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Mike Moreno: Lotus
by Dan Bilawsky
A blooming lotus is like a magnet for the eyes, calling those who appreciate beauty, vibrancy, and shapeliness to gaze upon one of nature's small wonders. Guitarist Mike Moreno's Lotus has a similar draw, summoning the ears with its enchanting sonics and chimerical ideals. On this, Moreno's fifth album, the lyrical and the fanciful stand united. The music itself can be serene and surreal, filled with iridescent colors, attractive lines, broken grooves, and beautifully shaped melodies. In ...
Continue ReadingMike Moreno: Another Way
by Mark F. Turner
Though it's difficult to stand out in a climate where new names appear almost daily, Mike Moreno has proven to be one of the more identifiable young jazz guitarists in recent years. At home in a number of settings, his fluid style has been found in the abstract hip hop styling of Q-Tip's The Renaissance (Universal Motown, 2008) and has received accolades from Pat Metheny who commented that Moreno's is “A really talented guy who impressed me beyond the notes, ...
Continue ReadingMike Moreno: First In Mind
by A. Lienhard
First In Mind, Mike Moreno's sophomore effort for the Criss Cross label, finds the 31 year-old guitarist interpreting songs both old and new. He explores selections from his former band mate Joshua Redman and one by upcoming singer/songwriter Josh Mease; Milton Nascimento and Miles Davis receive attention, too. It's an eclectic mix, but one wrangled into a consistent program via his sharp musical aesthetic. Pianist Aaron Parks once again serves as a foil for the guitarist. Over the ...
Continue ReadingMike Moreno: Focusing on the Music
by Matthew Warnock
A native of Houston Texas, guitarist Mike Moreno has been making waves. After graduating from the famed Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Moreno received a scholarship to study jazz at the New School in New York. Moreno first paid his dues playing gigs around New York, and has since been able to perform with some of the biggest names in jazz, including the Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright, Nicholas Payton, Greg Osby and ...
Continue ReadingMike Moreno: Third Wish
by Mark F. Turner
Third Wish is the sophomore release by guitarist Mike Moreno, yet it sounds more like the umpteenth recording of a veteran who's been in the trenches for many years--cool, calm, and collected, with nothing to prove but the music itself. It encapsulates Moreno's persona: fluid precision, lyricism, distinct tonality, and modernistic playing. It's obvious why Moreno's exposure as a first choice player is growing. Whether laying down funky hip hop guitar on Open Reel Deck (Strick Muzik, 2007), ...
Continue ReadingMike Moreno: Between the Lines
by AAJ Italy Staff
Mike Moreno è un giovane chitarrista texano piuttosto attivo sulla scena newyorkese e che ha collaborato, tra gli altri, con musicisti del calibro di Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett. Il chitarrista di Houston è qui al suo primo album da leader e, affiancato da un solido quartetto, fornisce una buona prova d'esordio. Non particolarmente coraggiosa o innovativa, ma ricca di spunti interessanti, soprattutto dal punto di vista melodico. Il suono della sua chitarra ...
Continue ReadingJimmy Greene: Gifts and Givers
by Joel Roberts
It's probably time to cast aside labels like “up-and-coming" and “rising star" when describing Jimmy Greene. As Gifts and Givers makes clear, the Connecticut-born tenor saxophonist has definitely arrived. An inventive, technically-advanced mainstreamer, Greene made his mark in the bands of Horace Silver, Tom Harrell and Harry Connick Jr., as well as with younger studs like Jason Lindner and Avishai Cohen. On his fifth effort as a leader, he's paired with another young tenor titan, Marcus Strickland. ...
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