Articles by David A. Orthmann
Steve Millhouse: Looking Back to Today
by David A. Orthmann
In an era when athleticism, blatant egotism, and cacophony are all too common elements of jazz performance, it is refreshing to hear a record populated by players who exhibit give-and-take, musicality, and a willingness to listen and share sonic space. Six-string electric bassist Steve Millhouse's Looking Back to Today is a sterling example of a bass, saxophone, and drums trio in which each musician expresses himself to the fullest without overreaching or making a mess of things.While Millhouse, ...
Continue ReadingBehn Gillece: Pivot Point
by David A. Orthmann
Anyone who has listened to at least some of the Posi-Tone releases from the past several years will recognize the personnel on Pivot Point: vibraphonist Behn Gillece 's eighth date as a leader. Tenor/soprano saxophonist Willie Morris,, pianist Jon Davis, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummers Rudy Royston and Jason Tiemann have made substantial contributions to many of the label's projects situated in various points in the jazz mainstream. To put it bluntly, these guys are incapable of phoning it in. ...
Continue ReadingDiego Rivera: West Circle
by David A. Orthmann
Let it not be said that Posi-Tone Records fails to put its weight and resources behind the artists it believes in. A case in point is the volume of releases that entail the combinations of tenor/soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera, pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston. In the last five years, discs in which two or more of these artists participate have exceeded three dozen. A sample of the projects includes dates led by all of them ...
Continue ReadingSteve Johns: Mythology
by David A. Orthmann
Over the past twenty years, drummer Steve Johns has appeared dozens of times in various venues and configurations throughout Northern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, New York area. To name but a few examples, Johns with guitarist Bob DeVos's trio at Trumpets Jazz Club, in sessions led by bassist Mark Hagan at the Old 76 House, and in a series curated by tenor saxophonist John Richmond at The Turning Point Café--all small, intimate venues--enabled listeners to see and hear ...
Continue ReadingWillie Morris: Unbound Inner
by David A. Orthmann
Willie Morris's third release as a leader for Posi-Tone opens with the haunting “Flyover Country," which only includes the leader's tenor saxophone and pianist Jon Davis. Combining improvisation and Morris's earnest, subdued theme, the two-minute 25-second gem doesn't declare any particular stylistic allegiance, nor does it clamor for attention. Instead, Morris's and Davis's partnership evokes a pristine stillness and wistful melancholy yet is purposeful enough to get under one's skin. The track is a refreshing, counterintuitive way to launch a ...
Continue ReadingBlue Moods: Force & Grace
by David A. Orthmann
Blue Moods' Force & Grace is the third in a series of Posi-Tone releases in which music of under-recognized jazz composers is given a fair shake by bands comprised of some of the label's leading lights. This time around, the group features 12 compositions by Freddie Hubbard, a figure revered for his prowess as a trumpeter, to the neglect of his talent as a writer. The material receives straightforward no-frills treatments, making it easier to savor Hubbard's penchant for writing ...
Continue ReadingZach Adleman: We Make: Stories For A New Day
by David A. Orthmann
From beginning to end, Zach Adleman's debut as a leader, We Make: Stories For A New Day, fires on all cylinders. The twenty-something drummer inhabits the roles of player, composer, arranger, and bandleader with the aplomb of a seasoned veteran. A hungry, assertive band includes two generations of compatible hands who produce a fresh and vital sound that mirrors the straight-ahead, acoustic jazz tradition Adleman penned nine compositions that are sturdy, substantive, and melodically rich. We have ...
Continue ReadingDiego Rivera: Ofrenda
by David A. Orthmann
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera has amassed an impressive track record on the Posi-Tone imprint as a leader, sideman, and other projects curated by producer Marc Free. Ofrenda, a ten-movement suite, is a vehicle for Rivera's impressions of aspects of altars corresponding with the traditional Mexican holiday Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). In essence, an ofrenda is usually created by and placed in the home of the family of a person who has passed away.
Continue ReadingGary Smulyan: Boss Baritones
by David A. Orthmann
The once-popular pairings of such incisive hard-blowing saxophonists as Johnny Griffin with Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis and Gene Ammons with Sonny Stitt constitute some of the inspiration behind the making of Boss Baritones. Incorporating material penned by Griffin, Davis, Illinois Jacquet, Don Byas and J.R. Monterose indicates a healthy respect for giants who may no longer be in vogue. We can dwell on the significance of these ties to the past if we like. However, they have little to do with ...
Continue ReadingLuther Allison: I Owe It All To You
by David A. Orthmann
Radiating an exhilarating, last-set-of-the-night ambiance, I Owe It All To You, Luther Allison's debut recording as a leader, places a premium on momentum, spontaneity and high spirits. An assertive, hard-swinging player residing in the modern, straight-ahead jazz piano tradition, Allison utilizes a bassist and drummer capable of holding down the fort and enriching anything he throws at them. Boris Kozlov and Zach Adleman deftly respond to Allison's changes in emphasis, dynamics and texture. To their credit, they never get in ...
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