Roxy Coss - Disparate Parts

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:51
Size: 238,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:09) 1. February (Take 3)
(6:35) 2. Part I: The Body
(6:02) 3. Part II: The Mind
(4:42) 4. Part III: The Heart
(6:19) 5. Part IV: The Spirit
(1:06) 6. February (Take 5)
(5:56) 7. Disparate Parts
(7:26) 8. Ely, MN
(1:17) 9. February (Take 1)
(6:34) 10. Mabes
(5:50) 11. Sunburn
(1:41) 12. February (Take 4)
(5:48) 13. Warm One
(1:21) 14. February (Take 2)

Let's just get thing one out into the open right away: Disparate Parts has plenty of balls to spare.

Saxophonist Roxy Coss' acute, teasingly biting tone and rich, no boundaries disposition to composing and jamming has placed her high in the generational echelon of new and challenging players. She willingly and unapologetically blends and blurs the lines to suit any and all missives, and the fourteen fireballs heard loud and clear on Disparate Parts broach nothing less. Commandeering the same team of trusted cohorts that broke sharply into view on 2018's impactful The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone) and 2019's fiercely defining Quintet (Outside In) guitarist Alex Wintz, pianist/keyboardist Miki Yamanaka, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Jimmy Macbride hold no bars as they charge headlong into the ever cresting Disparate Parts.

Coss, seven months pregnant and ready to rumble with the best of them at recording time, opens the set briskly with "February (Take 3)," only to enter a vaguer formlessness which serves as the launch pad for the explosive "The Body." Hitting hard and often, the track crunches like classic grunge only to give way to a succession of romping, bandstand hand-offs. But Coss and company quickly pull the rug out, as Wintz blasts into a feverish slicing solo. It is startling! It is exhilarating! It is the great noise of young humans breaking from the folly of their warring elders who have locked them down for two whole years.

"The Mind" swirls into consciousness as if working its own equilibrium from the monumental track before it. With her Rhodes geared to overdrive, Yamanaka carries the tune like Chick Corea, like Herbie Hancock, like Joe Zawinul in grand fusion fervor. Coss telegraphs over Yamanaka's insistence as Macbride and Rosato drive and drive and drive. "The Heart" and "The Spirit," the last two entries to Coss's conceived suite, culminate in yet another singular Wintz solo as Coss implores or her soprano and the rhythm section washes over it all.

The full-on, hard bop animated title track finds Coss's strident solo serving to blow clear the way for Wintz's fleet fingered filigree and even shimmering Rhodes work by Yamanaka, who seems particularly charged up on this set. But truth be told and with such stunning evidence as Wintz's prosaic "Ely, MN," Yamanaka's "Sunburn," where Wintz and Coss are absolutely heroic in their playing and 3/4 timed tribute to Harold Mabern, "Mabes," and Macbride's reflexive, "Warm One" that can be said for one and all, which makes Disparate Parts as complete and forceful a statement as it can humanly be. By Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/disparate-parts-roxy-coss-outside-in-music

Personnel: Roxy Coss: saxophone, tenor; Alex Wintz: guitar; Miki Yamanaka: piano; Rick Rosato: bass, acoustic; Jimmy Macbride: drums.

Disparate Parts

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Roxy Coss - Chasing The Unicorn

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:58
Size: 196,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Chasing the Unicorn
(4:40)  2. A Shade of Jade
(3:46)  3. You're There
(4:52)  4. Free to Be
(4:15)  5. Oh! Darling
(5:08)  6. Never Enough
(5:17)  7. Virgo
(5:13)  8. Unwavering Optimism
(5:57)  9. Benny's Tune
(6:00) 10. Endless Cycle
(5:59) 11. Crazy

The title of the third, and latest release of New York based saxophonist Roxy Coss, Chasing the Unicorn (Posi-Tone, 2017), enables a vision that all artists embrace-that elusive and mythical state of total expression attained by only an elite few, that which not only presents beauty and passion to the universe, but is integrated into the social and spiritual dynamic of the culture it embraces. The pursuit in itself is where sounds, sights, and emotions are gathered to create true art. In the saxophone world, this conjures up names like Parker, Coltrane, Shorter, and Henderson. This pursuit of an impossible, elusive, and ultimately expressive state is the world where saxophonist Roxy Coss resides. Known largely for her work with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, Coss developed rapidly as a leader, and more importantly, as a composer, during her quintet's three year residency at New York's famed Smoke Jazz Club. Her musical relationship with guitarist Alex Wintz prompted a change in her approach to the traditional jazz quintet, replacing the trumpet with guitar, creating a front line partner with greater harmonic and melodic versatility. On this recording, she adds pianist Glenn Zaleski, who dwells in the modern aesthetic territory of pianists such as Brad Mehldau while echoing influences of the great Bill Evans.

This is equatable to the leader Coss, who can't seem to shake the tethers tied to masters like Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson in her pursuit of her own distinctive sound. That being said, she achieves a wonderful blend of lyricism and inspired intensity throughout her solos on both tenor and soprano saxophones, and on her interpretation of Wayne Shorter's classic hard bop ballad, "Virgo," a daunting and pensive bass clarinet. New York firebrands, bassist Rick Rosato, and drummer Jimmy Macbride round out the quintet, and deliver as one would expect. Rosato's lovely tone, sense of timing, form, and melodic invention underpins the foundational pulse of MacBride's fluid playing, echoing the percussive sentiments of his mentor, Kenny Washington.


Coss leads the way on the title track, with a winding angular melody on soprano, switching to a harmonic role mid piece on bass clarinet. The piece personifies Coss' compositional prowess, and the wonderful rapport this quintet attains throughout this recording. Rosato and Macbride maintain the balance between form and spontaneous invention, enabling Wintz to play the role as counterpoint foil for Coss, and blending ever so deftly with pianist Zaleski to create a layered approach to harmony. Coss' original pieces are worthy palettes for musical interpretation, and throughout the course of her three albums Roxy Coss (Self Produced, 2010), Restless Idealism (Origin, 2016), and now Chasing the Unicorn, they are seemingly fleeing the constraint of her ever evolving hard bop notions of uniformity. "Free to Be" personifies this continually liberating progression for Coss, building the melody off of a melodic triad with Wintz and Zaleski. Her soprano solo builds to an improvised counterpoint exchange with Wintz, that is validation of Coss' audible vision of what she wants her quintet to sound like. Any notion that eschewing the traditional jazz quintet front line with trumpet as some sort of trivial maneuver to establish uniqueness is vanquished. Her musical bond with Wintz is comparable with any saxophone/trumpet pairing, with the added chordal, harmonic dimensional rapport. Coss' decision to cover the Lennon/McCartney classic, "Oh! Darling" makes perfect sense, being that it is built on the blues, an aspect of Coss' personal approach that is offered in exquisite fashion by her probing and soulful tenor.

The aforementioned foray into Shorter's "Virgo" displays the artist's versatility in this interpretive rendition delivered on bass clarinet. One of Shorter's more tender melodies is sublimely treated with emotive phrasing and a deep, pulsing tone, adrift with relentless romanticism. Roxy Coss' understanding of the jazz language, of identifying her personal approach as a leader continues to progress, or rather advance, utilizing giant strides rather than short, measured steps. Sure, she has spent ten years now in New York, ten years away from the west coast stronghold of jazz that is her native Seattle. In traditional terms, she has paid her dues. She has been able to create art that is emblematic of her upbringing, being the daughter of brilliant sculptor, and light and sound artist, Mary Coss. She has done so with a tenor saxophone and a passionate allegiance to the masters that have paved the way. She is willing to escape the boundaries of her fears, and continue to endeavor into that which is mythical in vision, yet tangible in form. Chasing the Unicorn is a reflection of just that.
By Paul Rauch https://www.allaboutjazz.com/chasing-the-unicorn-roxy-coss-posi-tone-records-review-by-paul-rauch.php

Personnel: Roxy Coss: tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; Alex Wintz: guitar; Glenn Zaleski: piano; Rick Rosato: bass; Jimmy Macbride: drums.

Chasing The Unicorn

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Roxy Coss - Roxy Coss

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:28
Size: 139,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:25)  1. Wandering One
(5:53)  2. Lately
(7:25)  3. A New Time
(8:16)  4. Enlightenment
(6:58)  5. The Slow Ascent
(5:55)  6. The Cherry On Top
(9:02)  7. I Think So
(9:30)  8. July

With the exception of a few instrumentalists like pianist Mary Lou Williams, most women in the so called golden era of jazz were singers. That situation has changed in the last few years, with more and more extraordinaire female musicians entering the jazz scene. Bassist Esperanza Spalding, pianist Hiromi, drummer Cindy Blackman and saxophonist/clarinetist Anat Cohen are just a few examples of the quality of female jazz musicians today. Newcomer Roxy Coss should be consider for inclusion in that list. Coss is a saxophonist and flautist with a round, rich tone, and a composer well-versed in the jazz tradition. Coss' self-titled debut is a collection of original compositions, each one reflecting the diversity of influences in her music. Tracks like "Lately" and "July" can be classified as smooth jazz, while the funky sounds of "The Slow Accent" lean towards jazz fusion; but on "The Cherry On Top" and "Wandering One," the music is reminiscent of the Miles Davis/John Coltrane recordings. 

Like most tenor saxophonists there is a Coltrane influence in Coss' sound, especially in her scalar approach to improvisation. And just like Coltrane, Coss achieves a perfect balance of lyricism and intensity in her improvisations through a superb sense of timing, rhythmic and harmonic structure. As a flautist she is equally impressive in the Latin-influenced "A New Time." Roxy Coss is a promising debut from a multitalented young musician. ~ Wilbert Sostre https://www.allaboutjazz.com/roxy-coss-roxy-coss-self-produced-review-by-wilbert-sostre.php

Personnel: Roxy Coss: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute. Kate Miller: trumpet, flugelhorn. Ryan Brennan: guitar. Justin Kauflin: piano, Rhodes. Kellen Harrison:bass. Shawn Baltazor: drums, percussion.

Roxy Coss

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Roxy Coss - Quintet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:13
Size: 104,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. Don’t Cross the Coss
(5:59)  2. All or Nothing At All
(6:53)  3. Mr. President
(4:52)  4. Free to Be
(6:34)  5. You’re There
(5:39)  6. Enlightenment
(5:06)  7. Breaking Point
(4:45)  8. Females Are Strong As Hell

At times, saxophonist Roxy Coss can appear to be a whirlwind. Over the past decade, Coss has firmly established herself as a saxophonist, bandleader, composer, and activist. She has toured extensively, most notably with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. She founded Women In Jazz Organization (WIJO) to combat misogyny in jazz culture, and create gender equity in terms of opportunity and community. With the release of her new album, Quintet (Outside In Music, 2019), she has now authored five recordings under her name. While Coss gained some international buzz from her albums Restless Idealism (Origin, 2016) and Chasing the Unicorn (Posi-Tone, 2017), her brilliant 2018 release The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone, 2018) highlighted her ability to express a social narrative through jazz music. Her finely-crafted compositions, rooted deeply in her experiences as a female jazz musician, were interpreted admirably by her long-term working quintet. Quintet is an attempt to re-record her compositions from those previous recordings and concurrent time performing them live with her quintet. Anyone sceptical about that concept will be convinced otherwise by one listen to this album's eight tracks.

While Coss places the emphasis on her fine quintet, and the intuitive vibe they have established among themselves, it is she herself who stands out as the reason to revisit these tunes in a live-in-the-studio setting. While so much of her time, in the past few years, has been spent composing, and forming the impressive work of WIJO, this record is more representative of her upward spiral as a saxophonist. While her articulation and deep resonant tone on tenor have always been of note, there is a noticeable improvement in her playing on both tenor and soprano. That liberation in itself has added depth and substance to the restatement of the tunes she has written over the past 10 years. The familiarity she has gained with fellow front-line band mate guitarist Alex Wintz now approaches the kind of chemistry normally thought of between two horn players. Drummer Jimmy Macbride, pianist Miki Yamanaka, and bassist Rick Rosato complete a quintet that has achieved a rare conversational impulse.

The opener "Don't Cross the Coss" is performed at a faster tempo, turning this rollicking, meandering melody line into modern bop classic. The tune exemplifies the stated purpose of the recording, to unleash the hounds, as one might say. Coss' tenor statement is angular, fast-paced and melodically rich all at once. Yamanaka's well placed, resonant comps on Rhodes act as departure points for a fine solo from Wintz before she launches into her own reharmonization. "Mr. President," Coss' march-like romp from The Future is Female, is given new light and energy, immersing the listener in a narrative heartbeat that throbs in every American's chest each day. Macbride explores the rhythmic variations of the composition masterfully, while Coss takes off on the record's most memorable solo. There is a notable vibrancy to the tune, compared to the original recording, a feeling that can only be gained through familiarity over time. This tune pays the most dividends on the album in terms of a reinterpretation of a tune being a positive progression forward creatively.  "Free to Be," one of the highlights of Chasing the Unicorn, features Coss on soprano. This interpretation does not stray much from the former in terms of energy or interpretation.

It does offer Coss playing at a higher level. In any case, the playing is spontaneous and free, as the instrumentalist shakes off the constraints of the composer.  "Enlightenment," an earlier entry in Coss' compositional timeline, presents a tender side of her playing, sounding much like a country ballad in Charlie Haden-like fashion. Rosato's deep underpinning holds up Coss' big-sounding tenor throughout this lovely piece. In the end, the reason to spend time with this album is the bandleader herself. It is her inventive shifts, melodic platitudes and marvelous technique that rise above the fray of this very capable quintet. While the pieces of Coss' collective characterization as an artist have become more coherent and familiar, it is the saxophonist that we need to take notice of. Yes, she is an impressive composer, and her social activism is an inspiration to anyone who seeks justice in America's most important art form. Quintet tells us simply that she is a fine saxophonist in the midst of a meteoric rise.~ Paul Rauch https://www.allaboutjazz.com/quintet-roxy-coss-outside-in-music-review-by-paul-rauch.php

Personnel: Roxy Coss- tenor & soprano saxophones; Miki Yamanaka- piano; Alex Wintz- guitar; Rick Rosato- bass; Jimmy Macbride- drums

Quintet

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Diva Jazz - A Swingin' Life

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:46
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love
(6:32)  2. Nothin'
(5:03)  3. All My Tommorrows
(2:45)  4. All Of Me
(6:09)  5. The Very Thought Of You
(4:38)  6. Pennies From Heaven
(4:17)  7. Blues Medley [Goin' To Chicago Blues; Kansas City; Every Day I Have The Blues]
(5:15)  8. Blackberry Winter
(2:58)  9. Wonder Why
(6:38) 10. Nocturne #6 Opus 9, Number 2
(5:34) 11. Blues For Hamp

What do you get when you have fifteen talented and swinging female jazz musicians in an orchestral setting? The answer, drummer Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra offering A Swingin' Life as proof that hard-charging big band music is not the exclusivity of the male gender. Building upon the work of more than a dozen previous albums, DIVA presents music from the Great American Songbook and more, capturing eleven audacious tracks recorded live by Jazz at Lincoln Center at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in New York and, at the renowned Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh.  Adding to the experience of these live performances are two very special guests, two giants of the business, two vocalists who have left their mark on the jazz world. Legendary singers Marlena Shaw and Nancy Wilson lend their vocal charm on five beautiful charts and while some are certainly swinging tracks for sure, there are a couple of ballads that take your breath away. Wilson takes the Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn standard "All My Tomorrows," to another level expressing heart-felt emotion as the band plays humbly. Vocalist Shaw lays down a warm and gentle performance delivering a fantastic interpretation of Alec Wilder's "Blackberry Winter" for the two soft spots of the album.  However, the limited tender material here is the exception and not the rule as the swinging times obviously carry the date. Opening up with a rousing rendition of Burt Bacharach's "What The World Need Now Is Love," the DIVA's announce their intentions with a full blast of the brass and reeds capped off by a solo from tenor saxophonist Janelle Reichman. 

Appearing once again as one of the main soloist, Reichman, this time on the clarinet, joins trumpeter Jami Dauber on the Stanley Kay piece "Nothin,'" another perky burner showcasing the band. On another of the few light tunes, Nadje Noordhuis on the flugelhorn is simply enchanting on the time-honored Ray Noble classic "The Very Thought of You" as Maricle is heard on the soft brushes making this number, one to remember. The group gets back to some hard-driving sounds on the swinging version of "Pennies from Heaven." Maricle and the girls get real bluesy on "Blues Medley," a fusion of "Going to Chicago Blues," "Kansas City," and "Every Day I have the Blues," featuring singer Shaw. 

The DIVAs show their powerful instrumental voices on the last three tunes showcasing their reach on "Wonder Why," "Nocturne #6 Opus 9, Number 2," and the Terry Gibbs arranged finale "Blues For Harp," demonstrating quite ably why this orchestra is regarded as one of the best jazz bands in the business. Kudos to Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra as they roar through a splendid repertoire of big band jazz on A Swingin' Life, combining instrumental muscle with the elegant vocals in a live setting that is thankfully, documented well here. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-swingin-life-diva-jazz-mcg-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Sherrie Maricle: drums; Sharel Cassity: alto saxophone, flute; Karoline Strassmayer: alto saxophone (3, 4); Leigh Pilzer: alto saxophone, flute, baritone saxophone (3, 4); Kristy Norter: alto saxophone (3, 4); Janelle Reichman: clarinet, tenor saxophone (3, 4); Anat Cohen: clarinet, tenor saxophone (3, 4); Roxy Coss: tenor saxophone; Scheila Gonzalez: tenor saxophone (3, 4); Lisa Parrott: baritone saxophone; Tanya Darby: lead trumpet, Flugelhorn; Liesl Whitaker: lead trumpet (3, 4); Jami Dauber: trumpet , Flugelhorn; Barbara Laronga: trumpet (3, 4); Carol Morgan: trumpet, Flugelhorn; Nadje Noordhuis: trumpet, Flugelhorn; Deborah Weisz: trombone; Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Lori Stuntz: trombone (3, 4); Leslie Havens: bass trombone; Tomoko Ohno: piano; Chihiro Yamanaka: piano (3, 4); Noriko Ueda: bass; Nancy Wilson: vocals (3, 4); Marlena Shaw: vocals (7, 8, 9).

Swingin' Life

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Roxy Coss - The Future Is Female

Size: 132,1 MB
Time: 50:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Full

01. Nevertheless, She Persisted (6:15)
02. Little Did She Know (4:09)
03. She Needed A Hero (6:07)
04. Females Are Strong As Hell (3:21)
05. Mr. President (5:57)
06. #Metoo (4:03)
07. Choices (6:37)
08. Feminist Af (4:50)
09. Nasty Women Grab Back (3:21)
10. Ode To A Generation (5:40)

Personnel: Roxy Coss: saxophones, bass clarinet; Alex Wintz: guitar; Miki Yamanaka: piano; Rick Rosato: bass; Jimmy MacBride: drums.

Saxophonist Roxy Coss steps boldly into the spotlight with her latest release The Future Is Female. This exciting musical program features Coss brilliant original compositions presented by an amazing group of players, including guitarist Alex Wintz, pianist Miki Yamanaka, bassist Rick Rosato, drummer Jimmy Macbride, plus a special guest appearance by Lucas Pino on Bass Clarinet. Critical listeners will certainly agree that Coss performances clearly demonstrate both her command of the saxophone and her functional mastery of the jazz idiom. With a delicate balance of modernity and classic aesthetics, "The Future Is Female" is insightfully straight forward, steadily swinging, and refreshingly melodic enough to evoke a wide assortment of bright moments to discerning jazz fans everywhere.

The Future Is Female

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Roxy Coss - Restless Idealism

Size: 136,3 MB
Time: 58:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Don't Cross The Coss (4:10)
02. Waiting (6:31)
03. Push (5:09)
04. Persperctive (5:28)
05. Breaking Point (7:53)
06. Happiness Is A Choice (5:15)
07. Tricky (6:38)
08. The Story Of Fiona (5:39)
09. Almost My Own (6:41)
10. Recurring Dream (5:16)

An exceptional young talent among millennial jazz musicians, Roxy Coss delivers a strong performance on Restless Idealism, her sophomore album and first for the Seattle-based label Origin Records. Coss, a Washington native, has since relocated to New York, where she has been refining a style that is intricate and sincere, intelligent yet accessible. Much of Restless Idealism, a program of 10 originals, finds her working in the vein of grooving post-bop, a genre for which her brawny tone and impeccable technique are ideally suited. The opener, "Don't Cross The Coss," epitomizes her intrepid approach, featuring a dense, unpredictable melody line that winds and wiggles with linear energy while remaining wholly accessible. "Breaking Point" is another song that challenges expectations even as it works its way into the listener's deep tissue. A former frontline partner to trumpeters Clark Terry and Claudio Roditi, Coss is a musician of strong lyricism and piercing intellect, and her playing on the ballad "Almost My Own" proves just how adept she is at combining the two. Elsewhere in the program, she trades melodic ideas with another standout trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, whose vivacious style makes him a well-suited partner. Others in the band include pianist Chris Pattishall, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III. It's a tight unit that's ready, willing and able to take on anything. ~by Brian Zimmerman

Restless Idealism

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