Phil Freeman, Stereogum Pianist Gabriel Zucker’s debut album also features Tyshawn Sorey on drums, along with trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and saxophonist Eric Trudell. There’s no bassist; the fifth member of the ensemble is the room, because Weighting features absolutely masterful use of mic placement and reverb, and even post-production. Listen to this album on headphones … Read More
Pianist/composer Andy Milne marks 20 years of leading the genre-breaking group Dapp Theory with his Sunnyside Records debut The Seasons of Being. Nominated for Grammy consideration, the album features Milne at his most Ellingtonian, masterfully orchestrating an original fusion between the impressionistic and pure groove. Commissioned by Chamber Music American, the music features several A-list guests.
Avant Music News Acclaimed pianist Gabriel Zucker is joined by trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist Eric Trudel, and drummer Tyshawn Sorey on this recently-released effort. Originally written in 2014-15, Weighting was played live in that time frame, but this is its first recording. Unlike much of the creative jazz discussed in these pages, Zucker’s compositions are clearly pre-determined … Read More
Nate Chinen, WBGO Andy Milne & Dapp Theory, “The Cusp” It’s often said that music has the power to heal, though the conversation usually stops there, in a vague halo of positivity. After his own bout with prostate cancer, pianist Andy Milne decided to explore the idea further, applying homeopathic principles to his compositional process. The … Read More
Philip Freeman, Downbeat Weighting, pianist Gabriel Zucker’s debut album, is inspired by Rachel Kushner’s The Flamethrowers, a 2013 novel set in the ’70s that shifts between the New York art world and the convulsive, revolutionary Italian political environment of the era. The album’s eight tracks are combined into three suites, each surging and receding, slamming and roaring before descending into a keening … Read More
Brad Cohan & George Grella, The Brooklyn Rail December 19: Andy Milne & Dapp Theory The Seasons of Being CD Release Show at Jazz Gallery. Pianist Andy Milne is a creative jazz veteran with a resume that includes stints with Ravi Coltrane and Steve Coleman. Back in September, the celebrated Sunnyside record label released the thickly … Read More
Scott Yanow, Jazziz On Electric Miles (MAMA), alto saxophonist Charles Pillow celebrates the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew by offering new arrangements of some of the trumpeter’s works from 1969-72. But instead of performing such numbers as “Pharaoh’s Dance”, “Sanctuary” and “Spanish Key” with an electronic fusion ensemble, Pillow transformed the compositions into … Read More
Giovanni Russonello, New York Times ANDY MILNE & DAPP THEORY PLUS at the Jazz Gallery (Dec. 19-20, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). To create a rigorous, engaging suite of music singing the praises of homeopathic healing and improvisation, you need chutzpah and imagination in equal doses. A resourceful pianist with a crisp touch and a constantly shifting … Read More
Alex W. Rodriguez, Downbeat Israel-born saxophonist Daniel Rotem’s sophomore album is the latest document of a vibrant jazz resurgence in Los Angeles, the bandleader’s adopted home since 2014. Rotem offers a heartfelt, searching quality on this exciting double-disc endeavor, evident in his compositions, melodic interpretation and spacious improvisational approach. Guest soloist Jeff Parker’s guitar sets … Read More
Mike Jurkovic, All About Jazz There are plenty of rapid, skittering, minimalist moments on Night, young baritone saxophonist Eden Bareket‘s shadowy sophomore effort. In a smoky, late-night jam, with the moon hovering over the Brooklyn Bridge, Bareket runs the range of his instrument on eight lean and feisty originals and Matti Caspi’s “Lost Melody.” Read more here.
