By Jim Hynes, Making A Scene
Shunzo Ohno has released his 18th album as leader. This relatively short, (very short for a jazz) album clocks in at just over 30 minutes but offers a wide span of music within that condensed amount of time. Runner is comprised of three compositions; the first of which is a four piece symphonic suite aptly titled “Epic,” rendered with unique instrumentation that includes on trumpet, clarinet and cello. The two other pieces are rather unique too with “Moon Over the Castle” delivered as a trumpet and bassoon duet while the title track gets electronic with guitar, two bassists, drums, and clavinet. These are configurations not often heard in a jazz context. Read the full review here.