Raoul Bjorkenheim (guitar) "Björkenheim uses his guitar in a melodic, percussive and textural way,
going from a deconstructed
Larry Coryell to an absurd
country-Frisell, a scary Holdsworth or simply a mental R2-D2."
Jazznytt (NO)
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Theo Bleckmann
"[Bleckmann's] a gifted singer (and twister) of songs, his voice flexible and rich,
his phrasing sensitive and clear…, which makes his precise
articulation such a treat."
DOWNBEAT/John Corbert
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Charles Gayle (saxophone/piano) "Gayle's scorching saxophone sound, honed on the streets of NYC during two decades of
homelessness, packs a jarring emotional punch with its vibrato laden cry,
at times conjuring the spirit of Trane and the sonic excursions of Ayler."
Matthew Miller, All About Jazz
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Mary Halvorson (guitar)
“Light years ahead of her peers, (Halvorson) is the most impressive guitarist
of her generation. The future of jazz guitar starts here.”
Troy Collins, All About Jazz
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John Hollenbeck (drums)
"...It's sensitive, thinking music, continually changing shape and texture;
Mr. Hollenbeck is an estimable jazz drummer whose goals clearly lie beyond jazz."
Ben Ratliff, New York Times
John Hollenbeck: Link to full length reviews
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Judith
Insell (viola)
"Judith caresses each note, bending
them like a tear rolling down someone's face."
Bruce Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter
Judith Insell: Link to full length reviews
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Dana Leong (cello/trombone)
"Whether
playing the cello, trombone, laptop or all three, Dana Leong breaks all boundaries
by mixing jazz with funk with hip-hop
and electronica.
His influence comes from urban music, pop, rock but also orchestral music and jazz
and has
been described as innovative and sublime."
Laura Flanders, GRITtv
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Barney McAll (piano)
"A musical conjurer of the highest order."
CMJ Website Review
Barney McAll: Link to full length reviews
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Michael Musillami (guitar)
"Musillami is someone who pairs tremendous technique with a great wealth of ideas as
a musician and as a composer."
Mischa Andriessen, jazzenzo.nl
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Mario
Pavone (bass)
"Mario Pavine works his strings with the force and persistance of a sculptor chipping
away at granite.
The sheer dynamism of his playing is matched by the lustre of his writing and arranging for small
bands."
The New Yorker
Mario Pavone: Link to full length reviews
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Reut
Regev (trombone)
“...With tremendous energy
Reut Regev fired broadsides of Funk, Bluesrock
and Electric
Jazz at the audience in Berlin... The discovery of the Festival!”
Wolf Kampmann, Frankfurter
Rundschau, Nov 9th, 2009
Reut Regev: Link to full length reviews
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George Schuller (drums)
"
Schuller is a drummer who starts at the boundaries and then extends them.
He can take the music through difficult and surprising changes with astonishing economy."
All About Jazz
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Elliott Sharp (guitar)
"One of the godfathers of the Downtown New York music scene, guitarist-composer Elliott Sharp has
been conceiving experimental works
for a variety of small and large ensembles over the past 30 years...He
remains as restlessly creative as ever, continuing to churn out
provocative new projects with remarkable regularity."
Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times
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Trio 3 (saxophones, bass, drums)
"One
of the best small groups performing and recording today."
Laurence Donohue-Greene, All About Jazz-NY