“One of Hicks’ finest recordings,” is the Washington Post’s judgment. A jazz piano giant for 40 years, John could break your heart with a ballad, sweep you off your feet with an anthem, or boot you into boogeyin’ with one of his cookers...
Musician says this CD "evidences the elusive rhythmic subtlety, spare pianistic understatement, emotional weight and giddy melodic twists that elude most of today's virtuosos..."CD Review says, "4 Stars...this album is a legacy." According to Down Beat: "...remarkably original and powerful. 4 ½ Stars."
Playing the New York jazz scene together for over a decade, Paul and Santi have grown into
one of jazz’s great duos. Paul’s flawlessly warm guitar sound blends Wes Montgomery’s
bluesy soulfulness with Jobim’s Brazilian sensuality. That quiet excitement is doubled by
Santi’s big, rich-sounding bass. Bowed or plucked, Santi adds subtly swinging groove.
Striking, melodic arrangements ranging from centuries-old spirituals to modern sambas and
classic jazz ballads.
Quietly cooking melodic jazz and swing favs led by the rock-solid bassist who also ably
anchored our Joe Stanley and John Cocuzzi sessions. Previti made history for 18 years
backing up guitar giant Danny Gatton. And you jazzers probably heard John keepin’ time for
Doc Cheatham, Herb Ellis or Charlie Byrd.
Chuck Berg of Jazz Times says:
“It’s fair to say that Kindred now ranks with the giants of his instrument, with Ben
Webster, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Zoot Sims.”
"Although McCloud's been on the jazz scene for years, having worked with such notables as Elvin Jones, Jon Hendricks, and Jimmy McGriff, but has never really become a name that jazz fans would recognize. This album should help change that..." recommends All Music Guide.
Give a listen to the blues-soaked groove on "Pete's Rock"-you'll understand why Monk, Cannonball, Sarah Vaughan and Sonny Rollins loved playing with Bookie. You can hear Bookie’s note-bending soulfulness and the big, deep sound of his high-action
pluck with utter clarity.
“The musicians are top-notch, they cook as a combo, and the sound, even by Mapleshade’s standards, is sensational…a thoroughly delightful album,” says Absolute Sound. If you love real-deal swing like Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, and Artie Shaw, John’s red hot clarinet and vibes quintet is guarenteed to please.
“His sound, gorgeous like his mentor’s, often has a shade more edge and darkness, and he has more facility than Ben, handling fast tempos with aplomb...for fans of melody-rich jazz that has a good beat,” according to Stereophile. Standard studio electronics simply don’t capture the unbelievable sensuousness of that Ashby tenor sound; our CD does.
Jazz USA calls it, “flawless…the best trombone record this decade. Four½-Stars.” The sound and soundstage is as spectacular as Mapleshade gets, more than fitting for Thurman’s last and greatest session.
Jazz Times says, "Sunny's voice is lovely, lush, liquid. Her timbre is reminiscent of Lena Horne; her phrasing recalls Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. Hers is a brandy-rich sound with a velvet-smooth style, perfect for ballads such as 'Daydream' and 'Save Your Love For Me'."
If you like your jazz uptempo and overflowing with vitality, look no farther. Patience is
a cooking, muscular-toned tenorman somewhere between Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins—a musician great enough to have toured with Ellington, David Murray and Stevie Wonder.
