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Quinsin Nachoff: Flux
by Glenn Astarita
Canadian-reared, New York City-based saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff summons a meeting of some very bright musical minds on this stirring quartet date. Rounded out by heralded modern era musicians, saxophonist David Binney, keyboardist Matt Mitchell and drummer Kenny Wolleson, the band erects a cunning bridge between structured and melodic thematic ventures with traditional jazz values and free-flowing improvisational overtures. Many of these works are erected with polytonal sequences and odd-metered aberrations via forceful choruses and unanticipated diversions. Moreover, the ...
read moreQuinsin Nachoff: Flux
by Mark Corroto
Listening to Flux by saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff, it's easy to see in your mind's eye the DNA double helix beautifully spinning in the dark space of the human cell. That's because Nachoff composes tight, complex chamber pieces, seemingly delicate in structure, but able to withstand the attack of the jazz infantry. Nachoff's training and experience writing for orchestras, chamber ensembles, plus new music, brings a depth to his jazz bona fides. Plus, working with heavyweights like Ralph Alessi, ...
read moreQuinsin Nachoff: Flux
by Dan McClenaghan
Saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff sounds right at home on Mythology Records--saxophonist/producer/provocateur David Binney's label. Everything on Mythology has a intensity and modernity, a brashness and in-your-face confidence of delivery, whether it's Binney as the leader, or on sets headed up by pianists John Escreet or Edward Simon, or Quinsin Nachoff. Flux is Nachoff's debut on the label, a two saxophone front line with piano and drums, and no bass in the mix, in the mode of Vijay Iyer's Fieldwork ...
read moreIlia Skibinsky: The Passage
by Dan McClenaghan
The youthful saxophonist/composer Ilia Skibinsky strikes a thoughtful pose, gazing down at his horn on the nicely designed cover of his debut, The Passage. The substitution of a much older visage would have been believable, given the depth and beauty of the playing, and the writing on the set's nine original compositions.Born in Russia, but moving with his family to Israel in 1993, where he performed with the best of his adopted country's jazz artists, Skibinsky succumbed to ...
read moreIlia Skibinsky: The Passage
by Dan Bilawsky
Saxophonist David Binney's Mythology Records imprint is used sparingly, but when this maverick music man chooses to release albums under its banner, they tend to be bold and brimming with the excitement of the unknown; The Passage is no exception. With this debut, Russian-born/Israeli-bred/New York-based saxophonist/composer Ilia Skibinsky joins the elite Mythology roster, which includes post- modern piano marvel John Escreet and Binney himself. Skibinsky may not be as edgy as Binney, and his compositions may not be as aggressively ...
read moreJohn Escreet: The Age We Live In
by Dan Bilawsky
Pianist John Escreet's meteoric rise into the pantheon of forward-thinking jazz composers has everything to do with his understanding of the fast-paced way of life that seems to have overtaken much of society. Everything is absorbed in little bites, quick flashes, and small doses by the younger generations that have been brought up in this short-attention-span world, and Escreet's music is accepting of this fact. However, it doesn't bow down to the idea that these quick flashes of information can't ...
read moreDavid Binney: Graylen Epicenter
by Ian Patterson
Undoubtedly one of the great alto saxophonists, David Binney's reputation as an original, exciting composer has also grown steadily since his debut recording, Point Game (Owl Records, 1989). Binney is so prolific a musician that it's sometimes hard to stay abreast of his current projects. However, there is little chance of Graylen Epicenter going unnoticed. With this recording Binney raises the bar, playing sublimely and drawing outstanding performances from an A-list of New York collaborators, clearly inspired by the leader's ...
read moreJohn Escreet: The Age We Live In
by Mark F. Turner
John Escreet just keeps pressing forward with recordings that are not stuck in the quagmire of normalcy. From his auspicious debut, Consequences (Posi-tone, 2008), to his equally ambitious sophomore release, Don't Fight The Inevitable (Mythology Records, 2010), the young pianist has demonstrated imagination and abilities in the same vein as Jason Moran and Craig Taborn. His third release, The Age We Live In, is no exception. From the thematic arc of “Intro," “Interlude" and “Outro," with its ...
read moreSamir Zarif: Starting Point
by Raul d'Gama Rose
The excitement of hearing the voice from a musician of significant new talent knows no bounds. Violinist Majid Khaliq, vocalist Khalil Wilson, bassist Michael Feinberg, composer Gene Pritsker, and now saxophonist and storyteller Samir Zarif, are just beginning to fan the rapidly growing new brushfire of 21st century music. Zarif's talent is significant enough to merit Starting Point, his first album as leader, coming after paying his dues in Texas (where he grew up) and in New Orleans, the cradle ...
read moreSamir Zarif: Starting Point
by Mark F. Turner
Among the many new voices with something unique to say, Texas-born saxophonist Samir Zarif's Starting Point is as fresh a debut as they come. A member of the internationally acclaimed group The Story--whose names include rising stars, pianist John Escreet and saxophonist Lars Dietrich--Zarif also contributed to singer Maria Neckam's memorable Deeper (Sunnyside, 2010). In both cases, his horn has been impressive, but leading and composing his own release is a real opportunity for the saxophonist to shine.
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