Jazz Articles about Joe Lovano

like 223

Joe Lovano: Joyous Encounter

by John Kelman
May 14, 2005

A Joyous Encounter indeed. When saxophonist Joe Lovano--an artist who has constantly explored new musical collaborations over the course of nearly 25 recordings as a leader and never looked back--recorded last year's I'm All For You, he knew he had something special. Of course, one look at the lineup--pianist Hank Jones, who, at 86, is the definition of grace and elegance; bassist George Mraz, impeccably-toned and adventurous while firmly rooted in the tradition; and drummer Paul Motian, whose sense of ...

like 377

Joe Lovano: Joyous Encounter

by Eric J. Iannelli
May 13, 2005

An exceptional album in its own right, Joyous Encounter is perhaps best appreciated when heard in light of I'm All for You, the collection of ballads that earned saxophonist Joe Lovano and his all-star quartet--pianist Hank Jones, drummer Paul Motian, and bassist George Mraz--such widespread, enthusiastic praise when it appeared last year. The four musicians have reconvened under Lovano's leadership with the deliberate aim of working the magic that served them so well last time on more up-tempo numbers and ...

like 1,445

Joe Lovano: Joyous Encounter

by Bret Primack
May 9, 2005

Joe Lovano is a lucky man and he knows it. “Who would have imagined I'd start playing with Hank Jones when I turned 50, he told me recently after returning from a string of European gigs with the pianist. His respect and admiration for Hank serves as the catalyst for what is now a truly remarkable ongoing collaboration, most notably on the new Blue Note CD, Joyous Encounter. In fact, Joe's eclectic seventeen Blue Note recordings bear witness to a ...

like 240

Joe Lovano: Joyous Encounter

by Jim Santella
May 4, 2005

The aptly titled Joyous Encounter reunites the best with the best. Unlike last year's I'm All For You, however, this program includes much more than just ballads. Up-tempo jaunts and leisurely strolls balance the program in much the same way that our lives turn each day. And the end result is, of course, a joyous experience for the audience.

Joe Lovano and Hank Jones caress each melody and stretch out considerably. What they do with Oliver Nelson's “Six ...

like 368

Joe Lovano: Joyous Encounter

by Paul Olson
May 3, 2005

A lot of people seemed to like Joe Lovano's all-ballads record from last year, I'm All For You (Blue Note), and I was one of them: I thought it was his best since Trio Fascination: Edition One (Blue Note, 1998). So it's not that surprising that the All For You quartet of Lovano, pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Paul Motian reconvened in October of 2004 to record Lovano's new Joyous Encounter. Good though the ballads session was, ...

like 459

Joe Lovano: The Beauty of Expression

by R.J. DeLuke
June 29, 2004

There are few things as soulful, it seems, as the sound of the tenor saxophone when played by Joe Lovano. Call him the next great Italian tenor, if you will. He plays with full, robust sound and the instrument, in his hands, is liable to be sweet and ethereal at one moment, or volcanic and explosive the next. It depends on the context and the moment----like all great jazz. And, as Lovano explains it, it depends on the ...

like 195

Joe Lovano: I'm All For You

by Jim Santella
June 1, 2004

Joe Lovano’s unique tone gives his ballad album a whispering quality that stays up close and intimate throughout. He’s with you back there at the corner table as you nurse your drink for another hour in one of your town’s respected nightclubs. Most of the crowd has already called it a night, but you’re loving this mood too much to go home. The tenor saxophone sound that wafts gently from his horn lifts your spirits and reminds you of the ...