Customer Reviews

Elevado

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Astral project is a "super group" of New Orleans jazz. The members blend and flow through the genre of modern jazz in an unique style which combines elements of the various jazz forms, rock, second line, funk, classical, romance, punk, ...you name it, and it is there. They are the only Astral Project, none other even comes close. Elevado reflects the maturity of their 20+ years together. These guys are connected by invisible threads of experience. No seams are visible in the motion of their collective journey. Five individuals become one, and the synergy is obvious. Buy it now!

Bull dog run and carnival are my favorites. I saw this group live at Snug in NO. James Singleton on basss was one of the most memeorable parts of the evening. His flari for showmanship and his Buddy Holly looks on Bull dog kicked for sure. The greatest talent of this band lies intheir dummer Johnny V. This man has a talent for rythums that place him amongst the best drummers extant. Their guitarist STeve M is a composer extrod., and the sax and piano (Tony and David) are incredibly talented, rounding out a major jazz force.

While the tourists hang around Bourbon Street for "free" ragtime at $4.50 a glass, the locals have been listening to these guys for years. This is one of many releases, their latest, and it's great. It's not dixie or swing, but modern jazz at its best. If you can handle that, you gonna love it!

Astral Project comprises five jazz musicians from New Orleans: saxophonist Tony Dagradi, pianist David Torkanowsky, drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, and guitarist Steve Masakowski (Dagradi, Singleton, and Vidacovich have an excellent CD out on the Turnipseed label, Live at the Columns by the Tony Dagradi Trio, and Dagradi had an excellent recording out on the Gramavision label that I raved about maybe two decades s ago--where does the time go?) But no, this is not music immediately recognizable as New Orleans music--this is interesting contemporary jazz that sounds old and new at the same time. Vidacovich is always a delight on drums, and in his drumming you can hear a hint of New Orleans--some of that funky, slippery syncopation that characterizes the Second Line.

The group plays well as a unit, with everybody getting a chance to solo but also doing a good job of supporting each other. These guys present nearly 65 minutes of good jazz, with not a weak minute on the whole CD. The recording is clean and unexaggerated. Elevado was my top candidate for Jazz CD of the Year honors for 1998. I recommend it highly to all jazz fans, and suggest that you check out the band's website [...]