" bring fresh ideas to the forum. Jazz is now at a turning point in its history, where it is counterproductive to copy tradition and harmful to pioneer in too radical a fashion. By flavoring the past with innovative improvisation Schwartz holds fast to jazz's core approach. Swinging with a natural feel for the music and drawing each piece through creative waters, Anton Schwartz brings to his sophomore recording a glimmer of hope for the future of this genre.

Track Listing: Miyako; The Curve of the Earth; Don't Ask; Then Again; Along Came Betty; Chelsea Bridge; Come Rain or Come Shine; Peace Dollar; Born to be Blue; The Slow Lane; The Curve of the Earth (reprise).

Personnel: Anton Schwartz- tenor saxophone; Paul Nagel- piano; John Shifflett- bass; Jason Lewis- drums.

Record Label: AntonJazz
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream

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Date	Venue	Tickets
May29	Anton's Loft - Oakland Oakland, CA	buy
Jun14	San Pedro Square Market San Jose , CA	buy
Jun14	San Pedro Square Market San Jose , CA	buy
Jun15	The Sound Room Oakland, CA	buy
Jun16	Fenix San Rafael, CA
Jun22	San Francisco Jazz Festival San Francisco, CA
Jun29	Tula's Seattle, WA
Jul04	Cerrito Vista Park El Cerrito, CA
Jul20	Anton's Loft - Seattle Seattle, WA	buy
Aug06	Vintage Wine Bar San Jose, CA
Aug17	Anton's Loft - Seattle Seattle, WA	buy
Sep07	Anton's Loft - Seattle Seattle, WA	buy
Sep14	Anton's Loft - Seattle Seattle, WA	buy
Sep27	Studio Pink House Saratoga, CA
Sep28	Anton's Loft - Oakland Oakland, CA	buy
Oct05	House Concert - Lance And Laurie Burien, WA
Oct06	Seattle Jazz Vespers Seattle, WA
Oct27	The Jazz Brooklyn, NY
Jan05	Jazz at Peace Danville, CA
Mar01	Pacifica Performances Pacifica, CA