Ron Hart, Billboard “The Beatles arrived in New York right around the time of my birthday, so when I was a kid my dad used to — as a tradition — take me to FAO Schwarz and I got to pick out a toy,” explains Verve Label Group president and CEO Danny Bennett (his father, of course, … Read More
Mike Jurkovic, All About Jazz If we were talking baseball, pianist, vocalist, and composer Kelly Greenwould be highly touted as a three tool player. And she deserves to be. From every angle she hears breaks and stops, harmonic and melodic whoops, swoops and vocal dips and dives that the rest of us maybe don’t until the … Read More
Joerg Schmitt, Sonic Soul English: Jazz for all! Gil Defay plays the trumpet. As a longtime experienced side man, he now shows us what a jazz rake is. Under the motto “bop your head, tap your feet, get up and dance …” it’s all around. And always on the ground of the facts. Without free fiddling and too daringExcursions to … Read More
Kazune Hayata, Jazz Life Magazine Gene Ess grew up on Okinawa. After graduating Berklee College of Music in Boston, he moved to NYC in the 90’s and plays an active part on the frontline of jazz. Gene’s band “Fractal Attraction” just released their fourth album “Apotheosis”. The powerful rhythm section comprise of Clarence Penn, Yasushi … Read More
Mike Greenblatt, Aquarian Weekly London Live (Artists Recording Collective) by the Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet — with drummer/producer/composer Siegel leading Erica Lindsay (tenor sax), Francesca Tanksley (piano) and Uli Langthaler (bass) on an eight-track show at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in England — is certainly worthy of repeated listening. It’s the type of set that the more … Read More
C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz There is a special significance to Kris Adams‘s release We Should Have Danced. The recording features Adam’s original lyrics with arrangements by pianist Tim Ray, of compositions of the late Steve Prosser, Adams’ former husband and Berklee College of Music professor. Shortly after Prosser’s passing away in 2012, Adams came across … Read More
Jerome Wilson, All About Jazz Judi Silvano is a vocalist, singer and artist who has been around for some time, long enough to look back over her life and create this set of songs which reflect on her experiences and accumulated knowledge. Her music here contains elements of jazz, rock and other genres with a heavy … Read More
Matt Micucci, Jazziz Pianist, vocalist and composer Kelly Green is at home playing with her long-standing trio consisting of bassist Alex Tremblay and drummer Evan Hyde on her new album, Volume One. The album was recorded “live” in the studio after a month-long tour to capture the most authentic sounds and emotions “in the moment,” and … Read More
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Matt Ulery: “Sifting Stars” (Woolgathering Records). The mystical quality of Chicago bassist-composer Ulery’s music never fails to cast its spell, regardless of the size or character of the ensemble in question. Here Ulery leads a large group with strings, reeds and horns, plus the other worldly vocals of Grazyna Auguscik and the … Read More
