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Jon Bentley: Go Ahead!
by Jack Bowers
There is really nothing to censure on Vancouver, Canada-based tenor saxophonist Jon Bentley's latest album, Go Ahead! On the other hand, there is nothing of any import that sets it apart from other straight-ahead quartet sessions aside from the fact that Bentley employs an organ and guitar to replace the usual piano and bass. Bentley plays the tenor well, hanging for the most part in a comfortable and pleasing groove, the like of which can be said ...
Continue ReadingSharon Minemoto: Dark Night, Bright Stars
by Jack Bowers
Dark Night, Bright Stars, the second recording by Vancouver, Canada-based pianist Sharon Minemoto and her well-knit quartet, has no need for unseemly frills or flourishes. This is simply clear, plain-spoken contemporary jazz, ably performed by Minemoto and her talented teammates. The album's dozen numbers, all written and arranged by Minemoto, are tasteful and engaging, as is her work at the keyboard, which is never short of inventive and pleasing. The same can be said of tenor saxophonist ...
Continue ReadingSharon Minemoto: Dark Night, Bright Stars
by Pierre Giroux
Pianist and composer Sharon Minemoto has released an album entitled Dark Night, Bright Stars, which offers a diverse and emotionally resonant listening experience characterized by skillful musicianship and a sense of camaraderie among the participants. These long-time friends include tenor saxophonist Jon Bentley, bassist Darren Radtke and drummer Bernie Arai. All compositions are by Minemoto, providing insight into the diversity and depth of her musical expression. The opening track, “As Luck Would Have It," showcases the ...
Continue ReadingWaxwing: Flicker Down
by Alberto Bazzurro
Disco elegante e al tempo stesso di nerbo, attento al dettaglio ma capace di lasciarsi andare quando necessario, riflessivo e pensoso, aereo, a tratti persino elegiaco (in particolare quando a prendere in mano le redini è il violoncello della sempre impeccabile Peggy Lee), quanto, altrove, deciso, affermativo, il tutto svariando da brani brevissimi (cinque attorno al minuto) a elucubrazioni ben più distese (fino agli otto minuti di “Joe's Time"): ecco cosa ci offre questo album del trio Waxwing, contraddistinto da ...
Continue ReadingWaxwing: A Bowl Of Sixty Taxidermists
by Dan Bilawsky
The second album from this Vancouver-based trio--originally going by Wilson/Lee/Bentley, now known as Waxwing--is a study in contrasts. Idiosyncratic miniatures sit shoulder to shoulder with statements of serenity, eerie constructs and macabre scenarios are quickly replaced with comforting sounds, and uncertainty peaks around every corner. But there's a distinctive group sound and aesthetic here that transcends individual song structures or directions. Tony Wilson's mastery of subtle guitar effects, Peggy Lee's serious-minded turned stoking cello work, and saxophonist Jon Bentley's melodic ...
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