Jazz Articles about Peter Epstein

Peter Epstein, Brad Shepik, Matt Kilmer: Temoin

by Mike Jacobs
March 2, 2023

Manzanita Quintet: Osmosis

by Dan McClenaghan
February 9, 2023

The tried and true quintet formation, set in stone by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in the late 1940s, is back in 2022 with the Reno, Nevada-based Manzanita Quintet. So how do they give a fresh shine to a sound that could be considered “done to death?" On Osmosis the guys go at it with some fresh compositions, four by the group's bassist, Hans Halt, two more from their saxophonist, Peter Epstein, one from ...

Peter Epstein: Effortless Precision

by Stephen A. Smith
September 1, 2018

This article was first published at All About Jazz in June 2001. Peter Epstein is one of the brightest saxophonists on the New York scene. Since coming to New York from jny: Portland in 1992, he has recorded with Brad Shepik, Ralph Alessi, and a host of others, on more than 30 albums. He has released three discs as a leader with MA Recordings: a solo saxophone album, and two discs of his quartet with Jamie Saft, Chris ...

Peter Epstein Quartet: Polarities

by Dan Bilawsky
May 11, 2014

Polarity, depending on the usage of the word, can reference opposites, the carrying of positive and negative charges, or attraction to a specific point, object, or idea; saxophonist Peter Epstein's Polarities deals with all of that. Epstein, a notable player on the New York scene in the '90s, has kept a lower profile since moving to Nevada, where he now serves as director of the jazz studies program at University of Nevada, Reno. His playing, thankfully, hasn't ...

Peter Epstein and Idee Fixe: Abstract Realism

by John Barron
May 7, 2010

Abstract Realism is the debut recording for the band Idée Fixe, an experimental ensemble under the leadership of saxophonist Peter Epstein, that has been in existence since 1997. Along with Epstein, the band includes guitarist Andy Barbera, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer Matt Mayhall. Special guests for the disc include bass clarinetist Brian Walsh and saxophonist Gavin Templeton. With minimal ideas as the basis for each track, the music takes on spontaneous group thought with cohesive realizations. As ...

James Carney: Green-wood

by AAJ Italy Staff
May 13, 2008

Che sorpresa! E’ vero che leggendo i nomi riportati sul retro copertina verrebbe da mettersi il cuore in pace sulla qualità dell’ascolto, ma non sempre la presenza di grandi musicisti assicura la realizzazione di un gran disco. E invece Green-Wood un gran disco lo è proprio! Basta ascoltare l’inizio di “Power“, una sorta di prova d’orchestra lisergica, con il sintetizzatore analogico, sentito raramente così efficace e intrigante, a fare da collante e a suggerire una melodia alla Weather Report resa ...

Peter Epstein / Brad Shepik / Matt Kilmer: Lingua Franca

by Abe Pollack
February 19, 2006

Technology and musical development have always seemed to work in tandem. Reel to reel recording made delay effects and multitracking techniques possible. Laptop processing has allowed trumpets to sound like cellos and cellos to sound like Jimi Hendrix. But the most intriguing technological advance for music in recent years has been the introduction of the iPod. Once you have spent a day listening to Balkan folk songs, The White Album and Tower of Power on shuffle, “genre" slowly goes the ...