Suspended Reality

by Mark O'Connor

Overview

With a long gap between albums as a leader, saxophonist Mark O'Connor leads his group through a fairly casual set on Suspended Reality, building a layer of instrumentation around a focal set of sax lines. The sound is locked into a slight blues groove for most of the proceedings, O'Connor combining with piano and bass to provide a strong night club aesthetic. Just a hint of gospel creeps in when it's called for, just a bit of soul-jazz creeps in when it's called for, and the ensemble alternately takes turns soloing through quick sections and working as a full ensemble for long melodic stretches of collective play. Though the compositions are nearly Mingus-like with a focus on the rhythm and soul of a number rather than the attention to virtuosity that has taken over much of the newest generation of players, the shining aspect of the album is the sheer exuberance of playing that comes from all parties. Even when subdued, or restrained by the song at hand, the players have a certain level of joy embedded in the passages that comes out remarkably well. ~ Adam Greenberg

Product Details

Release Date:	03/15/2011
Label:	Oa2 Records
UPC:	0805552208023
Rank:	247871

Tracks

1. Suspended Reality
2. A Monk's Dream
3. Flight of the Birds
4. Song For Betony
5. The Sound of Joy
6. Cady's Groove
7. Tail of the Sun
8. Kite Flying
9. Quiet Snow
10. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mark O'Connor   Primary Artist,Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor)
Mark O'Connor Quintet   Primary Artist
Tom Hipskind   Drums
Mark Maegdlin   Piano
Victor Garcia   Trumpet
Jonathan Paul   Bass
Ben Lewis   Piano

Technical Credits

Jack Strachey   Composer
Johnny Griffin   Composer
Scott Steinman   Mastering
Brian Schwab   Mixing,Engineer
Sherwin   Composer
Eric Maschwitz   Composer
John Bishop   Cover Design
Mark Maegdlin   Producer
Walter Howard   Liner Notes
Mark O'Connor   Composer,Producer
Carolyn Ballen   Photography
Isaac Bloom   Cover Photo