Reviews of "Old School" MA Recordings (M050A)

If you have any affinity toward the new jazz, as it was once called, or free jazz, you will be drawn immediately into this disc. Three like-thinking musicians went into St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, started playing in front of two micro-phones and four hours later, this disc was finished. But from listening to the solid ensemble and solo work and to the absolutely lifelike realism of the recording, you would have thought this to be a long-labored, mega-studio production.

There is a bit of the energy and feel of Ornette Coleman's classic sessions, especially in the opening tune, "Vitamin C," as Colley's strumming bass and Erskine's light drum work underpin a lithe, lyrical alto statement by Epstein, a very solid player whose name is not familiar to most, but inevitably will be someday soon. And the almost mirthful and downright melodic drum introduction to "Meanwhile" is ample evidence for Erskine's well-deserved reputation: as the other two musicians slink into the action, the laid-back, ultracool mood of the piece offers plenty of room for everyone to stretch out admirably.

As for the production, I can't say enough about producer and engineer Todd Garfinkle's minimalist approach, done simply with two microphones and a 96kHz, high-sampling recorder. I've never heard an M*A record yet that didn't give me goose bumps for its holographic realism. I wish every jazz producer working today would pay attention to this guy-the jump in sound quality would be geometric.

Old School features three of the most adroit group players on the scene in recordings of great spontaneity and informality. Peter Epstein ­ whose previous credits include albums with pianist Michael Cain and drummers Jerry Granelli and Carola Grey ­ spearheads the group¹s sound with his multi-textured alto work, which is fruity in the low register but also capable of everything from warbling sonorousness to shrill plaintiveness. And the seven subtly restrained, quietly complex originals, two free improvisations and single plangent ballad (Duke Ellington¹s affecting 'For Harry Carney') benefit greatly from the unusual responsiveness and sensitivity of Scott Colley and Peter Erskine. Discursive and adventurous, and frequently hovering on the edge of abstraction, this is by no means easy-listening music, but it richly rewards close attention.

Rough Guides - Music

Reviews of "The Invisible" MA Recordings (M050A)

Saxophonist Peter Epstein is an open-ended conceptualist whose quartet's forays swell, storm and sidle off like a cinema collage of 24 hours in the life of a spring sky. On alto, Epstein's urgent sound, cascading geysers and pointillistic clusters suggest the influence of avant gardist Ornette Coleman. There's also a touch of the outdoors, a la Paul Winter and Jan Garbarek. Keyboardist Jamie Saft, bassist Chris Dahlgren and drummer Jim Black are sensitive and able collaborators. A fascinating amalgam of what might be best described as "freeform eco-jazz."

Chuck Berg, Jazz Times

There is nothing about alto/tenor/soprano saxophonist Epstein's music that could be called clichéd or derivative. He's forging new trails within modern jazz, and that completely original music is well documented on this CD. It's his second with this group of bassist Chris Dahlgren, drummer Jim Black and keyboardist Jamie Saft. The seven cuts are split between the long and short of it. Most concise is the title track, with inherent long sax tones holding soft harmonics with Dahlgren's bass. "Creamy Center" sports a slow, incessant rock beat with organ, intensifying into a free discourse. "Ornette's Advice" has a warbling, repetitive Epstein on alto over demure, orchestral-sounding strings of the bass to a spiritual center and some patented free drumming from the always witty Black. "Good Fever" is a twitchy tango where Saft's cascading piano leads to more rockish beats. Of the more extended pieces, the most outstanding is "The Leaf's Impression," with dramatic Farfisa organ and Zen-like rambling sax in a dervish dance combined with a slight reggae feel. There's freedom galore, and beautiful originality in this ornately adorned piece. "Centrifugal Force" is more developed, with low-key balladic nuances and darker incursions contrasting hymnal motifs, rattling bells and percussion, and another rock beat. Spooky probing organ and a more pronounced alto implies the swirling, inexorable motion of the title. At their most tuneful or properly structured, "Shut Up, Peaceful" evokes the very spirit of the late Jim Pepper's saxophone sound and Native American expressiveness, a commendable attribute for Epstein. 6/8 African and swinging multiple rhythms seem simple for Black, but in fact he is evolving and conjuring these beats simultaneously, a remarkable feat for a fabulous percussion wizard. Epstein is making some pretty amazing statements rooted in world music and the avant-garde, but stretching even those parameters to create a contemporary modern sound all his own. This one is highly recommended.

Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

The ever-shifting landscape of young musicians blurring the lines of mainstream and avant-garde jazz has produced some gems. Saxophonist Peter Epstein leveraged the scene in 1998 on the magnificent Staring at the Sun, and he does so again on The Invisible. Epstein wisely elected to keep the Staring quartet intact for its successor, and they shine. Jim Black and keyboardist Jamie Saft share an affinity for angularity and chunky bends in time and tone while Chris Dahlgren holds down the fort on bass. Epstein has a laser-like focus he aims squarely in minute phrases on "Good Fever," later honing in on dramatic textural dynamics with "Creamy Center." Saft's farfisa organ adds an extra range to the quartet on "The Leaf's Impression," which seeps into the ear like most of this album, with an initial shyness that blossoms into an indelible imprint. As a saxophonist, Epstein is first rate, eschewing virtuosity for a more reflective, impressionistic aesthetic that has him holding back, then lunging forward, then receding. As a bandleader, he has an unerring sense of the way a band can shape a tune. This band shapes some fine tunes.

Andrew Bartlett, amazon.com

Saxophonist Peter Epstein changes sound and form as needed for the different lives he leads. In one prior life he sits in a cathedral alone, playing for the gods (see this month's review of Solus), in another he wears a Downtown existence in Jerry Granelli's Badlands. Then there's his Portuguese folk/jazz (see review of Almas), Mid-Eastern music with Brad Shepik, then again his ECM chamber jazz work. His ability to morph makes him all things to most people.

His second recording with his quartet of hip jazz outsiders: bassist Chris Dahlgren, drummer Jim Black and keyboardist, Jamie Saft is an original offering as indefinable as Epstein's entire oeuvre. The title track offers an eastern feel, Epstein's saxophone acting as a cantor praying, repeating lines. "Creamy Center" is an organ spun blues whirled like some live Weather Report date. Could that be? Jim Black, a dervish of a drummer rocks out, while Saft's organ plays a blues, but not one conceived by Jimmy Smith. Epstein for most of the album comes from a Wayne Shorter mold (more Weather Report). Then there is "The Leaf's Impression," a WR feel, straight from 8:30. Shorter's presence is strong, the wistful passages and bold compositional presence. Saft copes with Zawinul too. Beautiful. Nobody has walked this road since fusion became a bad word. Like most great albums, there is more here than first perceived. With Peter Epstein, we haven't begun to uncover what he is all about. More please.

Mark Corroto, allaboutjazz.com

Epstein's outing represents the most "outside" playing of the three. It's free jazz drenched in an accomplished melodicism that sugar-coats the fact that it's an open-blowing session.

But don't be put off -- The Invisible isn't just a bunch of tweedle-plonk noodling, it all makes perfect sense if you are only willing to accept its terms.

Sonically, this is a killer! One of the big differences between recorded music and live is the way that recording tones down transient response. Listen to a drum set in a club: the sound of the snare drum almost strikes you physically in the chest, and the kick drum moves so much air it can blow out candles across a room. Recordings tend to tame that. Not this one -- I've never heard a CD that better captured the sound of a trapset. And Epstein's saxophones are just as harmonically present as the drums are. As an added bonus, you also get the sound of a tube-driven Farfisa organ -- that's a sound you don't hear every day.

The Invisible also exhibits a warmth and bass bloom I haven't heard from an M·A Recording previously. This might well have to do with the fact that it was recorded with a pair of Telefunken 221 tubed microphones. These use a one-inch capsule, which may also account for the phenomenal dynamic clout of the disc.

The level of playing on the record is extraordinary. Epstein is totally in control of his soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, using each of them to the limits of their expressiveness. I'd never heard him on tenor before, but I hope he plays much more in the future. Jamie Saft's piano and organ are also top-drawer. He's got big ears -- he's always aware of what the others are playing and how best to support it. Chris Dahlgren, likewise, is a superb accompanist and his bass lines anchor many a flight of fancy here.

But the most remarkable performance is that of drummer Jim Black. He's simply astounding. I haven't heard such tuneful, melodic drumming in ages. The astounding transient response and dynamic range of this recording simply underscore the amazing performance he turns in. Hey Todd, record this guy doing anything he wants!

But, of course, as the consistently high level of music and performance from M·A Recordings clearly shows, Todd Garfinkle doesn't need any advice from the likes of me. He's doing just fine on his own.

Wes Phillips, On HiFi

Reviews of "Staring at the Sun" MA Recordings (M041A)

Saxophonist/composer Peter Epstein uses his background of avant-garde jazz (with artists like Michael Cain) and world-influenced jazz (with artists like Brad Shepik) to fashion a debut album that mounts a sonic assault on multiple fronts. The date is marked by Epstein's wonderful affinity with accompanying accordionist Jaime Saft -- which may have developed when both recently played for Jerry Granelli. The quartet is rounded out by bassist Chris Dahlgren and progressive drummer extraordinaire Jim Black.

Middle-eastern tempos underscore the gracefully-twirling melody of "In Your Voice," borne between Epstein's soprano and Saft's reedy squeezebox before the two solo simultaneously in a mutually-complimentary manner. "Crowd Theory," a lightly bouncing blend of rhythm and melody, also sounds as middle-eastern as it does jazzy, with Saft's stuttering riffs and Epstein's fluttering lines.

Epstein's avant-garde leanings are indulged fully, with such pieces as "No Step," with his and Saft's measured, slowly-surging passages punctuated by a kind of brief, bracing tag-theme, reminiscent of Ornette Coleman-inspired Ralph Peterson. The smoothly-blending harmonies of accordion-and-soprano duet "Kinder" seem unrestricted by tempo or key; the slowly-cartwheeling, otherworldly melody of "Fetish" metamorphoses into a tense, scrambling theme from Epstein and Saft; and the stinging accordion chords and soprano cadenzas of "Feast And Famine" form a shifting, tonal mesh.

Sole non-Epstein composition is Dahlgren's "Per," which opens with a lyrical soprano solo before turning into a dolorously soulful sax-and-bass duet. And Dahlgren's tiptoeing bassline sets the tone for this hushed, careful theme "Chicken Dumbo."

Elements of tonality, dissonance and "world" styles converge on "April 1st," wherein a tenor-toting Epstein opens with a Rollinsesque calypsonian line, backed chiefly by Black's drum expressions. Within this full-bodied, islandy framework, Epstein breaks his phrasing into cubist chunks and long wails. In his liner notes, Epstein describes this music as having grown from "Simple fragments I stumbled upon while practicing, falling asleep, maybe riding the subway." Judging by the way Epstein explored and fleshed-out these musical ideas, listeners would have to agree that fascinating creations from little fragments grow.

Drew Wheeler, CDNow

As up-front and unmistakable as Peter Epstein's saxophones are on this globetrotting album, it's his group conception that stands out. Drummer Jim Black, who's made bands like Human Feel and albums like Dave Douglas and the Tiny Bell Trio's Live in Europe and Ellery Eskelin's Jazz Trash sound wildly percussive, plays circles around ordinary time signatures and rhythmic pulses. Epstein's easily a match, spreading sheets of tone over Black's tiny gestures on various clangorous objects, and together, the two make a great pair of polarities for Jamie Saft on accordion and Chris Dahlgren on acoustic bass to bounce off of. There are international touches galore, with Epstein shining when his horn is trained on longer, swiveling phrases. The music's overall feel leans Balkan without ever showing its full flush of influences. At times Epstein commands this compact band as if he's thinking of Ornette Coleman's late-1950s quartet, nearing a full romp of emotion while tethering the pace. Saft's accordion is strong, way off center in a way that speaks to his own work on piano and organ (especially with Bobby Previte's mid-1990s groups). Once you get into this recording, it's unbelievable how crystal clear every detail is and how creatively sculpted the tunes and solos are. A fantastic experience from start to end.

Andrew Bartlett, Amazon.com

Saxophonist Peter Epstein is nothing if not distinctive; his thoughtful, unmistakable playing has been a highlight of recordings by Michael Cain, Jerry Granelli, and many others. Staring At The Sun finds him taking the plunge as a leader on a session of tentative but beautiful exploration. He's assembled a quartet of alarming sensitivity, able to provide Epstein's experiential pieces with the delicate touch they deserve. The tonal blend of Jamie Saft's accordion with the leader's saxophone is astonishing and Saft displays a remarkable fluency on this sadly underused instrument, from spinning curious melodic lines to coaxing forth ominous tone clusters. Bassist Chris Dahlgren is solid but never overpowering and uses his prodigious arco technique to great advantage (also, his composition "Per" is among the album's highlights). Ubiquitous drummer Jim Black's role runs the gamut, from laying down odd-meter grooves of daunting complexity to providing gentle ambient coloration. "In Your Voice", the album's opener, is stunning; Dahlgren begins with a descending figure alternating in meter between six and seven while Black dances around him - Epstein and Saft enter with a poignant melody which leads the band into a territory of airy abstraction. "Cumulus" finds its seed in several simple tones that the band slowly builds upon to a triumphant climax while Dahgren's "Per" is a starkly beautiful composition for bowed bass and saxophone with accordion droning quietly in the background. MA is a label known for their meticulous attention to audio and it complements the album wonderfully, leaving no subtle touches unheard. And listener should not want to miss a single one on this astonishing debut.

Tom Benton, All Music Guide

Reviews of "Solus"MA Recordings (M041A)

Albums of unaccompanied solo saxophone have always been a tough sell, to be sure, but Solus, by saxophonist-composer Peter Epstein, pretty well manages the unmanageable. Boosting Epstein's sound are the spectral acoustic shadows created by the natural reverb of his recording venue, the San Martino Cathedral in Lucca, Italy. Throughout, this subtle echo serves as Epstein's phantom accompanist.

He opens on an atypical note, with a soprano-saxophone version of J.S. Bach's Partita No. 2 in D minor for solo violin. Listeners will be pleased that Bach's glorious melodies are quite safe in Epstein's hands -- as are the elegant clarion-calls of Verdi's Theme From la "Forza del Destino." And if one is to assume that Epstein's composition "Improvisation" is actually just that, he seems to have further drunk in the influence of Bach and improvises within a kind of non-bluesy, neoclassical framework.

Other Epstein-penned highlights of the highly listenable set are notable for the incessantly vibrating, twittering tonalities of "Pi"; the dolorous sonorities of "Life on Taggart Street"; and the otherworldly, bleating swells of sound on "The Quarrier's Secret Lament." Add a version of the melancholy meditation "Long Ago" by Epstein's frequent collaborator Marcelo Zarvos, and it will become plain how a solo-saxophone album can sound like there's not something missing.

Drew Wheeler, CDNow.com

(Almas & Solus)

My 'what I did during summer vacation' essay would begin simply enough. "I listened to jazz." I guess you can call what I listen too, 'jazz.' But then again, when is jazz not jazz? And can a jazz artist make a non-jazz record? Certainly, ask Miles Davis (sorry), ask Keith Jarrett and Wynton Marsalis, both have been exploring classical music most of their careers. Without re-igniting the 'what is/is not jazz' argument I venture into two recent discs by saxophonist Peter Epstein. Epstein, jazz musician has made two very Downtown records, Staring At The Sun and The Invisible with the all-star cast of Jamie Saft (piano/organ), Jim Black (drums), Chris Dahlgren (drums).

Epstein's other life seems to be found in the semi-classical/classical-folk world. The same territory mined by Manfred Eicher's ECM label. Typical ECM releases eschew swing for feeling. The American born Epstein is a sort of Jan Garbarek without the Euro-angst trip. His solo saxophone album, aptly titled Solus covers Bach, Verdi, Zarvos, and Epstein. I must excuse myself from any classical music discussion because well, this summer I only listen to jazz. Solus was recorded in the Cathedral of San Martino in Lucca, Italy. A perfect setting for the reverberant sound produced. Epstein doesn't jazz the classics as much as play long flowing and intricate passages to create audio landscape portraits. Epstein's circular breathing whirls ideas, not in jazz tradition strictly speaking, what he plays is music in an improvisatory sense. His improvisation on Bach extends Bach's compositional logic (I call that jazz) and his own writing "The Quarrier's Secret Lament" recalls John Lurie's Down By Law soundtrack without the beats. Like recent recordings of Patrick Zimmerli, Epstein elongates thoughts and emotions. Let's call it anti-Charlie Parker.

Teamed with Portuguese pianist Joao Paulo and bassist Carlos Bica, Epstein plays a mix of folk /classical/jazz and the mix is preferenced in that order. Recorded in a Lisbon Cathedral, the drummer-less trio obtains a rich sound, studio engineers salivate over. Paulo, like American Chick Corea, has the talents of a classical pianist, but the mind of a jazzman. His manner suggests the frolic over formalism, the main ingredient of both folk and jazz. Not that this isn't a serious undertaking, Paulo and Epstein take off (in a classical sense) the lead voice. Paulo has created an authentic document of his native voice, a successful attempt at what those early Windham Hill records were striving to accomplish.

Mark Corroto, allaboutjazz.com