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The Dam Jawn: Forward!
by Jack Bowers
An addendum to the title of the Amsterdam-based quintet Dam Jawn's latest album, Forward!, reads “featuring Dick Oatts," which is perfectly suitable, as the acclaimed alto saxophonist plays a pivotal role in the tight-knit group's latest discourse, as he did on its earlier recording, Master Street (Challenge Records, 2023). For those who may be wondering about the group's name, it is an amalgam of Dam (for its Amsterdam home) and Jawn, a term widely used in Philadelphia ...
Continue ReadingCarn Davidson 9: Reverence
by Jack Bowers
The Carn Davidson 9 is a Toronto, Canada-based nonet co-led by trombonist William Carn and saxophonist Tara Davidson whose fourth studio album, Reverence, encompasses a pair of four-part suites, one written by Carn, the other by Davidson. What is most interesting --over and above the depth and quality of the music--is that the suites are not performed sequentially but interspersed, with the first two of Davidson's themes followed by a pair of Carn originals before alternating on the remaining four ...
Continue ReadingThe Dam Jawn featuring Dick Oatts: Forward!
by Pierre Giroux
The Dam Jawn's Forward! is an exhilarating journey through the sonic spectrum of modern jazz, elevated by the presence of alto saxophonist Dick Oatts. This collaboration captures the creative energy of five talented young musicians presently living in Amsterdam (hence the Dam in the name) alongside a veteran master, weaving a tapestry of grooves, colors and moods into a cohesive and engaging whole. Of the nine tracks in this session, eight are original compositions from the various band members; the ...
Continue ReadingSwing & Strings feat. Dick Oatts at Artimino
by Neri Pollastri
Swing & Strings feat. Dick Oatts Ognissanti Suona Il Jazz Villa La Ferdinanda Artimino 27.11.2022 Per la quinta edizione della rassegna Ognissanti Suona Il Jazz, la splendida Villa Medicea la Ferdinanda di Artimino ha ospitato un nuovo progetto dell'arrangiatore e direttore d'orchestra Duccio Bertini, stavolta impegnato a fondere un quartetto di jazzisti con un ensemble d'archi. Operazione non facile, come sa chi abbia qualche conoscenza di questa prassi più volte tentata, ma che solo ...
Continue ReadingMike Holober & Balancing Act: Don't Let Go
by Jack Bowers
With Don't Let Go, pianist Mike Holober and the octet Balancing Act seemed to have found an ideal way to cross-breed classical motifs and contemporary jazz to produce a pleasurable listening experience. Then he added lyrics. Granted, not all lyrics are superfluous—even those that are either nebulous or indecipherable, as is too often the case here. It's simply that some listeners may be more receptive to an alternative in the form of, say, Marvin Stamm's trumpet, Dick Oatts' or Jason ...
Continue ReadingDick Oatts: Use Your Imagination
by David A. Orthmann
At two adjacent points in this admirable recording, alto saxophonist Dick Oatts makes riveting, emotionally resonant sounds that transcend matters of style, execution and technique. These memorable moments stand apart from the customary pleasures and somewhat cerebral considerations of lending an ear to a jazz record. In both instances, Oatts' isn't intentionally tugging at heartstrings or trying to manipulate the listener's emotions. During the last forty-five seconds of the solemn “Lossofyou," Oatts vividly evokes the fragility of human existence by ...
Continue ReadingMike Holober: Balancing Act
by Angelo Leonardi
Non è facile coniugare raffinatezza formale e tensione emotiva, meticolose orchestrazioni e libertà individuale, sottigliezze cameristiche e momenti jazzisticamente impetuosi. A capo del suo ottetto, Mike Holober offre un appassionante esempio di tutto ciò, realizzando il suo lavoro più maturo e ricercato, a distanza di sei anni dal precedente con la Gotham Jazz Orchestra (Quake, Sunnyside 2009). Pianista, compositore e insegnante al City College e alla Manhattan School of Music di New York, Holober s'è ...
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