Jazz Articles about Ari Hoenig

The Solo Recordings of Ari Hoenig

by David A. Orthmann
November 11, 2004

As evidenced by his two solo recordings, Time Travels (1K Recordings) and The Life Of A Day (Ah Ha Records), Ari Hoenig is an unusually resourceful artist who transcends the limitations of working with a conventional four-piece drum kit and a few cymbals. Introducing a system of replicating the exact pitches of melodies, Hoenig plays a cornucopia of songs, ranging from jazz standards ("Caravan," “Oleo," “Night In Tunisia") to less-than-fashionable ditties ("Pop Goes The Weasel," “Reveille," “I've Been Workin' On ...

Ari Hoenig: The Painter

by Terrell Kent Holmes
July 1, 2004

Drummer Ari Hoenig has just released The Painter , an octet of songs recorded either live or in closed session at Fat Cat, the phoenix from the ashes of what had been the legendary Greenwich Village club Smalls, which shut its doors last year.The bulk of the songs are composed by Hoenig, but a dazzling version of Monk's “I Mean You" opens things up. He lays down a Roach-like opening snare groove, dancing nimbly with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc and the ...

Bohemian Revolution: Ari Hoenig at Twins Jazz

by Franz A. Matzner
February 18, 2004

I ordered a drink from Twins Jazz’s master of ceremonies, Joseph Beasley, whose ever-pleasant attitude and energy single-handedly warmed the club’s otherwise somewhat cool atmosphere and took a look around the room. It was still early. On stage, surrounding the bass, drums, and propped open music cases lay a jumble of loose sheet music, lead wires and half-empty glasses. In one corner, threatening to bury drummer and band leader Ari Hoenig’s beautiful, custom made set, stood a precarious heap of ...

Ari Hoenig: The Painter

by Franz A. Matzner
February 16, 2004

Few drummers assume the role of composer—and with rare exception when they do, the results often sacrifice the finer points of melodic and harmonic development in favor of arrangements focused on complex tempo changes, dynamic shifts, unusual rhythmic structures, and of course, extra-long drum solos. While such pieces often successfully—and justifiably—illustrate overlooked and under-appreciated aspects of drumming, they are also likely to lack broad appeal. As exhibited on The Painter, however, virtuoso instrumentalist, bandleader, arranger, and composer Ari Hoenig is ...

Ari Hoenig: The Life of a Day

by Phil DiPietro
October 4, 2003

The worldwide botherhood of the drums is hereby kicked in the pants! Ari Hoenig's work in the ensembles of Jean-Michel Pilc, Seamus Blake, Jonathan Kreisberg, Pat Martino, and Wayne Krantz has extended the art of jazz drumming into the future. He's done this via telepathic interaction with soloists, forging his own brand of swing and exerting an absolutely uncanny ability to mine melodicism from the kit. For most drummers, continuing on this road of excellence would be enough.

Now, unaccompanied ...

Jonathan Kreisberg: Trioing

by Phil DiPietro
January 1, 2003

Some weird synergy was responsible for me perusing the current issue of Jazz Times while listening to guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's astounding straight-ahead debut. An uncanny association occurred when I read Branford Marsalis's assertion, made during a blindfold test (while listening to a different player), that he would, “ban all guitar from jazz records" and “stick them in Foxwoods commercials, in perpetuity", precisely while being blindsided by Kreisberg's 90 second rendition of “Have You Met Miss Jones?" I sincerely doubt Branford's ...

Jonathan Kreisberg: Trioing

by David Adler
January 1, 2003

Add Jonathan Kreisberg to your list of new and undiscovered jazz treasures. The New York-based guitar whiz has been featured to great effect in Yosvany Terry’s band and also with his own electrifying quintet, featuring Scott Wendholt, Gary Versace, Matt Penman, and Anthony Pinciotti. Trioing, his debut as a leader, is a trio standards session with bassist Johannes Weidenmueller and drummer Ari Hoenig (Kenny Werner’s steady rhythm section). While listeners must await a future quintet release for ...