Hot New York Minutes
Ignoramus, 2023
8/10
Listen to Hot New York Minutes
The long running jazz pianist Kevin O’Connell brings along Adam Brenner, Paul Gill and Mark Taylor for these originals and lesser known covers that make for an exciting jazz fusion affair.
“Newest Blues” gets the listen off to a lively start, where Brenner’s bright sax and O’Connell’s frisky keys make for a charming climate, and “One For Cliff” follows with Taylor’s crisp drumming guiding the rhythmic and rich landscape of timeless jazz.
“Biskit” lands in the middle, and showcases O’Connell’s meticulous key progressions alongside the soulful sax, while “Choose Now” finds a more intimate place to reside, where warmth and melody are both present in spades.
“One For George” and “A Thought” exit the listen, where the former quickly shuffles and benefits much from Gill’s precise bass work, and the latter is soft and expressive, where all 4 members show beautiful restraint.
Even though he’s got a resume going back to the ‘80s, this is O’Connell’s first outing as leader, and he makes a lasting impression with a nice balance between precision and playfulness.
Travels well with: Tomas Janzon- Nomadic; Dave Stryker- Prime