Jazz Articles about Devin Drobka

About Devin Drobka

Album Review

Waypoints, the second recording by Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Arman Sangalang's quartet, continues on a path similar to his first, Arman Sangalang Quartet (Calligram, 2023), leaning on original compositions and closing with a perennially popular standard, Johnny Green's “Body & Soul." Sangalang is a splendid player, blending a strong and persuasive solo voice with precise technique and a bright and pleasing sound. His teammates are similarly adept, lending Sangalang solid and dependable support. The compositional highlight of the program ...

Album Review

Arman Sangalang: Waypoints

Read "Waypoints" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
July 29, 2026

Saxophonist Arman Sangalang released his debut record, Quartet (Calligram Records) in 2023. It was a smoldering sax-and-a-rhythm-section quartet outing that sounded surprisingly fresh for a first recording effort. His follow-up, Waypoints, employs the same format, switching out bassist Matt Ulery for Ethan Philion, while keeping guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Devin Drobka. The sophomore effort careens toward expanded freedom, boldly. “I wanted to give them [his quartet cohorts] the freedom to do what they wanted with the music," ...

Album Review

Paul Silbergleit Trio: The Stillness of July

Read "The Stillness of July" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
June 11, 2026

With four previous releases under his belt, guitarist Paul Silbergleit has been a steady presence in the Milwaukee jazz scene since his debut record, Silberglicity, appeared in 1996. But The Stillness of July is his first outing complemented by bassist Clay Schaub and drummer Devin Drobka. This fine trio provides a lithe treatment of several Silbergleit originals and a few well-chosen standards, giving Silbergleit his best opportunity yet to showcase his talents. With a commitment to technical precision ...

Album Review

Kenny Reichert: Live in Chicago

Read "Live in Chicago" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
January 16, 2026

Kenny Reichert has been steadily building his reputation within the modern jazz world, and Live in Chicago stands as perhaps his most revealing statement to date. Recorded at Pro Musica with a hand-picked quartet featuring alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka, this five-track collection captures something increasingly rare in contemporary jazz recordings: genuine, unvarnished spontaneity within a live setting. What is immediately striking about this record is its commitment to expansiveness. Each of ...

Album Review

Paul Dietrich's Elemental Quartet: A Small Patch of Earth

Read "A Small Patch of Earth" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci

by Richard J Salvucci
February 25, 2025

Anyone who spends much time watching contemporary instrumentalists on the internet is bound to come away impressed. Modern players, it sometimes seems, can do just about anything. And that is particularly true of some instruments in the brass family, where the advances in technique and range over just a half-century are particularly impressive. There are many trumpet athletes, able to leap impossible intervals in a single bound and circular breathe their way smoothly through half a concerto and generally play ...

Album Review

Kenny Reichert: Switch

by Mark Corroto
June 23, 2024

Chicago guitarist Kenny Reichert works extremely hard to make his sound come across as casual on Switch. If you do not count the numerous discs with his partner Sara d'Ippolito Reichert, this is his third release as a leader. It follows Deep Breath (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2023) and returning from that previous outing are vocalist Alyssa Allgood and drummer Devin Drobka. Anchored by the rock steady pulse of bassist Ethan Philion, the title track opens with Reichert and ...

Album Review

Precarious Towers: Ten Stories

Read "Ten Stories" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
September 28, 2023

Precarious Towers is a Midwestern-based quintet whose second recording, Ten Stories, is as bare-bones an album as one could imagine: a plain CD (without name or artwork) resting in a pale-blue jacket (no tray or protective sleeve) that includes a list of songs, composers and personnel plus recording details. That's it. From a reviewer's point of view, however, such cosmetic details are irrelevant, as the only component that matters is the music itself. Judged solely on that ...