Review of Cindy Bradley's "Unscripted" by Brent Black: 

I do not review "vibe."
Not the asinine notion that "smooth jazz" is somehow a lifestyle anymore than the pseudo-intellectual notion that one's i.q. can be raised 50 points by purchasing a "straight-ahead" disc that with 25 years of musical training they could still never "get."

I write about music. 

Granted, I have been predisposed to judge most contemporary music as disposable and with a limited shelf life. I have also been known to be a bit more hypercritical and perform the occasional musical autopsy more so than a "review."

This brings me to "Unscripted."

Far from the stereotypical "eye candy" and "ear candy" one might expect, "Unscripted" is one of the most solid and well put together contemporary releases I have heard in perhaps the last 5 years - maybe 10. A little something for everyone seem to creep in and out of this disc. Smoldering with musical vitality and at times an old school "cool", this highly anticipated sophomore release is virtually flawless in presentation.

A perfect compliment of musicians surround Cindy, especially a jaw dropping performance by saxophonist Tim Veeder.

Highpoints - Too many to list. 
Lowpoints - None that take anything away from how well this release works.

"Unscripted" is a wonderful mix of jazz, bop ( yes folks, at times this disc turns into an old school "blowing session"), and contemporary r&b without ever approaching commercial over kill.

Far from just another pretty face; Cindy Bradley graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelors Degree in jazz studies and went on for her Master's in jazz trumpet performance at the New England Conservatory.
Bradley looks to be an emerging force in contemporary jazz. While it is horribly unfair and slightly sexist to compare her to her trumpet playing male counterparts it is more than fair to say she is as artistically gifted and technically proficient as any player on the scene today. 

While I would love to see Cindy cover some of her favorites from Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard with her own unique style, "Unscripted" is great jazz played with artistic vitality and excitement!

Buy or Sell? 

BUY!

Posted by Digital Jazz News

 

Review of Cindy Bradley's "Unscripted" by Harvey Cline:

The highly anticipated release from trumpeter Cindy Bradley is due to hit the streets June 21st and is guaranteed to be one of your favorites of the year. It is the follow up to her highly successful Bloom CD which made a large splash in the smooth jazz world in 2009. There’s so much to offer here as she shows her range in straight ahead, hip hop, and soulful, while allowing her band to shine as well. The addition of saxophonist Tim Veeder is a step up, and he adds a lot to the project. Portions of the disc are separated by interludes that have the artist traveling from one place to another.

The first “Prelude” leads the way to the exciting single called “Massive Transit” as Cindy walks into a club while she’s out on the town. It’s a real foot tapper from the beginning and is one you’ve heard on the radio quiet often. Says Bradley, “We call it “Massive Transit” because of the extreme amounts of traveling I did last year. I was constantly on red-eyes and going from one job to the next. So that’s where it’s got its name, but really, really fun different track.” There is a lot going on in the composition with the driving beat that turns into a virtual playground for Bradley’s trumpet. Veeder’s strong sax solo only adds to the excitement. I love that she starts with the first single because you’re hooked right away and want to listen to it all. The next “Interlude” goes right into “Footprints” which is more of a straight ahead song with muted horn. It has a little touch of Miles in it while continuing to move along at a nice pace. She also allows the keys and sax to show off before laying down some footprints of her own. Says Bradley, “So I really wanted to do a couple standards that I’ve always liked playing and then kind of make them my own. Make them a little bit funkier a little bit different.” The soulful “You Don’t Know What Love Is” keeps the same theme as the previous, but slows down the pace considerably. The piano introduction gives way to Cindy’s muted trumpet and showcases her talents.

Showing her versatility, she gets out her flugelhorn for the lightly simple “Lifted.” The pace here is not rushed, and her sound is pure when put in contrast of the acoustic guitar work of Thano Sahnas. It flows well into “A New Day” which showcases the fluglehorn once more. The second “Interlude” has the trumpeter getting into her car, changing a few radio stations, and heading into a funky number called “Deja Blue.” This one rocks from the beginning and is a showcase for the band. After featuring some of the members, it comes back into the catchy chorus that will have your head bopping through out until the exciting ending. “Pink Slip” picks up where the last one left off, and is a lot of fun to listen to as well. Crank up the organ along with some sax from Veeder and you can take this one to the end with an exclamation mark!

The final “Interlude” slows down the pace for the heartfelt “One Moment More” which comes from the heart and is an excellent closer for this Unscriptedrelease. The emotion is drawn from this Mindy Smith tune which was written for her mother who was dying of cancer. Cindy had both a grandmother as well as her own mother who had the disease, and the song was an emotional experience for her as well. “Right around when I recorded the song Mike Broening wanted me to pick a song that I just couldn’t listen to without tearing up or crying. That was the one I picked and then we made that special to me because of that.” You can feel that emotion in each note.

There is a reason why Cindy Bradley won several smooth jazz awards this year, and she proves her worth with this second release. I like this one a lot, and I really believe it will be one of the top CD’s of the year. Concept albums don’t come along very often, and this one flows together really well. Be sure to pick up a copy as soon as you can.

http://www.smoothviews.com/cdreviews/bradley_unscripted.htm

 

Review of  Gas House Gorillas "5 Gorillas Walk Into a Bar..." by Peter Markowski 

This is truly a breath of fresh air. The Gas House Gorillas do tremendous things to old fashioned rockabilly rock n' roll. The entire album has a good sense of humor about itself without diminishing from the quality of the songs. The vocals are clean and simply enjoyable.  The guitar, saxophone, and bass flow. And the drums have a great ability to back up the band and have the freedom to go on its own tangent. Every instrument adds something to each track which makes this album simply amazing. The album starts of with a humorous and fun track "All She Wants to Do Is Rock." The saxophone flows perfectly with the vocals and the guitar is simply old fashion Rock n' roll, from its rhythm to its solo. The third track, "Where Did Harlem Go," shows the dexterity of the drummer and saxophonist while keeping a steady fast upbeat pace.

"Nine Lives" has a great rockabilly feel to similar to that of the Stray Cats (no pun intended.) It has an immense punk rock sense to it while keeping the theme of old fashioned rock and roll that is evident throughout the entire album. The solos on this track are great, the guitar and sax just explode into phenomenally energetic paths, and the lead singer's screaming into the microphone just blows your mind.

I could go on for a page about how well done this album is, but due to need to condense I'll stop here. The album brings something new to the table that this decade has seldom seen. I can't praise this album enough because it is truly a definite buy. I hope for the best with these guys because they truly deserve it.

Upstage Magazine (April, 2008)