Home » Search Center » Results: David A. Orthmann
Results for "David A. Orthmann"
Steve Davis: Systems Blue
by David A. Orthmann
Indicative of formative experiences in the bands of Art Blakey and Jackie McLean, as well as his current association with the cooperative sextet One For All, Steve Davis’ Systems Blue encompasses many of the characteristics of bop and hard bop without sounding stalled in a bygone era. On his fifth date for the Criss Cross label, ...
Mark Elf: Dream Steppin'
by David A. Orthmann
On Dream Steppin’, Mark Elf’s eighth release for his Jen Bay label, the first thing you notice is the guitarist’s distinctive sound. The tone is full, rounded, and each note rings hard and true. While encompassing the somewhat polite quality of traditional jazz guitar, his sound nonetheless looms large, almost getting in your face without veering ...
David Hazeltine: The Classic Trio Meets Eric Alexander
by David A. Orthmann
One of the pleasures of keeping up with the ever-growing number of recordings featuring David Hazeltine is savoring his connection to a select circle of peers. The pianist thrives in the company of strong, assertive individuals who stretch the bebop-rooted, straight-ahead tradition without breaking the mold. Three of Hazeltine's most important alliances are with drummer Louis ...
Tony Vacca: Three Point Landing
by David A. Orthmann
A welcome change from the all-too-familiar musical extremes of pop-influenced sonic assaults and empty virtuosity, saxophonist/flutist Tony Vacca’sThree Point Landingis one of those rare recordings that is both accessible and invigorating. The band plays as if they’re in front of a knowing, responsive audience, instead of the impersonal confines of a recording studio. Making no claim ...
One For All: Live at Smoke, Volume 1
by David A. Orthmann
As anyone who frequents jazz clubs will attest, there are nights that live on in memory for years after the last note fades. Aside from basic details easily recalled (personnel, tunes, arrangements, etc.), what really matters is the way the music made us feel. On these rare occasions, the sounds were so potent that, for a ...
Mike LeDonne: Bags Groove
by David A. Orthmann
The survival of jazz as a living art form depends on the transmission of essential performance elements from one generation to the next, with the proviso that youth eventually contribute something new to the tradition rather than simply stay in place. Heeding all aspects of this process,Bags Groove, Mike LeDonne’s homage to the late Milt Jackson, ...
Nick Scheuble: In The Pocket
by David A. Orthmann
For most of the 1990s, drummer Nick Scheuble was a fixture on the New Jersey jazz scene. A bandleader with a knack for landing gigs on a regular basis in a variety of venues, Scheuble presided over a number of mainstream ensembles, including a piano trio, a quintet with two horns, an organ combo, and a ...
Louis Hayes Quintet: The Candy Man
by David A. Orthmann
Because the fundamental elements of jazz performance are now routinely altered (sometimes beyond recognition) or abandoned altogether, its tough to direct criticism at musicians who play in conventional styles but don’t always toe the line. In the case of drummer Louis Hayes, it may not be fair to point out his occasional rushing of the beat, ...
Clarence Penn Quintet: Play-Penn
by David A. Orthmann
Listening to a band rummage through a number of modern jazz styles during the course of a set is now closer to a rule than an exception. Shunning a single easily recognizable paradigm based on the music’s glorified past, many musicians embrace the vagaries of a constantly shifting artistic landscape. The best of them (quite a ...
Jim Rotondi: Destination Up
by David A. Orthmann
These days taking a place in the modern mainstream of jazz is no simple matter. A single-minded devotion to a handful of influences, to name one pitfall, does not bode well for finding a singular voice in a musical tradition that places a premium on individuality. There is an abundance of young, technically proficient musicians who ...
