Playdate brings together a trio of long time friends and musical collaborators. Guitarist Amanda Monaco, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, and pianist Noah Baerman have known each other since high school, studying music together at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, Connecticut. The ensemble is rounded out by bassist Henry Lugo and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza for a lively quintet set of ori ...Read More

by Dan Bilawsky www.allaboutjazz.com While children spend after school-hours and weekends working on homework and spending time with their families, they also have play dates. They get together with other like-minded friends to let loose and blow off some steam. Musicians often do the same thing and, appropriately enough, three of the five performers on Playdate have been friends since high school ...Read More

audad.com By Daniel Krow Playdate – Playdate – Posi-Tone Records PR8055, 49:23 ****: (Wayne Escoffery, tenor and soprano saxophone; Noah Baerman, piano;Amanda Monaco, guitar; Vinnie Sperrazza, drums, Henry Lugo, acoustic bass) Playdate is made up of three high school friends (Noah Baerman, Wayne Escoffery, and Amanda Monaco, who all attended the jazz program at New Haven’s Educat ...Read More

www.allmusic.comby Ken Dryden Playdate is a reunion of three childhood friends, pianist Noah Baerman, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, and guitarist Amanda Monaco. Though Baerman is listed first on the cover, this project, which includes drummer Vinnie Sperrazza and bassist Henry Lugo, feels more like a collective project, with no one musician appearing dominant. Escoffrey is likely the most familiar ...Read More