by Glide Magazine Ben Flocks – Mask of the Muse (West Cliff) – This tenor saxophonist induced similar feelings to Charlie Parker with Strings from the ‘50s. That’s a certainly lofty company and there are no strings on this album but keyboards and guitar providing a similar ambiance in a tight quintet instead. It’s marvelously dreamy, romantic, and at times … Read More
By George Harris, Jazz Weekly The Curtis Brothers Algorithm Vintage hard bop reminiscent of classic Blue Note era Jazz Messengers is on display with brothers Zaccai/p and Luques/b Curti team up with vets Ralph Peterson/dr, Donald Harrison/as and Brian Lynch/tp for a hip night at Connecticut’s The Side Door Jazz Club. It sure doesn’t hurt … Read More
by Matt Micucci, Jazziz Ben Flocks, “Shangri-La” Saxophonist/composer Ben Flocks has shared the video for his rendition of Robert Maxwell’s “Shangri-La,” featuring images by visual artist Angel Antonio de la Fuente. The track is featured on his latest album, Mask of the Muse, out now via his own label, West Cliff Records. “I chose the melodies … Read More
Christos Doukakis, Last Day Deaf Cool…Smooth…Chill. 5 tracks for your complete leisure, relief & enjoyment. Best enjoyed on weekend evenings. Ben Flocks – Shangri-La (cinematic jazz)
By: Ron Schepper, Textura After attending a 2018 Macbeth performance whose mise-en-scène included a smoky bar and recordings of crooners singing old standards, New York saxophonist Ben Flocks was inspired to handpick a dozen classics and recast them in similarly fresh and evocative manner. Issued on his own West Cliff Records label, Mask of the … Read More
by Phil Freeman, Stereogum Chase Baird, A Life Between (Soundsabound) Saxophonist Chase Baird has lately been a member of drummer Antonio Sanchez’s Migration band, and on this album, the leadership torch has been passed. The group also includes Nir Felder on guitar, Brad Mehldau on piano, and Dan Chmielinski on bass. The music they make together combines … Read More
by Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine This writer has two impressions of rising saxophonist Ben Flocks. The visual impression is a barefoot, casually clad Flocks bouncing around the stage with his playful bandmates in Sammy Miller & the Congregation at the recent Newport Jazz Festival. The second is the music from this gorgeous concept album, Mask of … Read More
Saxophonist Ben Flocks’ Self-Released Mask of the Muse Out August 16th, 2019 Hailed as one of the leading young saxophonists in New York, Ben Flocks will release Mask of the Muse on his own West Cliff Records label on August 16th, 2019. It’s a major statement from Flocks, a concept album that finds him stepping … Read More
