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Steve Millhouse: Looking Back to Today

by David A. Orthmann
In an era when athleticism, blatant egotism, and cacophony are all too common elements of jazz performance, it is refreshing to hear a record populated by players who exhibit give-and-take, musicality, and a willingness to listen and share sonic space. Six-string electric bassist Steve Millhouse's Looking Back to Today is a sterling example of a bass, ...
Behn Gillece: Pivot Point

by David A. Orthmann
Anyone who has listened to at least some of the Posi-Tone releases from the past several years will recognize the personnel on Pivot Point: vibraphonist Behn Gillece 's eighth date as a leader. Tenor/soprano saxophonist Willie Morris,, pianist Jon Davis, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummers Rudy Royston and Jason Tiemann have made substantial contributions to many ...
Diego Rivera: West Circle

by David A. Orthmann
Let it not be said that Posi-Tone Records fails to put its weight and resources behind the artists it believes in. A case in point is the volume of releases that entail the combinations of tenor/soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera, pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston. In the last five years, discs in ...
Steve Johns: Mythology

by David A. Orthmann
Over the past twenty years, drummer Steve Johns has appeared dozens of times in various venues and configurations throughout Northern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, New York area. To name but a few examples, Johns with guitarist Bob DeVos's trio at Trumpets Jazz Club, in sessions led by bassist Mark Hagan at the Old 76 ...
Willie Morris: Unbound Inner

by David A. Orthmann
Willie Morris's third release as a leader for Posi-Tone opens with the haunting Flyover Country," which only includes the leader's tenor saxophone and pianist Jon Davis. Combining improvisation and Morris's earnest, subdued theme, the two-minute 25-second gem doesn't declare any particular stylistic allegiance, nor does it clamor for attention. Instead, Morris's and Davis's partnership evokes a ...
Blue Moods: Force & Grace

by David A. Orthmann
Blue Moods' Force & Grace is the third in a series of Posi-Tone releases in which music of under-recognized jazz composers is given a fair shake by bands comprised of some of the label's leading lights. This time around, the group features 12 compositions by Freddie Hubbard, a figure revered for his prowess as a trumpeter, ...
Zach Adleman: We Make: Stories For A New Day

by David A. Orthmann
From beginning to end, Zach Adleman's debut as a leader, We Make: Stories For A New Day, fires on all cylinders. The twenty-something drummer inhabits the roles of player, composer, arranger, and bandleader with the aplomb of a seasoned veteran. A hungry, assertive band includes two generations of compatible hands who produce a fresh and vital ...
Remembering All About Jazz's Chris May

by AAJ Staff
With profound sadness, the All About Jazz family mourns the loss of Chris May (1946-2024), a luminous soul whose passion and dedication took AAJ to new heights during his 20 year tenure. Chris was more than a colleague--he was a beloved writer, a brilliant editor, and a cherished friend whose words dazzled with grace and insight. ...
Diego Rivera: Ofrenda

by David A. Orthmann
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera has amassed an impressive track record on the Posi-Tone imprint as a leader, sideman, and other projects curated by producer Marc Free. Ofrenda, a ten-movement suite, is a vehicle for Rivera's impressions of aspects of altars corresponding with the traditional Mexican holiday Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). ...
Gary Smulyan: Boss Baritones

by David A. Orthmann
The once-popular pairings of such incisive hard-blowing saxophonists as Johnny Griffin with Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis and Gene Ammons with Sonny Stitt constitute some of the inspiration behind the making of Boss Baritones. Incorporating material penned by Griffin, Davis, Illinois Jacquet, Don Byas and J.R. Monterose indicates a healthy respect for giants who may no longer be ...