Crying and Laughing
© Copyright-Joel Newton
(837101212786)
Record Label: Joel Newton Situation
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"...striking skills...[Newton] performs on a par with seminal players like Bill Frisell and Ben Monder."
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Newton’s your man whether you prefer your jazz-guitar virtuosi rough or smooth. The tunes range from funk to totally $%#&!'d-up (in the best sense)…
VILLAGE VOICE
"Improv-and prog-rock nuts no less than jazzbos should get a sharp shock of recognition from this quartet, a sort of Medeski, Martin and Mahavishnu thing that cuts loose from tight heads to travel the spaceways."
VILLAGE VOICE
"…a new angle on jazz-rock…intergalactic travels…irony and contrast aplenty… introspective quietude interspersed [with] explosive energy...Newton explores new sounds and textures."
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Could JNS be the first great jazz-fusion band of the 21st century? In a word, yeah. ... Free thinking and forward looking, JNS is guided by a passionate spirit of improvisation, which has informed the best instrumental music throughout history."
BUFFALO NEWS
"...an adventurous guitarist with chops to spare...Joel has produced a well executed collection of original music that falls onto a musical continuum begun 25 years ago while remaining completely contemporary and invigorating."
JAZZREVIEW.COM
Joel Newton (guitar), Ben Stivers (keyboards), Toshi Someya (bass), Eric Halvorson (drums)
This recording captures a sound cultivated by the four musicians over a three year period of frequent performing. It wasn't until the end of the four recording sessions that we realized we had an album in the making. We had been recording casually, largely to test out all the new studio equipment Eric had recently purchased. Out of this relaxed environment came documentation of a handful of songs (spanning 12 years of my writing career) and about 4 hours of open-ended improvisation. I tried to carve out of this a slice of the essence of this group: how we interpret songs, and how we interpret a blank slate. It's about freedom and motion and abandon and as many moods as possible (except boredom). I hope you enjoy it. -Joel
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Skyward bound creativity and proficency
author: Bill
Wow. There is alot here. Joel's cd covers expansive rhythmic and harmonic grounds in a tasteful and digestible fashion. I'm amazed by his command of the guitar and the delivery of an endless palette of creative musical concepts. The entire group works brilliantly as a collective unit, and individually - equally impressive as soloists. Additionally, Crying and Laughing is a superior sound quality recording which makes for a very enjoyable listen. Nice work Joel.
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top-notch contemporary jazz instrumentals
author: Mike Lindgren
CRYING AND LAUGHING is that rare contemporary jazz album that has both chops and soul. Joel Newton's guitar playing is agile, fluid, and witty, and his compositions have a melodic inventiveness and spaciousness of structure that make them engaging and satisfying rather than mere platforms for inspired noodling. The band behind him is extremely simpatico, both flexible and hard-swinging. A superior recording in every way.
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Where Did This Guy Come From?
author: J. Ross
What an album! If you like Bill Frisell, Ben Monder, and to a lesser extent Pat Metheny and John Scofield, then this is your album. This music is great. I'm a big fan of modern jazz guitar, and this guy is a fantastic player. The compositions are also very interesting. Newton isn't afraid to take risks. Some great musicians here as well, most notably the drumming of Eric Halvorson. Help support this great musician by picking up Crying and Laughing now.
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