Thursday, August 5, 2010

Brandon Wright: Boiling Point

Positone Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 9.2.10
Buy CD: Boiling Point


Brandon Wright is a new member of the jazz fraternity. He plays tenor sax in this debut album and fronts a promising quintet.

This University of Miami cum laude graduate "made his bones" with many of the regular groups that work in New York, including the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band/ Dynasty/Orchestra and John Fedchock's New York Big Band.

Wright also composes and arranges; he wrote five of this CD's tracks. His tenor sound is big without being brash and, most importantly, he swings.

The members of his group, while also new and relatively unknown, meld nicely: David Kikoski on piano; Hans Glawischnig on bass; Matt Wilson on drums; and Alex Sipiagin on trumpet. They aren't yet household names, but they're on their way.

The album's highlights are the covers of Jimmy Van Heusen's "Here's That Rainy Day" and Harry Warren's "You're My Everything"; they swing nicely and are tastefully done.

This group won't have any problem finding gigs anywhere in the Big Apple.

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