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ESPRESSO JAZZ REVIEWS | |
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"A smooth and slow; sexy and stylish collection of intimate tunes" By Kevin McVeigh It’s late in the evening at my family’s summer rental at the shore. South Jersey, 1957. The little ones are in bed, the dishes are cleared, the lights are lowered, and my parents are listening to music with a few old friends. The clinking of ice cubes in the highball glasses, the faint glow of cigarettes, and the sound of the music from the record player: Mabel Mercer, Blossom Dearie, Lee Wiley, Erroll Garner, and of course, Old Blue Eyes himself. It’s not a nightclub, just a little bungalow by the beach, but it has the aura of an archetype. And that archetype is “After Hours.”
Sandi Russell and Barbara Hilton, the anchoring duo of the often larger ensemble, Espresso Jazz, have now issued their first duet recording. It’s a smooth and slow, sexy and stylish, collection of intimate tunes that they call, you guessed it, “After Hours.” They’ve brewed up the perfect late night concoction for your thirsty ears, your battle-scarred heart and your longing soul, with just enough upbeat numbers to keep you from sliding off your barstool or your sofa as their other languorous tunes carry you away into the land of reverie and reflection. Sandi Russell has an enchanting voice to blend with her many-mooded guitar work. This woman can sing, no doubt about it; but more than that, she can “style” a song like few vocalists around. Maybe like some of those virtuosos named above, on that long ago evening by the seashore. And Barbara Hilton, working a standup bass as big as she is, keeps the air and sky of Russell’s music connected to the very spot where you’re sitting with her sure and percussive pulse: earthy, immediate and deeply sensual. Read more
 "A grand group effort ... superb vocals and intimate guitar playing throughout this album."
CD Review: ESPRESSO JAZZ The Blues Are Brewin' By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck www.jazzreview.com Recording an entire album of
covers seems like it puts listeners on notice that the artist may be on
the down side of a once successful career. In retrospect, never does
this apply more than on rock or pop albums, but there is always an
exception to the rule, such as jazz and blues. If in fact you are a
good musician that is surrounded by talent that is supportive and like
minded, and you decide to record timeless and treasured classics from
the "Great American Songbook," then you have a sure fire formula for
success. Read more
"Espresso takes third CD to new heights" CD Review: ESPRESSO Jazz 'N' Samba By Marc LeMay www.imassradio.com I've never been a fan of samba, mostly because I have two left feet. Lucky for me I don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case a CD cover by its title. Sandi Russell and Espresso opened my eyes to a different flavor in music, rather than the dance steps, in their latest CD Jazz 'N' Samba. Don't let the title fool you, its not all samba. Ten songs grace the CD, ranging from the jumpy title cut, to the blues sounding Love Is Here To Stay and Never Make Your Move Too Soon. Russell's voice stands out in the later cut, showing complete range of her abilities, teasing you with jazz inflected blues while not disrupting the flow of the rest of the CD. Read more
"They effortlessly weave their laid-back magic" CD Review: ESPRESSO I'm Just A Lucky So & So By Ken Irwin www.wmua.org The friendly swinging style of the
Espresso Jazz Trio is evident from the opening bars of the first track,
" I’m Just A Lucky So & So." This Ellington classic is treated
tenderly with guitar and tenor setting the stage for Sandi Russell’s
"cool" vocals. A lyrical guitar interlude from Russell follows Kerry
Blount’s lush tenor solo on the title track. Read more
CD Review: ESPRESSO All Of Me By Paul Burton Music Revue Magazine This collection of
jazz-pop-blues standards is a nice introduction to local jazz trio
Espresso. Led by guitarist-vocalist Sandi Russell, the group swings
with a relaxed , mellow style. Russell's voice is rich and expressive,
warm and engaging on classics like" A Foggy Day ","Tuxedo Junction ",and " Skylark". Read more More Espresso Jazz reviews... "world class talent" CD Review: ESPRESSO Jazz 'N' Samba By Keith Hannaleck www.musicdish.com Any time I am feeling a little down and life becomes overwhelming all I have to do is throw on some jazz music and everything seems to melt away. This is the kind of music that soothes my soul. "Espresso Jazz" is a four piece ensemble from Northampton Massachusetts, which happens to be in my back yard, only an hour away. It’s nice to know that there is this kind of world class talent right around the corner that I can drive to and enjoy. Read more
"They make these old standards come alive." CD Review: ESPRESSO All Of Me
By Jennifer Layton www.Indie-Music.com I've been without my jazz music for almost two months now while reviewing all these alt rock/power pop CDs I've been getting. I started to suspect I was suffering from mellow jazz withdrawal when McDonald's got my order wrong yesterday and three other customers had to physically restrain me from leaping over the counter and putting my foot through the frozen yogurt machine. Read more
Sample the many flavors of Espresso Jazz: Espresso Jazz Gallery
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