Northeast
Performer Magazine
Miller David Jamrog and
this quartet find their voice in jazz tradition but are smart enough to venture beyond
those boundaries. Their acheivements can be
credited to the writing and, moreover, the playing of these four talented individuals.
While they are a veritable quartet
which fuses into a singular voice, Jamrog, Kneeland, Shilansky and Garzone each retain
their unique personalities throughout the record. Garzone
as always, proves himself a supreme and singular talent.
Plenty has been said of his playing, and he distinguishes himself song
after song on this record. The young but accomplished
Thomson Kneeland has popped up on several local jazz records. He shows his abilities with fluid polyrhythms and
athletic walking basslines.
Pianist
Shilansky has ample harmonic knowledge, changing the scenery with unusual chord
substitution. Jamrog is a highly developed
accompanist, with intelligent interaction and chops to spare.
Collectively, theirs is not a struggle
to outdo each other, but a union dedicated to building great performances. Compositionally they run the gamut from delicate
ballads (Kneeland's "Harvest Moon") to contemporary straight ahead (Shilansky's
"The Inevitable Burnout") to open ended free improvisations. This is excellent modern jazz playing.
-Jonathon Babu, Northeastern Performer Magazine, February 1999
Cadence
Magazine
The Music of Jamrog was
a pleasant surprise to me. This drummer-led
quartet starts the performance at a fast pace with upbeat tempo and a lively beat and keeps
on surprising with it's polished approach. These
four guys, each of whom share in the compositional duties, present music that changes
character continually but never loses it's spunk. Although
it is Jamrog's date, he does not attempt to be the center of attention. Each member of the quartet is provided many
opportunity to show his wares on this all acoustic program, a format that is becoming
increasingly rare in this technologically advanced age.
Their mission seems to be quite simple- play original music with a lot
of enthusiasm using improvisational skills and group empathy to win the audience.
Although Jamrog is an ever present
force, Garzone on reeds tends naturally to be a focal point. he alternates between soprano and tenor, taking
long improvised solos as a matter of course. His
tone is fluid and his ideas are original. Equally
in the limelight is Shilansky. His piano touch
is not percussive. He maneuvers aroud the
keys with nimble jauntiness, developing the compositions with sparkling flair. Hawever when offered an opportunity to get into
the pensive, restless mood with thought provoking playing, as occurs on "The Nature
Of Things," Shilansky and all band members rise to the occassion. They draw the audience into the stirring
composition with mesmerizing rhythms and intricate improvisations. It is also the time for Jamrog to step forward,
and he does so dynamically on percussion to match the deep elements of the song. Kneeland is not an overpowering bassist, yet his
solos and group play add significantly to the tonal ambience. His solo on the opener in well developed and his
playing in the arco mode integrates nicely into the composition.
The program mapped by Jamrog gets
increasingly more complex as they proceed. Each
artist gets more daring, and many different facets of their playing skills emerge. Jamrog introduces varied percussion patterns
around which Shilansky and Garzone are able to build engrossing solos. The entire program is full of surprises, such as
the ending "Speak" with its quirky verbal
insertions, but the constant ingredient is solid playing.
You will like this band.
-Frank
Rubolino, Cadence Magazine, May 1999 |
