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A & M Octet: New Roots
by Jack Bowers
At its best, the Toronto-based A&M (Adema & Manoukas) Octet brings to mind similar ensembles from the heyday of West Coast Jazz, superlative eight-member groups led by the likes of Dave Pell and Lennie Niehaus, among others; luckily for listerners, A&M is at its best most of the way on its debut recording, New Roots, performing ...
UNT One O'Clock Lab Band: Lab 2021
by Jack Bowers
The University of North Texas' flagship ensemble, the One O'Clock Lab Band, has been producing annual recordings for almost half a century. It has also given rise to a veritable assembly line of world-class jazz musicians, more of whom are no doubt coming of age while honing their chops on the One O'Clock's latest album, Lab ...
George Cotsirilos Quartet: Refuge
by Jack Bowers
At a troubling and turbulent time, when many jazz albums seek to convey a “message," the only statement that Chicago-bred, San Francisco-based guitarist George Cotsirilos and his able quartet wish to make on Refuge is that swing remains king in their domain, wielding its magisterial influence over ten of Cotsirilos' sunny compositions and arrangements.
Harry Allen & Dave Blenkhorn: Play the Music of Phil Morrison
by Jack Bowers
When musicians as accomplished and well-known as saxophonist Harry Allen and guitarist Dave Blenkhorn play the music of Phil Morrison, a question that naturally arises is: why? Although bassist and composer Morrison is a splendid musician in his own right, he has made his home for many years in Brunswick, Georgia, hardly a mecca for jazz, ...
The Rodger Fox Big Band: Reimagined! The Roger Fox big Band Plays Sir Dave Dobbyn
by Jack Bowers
On Reimagined!, New Zealander Rodger Fox's superlative big band takes a fresh look at the music of Sir Dave Dobbyn, one of that country's most honored and beloved musicians. Although Dobbyn has spent his celebrated career in the fields of pop and rock, his evocative compositions lend themselves well to light and swinging interpretations by Fox's ...
Michael Orenstein: Aperture
by Jack Bowers
California-based pianist Michael Orenstein's debut album, Aperture, consists almost entirely of his original compositions, performed by a core trio of Orenstein, bassist Logan Kane and drummer Myles Martin with guest artists on half of the studio session's ten numbers. Even though those visitors make a strong impact, it is Orenstein's eloquent voice that speaks loudest and ...
Tolvan Big Band: Interacting
by Jack Bowers
There's an ample supply of engaging music on Interacting, the fourteenth recording by Sweden's splendid Tolvan Big Band, all of it written and arranged by director and lead alto saxophonist Helge Albin. A shame there isn't more than thirty-two minutes worth. Be that as it may, the music itself is by and large ...
Lynne Arriale Trio: The Lights Are Always On
by Jack Bowers
Music with “a message" need not be inscrutable or bombastic, as pianist/composer Lynne Arriale proves time and again on The Lights Are Always On, whose ten original Arriale compositions are dedicated to caregivers, healers, truth-tellers and defenders of democracy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the brazen hoax-fueled attack on the U.S. Capitol building ...
Mike Holober & Balancing Act: Don't Let Go
by Jack Bowers
With Don't Let Go, pianist Mike Holober and the octet Balancing Act seemed to have found an ideal way to cross-breed classical motifs and contemporary jazz to produce a pleasurable listening experience. Then he added lyrics. Granted, not all lyrics are superfluous—even those that are either nebulous or indecipherable, as is too often the case here. ...
UNT Two O'Clock Lab Band: Long Way on a Blues
by Jack Bowers
The University of North Texas, generally recognized as home to one of the world's leading undergraduate Jazz Studies programs, is essentially set apart from others by the decisive proficiency of its various Lab Bands, led by the One O'Clock and Two O'Clock ensembles (there are half a dozen others). Each band has a large number of ...
