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Richard Wyands: Half and Half
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although he’s been a steadfast mainstream performer since the 1950s, pianist Richard Wyands has recorded surprisingly very few times under his own name. To my account, the only currently available discs by Wyands as a leader are The Arrival for Japanese DIW/Disc Union, Get Out of Town on SteepleChase and the previous Criss Cross side Reunited. ...
Walter Blanding: The Olive Tree
by C. Andrew Hovan
A new addition to an already heady bunch of tenor stars on Criss Cross, including Walt Weiskopf, Tim Warfield, Seamus Blake, and Ralph Lalama, 28-year-old saxophonist Walter Blanding is making good on the promise he showed back in 1991 on the collective project Tough Young Tenors. His debut as a leader, The Olive Tree, finds Blanding ...
Walt Weiskopf Nonet: Siren
by David A. Orthmann
On his sixth outing for the Criss Cross label, Walt Weiskopf delivers a stunning recording, an artistic achievement of the highest order. Weiskopf has developed his talents as a composer, arranger, and tenor saxophonist to the extent that each aspect demands the listener’s attention, thus making repeated listening an adventure and a pleasure. In addition, he ...
Mark Turner/Tad Shull: Two Tenor Ballads
by C. Andrew Hovan
The two tenor battle is not a new idea, with predecessors ranging from Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray to Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin. However, what we have here is not so much a competition but a complimentary pairing that makes the most of the individualistic styles of Mark Turner (a distinguished disciple of Lester ...
Richard Wyands: Half and Half
by David A. Orthmann
Although his resume includes stints with major jazz figures such as Charles Mingus, Ella Fitzgerald, and Eric Dolphy, it wasn’t until the 1990s that pianist Richard Wyands had the opportunity to consistently record as a leader. A number of fine discs on the Criss Cross, SteepleChase and DIW labels displayed Wyands’ skills as a strong, imaginative ...
Herlin Riley: Watch What You're Doing
by C. Andrew Hovan
While I’d hate to be accused of hyperbole, we’ll save a lot of time here if we just cut to the chase. Drummer Herlin Riley’s debut set as a leader is as strong a maiden voyage as anything in recent memory, along with being an early contender for one of the best new jazz releases of ...
Ryan Kisor: Point of Arrival
by C. Andrew Hovan
Maybe a case of just a bit too much too soon, trumpeter Ryan Kisor hit the big time and had two major label albums under his belt while still barely out of his teens. Then we heard little from him for a while before his gig at Lincoln Center started to provide some visibility. In the ...
Jimmy Greene: Introducing Jimmy Greene
by C. Andrew Hovan
Over the years, Criss Cross can be proud of its track record when it comes to fostering new talent and launching new artists. Some of the names who got their start while on the label and who now enjoy active careers include Eric Alexander, Benny Green, Peter Leitch, Kenny Garrett, John Swana, and Jim Rotondi. Now ...
M.T.B.: MTB - Consenting Adults
by C. Andrew Hovan
One has to wonder why it took over five years for this 1994 recording to make its debut. Certainly the quality is up to Criss Cross standards and the spirit of the session is unquestionably robust. Still, now that Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, and Peter Bernstein (the first letters of their last names gives us M.T.B.) ...
Steve Davis: Vibe Up!
by C. Andrew Hovan
It's great to see a good guy with loads of talent get a chance to make a name for himself. Although that may not seem like the most objective thing for a music reviewer to say, the fact of the matter is that this reviewer has been a fan of trombonist/composer Steve Davis for some time ...
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