Jazz Articles about Donny McCaslin

Donny McCaslin: Close to the Spirit

by Paul Olson
May 29, 2006

California-born, New York-based saxophonist Donny McCaslin has become an overnight sensation. Except that he's not--he's been playing tenor (as well as other reeds and flute) with all sorts of heavyweights for years, including Gary Burton, Mike Manieri's Steps Ahead, Brian Blade and Danilo Pérez. McCaslin was a co-founder of the collaborative band Lan Xang; the other members, Dave Binney, Scott Colley and Kenny Wollesen, are old friends and frequent collaborators. McCaslin is a member of the Maria ...

Donny McCaslin: Give and Go

by John Kelman
April 14, 2006

If there's one label that's committed to defining the new mainstream, it's Criss Cross Jazz. Earlier recordings on Gerry Teekens' label weighed more heavily towards the standards repertoire, but recent releases by artists like guitarist Adam Rogers, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and pianist Edward Simon have applied a more contemporary spin on acoustic jazz through a greater focus on original material. This writing, while rooted in tradition, often incorporates more complex and modernistic harmonic and rhythmic conceits, moving mainstream jazz into ...

Donny McCaslin: Soar

by Paul Olson
April 4, 2006

Tenor player Donny McCaslin aims high on Soar and rather gloriously hits all his targets with this ambitious set of pieces of a decidedly Central and South American bent. McCaslin's other “new" record, Give and Go (Criss Cross), was released in February. The two CDs couldn't be more different, though--while Give and Go was a comparatively stripped-down quintet set recorded in one day, Soar is an almost glossy behemoth recorded over several sessions and very definitely produced ...

Donny McCaslin: Soar

by David Miller
April 3, 2006

With certain musicians play, you get the feeling that they're on a level above their peers. And what's more, it seems to come easy to them. Current saxophonists that fit this mould include Chris Potter, Joe Lovano and Kenny Garrett. Add Donny McCaslin to that list. As a neophyte to McCaslin's work, I was extremely impressed by Soar. His tone is forceful yet soothing, his ideas fresh, and his approach unique. As with his sometime cohort, pianist ...

Donny McCaslin: On The Way Through

by Franz A. Matzner
February 13, 2004

Saxophonist and composer Donny McCaslin has already made his presence felt on the scene for some time. Playing with a wide variety of jazz's current talents, he has developed a truly distinct voice, both as player and writer. Dedicated to pushing jazz into new realms, McCaslin's voice has never been more clear and directed than on his latest release for Arabesque, The Way Through.

Recently, it was my privilege to speak with Mr. McCaslin about his latest album ...

Donny McCaslin: The Way Through

by AAJ Staff
February 8, 2004

It's not because he lacks talent or he hasn't been playing in the right circles, but somehow Donny McCaslin has never made a real breakthrough until The Way Through. This is his third record as a leader, though he's been active on the road and in the studio since his days at Berklee. Some may remember Steps Ahead (check out Vibe, 1994) or Lan Zang (eg. Hidden Gardens, 2000), but quite honestly this is the place to start if you're ...

Donny McCaslin: The Way Through

by Florence Wetzel
January 21, 2004

The Way Through explores the many colors of jazz while at the same time respectfully stretching the music’s boundaries. Donny McCaslin, a tenor saxophonist with a rich, warm sound, is also an extremely skilled arranger with an interesting use of space. The basic instrumentation here is sax, bass, and drums, but there’s also sax duet improvisations, solo work by McCaslin, and judicious use of voice, steel pan, and sampler. McCaslin has many paints on his palette, and his selections are ...