Album Notes

matt criscuolo,native of the bronx,ny comes out strong with his debut album as a leader. what separates matt from other altoists is his immediately unique and identifiable tone.on this album ,matt doesn't just merely capitalize on his obvious fluid technique,he also remarkably finds a middle ground between the alto sax tradition of hard boppers and a more progressive approach to improvisation. he avoids the allure of the "prima donna" complex of showing off , and confidently features a well rounded project that is poignant,emotive, and thought provoking. of the 9 songs,6 are originals and showcase his compositional talents as well as his lyrical approach and concept. if you are familiar with the work of the late art blakey group with val ponomarev,dave schnitter and bobby watson, you may have a basic point of reference in understanding how this group sounds.this recording is a keeper and one you'll listen to regularly because it appeals to not only the serious progressive jazz player or listener, but also to the "not so heavy" jazz listener. matt is accompanied by phil bowler on bass(whose credits include collaborations with max roach,slide hampton,horace silver,roland kirk,wynton marsalis,ralph peterson,terence blanchard). alan palmer on piano(jackie maclean's pianist) .ken barry on tenor(another hip sax player who sticks out). graham bruce on trumpet(he also arranged most of the tunes on this cd brilliantly). beaver bausch on drums(a massive and up and coming force) ...this album will,as many have undeniably testified, probably get worn out from playing it so much .you'll find that this album will be the perfect soundtrack to whatever mood you're in.