Here are some early reviews for the JS3 album from some luminaries of the creative string world. Look for upcomming reviews in All About Jazz, Strings Magazine and The Strad:
“Cool…Jacob’s jazz voice is very intelligent and mature”
– Harry Scorzo Jazz violin Virtuoso (Bongo Logic)
“Expansive harmonic language/incredible fluiduity”
– Matt Turner-Jazz Cello Virtouso
“Spellbinding”
-Antonio Lysy-Cello Soloist, professor of music UCLA
“What I think about Szekely and his cohorts — the aforementioned Nelson and drummer Christopher Allis — is that they are reaching, reaching for something better. They are magic together but magic in the sense of something that lifts the spirit, that touches all the emotions from melancholy to buoyancy. There are no sidemen here, there are three excellent musicians playing together.
Cerebral and soulful in combination. If you think I’m going to write at some point that this is music that’s not for everybody, I’m not. It is for everybody but you have to let it flow over you without expectations.”
-Brian Arsenault-International Review of Music
“a killer project! Spectacular phrasing and solos. And the compositions rock”
-Charlie Bisharat Grammy winning violinist/studio legend
“Deeply Inspiring, Fearless, imaginative… and funky”
-Peter Jacobson Grammy award winning cellist (Quetzal)
“Superb writing and musicianship”
-Paul Colleti (Internationally renowned viola virtuoso)
Szekely’s jazz improvisations deftly soar above a tightly grooving matrix of keyboards and drums. An auspicious debut.
-Mark Summer (TISQ)
I finally had a chance to listen through to your new recording without interruptions. Jacob, you’re a total badass!!
There’s so much to admire on this recording, from the fresh original compositions to the inspired improvising, to the sensitive ensemble work. This is the first recording I’ve heard that makes a convincing case for the cello as leader in a hard-hitting modern jazz setting.
-Eugene Friesen-Cello Pioneer,Grammy winner, Professor Berklee school of Music
“A fresh new voice, Jacob Szekely’s trio new album features his beautiful cello sounds in contemporary grooves and innovative sounding settings.”
-Martin Norgard
