Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Edward Blanco’s review of A Little Something
allaboutjazz.com
With his fourth album as leader, New York-based trombonist David Gibson shows why he has become such a vital player and musical force, providing A Little Somethin’ to think about. This Thelonious Monk Award-winning trombonist also brings his skills as a composer and arranger to bear, delivering five creative originals among the nine-piece repertoire that features a wealth ...Read More
jazzobserver.com review of Jim Rotondi “Blues for Brother Ray”….
www.jazzobserver.com
Jim Rotondi
Blues for Brother Ray (Posi-Tone)
www.jimrotondi.com
Rating:
This tribute to the late great Ray Charles brims with love and drips with soul. Rotondi’s rep as a post-bop trumpeter can obscure his rich credentials in the soul-jazz arena — he cut his teeth in Charles’ big band — and while he doesn’t try to imitate that iconic sound here, the spirit of Charl ...Read More
Brad Walseth reviews “Uptown”…
www.jazzchicago.net
Uptown
Posi-tone Records
Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophone; Avi Rothbard, guitar; Gary Versace, organ; Jason Brown, drums.
Britain-born Wayne Escoffery teams with Israeli-born Avi Rothbard for many of the original compositions on this recording. The music is mainly straight-ahead, and the musicians find an easy groove on practically all the songs and stick with it. Escoffery not ...Read More
Ken Franckling review for “Uptown”…
kenfrancklingjazznotes.blogspot.com
Wayne Escoffery, Uptown (Posi-Tone)
London-born Wayne Escoffery (Mingus Dynasty, Tom Harrell, Monk Legacy Septet – and a Jackie McLean protege) is a rising mid-generation tenor player on the mainstream jazz scene. His playing is formidable, both in its sense of propulsion and melodic ideas. It also exudes an R&B feel at times. The session consists p ...Read More
AAJ Review of Wayne Escoffery’s Uptown
by Joel Roberts
On Uptown, his fifth album as a leader, the impressive 34-year-old tenor saxophonist {Wayne Escoffery employs an old-fashioned soul jazz lineup of sax, Hammond B-3 organ, electric guitar and drums. But don’t expect to hear the sort of bluesy “uptown” jams associated with classic soul jazz tenors like Gene Ammons, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis or Stanley Turre ...Read More
All About Jazz New York review for Wayne Escoffery “Uptown”…
www.allaboutjazz.com
On Uptown, his fifth album as a leader, the impressive 34-year-old tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery employs an old-fashioned soul jazz lineup of sax, Hammond B-3 organ, electric guitar and drums. But don’t expect to hear the sort of bluesy “uptown” jams associated with classic soul jazz tenors like Gene Ammons, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis or Stanley Turrentine. While he ...Read More
Curt’s Jazz Cafe comments on Wayne Escoffery “Uptown”….
curtjazz.wordpress.com
Uptown – Wayne Escoffery – It’s a veritable rite of passage for mainstream tenor players to eventually have to deliver a date where they front a soulful organ trio. Some have made it a mindless blowing session, others have approached it as a chance to try to breathe some new life into a clichéd genre. Mr Escoffery’s Uptown is firmly in the latter category. W ...Read More
Zan Stewart reviews Jared Gold – Supersonic….
www.nj.com
Supersonic
Jared Gold
(Posi-Tone)
Jersey-based organist Jared Gold’s new CD packs plenty of musical bounty. Teaming with guitarist Ed Cherry and drummer McClenty Hunter, Gold — happily, a disciple of groundbreaking Newark organist Larry Young — deftly balances his affinity for choice-noted lines delivered with no-nonsense swing and his ideas that lean a little forward, which open ...Read More
Owen Cordle writes about “Uptown”…
www.newsobserver.com
If you haven’t heard tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, his presence in trumpeter Tom Harrell’s quintet is reason enough to check him out. Among other credits, you might consider his membership in drummer Ben Riley’s (Thelonious) Monk Legacy Septet and the (Charles) Mingus Big Band plus his degrees from the Hartt School (he studied with Jackie McLean) and the ...Read More
jazzweekly.com reviews for “Uptown” and “Supersonic”…
www.jazzweekly.com
Wayne Escoffery
Uptown
Posi-tone Records
www.posi-tone.com
Jared Gold
Supersonic
Posi-tone Records
www.posi-tone.com
By George W. Harris
The studio used by Posi-tone must have some vintage Hammond B3 stuck in
the corner, because it seems everything put out on this label has this
great sounding organ lurking in the back or foreground. These two
releases are no exception.
Tom Harr ...Read More