Transitions
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com December 29, 2025
O's Notes: Drummer, composer Phil Haynes teams up with guitarist Ben Monder for Transitions, one of two releases last summer. It is mostly original free form renderings with Monder using a generous dose of electronics. Highlights are “Openings”, “Ben III”, and “Brief Piece”.
BloodLines
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com December 29, 2025
O's Notes: Bloodlines is the debut recording for saxophonist, composer Rico Jones. He leads a quartet with Max Light (g), Joe Martin (b), and Nasheet Waits (d). The opening suite is jazz fusion with spiritual, symphonic, and provocative notes. “Judgement and Absolution” and “Across Time” are notable. Jones is warm and passionate on the closer “The Voice of God Shines Brightly on My Heart”.
To March Is To Love
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com December 29, 2025
O's Notes: Janel Leppin is a cellist, pianist, genre-busting musician who dances to her own tune. Ensemble Volcanic Ash is a sextet with Sarah Hughes (a-sax), Brian Settles (t-sax), Anthony Pirog (g) Luke Stewart (b) and Larry Ferguson (d) coalescing around Leppin. The music on To March Is To Love is free fusion inspired by the current political raucous. There are lots of emotions here as expected. We liked “As Wide As All Outdoors”, “Union Art”, “Casal's Rainbow”, and Part II of the title track.
So We Could Live
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com December 29, 2025
O's Notes: Canadian bassist Zack Lober now resides in The Netherlands where he leads several bands including NO FILL3R, a trio with drummer Sun-Mi Hong and trumpeter Suzan Veneman. On So We Could Live, Lober invites featured artist, saxophonist Jasper Blom to enhance the Dutch Trio. Zack’s signature piece is “Dad/Besame Mucho”, a fine solo effort.