Jazz Articles about Jim Snidero

Jim Snidero: Interface

by Dan McClenaghan
May 18, 2011

Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero is a masterful mainstream jazz man, though he's proven his versatility and overall musical acumen, including a third stream lean, on his Strings (Fantasy Jazz, 2003), a set that featured a jazz quartet teamed with strings. Interface finds Snidero back in a straight-ahead frame of mind, teamed, for his third consecutive recording on the Savant Records label, with guitarist Paul Bollenback. The pairing is an auspicious one. Bollenbeck--an outstanding leader in his own ...

Jim Snidero: Crossfire

by Ken Dryden
October 9, 2009

Since his days as a student at North Texas State University, alto saxophonist Jim Snidero has built quite a discography but this session, with his current working band of guitarist Paul Bollenback, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Billy Drummond, is a rare chance to hear him in a pianoless setting. Crossfire is Snidero's 15th CD as a leader, with the bulk of the session focusing on his challenging originals. The title track is a solid opener, full ...

Jim Snidero: Crossfire

by Glenn Astarita
August 24, 2009

Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero is a jazz musician who can perhaps assert that he's “been there, done that." A clinician, author, first-call session ace and solo artist, his craft is synonymous with general excellence within the modern jazz realm. Featuring a resonating and blustery tone, dappled with the occasional edge, Snidero transmits an authoritative presence on Crossfire.

With a top-notch band providing sympathetic support, Snidero effortlessly whirls through snappy bop grooves, abetted by sharpshooter guitarist Paul Bollenback's dark-toned ...

Jim Snidero: Tippin'

by Ken Dryden
September 6, 2008

Since graduating from the University of North Texas in 1981, Jim Snidero has worked for many different bandleaders, including Toshiko Akiyoshi, Frank Wess, Brian Lynch, Tom Varner and Walt Weiskopf, though his first professional gig after moving to New York was with organist Jack McDuff. This year-long stint provided the alto saxophonist with a heavy dose of blues, which proved to be a valuable post-graduate on-the-job education. Tippin' marks Snidero's first time adding organ to his own ...

Jim Snidero: Tippin'

by John Barron
April 6, 2008

With over ten recordings as a leader since his 1984 debut On Time (Toshiba/EMI), alto saxophonist Jim Snidero continues to be a driving force in mainstream jazz. On Tippin', Snidero recruits organist Mike Ledonne, guitarist Paul Bollenback and drummer Tony Reedus for a spirited session of burners, ballads and blues.

The title track, a ridiculously fast blues, starts out with a thick layer of chops-heavy grease courtesy of Bollenback's George Benson-inspired lines. Snidero and LeDonne follow suit with their own ...

Jim Snidero: Close Up

by Derek Taylor
November 25, 2004

Prose laureate Whitney Balliett coined the phrase “the sound of surprise" as an encomium for jazz. Like most of his peers, saxophonist Jim Snidero shoots regularly for this ideal. His new Milestone effort flirts with the target but doesn't quite hit the bull's-eye. An accessible program of original tunes shored up by two standards, each cogently arranged to accentuate his talents and those of his rhythm section, makes for a winsome template. The guest tenor of former label mate Eric ...

Jim Snidero: Strings

by David A. Orthmann
October 7, 2003

By staying in touch with his roots as a hard blowing alto saxophonist and leader of razor-sharp small bands, Jim Snidero has successfully married a ten-piece string section and a conventional jazz quartet. His arrangements of six original compositions (including the three-part “River Suite”) and two standards entail a constant shifting between the relative freedom of improvisation, and the tighter organization made necessary by the larger ensemble.

The recording’s primary soloist, Snidero consistently radiates excitement and a ...