Jazz Articles about George Garzone

About George Garzone

Album Review

Claire Daly (with George Garzone): VuVu for Frances

Read "VuVu for Frances" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
August 13, 2023

Working jazz musicians have long been accustomed to the necessity of playing just about anything, in any setting, and Claire Daly is no exception. The intrepid baritone saxophonist has recorded tributes to Thelonious Monk and Rahsaan Roland Kirk and, in 2016, she even offered a distinctive take on Motown classics with 2468 West Grand Boulevard (Glass Beach Jazz). With the enviable versatility on her formidable horn which has brought her consistent acclaim, she now turns to more conventional jazz fare, ...

Album Review

Funkwrench Blues: Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures

Read "Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
August 3, 2023

Once upon a time it was hard to walk into an arthouse cinema without bumping into a jazz soundtrack. Miles Davis' for Louis Malle's Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud (1958), Charles Mingus' for John Cassavetes' Shadows (1959), Krzysztof Komeda's for Roman Polanski's Knife In The Water (1962) were among a legion of similarly inclined endeavours. But all that was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. In the 2020s, if you want to hear a freshly ...

Album Review

Frank Tiberi, Joe Lovano and George Garzone: Tiberian Mode

Read "Tiberian Mode" reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
May 7, 2020

While the three tenor saxophone soloists with piano, bass, and drums was already a proven sextet formula, the Tiberian Mode is one of vast reproportioning and accelerated creativity. Led by big band divinity Frank Tiberi and two of his disciples, George Garzone, and Joe Lovano, the project unleashes power, vigor, and contrasting jazz sensibilities. Attention is piqued even before listening when you learn that the first song is the first and last section of John Coltrane's “Giant Steps" ...

Album Review

Jeff Rupert/George Garzone: The Ripple

Read "The Ripple" reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
April 28, 2020

The Ripple refers to the infectious, warm, intimate, yet big sound developed by the great Lester Young, starting in the late 1930s. While Young pioneered improvisational creativity, Stan Getz later took the baton (well, it was actually a saxophone) and further expanded his idol's stylish approach with new and creatively open-ended visions. Young and Getz collectively have had an enormous effect on future generations of sax players. Consequently, they have left a significant and impactful mark on the sound of ...

SoCal Jazz

George Garzone: Sax In The City

by Jim Worsley
April 9, 2020

George Garzone is not the mayor of the city of Boston. If he was appointed to a position it would more likely be king. He is, at the very least, the toast of the town. This isn't news. King George has reigned with a firm grasp of his mighty tenor saxophone for close to half a century now. Although not as much of a household name outside of Boston, Garzone is nonetheless revered by jazz enthusiasts around the globe. Perhaps ...

SoCal Jazz

Garzone, Erskine, Pasqua, Oleskiewicz Live at Sam First

by Jim Worsley
November 4, 2019

The venue in which you see and hear a performance has always mattered. Perhaps much more so than most people realize or even think about. Acoustics, ambiance, and comfort have always been important. In recent years you see more and more listening rooms popping up. Why? Well, neither acoustics nor talented musicians making great music matter much if the sound of people chatting turns a quartet into an unwanted sextet. Fortunately, venues such as Sam First in Los Angeles have ...

Album Review

George Garzone/Peter Erskine/Alan Pasqua/Darek Oles: 3 Nights in L.A.

Read "3 Nights in L.A." reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
September 7, 2019

Any jazz cat will tell you that the art of improvising is the primary contributing factor in what sets jazz apart from other genres. It is the artists' ability to continuously and freely explore a composition. As they expand the notes and the feel, they expand and open our minds along with them. One of the finest examples of that process can be heard on 3 Nights in L.A.. Tenor saxophonist George Garzone, drummer Peter Erskine, pianist Alan ...