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-- Saby Reyes-Kulkarni, New York Press full review "the joy of Generations is that while cosmic arithmetists will have a field day, there's plenty for anyone who just likes to hear great soloists burn while tumbling rhythms wash overhead." -- Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR Music, "The Year's Best New Jazz (So Far)" full review "Rarely does even a minute elapse on Generations where the emphatic first impression that the composer has a rare acuity for form, rhythm and harmonic movement is not reinforced. Ditto that for Okazaki's skills as a guitarist, the most impressive of which is his somewhat paradoxical ability to be commanding and understated at the same time." --Bill Shoemaker, Downbeat Magazine full review "a spectacular achievement in both conception and performance. . .the music is fresh and exciting and remarkably organic. . . in a world filled with musicians regurgitating past glories or incorporating the latest musical fad into their music, it is pure bliss to hear an artist striving and succeeding to stretch the boundaries of music and imagination." --Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net full review "Many young musicians make complex, cerebral music that ticks all the right boxes, in terms of technique, but can leave the listener unmoved. Not so with guitarist Okazaki, whose hour-long suite has a delicate but bold singing quality that sits in impressive equilibrium with its elaborate compositional and improvisational arc." -- Kevin Le Gendre, JazzWise full review "Myriad ideas collide and interact on Miles Okazaki's follow-up to Mirror: his latest offering, Generations. These ideas span not only musical forms and concepts but also cultures - from Indian to European and American. The music also leaps across various artistic disciplines - philosophical, mathematical and visual - to render one central ostensible idea: that all sound is an experience shaped by the tangible and intangible in both an infinite and finite measure of time and space." --Raul d'Gama Rose, allaboutjazz.com full review "It's no small feat that Generations unfolds as gracefully as a sunrise, yet also contains the tension, drama, and chaos of a raging storm. Meanwhile, Jen Shyu's wordless vocals keep the music anchored in human experience and lift it into an ethereal realm." Saby Reyes-Kulkarni, Seattle Weekly full review "worthy and brilliant music . . . Okazaki's music flows but not in a straight line, more crooked and unpredictable, with craggy ridges and waterfalls that tumble sideways." --Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide full review "a formidable production . . . one has to admire the composer's ability to weave the various threads of rhythm and melody, counterpoint and solos, into a coherent and, ultimately, moving statement." --Richard Kamins, Hartford Courant full review "The impression is one of lightness, constant motion, easy/quirky rhythm; the message is that energy and intelligence can complement a certain sadness. . . Okazaki has created his own aesthetic. Few can do that and keep you listening; he can." --Greg Burk, Metaljazz.com full review "Far from suffering a sophomore letdown, Okazaki has produced a second recording even more startlingly original than the first, alternating, superimposing and repurposing through-composed and improvised sections to create music that is in places as fascinating as Bach and as liberating as Coltrane." --Mel Minter, Alibi full review "a tremendous group of performers . . . an amazing statement for the extremely talented Okazaki." --Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery full review "He achieves an expansiveness that can be restful even when there's agitation below the surface of the music. And he's one young jazz artist who knows the value of dynamic contrast." --Doug Ramsey, Rifftides full review "staggering . . . have a pair of good headphones and about 60 minutes of focused attention to spare to appreciate this one." -- SomethingElseReviews.com -- full review "a strong effort from one of the most daring jazz musicians on the scene today." -- O's Place Jazz Newsletter -- full review |
