Album Review: Begin the Agora from Greg Diaz and the Art of Imagination Jazz Orchestra
Album Review: Begin the Agora from Greg Diaz and the Art of Imagination Jazz Orchestra
Label: Self-Released
Website: www.reverbnation.com/gregdiazandtheartofimagination
Strolling, strutting, bobbing, and shimmying in a freestyle manner, Greg Diaz takes his saxophone and clarinet through a rambling ride on his new recording Begin the Agora. Joined by the 15-piece ensemble called the Art of Imagination Jazz Orchestra, Diaz takes audiences along a journey that is exploratory for both them and him.
The gospel-tinged rhythm of "Brother John" is a mixture of bopping blues with a spiritual voicing in Diaz's register as he wails jubilantly. Puffing and tooting, the horns add to the plume of revelry, stirring up a carousing mood as the trombones, trumpets, and saxophones enter into a romping banter. Changing gears, the band travels into a swinging groove through the mash-up with "2nd Line Strut/Iko Iko," spinning the horns into a heated chatter. The festive atmosphere heaves an array of instruments that go airborne.
The frothy tweets of the horns bolster a boogie woogie blaze through "Frank Blank." Synchronizing a bevy of horns that spike the tempo to a rollicking pulse, the band kicks up the bass pulls to a gusty frequency, belting out a whirlwind of toots and hollering woodwinds. Lowering to a strolling pace, the title track has all the earmarks of bebop jazz with improvised chord placements and a spontaneous exchange between the horns. The composition progresses in phases, building up the climaxes and receding between the crests. Many voices tradeoff in a random manner, coming out all at once and then pulling back in sequence, composing fireside respites. Each musician adds their own punctuation to the piece.
Listeners have heard of power pop, power rock, and this is power-pumped jazz. The music creates blazes intermingled with comfy fireside lulls. The musicians explore the various intricacies of their instruments and their abilities to communicate with one another via the dynamics of their instruments. Independent thinking, inventive tradeoffs, and expressive punctuations are all perceivable through Diaz's recording.
Greg Diaz - tenor saxophone, clarinet and lead vocals
Ismael Vergara - alto saxophone and clarinet
Scott Klarman - tenor saxophone
Mike Brignola - baritone saxophone
Jesus Mato - trumpet
Doug Michels - trumpet
Seth Merlin - trumpet
Kevin Wilde - trumpet
Russell Freeland - trombone
Jason Pyle - trombone
Tom Warfel - trombone
Matt Calderin - drums and percussion
Eero Turunen - piano and keyboards
Christian Davis - guitar
James McCoy - acoustic and electric bass and background vocals
Michael Nunez - acoustic and electric bass and background vocals
Label: Self-Released
Website: www.reverbnation.com/gregdiazandtheartofimagination
Strolling, strutting, bobbing, and shimmying in a freestyle manner, Greg Diaz takes his saxophone and clarinet through a rambling ride on his new recording Begin the Agora. Joined by the 15-piece ensemble called the Art of Imagination Jazz Orchestra, Diaz takes audiences along a journey that is exploratory for both them and him.
The gospel-tinged rhythm of "Brother John" is a mixture of bopping blues with a spiritual voicing in Diaz's register as he wails jubilantly. Puffing and tooting, the horns add to the plume of revelry, stirring up a carousing mood as the trombones, trumpets, and saxophones enter into a romping banter. Changing gears, the band travels into a swinging groove through the mash-up with "2nd Line Strut/Iko Iko," spinning the horns into a heated chatter. The festive atmosphere heaves an array of instruments that go airborne.
The frothy tweets of the horns bolster a boogie woogie blaze through "Frank Blank." Synchronizing a bevy of horns that spike the tempo to a rollicking pulse, the band kicks up the bass pulls to a gusty frequency, belting out a whirlwind of toots and hollering woodwinds. Lowering to a strolling pace, the title track has all the earmarks of bebop jazz with improvised chord placements and a spontaneous exchange between the horns. The composition progresses in phases, building up the climaxes and receding between the crests. Many voices tradeoff in a random manner, coming out all at once and then pulling back in sequence, composing fireside respites. Each musician adds their own punctuation to the piece.
Listeners have heard of power pop, power rock, and this is power-pumped jazz. The music creates blazes intermingled with comfy fireside lulls. The musicians explore the various intricacies of their instruments and their abilities to communicate with one another via the dynamics of their instruments. Independent thinking, inventive tradeoffs, and expressive punctuations are all perceivable through Diaz's recording.
Greg Diaz - tenor saxophone, clarinet and lead vocals
Ismael Vergara - alto saxophone and clarinet
Scott Klarman - tenor saxophone
Mike Brignola - baritone saxophone
Jesus Mato - trumpet
Doug Michels - trumpet
Seth Merlin - trumpet
Kevin Wilde - trumpet
Russell Freeland - trombone
Jason Pyle - trombone
Tom Warfel - trombone
Matt Calderin - drums and percussion
Eero Turunen - piano and keyboards
Christian Davis - guitar
James McCoy - acoustic and electric bass and background vocals
Michael Nunez - acoustic and electric bass and background vocals
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