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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 ...
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 ...
Steve Davis: Vibe Up!
by David A. Orthmann
Considering Steve Davis’ nine-months-a-year commitment to Chick Corea and Origin and his ongoing participation in the cooperative band One For All, one might think that his fourth recording as a leader for Criss Cross would sound like a blowing date. It’s quite the opposite. Despite the fact that Vibe Up! was recorded in a single session, ...
One For All: Upward and Onward
by David A. Orthmann
Throughout Upward and Onward, One For All’s recently-released disc on Criss Cross, all of the important elements are firmly in place: imaginative arrangements of good tunes; tight ensemble playing; four strong soloists; and a rhythm section that never flags. Although the music is rooted in the hard bop continuum of the 50s and 60s (and occasionally ...
John Swana/Joe Magnarelli: Philly-New York Junction
by C. Andrew Hovan
Trumpeters John Swana and Joe Magnarelli are of a new generation of players who aren't as well known as a Roy Hargrove or Nicholas Payton but who nonetheless have much to say in terms of advancing the role of the trumpet in jazz. Swana, hails from Philadelphia and has been a Criss Cross veteran for the ...
Conrad Herwig: Osteology
by C. Andrew Hovan
The trombone in jazz has often taken a backseat to the more extroverted and visceral sounds of the saxophone and trumpet, occupying the position of an ignored stepchild, so to speak. The few trombonists that have attained historical status are almost exclusively from the bop era of jazz, leaving out a healthy number of swing and ...
Orrin Evans: Grown Folk Bizness
by C. Andrew Hovan
It's been a few years since pianist Orrin Evans placed in the Thelonious Monk Piano Competition. All the while, he's been maturing as an artist with a nice spate of Criss Cross dates along the way documenting that development. Grown Folk Bizness is Evans' third release for the label and it ups the ante even further ...
Joel Weiskopf: The Search
by C. Andrew Hovan
The time was ripe for 37-year-old pianist Joel Weiskopf to make his maiden voyage as a leader. Known as the younger brother of tenor phenom Walt Weiskopf, Joel's seasoned experiences in music include nine years of training in classical piano, graduation from the New England Conservatory of Music, and gigs with Teddy Kotick, George Garzone, Tim ...
Adonis Rose: The Unity
by C. Andrew Hovan
With enough fodder to serve as a thesis or research paper, someday someone will look into the correlation that finds trumpeters often serving as the most significant jazz leaders in the history of the music. Just dropping the names Louis Armstrong, Clifford Brown, and Miles Davis will prove the point. In more recent times we would ...
Conrad Herwig: Osteology
by David Adler
A jazz guitarist with a penchant for provocation once called the guitar “the lamest jazz instrument... besides the trombone." The big horn, with its awkard slide and low, nasal sound, is certainly a jazz underdog. Its important role in big bands is indisputable, but it is generally not thought of as a frontman instrument. In other ...
