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Jazz Articles about Jason Rigby

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Album Review

Mike Holober and the Gotham Jazz Orchestra: Hiding Out

Read "Hiding Out" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


If musical polymath Mike Holober is hiding out, he's doing it in plain sight. Constantly in demand, his work as a pianist, conductor, arranger and composer has drawn plenty of attention. In the past 15 years alone he has served as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Westchester Jazz Orchestra (from 2007-2013), the Associate Guest Conductor of the hr-Bigband (from 2011-2015), and the Associate Director of the BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop (from 2007-2015). In that same stretch of time, ...

8
Album Review

Mike Holober and the Gotham Jazz Orchestra: Hiding Out

Read "Hiding Out" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Mike Holober's background as a classical pianist and conductor is just one thing that sets Hiding Out apart from the current crop of big band releases. Holober has worked in a variety of settings from solo, duo, and quintet to large ensembles. Two previous recordings with his Gotham Jazz Orchestra were the critically acclaimed Thought Trains (Sons of Sound Records, 2004) and Quake (Sunnyside Records, 2009), comprised of covers and original Holober compositions. On the ambitious double-disc Hiding Out, Holober ...

5
Album Review

Jason Rigby Detroit-Cleveland Trio: One

Read "One" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


The stimulating One is saxophonist Jason Rigby's third release as a leader and the most accomplished addition to Rigby's discography. The sparse trio setting and the intimate ambience allow Rigby to showcase his multifaceted compositions and his superb improvisational skills. They also demonstrate the sublime synergy among the band members as well as Rigby's command of his instrument.The tense “Dorian Gray," for instance, opens with bassist Cameron Brown's nimble and swinging refrains. Drummer Gerald Cleaver brings a funky ...

8
Album Review

Jason Rigby: Detroit-Cleveland Trio: One

Read "One" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The saxophone/bass/drums format has its challenge: the lack of a harmonic instrument to add depth and structure to the sound. Sonny Rollins put out a classic of the form: A Night At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1958). But he's Sonny Rollins, and all the other saxophonist aren't. Same thing with Ornette Coleman and his two At The “Golden Circle" Stockholm sets (Blue Note, 1965), wonderful and dynamic sounds that sit on the top of the heap of his form. ...

2
Album Review

Jason Rigby: One: Detroit-Cleveland Trio

Read "One: Detroit-Cleveland Trio" reviewed by Troy Dostert


Jason Rigby's first two releases as a leader, Translucent Space (2006) and Sage (2009), were widely acclaimed both for Rigby's sophisticated compositions and for his voice as an emerging saxophone talent. On these albums, the first with a nonet and the second with a quintet, Rigby evoked the sound of mid-to-late 60s Miles and early fusion, with arrangements that were disciplined and complex but which hinted at openness to the avant- garde. On One: Detroit-Cleveland Trio, Rigby's third ...

Album Review

Mike Holober: Balancing Act

Read "Balancing Act" reviewed 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 ...

12
Album Review

Mike Holober: Balancing Act

Read "Balancing Act" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Pianist/composer Mike Holober has had an active career with big bands (including HR Big Band Frankfurt, WDR Big Band Cologne, Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, and the Westchester Jazz Orchestra in the U.S.). So he brings a refined approach to the composing and arranging on this octet recording. He set himself an ambitious goal: to feature a vocalist, but as another frontline instrument rather than the primary focus. “I wanted to use a singer and lyrics in extended form compositions--not wrapped up ...


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