What the reviewers say about Steve Slagle: New New York

  • Jazz CD of the Week in the UK. "...unpretentiously exhilarating music." —John Fordham, The Guardian (UK)
  • "Much like [Joe] Lovano, Slagle is immersed in the tradition but looking for ways to broaden it, drawing deeply from the legacies of Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman in equal measure. The varied tunes on New New York bear out these stylistic commitments, resulting in a fine jazz portrait of New York by one of the city's own hidden treasures." —David R Adler, All Music Guide
  • "...Slagle's album (like Mingus's compositions) reflects the tireless musical adventurousness summarised in its title....  [The album] showcases not only the exceptional compositional versatility and improvisational skills of one of the music's finest reedsmen, but also the sheer vitality and diversity of a city that has always been at the heart of American jazz." —Chris Parker, BBC Music Magazine (April 2001)
  • "...not one under-motivated phrase.  Describing it as 'hard bop' might put him in the right ballpark but he is actually playing a far more complicated and original game of his own.  This is one major league player who does not have the major league reputation he deserves.  Not yet."  —Mike Zwerin, International Herald Tribune (7 February 2001)
  • "His playing has never sounded better than on New New York...he transforms his instrument into a dervish of reeling energy.  His best solos have a combination of grit and urbanity that fits the alto's soaring range and plaintive timbre like a glove." —Neil Tesser, Jazziz (January 2001)
  • "[A] powerhouse offering, his most seasoned and soulful expression to date ... Slagle's personal paean to New York City brilliantly demonstrates his capacity to stretch into adventurous realms." —Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes (March 2001)
  • "...[Slagle's] big sound and deep reservoir of ideas add up to a commanding presence, and his original tunes never fail to inspire interesting commentary from the ensemble....  Hopefully, the album will garner Slagle some of the attention he clearly deserves." —Nate Chinen, Philadelphia City Paper (10-17 May 2001)
  • "[Slagle's] nicely pungent saxophone leads a blazing little band." —Lucky Oceans, "The Planet" (5 June 2001), ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  • "...brimming with serpentine lines and lofty thematic inventions...New New York features a truly divergent melding of tuneful compositions that successfully or perhaps imaginatively draw upon the disparate influences contained within the Big Apple." —Glenn Astarita, AllAboutJazz.com
  • "Slagle keeps this Apple-themed set rooted in a hip-swiveling mood that really digs into a salad of crisply punchy rhythms and bright horn lines that celebrate these melodies with poised pounce and thrilling solos." —Andrew Bartlett, Amazon.com
  • "...a compelling and multi-faceted musical portrait of his adopted hometown ... a glorious joust with [Joe] Lovano ... Slagle's sound on alto saxophone has both richness and bite." —Kenny Mathieson, JazzWise 
  • 2001 Critics' Best —Antonio Rubio, JazzPortugal.net
  • Top Recording of 2001  EJazzNews.com
  • "...Slagle's full realized, multi-faceted tribute to the ebullient city he loves." GMN.com
  • "...an excellent modern-jazz record..." —Brian Morton, Jazz Review Magazine (May 2001)
  • "...a compelling and multi-faceted musical portrait ... Slagle's sound on alto saxophone has both richness and bite."  —Kenny Mathieson, CD Archives (UK)
  • "...go-for-broke energy and aggression that's a hallmark of the best jazz from New York....  Recommended listening, and you don't have to be a New Yorker to enjoy it." IAJRC (International Association of Jazz Record Collectors) Journal (Spring 2001)

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