Here are the new Criss Cross Jazz releases for February 2015, which will be available around February 17. All details can be found on the website:

         https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/

CRISS 1375 CD    TIM WARFIELD QUINTET - SPHERICAL - DEDICATED TO THELONIOUS SPHERE MONK - Tim Warfield's eighth Criss Cross leader recording Spherical, which references the middle name of its primary subject, immortal jazz pianist-composer Thelonious Sphere Monk, is the tenor/soprano saxophonist's most idiosyncratic and personal document to date. To be specific, Warfield and an efflorescent quintet of virtuoso teamplayers (Eddie Henderson, trumpet; Orrin Evans, piano;Ben Wolfe, bass; Clarence Penn, drums) personalize six Monk compositions (Off Minor, Ugly Beauty, Oska T, Gallop's Gallop, Coming on the Hudson, and Round Midnight) and That Old Man (which Monk recorded as "Children's Song"in 1964), as well as an original Warfield blues dedicated to Monk's first employer, Coleman Hawkins. All members improvise with a creative force that shows the depth of their engagement with the essence of these masterworks; the will to swing defines the proceedings throughout. https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1375.htm

CRISS 1376 CD   LAGE LUND TRIO - IDLEWILD - Along with label mates Mike Moreno and Adam Rogers, guitarist Lage Lund is one of the most distinctive guitarists on the current scene. His previous three Criss Cross dates have established his credentials as an up and coming talent of great promise. For his latest effort, he brings back to the fold his close associates Ben Street on bass and Bill Stewart on drums, both heard on Lund's previous sets, Foolhardy (Criss 1360) and Unlikely Stories (Criss 1321). The difference this time is that he forgoes the piano accompaniment for a bare bones trio approach that is quite refreshing and a further step forward. The mix includes a few originals and a nicely chosen selection of standards, including the iconic Bobby Hutcherson piece Isn't This My Sound Around Me. https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1376.html

CRISS 1377 CD   DAYNA STEPHENS QUINTET/SEXTET - REMINISCENT - FEATURING WALTER SMITH III - For his third Criss Cross release, following Today is Tomorrow (Criss 1345) and I'll Take My Chances (Criss 1361) tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens presents a fresh take on the "saxophone battle" genre in partnership with rising star Walter Smith III, himself the leader of the critically acclaimed III (Criss 1328). Complemented by a state-of-the-art rhythm section of A-list 30-somethings (Aaron Parks, piano; Mike Moreno, guitar; Harish Raghavan, bass; and Rodney Green, drums) the protagonists juxtapose their distinctive instrumental voices and apply their melody-centric sensibilities to a varied program comprising original music, as well as the iconic two-tenor standard Blues Up And Down and Bill Evans' Blue In Green. Less a cutting contest than a forum for collective story-telling, REMINISCENT is a tour de force that will repay repeated listenings. https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1377.html

CRISS 1378 CD   ALEX SIPIAGIN SEXTET - BALANCE 38-58 - Following up his chord-less quartet outing of 2013 Overlooking Moments (Criss 1354), trumpeter Alex Sipiagin returns with a compelling sextet lineup featuring David Binney, Adam Rogers, John Escreet and Matt Brewer, every one of them an esteemed bandleader in the Criss Cross fold. Eric Harland, leader of his own Voyager group and a valued presence on 10 prior Criss Cross releases (including two by Sipiagin), rounds out the ensemble on drums. The dense yet flowing counterpoint, knotty lyricism and effortless groove anchoring these original pieces make Balance 38 -58 a vital addition to Sipiagin's catalog. Whether he's leading his own bands or lending his fiery solo voice to the music of Dave Holland, Manuel Valera, Misha Tsiganov, the Mingus Big Band and many others, Sipiagin continues to make his name as one of the world's finest jazz trumpeters. https://www.crisscrossjazz.com/album/1378.html

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