Jazz Articles about Anton Schwartz

Anton Schwartz: Flash Mob

by Glenn Astarita
February 3, 2014

While attending Harvard University, Anton Schwartz held down the first tenor saxophone chair in its jazz band, yet relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he became a significant jazz force, also serving as an educator and mentor. Flash Mob--which is perhaps his most robust album to date--denotes his fifth venture as a leader and first album since Radiant Blue (Antonjazz, 2006). Schwartz reaps the benefits of nascent talent and possesses a commanding presence amid his full-bodied tone and ...

Anton Schwartz: Radiant Blue

by Ken Hohman
October 8, 2006

For a guy who has the blues, San Francisco-based tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz sure seems happy. While the ten tracks on Radiant Blue are purported to be based on the twelve-measure blues form (I think there's a couple of sixteens in there), there is barely a blush of sadness to this decidedly upbeat release. But once you're a few measures into “Phantom Dance," you can forget about the overarching theme and just enjoy the ride. This modal opener presents Schwartz's ...

Anton Schwartz: Radiant Blue

by Glenn Astarita
September 23, 2006

Tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz picks his spots rather articulately here. Either as an accompanist or accelerator, the artist's penchant for making optimistic jazz looms in radiating fashion. Schwartz sports a resounding tone on this studio set, spiced up with grit and a soul-jazz drenched élan.

The quintet sustains interest from top to bottom, partly due to the saxophonist's strong compositions. Schwartz injects foot-stomping swing, New Orleans-style bump and grind, and expressive blues vamps into an irrefutably sparkling program. ...

Anton Schwartz: Holiday Time

by J. Robert Bragonier
December 23, 2003

Holiday Time is the third recording by San Francisco Bay area resident Anton Schwartz, although this outing finds him fronting a new quartet. Schwartz is a native of New York, where he studied with the late Warne Marsh and Eddie Daniels, and his big, round sound is front and center once again. One does not generally approach a holiday album expecting to hear anything markedly new or original. Nonetheless, this specially priced, 27-minute CD still packs a pleasant surprise or ...

Anton Schwartz: The Slow Lane

by Jim Santella
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 ...

Anton Schwartz: The Slow Lane

by Glenn Astarita
March 1, 2000

With his second release, West Coast-based saxophonist Anton Schwartz walks his tenor saxophone down the Slow Lane. Here, the Harvard and Stanford University graduate exhibits style, wit and a predilection for sublime, thoughtful phrasing amid a slightly hard edge, which counters any semblance of saccharine or smooth jazz ideologies. A nice blend indeed as Mr. Schwartz pursues the classics and a few nicely arranged originals augmented by a tight-knit ensemble who vividly demonstrate an acute awareness of Schwartz' stylistic attack. ...

Anton Schwartz: The Slow Lane

by Glenn Astarita
March 1, 2000

With his second release, West Coast-based saxophonist Anton Schwartz walks his tenor saxophone down the Slow Lane. Here, the Harvard and Stanford University graduate exhibits style, wit and a predilection for sublime, thoughtful phrasing amid a slightly hard edge, which counters any semblance of saccharine or smooth jazz ideologies. A nice blend indeed as Mr. Schwartz pursues the classics and a few nicely arranged originals augmented by a tight-knit ensemble who vividly demonstrate an acute awareness of Schwartz' stylistic attack. ...