Search - Phill Argyris Quartet / Stan Strickland / Phil Grenadier :: A Point of Departure

A Diamond in the Rough

O. Chang | 03/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't live around the Boston area, and pay attention to the jazz scene, you may have never heard of Phill Argyris.
That's too bad, but now is your chance to listen to a great jazz sextet, playing a wonderful mixture of classics (Miles and Ornette Coleman) as well as several terrific originals. Phill Argyris really swings on the piano on his title track, Point of Departure, but shows great restraint by laying back on several other tunes, while the great Stan Strickland blows his horns (tenor, soprano and the flute). On the first track, "What I Heard", you can hear a similarity to Coltrane, but Strickland definitely has his own style. What blew me away was after listening to the first five tracks, and really loving this straight-ahead mainstream jazz, track six comes along, and Stan Strickland lays down his sax to do the vocals. Wow, that man can sing, and scat, he does it all. This is a real treat, and the other players, from Bob Johnson on guitar to Phil Grenadier on trumpet and the fabulous rhythm section of Jerry Wilfong on bass and John Connelly on drums, all complement each other beautifully. Hopefully the rest of the world will soon be hearing more from this wonderful group of seasoned professionals."

A Point of Departure

Mr. G. R. Cox | UK | 05/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first encountered the Phill Argyris Quartet on mp3.com, from which I downloaded some of their first music which they had posted there.I found them refreshingly original, with a great touch, and a wide range of styles. But, most important of all, they swing. I shall look for their CD when I visit the US soon.Great stuff."

Awesome Start

O. Chang | Hopkinton, NH USA | 04/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been waiting for a CD from these guys for some time. I am pleasantly surprised with the quality of the tracks. Phill's title track rocks with wonderful transitions. Stan Strickland makes things happen on track 6 with awesome scatting. These cats are cooking. This disc offers a great value with over 70 minutes of music. I can't wait for the next one."