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Brendan Lanighan Octet: A Little Optimism
by Jack Bowers
A Little Optimism, trombonist Brendan Lanighan believes, can often go a long way. That is the essential message of the Lanighan Octet's debut recording, a pleasurable pastiche of original compositions by the Buffalo, NY-born trombonist plus a pair of enduring standards that share a springtime theme and the name Richard Rodgers as composer. Along the way, Lanighan pays homage to one of his early heroes, the late tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker ("All Day Breckfest"); to another Buffalo-born ...
read moreJonathan Saraga Quintet: First Vision
by Dan Bilawsky
When young artists release their first album, it's always tempting to say they “show potential" or “are off to a good start," but those comments tend to be kindly veiled takes on “you get an A for effort, but should have waited a bit longer." Jonathan Saraga need not worry about having such pacifying comments thrown his way; the trumpeter's First Vision isn't the stuff of amateurs on the brink of musical maturity, it's a stand-up-and-take-notice offering. ...
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by Dan McClenaghan
Trumpeter Jonathan Saraga opens his debut, First Vision with the eleven-and-a-half-minute original, “Guidance," a probing rumination that flares up during his solo. The tune as a whole is a slow burn, but it bursts into high flames as it comes to its conclusion.The leader has assembled a fine quintet of standard configuration--two horns, a chording instrument (here, guitar), bass and drums. The music, all Saraga-penned, has an uncommon freshness coming from a 24 year-old artist who is well ...
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by Hrayr Attarian
Award-winning trumpeter Jonathan Saraga's First Vision, is a skillfully conceived and exquisitely realized debut that brings to mind the edgy, envelope-pushing hard bop of many a Blue Note record in the early 1960s. The modal melodies are artfully orchestrated, allowing each musician the full breadth of his spontaneous creativity without resorting to unfettered clamor. Not a single note is wasted. Whether on trumpet or flugelhorn, Saraga's clear, elegiac tone weaves intricate musical tales around the themes. “Guidance," ...
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