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The Mike Melito / Dino Losito Quartet: You're It!
by David A. Orthmann
Moderation is a virtue which pervades You're It!, a date co-led by drummer Mike Melito and pianist Dino Losito. It is a pleasure--and a relief—to hear a bop-influenced recording in which jazzmen (three in their middle years and one octogenarian) transcend influences and forge their own standards of performance. The record is impressive in part because of an absence of frenzied, inelegantly swinging tempos, individuals clamoring for attention, and the vociferous sound of competing egos. Rather than peddling artificial excitement ...
Continue ReadingThe Mike Melito/Dino Losito Quartet: You're It!
by Pierre Giroux
The bold-face names on this release are drummer Mike Melito and pianist Dino Losito. However, the name of the performer treasure is buried in quasi-mice type on the bottom of the front cover, and that is tenor saxophonist Larry McKenna. He is the difference maker. The two principals are from upstate New York and have worked together for many years along with NYC bassist Neal Miner. Their interplay demonstrates a symbiotic relationship and consequently they have a sense ...
Continue ReadingNeal Miner: Happy Hour
by David A. Orthmann
A thirty-two measure intro to “Bye, Bye, Baby" typifies the traits which animate Happy Hour, bassist Neal Miner's recent release on his Gut String Records imprint. After drummer Joe Strasser's snapping fingers establish a firm, uncluttered pulse, pianist Michael Kanan and Miner play a single chorus of eight-, four-, two- and one-bar exchanges. Their flawless execution of courtly, bebop-oriented lines simulates a continuous chain of thought. Like all of the tracks on the record, this neat prelude to Jule Styne's ...
Continue ReadingNeal Miner: The Evening Sound
by John Barron
Blurred by the multi-cultural, cross-genre jazz of today's global era, the sounds of specific geographical regions have become less prevalent on contemporary recordings. Neal Miner's The Evening Sound is an exception. Born and raised in Manhattan, and a fixture on the Big Apple jazz scene, the prominent bassist/composer has produced a disc of all-original material that is undeniably one-hundred percent New York. Inspired by the various facets of life in the city and conceived during years of sessions at the ...
Continue ReadingDino Losito: Dino Losito (Like That)
by AAJ Staff
The selection of tunes on this disc were the portent of very hip things to come. This fine trio has woven a tapestry of jazz that swings tastefully, like a porch glider on a summers day, (with a song like “Skylark") And then taking off into orbit on a tune like “Our Delight" the next. Dino Losito is a bop oriented musician that has a firm grasp on the roots of “modern jazz". As in all good Pianists, there is ...
Continue ReadingNeal Miner: The Real Neal
by Jim Santella
A bassist’s album is sure to provide that certain sound. Neal Miner takes the melody in hand and walks it gently around the studio. His quartet prefers straight-ahead jazz with an emphasis on melody. Standards provide instant recognition, while Miner’s five swinging originals add fresh sounds. A lyrical bassist, Miner blends a rich tone and seamless phrasing into his interpretations. Mainstream jazz of this nature usually means waiting for the bass solo and hoping that the audience will stay quiet. ...
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