Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eddie Allen: Push

5

Eddie Allen: Push

By

Sign in to view read count
Eddie Allen: Push
Seasoned trumpeter, composer and educator Eddie Allen's highly awaited Push is a mix of mainstream jazz with generous sprinklings of urban flavors and reggae thrown into the mix. Allen and the excellent group of musicians he assembled for this release is simply riveting, with pure jazz and catchy flowing rhythms from start to finish. Allen states that the goal of this project was simply to create some good, "fun to listen to music."

The album opens with the hip, up-tempo "Nakia," on which Allen quickly shines through with a clean-breaking trumpet solo followed by Keith Loftie on tenor sax. Trombonist Dion Tucker then kicks it up to the next level, followed by pianist Mark Soskin and, finally, Misha Tsiganov brings it home on the keyboards. "Sacred Ground" follows, beginning with flowing rhythms and a light swing tempo followed with smoothly galloping solos which complement each other. "Caress," "Who Can I Turn To" and "With Open Arms" are smoother, easily evoking images of easily slipping away and relaxing under a favorite tree on a quiet afternoon.

Things heat up again on the swinging, Bourbon Street-type groove of "Hillside Strut," which will surely have you up and moving. "Whispers in The Dark" and "Eve Deceived," not surprisingly, again feature crisp trumpet, trombone and keyboard solos, the first of which finds Allen making his instrument scream before handing it off to Tucker, who compliments with a lightly taunting solo, followed by Tsiganov.
The set concludes with the title track, and this is where it all breaks loose. Bassist Kenny Davis begins by taking a heavy workout; from there, each musician moves in and out, trading and expressing rhythmic licks while taking their instruments almost to the limit before rebounding for a clean break finish.

Push is a first-rate recording, filled with breaking rhythms, smooth grooves, and pure "fun to listen to music."

Track Listing

Nakia; Sacred Ground; Caress; Hillside Strut; Who Can I Turn To; Whispers In The Dark; With Open Arms; Eve Deceived; Push.

Personnel

Eddie Allen
trumpet

Eddie Allen: trumpet; Keith Loftis: tenor sax; Dion Tucker: trombone; Misha Tsiganov: keyborads; Mark Soskin: piano; Kenny Davis: acoustic bass; E.J.Strickland: drums.

Album information

Title: Push | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Edjalen Music

Comments

Tags

Concerts


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.