Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kenny Reichert: Deep Breath

Kenny Reichert: Deep Breath

By Richard J Salvucci
August 13, 2023
View read count

Kenny Reichert is a Chicago-based guitarist of broad background, Berklee training, and wide-ranging tastes in pop and jazz. He has self-released one studio album, Interpretations (2015). Reichert records mostly originals. If you are looking for influences, "Spears" (a play on "Sphere"?) sounds Thelonious Sphere Monk-ish enough, with plenty of solo space for saxophonist

Tony Barba

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Barba woven in. Barba can hold his own with anyone.

Reichert does not shy away from vocals either. His lyricist and singer is

Alyssa Allgood

vocals
b.1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Alyssa Allgood, who brings real sincerity to "Bashful," with Barba again soloing. Reichert's forte is playing pretty, and he does so to great effect here and on "Deep Breath" as well, a recitative vehicle for Allgood featuring Barba on soprano that is smooth, but not syrupy. It is not until the boppish "Skip" that the band takes anything up. They manage well enough that, if only for balance, it would be nice to hear Reichert burning a little more often. There is no doubt that this group can play lovely melodies at a moderate tempo, but it is always good to let listeners know that tempo is a choice, not a constraint. The same with meter and rhythm. On "Balance," Reichert goes to 3/4, a pleasant change. "Reprise," appropriately enough, closes things out with a bit of reverb added in, again a pleasant variation.

There is a lot of good playing here, real talent, and a respect for a good melody. Bassist

John Christensen

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">John Christensen especially shines on the challenging "Spears," as Reichert does throughout. A listener might like to see the band mix it up a bit more harmonically, if done tastefully, and within the compass of Reichert's eminently tuneful style. One hopes to hear more from them, and not just occasionally.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Mirage; Communion With Nature; Spears; Bshful; Deep Breath; How's It Going? I've Been Thinking A Lot About You; Skip; Nanjing; Balance; Reprise.

Personnel

Kenny Reichert

guitar

Tony Barba

saxophone

John Christensen

bass

Devin Drobka

drums

Alyssa Allgood

vocals

Album information

Title: Deep Breath | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Shifting Paradigm Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Bro...
< Previous

Aurora Clara-Dreams, Mike Progdich a...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.