Gettin’ it Done is a strong sextet outing with solid three-horn arrangements and inspired soloing. The ring leader of the ensemble is veteran trombonist Steve Davis whose straight-ahead, swinging original tunes are both ear-catching and memorable. Tunes such as the up-tempo title track, a minor blues with blistering solo turns from alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo, Davis and trumpeter Josh Bruneau, and “Longview,” a spirited hard bop piece, stand out as disc highlights.
Davis’ lyrical waltz “Wishes” finds pianist Larry Willis in strong form, backed by the solid pulse of Nat Reeves on bass and Billy Williams on drums.
From start to finish the disc is predictably hip.
Category: Reviews
Downbeat includes Orrin Evans “Flip the Script” in its Editor’s Picks…
Orrin Evans, Flip The Script (Posi-Tone)
Orrin Evans is a pianist, composer and bandleader whose reputation has been steadily rising, particularly with his Captain Black Big Band. But on his latest recording,Flip The Script, we find Evans equally powerful in the trio setting. From the first tune, “Question,” my personal answer was “Hell, yeah!” And that’s the way I felt throughout the album. Evans and his bandmates Ben Wolfe on bass and Donald Edwards on drums shoot out of the gate at a blindingly fast tempo on this Eric Revis tune, showing off a rare combination of technique and taste. It’s the beginning of a fine ride of musical story-telling with sublime song choice and pacing. Flip The Script is packed with intricate twists, turns and changes. It’s a killer straightahead date with bright, modern edges. On the sad, lovely ballad “When,” Evans has just the right touch, filling and opening space for Wolfe and Edwards to ebb and flow. Edwards’ mallet work on the tune is especially poised and understated. Also fine are very cool takes on Luther Vandross’ “A Brand New Day” and the standard “Someday My Prince Will Come” as well as Evans originals “TC’s Blues” and “The Answer.” My favorite moment on the recording is a solo piano take of “The Sound Of Philadelphia.” Most people know this as the theme song from “Soul Train,” the seminal black music TV show. We lost Don Cornelius, the show’s creator and host, earlier this year. And Mr. Evans, a Philly kid at heart, offers a fitting tribute. It’s a quietly stunning epilogue to a thrilling record.
–Frank Alkyer, Publisher
Another nice review for Ralph Bowen “Total Eclipse”…
Saxophonist Ralph Bowen has carved out a fine niche for himself on the mainstream jazz scene as an educator at Rutgers University, and as a recording artist. This is a fine mainstream jazz hard-bop recording where Bowen is performing with Jared Gold on organ, Mike Moreno on guitar and Rudy Royston on durms. Switching to the organ format makes for an interesting album, focusing the music on meat and potatoes mainstream jazz is the order of the day here, and straight-ahead jazz fans should be quite satisfied by this offering. Fellow Posi-Tone recording artist Jared gold keeps the organ bubbling and purring and under-rated guitarist Moreno plays very well. Royston keeps the beat moving throughout, keeping everybody on track and pushing and pulling at will. Bowen has a patient and reverent sound on tenor making for a very impressive performance. Fans of solid mainstream jazz will enjoy this quite a bit, Bowen has an excellent pedigree as a leader and a sideman with the like of Horace Silver and many others, and this is another fine addition to his discography.
OutsideInsideOut writes up Ralph Bowen “Total Eclipse”…
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Marc Free’s Posi-Tone Records is one of a handful of labels that churns out a significant number of quality albums on a regular basis. In the past couple of months the label has sent numerous new releases my way, so today I’m hitting you with a multi-part rundown of some of my favorites.
I reviewed tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen’s last album, Power Play, in Downbeat. In that review I compared Bowen’s sick chops and certain stylistic elements to Brecker, and thought his soprano approach was slightly reminiscent of Branford – comparisons which earned me a reaming out in a letter to the editor, even though it was a positive review. Bowen’s followup to that album is Total Eclipse, which features Posi-tone mainstay Jared Gold on organ, guitarist Mike Moreno, and drummer Rudy Royston. While I stand by my review of Power Play, I find Bowen’s playing on Total Eclipse(whether on tenor or soprano) to be extremely focused, sharp, swinging and reminding me of only one player: Ralph Bowen.
Bowen penned all nine of the hour long album’s tracks. The title track opens the album in an easy, swinging fashion, with Bowen mixing up phrase lengths, rhythms and articulation and accent patterns – slinking, sliding, and winding his way through his solo. On his brief solo Gold mixes a slightly percussive phrases based on short note values with longer and more held out phrases, building upon Bowen’s statement nicely. “The Dowsing Rod” features Bowen on soprano and is one metrically tricky trip, having sections in 10, in 3 and in 4. Moreno sounds particularly good on this track, letting his slightly reverby sound and relaxed phrasing glide over Gold and Roysten. The penultimate cut, “Hip Check,” is a rowdy and rocking showcase for Bowen’s aggressive tenor. Royston holds things down with a slight backbeat and forward driving cymbals and Gold backs up Bowen’s solo by mixing up long sustained chords with quick jabs. Moreno’s solo, supported by a very active Royston, is for the most part quite understated, providing a nice contrast to Bowen’s fire.
Overall Total Eclipse is an excellent outing that displays tight group playing, swinging charts containing a ton of craft and subtle hipness, and soloists who bring a firey intensity and creativity. If you dig other releases on Posi-tone, or are a Ralph Bowen fan, then definitely check this CD out. And if you’re not familiar with either, this album would be a great place to start.
StepTempest reviews Ralph Bowen “Total Eclipse”…
“Total Eclipse“, the 4th Posi-Tone Records release fromRalph Bowen, has much to recommend it. Just look at the group Bowen plays with; the fine young organist Jared Gold, the supple guitarist Mike Morenoand the splendid drummerRudy Royston. Powered by the drummer (who, in the last few years, has worked with saxophonist JD Allen, bassist Ben Allison, guitarist Bill Frissell, bassist Linda Oh and so many more), this music seems to surge forward. His relentless drive on “Hip Check” really propels the band (the leader lays down his most high-powered solo of the set) while his increasing intensity on the title track (you can download it below) spurs everyone to really dig in. Yet, his subtle touch paired with Gold’s creative accompaniment on “On Green” complement the fine solos of Moreno and the leader. Then, there is Gold who continues to impress with his overall work. As an accompanist, he reminds me of the late Larry Young in his early Blue Note days. He’s quite impressive throughout but no more so than on “Exosphere” where his background work is essential to the forward motion of the tune. Yes, he’s got “soul” in his phrases, blues in his sounds, but his solos are jazz to the core, explorations that go in unexpected but smart directions. Moreno is a solid partner to Bowen on the front line, his “round” yet sometime “sharp’ sound playing off the burbling organ and hearty tenor saxophone. He understands how to build a solo, often starting out experimenting with a counter-melody then digging into the groove and pushing the intensity (all this is quite noticeable on “Arrows of Light.”)
As for Ralph Bowen, he luxuriates and flourishes in these sounds. His tenor sounds quite relaxed yet also quite focused. The 9 tracks, all Bowen originals, feel fresh, taking influences from all parts of the jazz world (hard-bop, funk, touches of Latin rhythms) and creating good music. The sweet melody of “In My Dreams“, the only true ballad on the CD, brings to mind soul music from the 1970s while “Into TheCity” is “funk-swing” at its best. Bowen plays some solid soprano sax on “The Dowsing Rod“, his handsome tones and lyrical solo giving way to the more “stinging” sounds of Moreno’s guitar.
Play “Total Eclipse” from beginning to end and you’ll hear 4 musicians not only having a great time but also making adult music of the first order. “Adult”, in that is not “dumbed-down” for commercial success but that it is playful, inspired, fully realized and involves the listener on many levels. Ralph Bowen continues to produce really good music – don’t hide your eyes or ears from this “..Eclipse.”
Tim Niland reviews “Flip the Script” for his Music and More blog…
Orrin Evans is a young pianist and composer, well known for his work in the Captain Black Big Band and his solo work as a leader. On this trio album, he is accompanied by Ben Wolfe on bass and Donald Edwards drums. There are echoes of past masters like Andrew Hill and McCoy Tyner on this album, but Evans is definitely his own man and his own spirit and vision shines through on this recording. “Question” opens the recording with the trio achieving a bright uptempo sound of rippling piano over taught bass and drums. Strong Tyner-ish piano is the hallmark of “Clean House” where Evans’ muscular piano offsets a subtle dynamism that pervades the music. The deep nature of the music continues on “Flip the Script” where strong dark chords mix with propulsive bass and drums to make a fast and potent brew. The highlight of the album for me was the storming composition “A Brand New Day” which shows the trio firing on all cylinders. Strength, speed and power all come together here in a very potent performance. Another excellent performance was “T.C.’s Blues” which has a dynamic start-stop feel with strong piano and drums buoyed by by elastic bass with space for self-expression.
SomethingElse Reviews on Orrin Evans “Flip the Script”…
With a new album release imminent, the productive, peaking pianist Orrin Evans again demands our attention with another bread-and-butter trio event, named Flip The Script. Supported this time Ben Wolfe (bass) and Donald Edwards (drums), Evans produces a no-nonsense program of mostly originals with a few choice covers in another solid outing for this product of Philly.
Flip The Script isn’t a sharp departure or great leap forward from his recent works, but that’s because his recent fare has been uniformly superb. What I can detect with this go around is that his focus is sharper than ever, with each track an entity onto itself, not a single one feeling as if he’s going through the motions. There’s also a conciseness you can’t miss: all but three of the ten selections run less than five minutes, a veritable sprint for improvisational jazz. The long tracks don’t go on much further than that.
As for Orrin’s playing style, the way I portrayed it for the Faith In Action is still appropriate: “The direct way Evans attacks the keys, the playful way his right hand plays a cat and mouse game with the left, and an eccentric portrayal of the blues tradition, Evans effectively evokes the specter of (Thelonious Monk).” There are attention-grabbing little eccentricities, but mostly in the abrupt tempo changes on cuts such as “Question,” “Flip The Script” and especially “TC’s Blues,” a three-part mini-suite that maintains his trio’s strong commitment to swing throughout the changes.
Even on a bouncy, highly melodic tune such as “A Brand New Day” (see YouTube below) Evans is stretching it out to a spritely modern jazz song. However, “Clean House” is the track to go for to hear Evans and his little band cook with intensity, and the “Answer” is not far behind.
The softer numbers portray another side of Evans, one who is as capable of grace and impressionistic motifs as another Evans: Bill. On “When” he sprinkles out notes like a gardener watering his flowers, and takes a blues tact for “Big Small,” working effectively with Wolfe, who lumbers around authoritatively for his bass solo. Evans’ melancholic portrayal of “Someday My Prince Will Come” creatively turns the song inside out into a minor chord dirge, virtually indistinguishable from the other versions, but very appealing in its own way.
The album ends on a somber note: a quiet, solo piano take on “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia),” a farewell to the just-deceased Soul Train impresario Don Cornelius. This early theme song to the show is also a salute to Evans’ hometown and the brilliant song craft of composers Gamble & Huff, who wrote this first #1 disco song with a very endearing melody with which Evans slowly entangles himself.
More than any of his other recent outings, Orrin Evans poured in heaping doses of his heart as well as his head in making Flip The Script. Evans is obviously not content to rest on his laurels, making yet another record that tops his prior ones.
Bruce Lindsay reviews Tom Tallitsch “Heads or Tales”…
Tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch makes his Posi-Tone debut with Heads Or Tales, a welcome addition to that label’s impressively strong roster of straight-ahead and swinging musicians. Tallitsch has a warm tone, a lyrical and flowing style and an ability to craft solos that add to the narrative of his compositions: qualities that make the tunes—all but one his own compositions—immediately accessible, yet capable of rewarding repeated listening with fresh revelations.
While Heads And Tales is his label debut, it’s actually the Cleveland-born, New York-based saxophonist’s fourth album since the self-produced Duality (2005). It’s the sound of an experienced and confident player; his tenor saxophone sound is stamped across the album, either crafting melodies or delivering finely-judged solos, but he never attempts to overwhelm his band mates, never outstays his welcome and never stretches a tune too far. There are plenty of other players who could learn from Tallitsch’s economy of composition and interpretation.
Guitarist Dave Allen is a strongly melodic player and an emphatic second lead voice. His single-note playing flows beautifully, giving his solos a fluidity and grace that matches Tallitsch’s own. “Double Shot” and “Flat Stanley” find Allen and Tallitsch trading fast-paced lines, while slower tunes, like the cool swinger “Travel Companion” and balladic “Perry’s Place,” give them space to share more reflective phrases underpinned by Jared Gold’s Hammond organ.
Gold can almost be described as Posi-Tone’s house organist, with numerous appearances on the label as leader or sideman. He is a consistently fine player, with a great sense of dynamics and a swinging, rhythmical, style. He forms an excellent partnership with drummer Mark Ferber, sharing a tough, driving, approach to the music that helps to build its power and excitement. Gold also contributes an imaginative array of tones, and some telling individual contributions such as his intense, tight solo on “Tenderfoot.”
Tallitsch closes with an unusual choice of cover tunes, Neil Young’s classic, “Don’t Let It Bring You Down.” Tallitsch plays it straight—his version just 20 seconds longer than Young’s original on After The Goldrush (Reprise, 1970)—but ensures that his saxophone sound retains the mood of Young’s lyric. It’s just one facet of Tallitsch’s abilities, as Heads Or Tales makes abundantly and enjoyably clear.
Nick Bewsey reviews Brandon Wright “Journeyman”…
Sounding particularly polished at the age of 30, saxophonist Brandon Wright brings along his colleagues in the Mingus Big Band – pianist David Kikoski, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Donald Edwards – for “Journeyman,” (Posi-Tone Records) his second solo album that demonstrates his keen affinity for post-bebop swing, loosey-goosey funk jazz (“Walk Of Shame”) plus unexpected covers of Pearl Jam’s “Better Man” and Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” two soaring tracks flush with glistening tenor solos and the straight up soulfulness of pianist Kikoski. Wright’s sound is velvety, lush and smooth on the ballads like “Illusions of Light,” and “The Nearness Of You,” while pleasingly lively through the changes on “Big Bully,” a speedy tune that puts the quartet on fast-forward. For the retro-sounding “Choices,” Edwards supplies the backbeat and Kikoski switches to Fender Rhodes as Wright deftly funnels his ideas into a sonic language of welcome riffs and happy improvisation. Wright is a state of the art horn player who squares a traditional sound (think saxophonist Scott Hamilton) with a modern spirit of discovery and “Journeyman” is full of exceptional moments. (10 tracks; 61:09 minutes)
Peter Margasak previews Orrin Evans “Flip the Script” for the Chicago Reader…
For nearly two decades Philadelphia’s Orrin Evans has been one of the most reliable, impressive, and overlooked pianists in postbop. He’s not a revolutionary, but his music always pushes forward while embracing the best of the past. Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, and Elmo Hope all inform his charged, lucid playing, but he also embraces hip-hop and soul without compromising the rigor of his improvisations. He’s a founding member of the excellent Tarbaby—with drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Eric Revis, who share his broad sensibilities and quiet progressivism—and his latest recording is with his own steely trio, which features bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards. Today’s 12 O’Clock Track, “Big Small,” is a blues from the excellent new Flip the Script (due June 12 on Posi-Tone), which also includes a solo interpretation of the MFSB classic “The Sound of Philadelphia.” There’s no missing the overtones of Monk, Duke Ellington, and Randy Weston, but the way Evans complements the halting groove with his wonderfully jagged phrasing and angular lines is all his own.