Jazz Articles about Jay Azzolina

The Jay Azzolina Trio: Live at One Station Plaza

by Dan McClenaghan
July 20, 2002

Best known for his stint with jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra, guitarist Jay Azzolina has recently taken a welcome tangent into the jazz mainstream, with last year's overlooked Past Tense --a crisp, snappy jazz workout featuring Chris Potter's fiery tenor sax and John Patitucci on bass--and now fronting a B-3 organ (Gary Versace) and drums(Adam Nussbaum) on Live at One Station Plaza This set has a very different feel to it than the previous CD, with the cool ...

Jay Azzolina: Past Tense

by David Adler
August 1, 2000

Known for his pop-fusion work with Spyro Gyra, Michael Franks, and others, guitarist Jay Azzolina steps into the straight-ahead jazz arena with this record. The lineup is heavy: Chris Potter on sax, Charles Blenzig on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. Fleet-fingered lines and burning swing abound on “Ben Hur, Ben Him" and “Rhythms Change." Darker, more delicate sounds emerge from “The Totem" and “Black Waltz." “Inside Pies Eyes" and “Marvelous Marvin" recall the pared-down trio ...

Jay Azzolina: Past Tense

by Mark Corroto
July 1, 2000

Jay Azzolina proves there are second acts in American culture. The onetime guitarist for Sypro Gyra (read on it gets better), Jeff Beal, Herbie Mann, Chuck Mangione, and Fred Hersch cast-off his fusion demons for an acoustic-accompanied outing. Sure I had my doubts, but as soon as the opener, “Ben Hur, Ben Him,” begins he’s all hollow-body guitar swing. From Wes Montgomery to John Scofield’s sound, Azzolina plots a course to erase any thoughts of fusion.

He gets plenty of ...