Album Review: And Then It Rained from Michael O'Neill

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Album:  And Then It Rained
Artist:  Michael O'Neill
Label:  Jazzmo Records
Websites:  Mosax.com
                  facebook.com/michael.oneill.505960


A collection of all original compositions by bandleader, reed player and saxophonist Michael O'Neill, And Then It Rained blends big band swing, straight-ahead jazz, and tuneful improvisation into a tight union.  Produced by O’Neill and co-produced by his bass player Dan Feiszli, the recording displays O'Neill's intrinsic understanding of earthy tones and warm atmospherics.  His repertoire canvasses multiple facets of cool jazz idioms from the frenzied squiggles of "One For Kenny Washington" to the balmy bliss of "Early Spring."  An easy listening program on first take, the tracks slowly seep deeper into its audience, revealing intricacies and maze-like chord patterns that demand more than a surface glance.

The expressive voicing in O'Neill's saxophone curls and spirals with an elegant penmanship along "Emerging Impressions," holding the listener mesmerized from start to finish.  The melodic wanderings of his saxophone across "Cloudscape" cushion the listener in downy passages as though enshrined in cottony clouds like the title implies.  Speeding up the tempo, "Maverick Samba" presents a lively exchange among O'Neill's quartet.  The track has pianist Michael Bluestein threading glittering tassels across the melodic progressions as bassist Dan Feiszil throttles an even pumping motion.  Drummer Jason Lewis shimmies merrily on the top hat, elevating O'Neill's swerving howls on the saxophone.  Conversely, the somber mood of the title track sees O'Neill's saxophone meandering like a restless child, bouncing freely and eager to express an energy kept captive inside.

Storytelling is O'Neill's strength, expressing his thoughts and impressions about the world around him in music.  A mainstay on the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene, O'Neill honed his chops playing in dance and salsa bands, and later scoring music for documentaries and television.  His ability to make music that is pleasing to the ear can be traced to the musical vocabulary he developed during his early musical experiences.  His collection of original compositions have taken him to a new level of discovery, coming in touch with his intrinsic understanding of earthy tones and melodic improvisations with a cool jazz sheen.

Musicians:
Michael O’Neill - tenor, alto, soprano saxes, clarinet
Michael Bluestein - piano
Dan Feiszli - bass
Jason Lewis - drummer


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