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

-

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


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

-
Image
Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...
Read more

Album Review: The Ways In from James Zollar

-
Image
Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom...
Read more

Album Review: Globetrotter from Luca di Luzio

-
Image
Album:  Globetrotter Artist:  Luca di Luzio Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.lucadiluzio.it   Guitarist Luca di Luzio's upcoming CD, Globetrotter  is an assortment of contemporary jazz tunes bridging funk, blues, soul, and Latin music.  Comprised of a few jazz standards and a handful of original works written by Luca di Luzio, a prolific guitar player who studied different styles of music, the recording expresses his personal vision of jazz guitar based on melody and groove.  Joining Di Luzio in his vision are bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dave Wecki, keyboardist George Whitty, and saxophonists Max Ionata and Alessandro Fariselli. From dance-funk numbers like "Jazzlife" and "Elisir" to the soft billows and reflective moods projected in "Smile" and " Buena Suerte," Di Luzio's artistry stems from his vision to make music that is aesthetically pleasing.  "Sunshower," a tune written by Kenny Barron, is a pr...
Read more