Bassist Peter Brendler is at the helm of the set, but we're especially enamored of the trumpet work here – played by Peter Evans on both standard and piccolo trumpet – the latter of which has this wonderfully personal sound! Almost all tunes are originals from Brendler, who turns out to be a pretty great writer – and sets up these strong showcases for Evans' trumpet lines, which seem to leap right out front even before his solos – when he's still sharing the lead with tenorist Rich Perry. Perry's pretty great, too – but there's a freshness to Evans' phrasing that's really great – bold at some minutes, with lots of offbeat twists and turns – and more fragile and honest on the piccolo trumpet tunes. Drummer Vinnie Sperrazza completes the group – and titles include "Blackout Reunion", "Drop The Mittens", "The Darkness", "Blanket Statement", "Lawn Darts", and a surprisingly nice cover of "Walk On The Wild Side". Dusty Groove
We've really grown to love pianist Orrin Evans in a trio setting, but he's a surprisingly strong talent at the helm of this large group too – an ensemble with a rich sound and a sense of feeling that really matches Evans' own piano! There's a boldness to the music that really brings out a whole new side of Evans – this sense of majesty that's always lurking in the way he approaches the keyboard in a smaller group, but which takes off here with work from a larger group of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. Evans gets in many great solos – and other key moments come from Marcus Strickland on tenor or soprano sax, Stacy Dillard on tenor, Todd Bashore on alto, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Tatum Greenblatt on trumpet, and Ralph Peterson on drums. Titles include the originals "In My Soul", "Explain It To Me", "Dita", "Prayer For Columbine", and "Mother's Touch (parts 1 & 2)". ~ Dusty Groove
Tenorist Ralph Bowen blows some strong magic here – the kind of tone and timing that really transforms the more familiar numbers chosen for the set – so that older standards are turned inside out and opened up as new vehicles for expression – yet all while still managing to swing! The rhythm trio is tight, but fluid – and features Bill O'Connell on piano, Kenny Davis on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – yet to our ears, Bowen's the main star on the record – and we've never heard him sounding so powerfully creative! Most tracks have a strong focus from start to finish, but cover a surprising amount of ground – and titles include "Yesterdays", "No Moon At All", "Isn't It Romantic", "Dream Dancing", "By Myself", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream". ~ Dusty Groove
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