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Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra: Tenor Madness
by Jack Bowers
Nashville-based composer, arranger and saxophonist Ryan Middagh salutes apostles of the mid-range wind instrument on Tenor Madness, his second recording as leader of the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra. Even so, there are no tenor solos after the first three of the album's half-dozen numbers, on which tenors Don Aliquo and Jeff Coffin ("Wiley Roots"), Aliquo again ("Waiter, Make Mine Blues"), Coffin and New York luminary Joel Frahm--who together galvanize the album's robust title song--are featured. While the ...
Continue ReadingDiane Marino: Romance In The Dark
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Romance in the Dark, from highly-versatile vocalist-pianist-arranger Diane Marino and a team of Nashville's top studio players, offers 10 entertaining selections. Comprised of covers of well-known standards and classic soul material (with a handful-plus being remixed and remastered from the vocalist's previously released recordings), it is a thoroughly enjoyable and, yes, romantic effort. “Out of This World" opens the session in a lush exotic atmosphere. Originally recorded by Jo Stafford and nearly a jazz standard, Marino dives ...
Continue ReadingJudith Owens, Earl Bostic & Don Aliquo
by Joe Dimino
From Nashville-based, Pittsburgh-bred saxophonist Don Aliquo, we kick off this new 793rd Episode of Neon Jazz with a song off his 2023 album Growth. From there, we listen to the artist who gave Don one of his most memorable performances when he was a lad in Arnie Lawrence. We also hear new music from Holly Burke, Judith Owen, Jane Irving and Dave Stryker. Pianist Emmet Cohen of pandemic sessions fame, is on the show with music from his 2022 release ...
Continue ReadingDon Aliquo: Growth
by Jack Bowers
On Growth, his eighth album as a leader, it is said that Nashville-based saxophonist Don Aliquo “pushes past his established comfort zone and into more precarious and challenging improvisational territory." While that may well be true, another truism is that the harmonic vocabulary of contemporary jazz has remained essentially unchanged for more than eight decades, and Aliquo does nothing to alter the blueprint. He simply approaches improvisation in his own way while embracing time-honored parameters. In other ...
Continue ReadingDon Aliquo: The Man, The Music, The Journey
by Ludwig vanTrikt
Geography is a central theme in the life and artistry of Pittsburgh's native son, Don Aliquo. The saxophonist, educator and bandleader is part of a rich steel town jazz lineage which includes his father, Don Aliquo Sr., a performing artist and teacher in his own right. There is also a metaphorical geography, in which Aliquo covers virtually all aspects of the jazz experience, from daunting mainstream swing to edgy, modernistic genres.All About Jazz: As a Professor of Saxophone ...
Continue ReadingSouthern Excursion Quartet: Trading Post
by AAJ Italy Staff
Non sono esordienti i componenti di questo nuovo ensemble attivo a Memphis, attuale residenza di Michael Jefry Stevens. Assieme al pianista troviamo l'interessante sassofonista Don Aliquo, il bassista Tom Giampietro e il batterista Jonathan Wires. Tutti, a parte Stevens, sono musicisti operanti prevalentemente nell'area sud-orientale degli States e la musica ne riflette gli umori caldi e appassionati. Lo stile del quartetto rientra nell'area ai confini tra bop avanzato e free, anche se il particolare feeling cantabile di cui s'è detto ...
Continue ReadingDon Aliquo: Jazz Folk
by Budd Kopman
Jazz Folk is an homage to jazz musicians (the folks) who put their heart and soul into playing creative music. This straight-ahead record sports four Don Aliquo originals, three pieces from bassist Rufus Reid, and two modern standards. While there is nothing especially new here, and experienced listeners will find no surprises, the individual playing and the group aesthetic is excellent. The musicians obviously know and like each other, and the joy of their playing infuses this ...
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