"Each of the band members gets chances to peek out of the collective playing, but what
grabbed me most were Bakriges’ melodic themes, the engaging framework on which
everything dances…swinging and colorful compositions with a breeziness that bring
you back for repeated listens”
– Ken Maiuri, Daily Hampshire Gazette (U.S.A)
"Christopher Bakriges Quartet keeps tempo swinging on ‘Clear and Present’… There isn’t
one minute of lag time, either. Whether it’s a profound, unfurling bass solo (“Door Of
No Return”), or a feeling out on Bakriges’ set of keys, the quartet plays with a
constantly moving ulterior motive of swing, as if playing the last gig of their lives,
unwilling for the night to end.” – Carol Banks Weber, AXS
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"Each of the band members gets chances to peek out of the collective playing, but what
grabbed me most were Bakriges’ melodic themes, the engaging framework on which
everything dances…swinging and colorful compositions with a breeziness that bring
you back for repeated listens”
– Ken Maiuri, Daily Hampshire Gazette (U.S.A)
"Christopher Bakriges Quartet keeps tempo swinging on ‘Clear and Present’… There isn’t
one minute of lag time, either. Whether it’s a profound, unfurling bass solo (“Door Of
No Return”), or a feeling out on Bakriges’ set of keys, the quartet plays with a
constantly moving ulterior motive of swing, as if playing the last gig of their lives,
unwilling for the night to end.” – Carol Banks Weber, AXS
"The group have a tremendous collective experience which is belied by the modesty in
playing…another superb performance…haunting melodies and rhythms…the pieces
carry with them a melancholic spirituality.” – Chris Baber, Jazz Views (London, U.K)
“A pianist extraordinaire…feast your senses upon some of the most wonderfully written
and robust music that seems expressly created to fire up the imaginations of
vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Billy Arnold; not to
mention its creator, Christopher Bakriges himself.” – Raul da Gama, Jazz Global Media
Network (Toronto, Canada)
“Highly Recommended.” – Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program, WDET (Detroit Public
Radio)
“I very much like your music. I’m a big fan of the Modern Jazz Quartet and now I’m a big
fan of you!” – Branislav Dejanovic, Nišville Jazz Festival (Serbia)
“Christopher Bakriges leads his piano jazz quartet down the right places in the new
release, Clear and Present…the pianist here with an exceptional band. Great original
material, magnificent group interplay and fanciful soloing – Bakriges reveals
stunningly moving pianism with an intense but clear compositional shape. The acoustic
fusion pianist with an effortlessly dynamic, open-minded quartet outing is a winner
from start to finish.” – Nyuzer
“The Detroit-born pianist in a quartet setting along with veteran musicians in an all-
original recording effected most by the music of McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Mal
Waldron…an African American and Latin mixture that has a profoundly strong and
charming jazz sound being hammered out.” – Vento Azul (Japan)
“Your tracks are amazing.” – Sound City (Liverpool, U.K)
“The evocative Clear and Present remains infectious, intimate, and sometimes
explosive. The quartet presents a cultivated sound that can somehow capture the
quixotic flights of Ahmad Jamal (‘Gnosis’), the remarkable candor of McCoy Tyner (‘Door
of No Return’), the collaborative intensity of an acoustic Steps Ahead (‘Blue Book’) and
the passionate restraint of the Modern Jazz Quartet (‘Litima’, ‘Fountain of the
Innocents’). This four-piece conglomeration of kindred spirits also tours, so it’s not
surprising that the tunes can traverse through sophisticated ensemble interplay and
suddenly open into emotionally-charged solo territory. No one disappoints and the
nearly sixty minute set produces a remarkably rich, cultivated, and satisfying work.”
– All About Jazz
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