Criss Cross Jazz new releases February 2012

Here are the new Criss Cross Jazz releases for February 2012, which will
be available from February 20. All details can be found on the website:

         https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/

CRISS 1342 CD    ULYSSES OWENS Jr. QUINTET - UNANIMOUS -

Still on the shy side of 30, Ulysses Owens Jr. has garnered an
international reputation as drummer of choice for Christian McBride,
Nicholas Payton, and Kurt Elling, three very different personalities
who are very particular in what they want to hear from the kit.

On his Criss Cross leader debut, Owens Jr. convenes Christian McBride
and Nicholas Payton, as well as pianist Christian Sands (even more
visible for his work in McBride's trio), rising star alto saxophonist
Jaleel Shaw (Roy Haynes' main sax voice for the last five years), and
trombonist Mike Dease.

The leader finds fresh approaches to various flavors of the swing
timeline --- Art Blakey and the refractions of Buhaina established by
Mulgrew Miller and Bobby Watson (each a one-time employer); Tony
Williams' two phases with the Miles Davis Quintet; Ed Thigpen's
crispness with the Oscar Peterson Trio --- within a 21st century
context.
It's a must-hear.

https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1342.html


CRISS 1343 CD   YOSVANY TERRY SEXTET - TODAY'S OPINION -

Yosvany Terry has helped redefine the Afro-Cuban and contemporary jazz
idiom in the New York music scene. Mr. Terry's new release Today's
Opinion reflects the growth of a young but mature composer in the
international music scene.
The music of this album reflects Mr. Terry's deep cultural roots as well
as the versatility of his musical styles.

An extraordinary cast of musicians performs on this recording: Michael
Rodriguez on trumpet, Osmany Paredes on piano, Yunior Terry on bass,
Obed Calvaire on drums, Pedro Martinez on percussion and vocal, and
Yosvany Terry on saxophones and chekere.

This exceptional, multilayered recording Today's Opinion manages to be
simultaneously accessible and profound, it signals the next phase of
Mr. Terry's distinctive personal vision.

https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1343.html


CRISS 1344 CD   JOE SANDERS QUARTET - INTRODUCING JOE SANDERS -

Criss Cross is proud to present the leader debut of bassist Joe Sanders,
who is most widely known on the international scene for his long
association with pianist Gerald Clayton's Trio, and is often heard with
the best and brightest of his New York City peer group, of whom he
convenes three --- pianist Luis Perdomo, alto saxophonist Will Vinson,
and drummer Rodney Green (rising star vocalist Gretchen Parlato joins
the mix on Sanders' A Joy and Sorrow) --- for a diverse recital
comprising 7 strikingly melodic, harmonically sophisticated originals
that cover a range of stylistic food groups, as well as 2 jazz
standards (Cedar Walton's Hindsight and Pat Metheny's Question and
Answer) and a songbook chestnut (The Things We Did Last Summer).

Deploying a formidable tone and enviable facility, Sanders
authoritatively guides the flow, focusing on ensemble imperatives
even during his virtuoso solos, which set a high bar that his
colleagues match throughout.

https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1344.html


CRISS 1345 CD   DAYNA STEPHENS QUARTET - TODAY IS TOMORROW -

A Bay Area native, tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens makes his auspicious
debut on the Criss Cross label with Today Is Tomorrow --- a soaring,
lyrical, deeply swinging collection of originals and jazz classics
(Hoagy Carmichael's Skylark, Joe Henderson's Black Narcissus).

As a 2003 graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute, Stephens had the
opportunity to work with the likes of Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter and
Herbie Hancock, who helped strengthen his complex sensibility as a
composer and improviser.
In recent years Dayna has appeared with the likes of Carlos Santana,
Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Gretchen Parlato and many others.

Joining Stephens on Today Is Tomorrow is a stellar cast, featuring Aaron
Parks on piano and the sturdy rhythm section of Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass
and Donald  Edwards on drums.
Supplementing the lineup are Julian Lage, one of the jazz scene's most
exciting newcomers on guitar, and Michael Rodriguez, a fiery trumpeter
with credits including Charlie Haden and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Stephens pilots them through the set with finesse and heart, proving
himself a player quickly on the rise.

https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1345.html