Criss Cross

Dr. Lonnie Smith - The Art Of Organizing (2009) {Criss Cross Jazz - Criss 1318}
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© 2009 Criss Cross Jazz | Criss 1318 CD
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Post Bop / Hammond Organ B-3

Brace yourselves for The Art of Organizing, the very first appearance on Criss Cross by organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith. Organ jazz is of course an important part of the Criss Cross catalog. Our releases by the likes of Melvin Rhyne and Sam Yahel bear that out, also demonstrating how this vital idiom spans the generations. And you're very likely to find that a Criss Cross organ date involves modern master guitarist Peter Bernstein, an important leader for our label in his own right. Indeed, it is none other than Bernstein who joins Smith on The Art of Organizing.

Brian Lynch Sextet - Peer Pressure (1986) {Criss Cross Jazz CRISS 1029 CD}
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© 1986 Criss Cross Jazz | CRISS 1029 CD
Jazz / Straight-Ahead Jazz / Trumpet

Lynch wrote three of the seven tracks, while Horace Silver, Benny Golson, Tommy Turrentine and Cole Porter penned one apiece. His trumpet sound definitely borrows from previous modern masters Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan & Bill Hardman, and the influence of Silver, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and those of the hard/post bop movement cannot be denied. The latin tinge is also prevalent on the Brazilian bossa inflected "Change Of Plan" and Silver's Afro-Cuban tinged classic "The Outlaw." These two selections serve Lynch well for future excursions away from strict mainstream jazz. A rock solid date from a promising musician whose star is on the rise.

Lifted Land, David Binney's sixth recording for Criss Cross, is also his third wholly original program for the label. One of the most gripping and distinctive alto players and composers of his generation, Binney leads a powerfully expressive quartet with longtime allies Craig Taborn on piano and Eivind Opsvik on bass. Drummer Tyshawn Sorey, an acclaimed leader and composer in his own right, makes his first Criss Cross appearance here, in place of Binney?s go-to drummer for previous releases, Dan Weiss. Binney's tunes are anthemic, evocative, highly precise and finely crafted and yet prepared to venture into the freest abstract terrain.

Luis Perdomo - Pathways (2008) {Criss Cross Jazz 1308}
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© 2008 Criss Cross Jazz | Criss 1308 CD
Jazz / Post-Bop / Modal Music / Piano

Luis Perdomo's time as an accompanist to Ravi Coltrane has served him well, introducing this very fine young yet experienced player to modern jazz audiences. He's impressive as a modal player with energy and chops to burn, but during this trio effort shows a sensitive side, while not opting for tame or watered-down mainstream jazz. Bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Eric McPherson are both quite capable players who also understand how to turn the volume down just a touch in order to find balance and symmetry.

Luis Perdomo - The 'Infancia' Project (2012) {Criss Cross Jazz 1348}
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© 2012 Criss Cross Jazz | Criss 1348 CD
Jazz / Latin Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

This time the exceptional pianist Luis Perdomo reaches back to the earliest influences he grew up listening to: South American and Afro Caribbean Rhythms, on this, his second outing for Criss Cross Jazz: The 'Infancia' Project. Luis has handpicked a well balanced and stellar band to back him up: two players of the new generation with fresh ideas and concepts, Mark Shim on tenor saxophone and virtuoso percussionist Mauricio Herrera, plus two very influential legends deeply rooted in the tradition: bassist Andy Gonzalez and drummer Ignacio Berroa. With The 'Infancia' Project Luis Perdomo further establishes himself as a resourceful master musician and bandleader.

When it comes to New York’s top-shelf gigs, few pianists get the job done like David Hazeltine. Much sought for his sensitivity as an accompanist, Hazeltine is also an inventive composer and arranger who is able to bring a fresh approach to the mainstream. For his eighth set as a leader for Criss Cross, the pianist brings his talents to the fore with three originals, including a dedicatory For Cedar. Rounding out the set are a few select standards including a new twist on Dizzy Gillespie’s Tin Tin Deo.

Chet Baker - Live at Nick's (1978) {Criss Cross Jazz, Criss 1027CD rel 1989}
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© 1978, 1989 Criss Cross Jazz | Criss 1027 CD
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Trumpet

Recorded for Dutch radio, this is one of Chet Baker best live recordings. Live At Nick's is a very fine set, extermely well modulated, one of mere handful of albums from the last two decades of Chet's career that have to be considered essential.

The brainchild of producer Gerry Teekens, United Soul Experience extricates trombonist Wycliffe Gordon from the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra orbit and teams him with some of the most interesting young talent in the Criss Cross stable. Tradition-minded but not predictable, the music alludes to several jazz and funk styles without settling into any one of them. Gordon, tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, and pianist David Kikoski play like accomplished young veterans who continue to search for something more. Bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Bill Stewart generate a circuitous kind of swing, stating a pulse and deconstructing it in the same instance. The leader’s five compositions evince memorable melodies and impose just the right amount of organization to the band’s loose-jointed execution.