MOG

Not too many albums makes me cry, and for this one, I happily did.

Briefest description = Feels truest to the moment, where the universe is in your soul.

Even if, no, ESPECIALLY if you are new to jazz, This Album will be a nice easing you into it, straight away. John Ellis is one of the fixtures in the rejuvinated jazz sound currently getting noticed. He is in direct association with the Brooklyn Jazz Underground, while his feet are fully grounded in the music heartlands of New York and New Orleans.

The band is not your average, do it again, recycled standards, run of the mills. Each individual player certainly has the solid background to offer you that, but proved to be so much more. As demonstrated in this album, the employment of the unusual jazz instruments of the sousaphone (for bass), and an accordion, did not alienate you away from what they are trying to do. Instead it draws you in with such sweet, welcoming, embracing you all the way through from the first to last note of the tracks.

Not surprising since John was born and raised in North Carolina on a 17 acres farm with his awesome family. He then went to get additional schooled in New Orleans, before settling in Brooklyn. The southern kid is a model for that Southern sweetness, plus New Orleans cultured, and tops it off with the New York intellect. You can actually HEAR it in this album. He is also currently making his noises heard with various concausions of other young (and old) jazz faces.

He is my highest recommendation from both personal and general standpoints.

More reviews from legitimate reviewers: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/arts/music/23play.html http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29158 http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/26/015442.php

IF YOU ARE IN NEW YORK – gosh I wish I was in New York, right about NOW – The band has a CD RELEASE event at the Jazz Standard (http://jazzstandard.net/red/secondary/jazzCalendar.html) TONIGHT and tomorrow night.

See them Hear them Support Jazz!