The Owens and Wright Experience

Eleven Daughters is a nice modern mainstream set, with just the right touch of funk and dissonance to recall some mid-1960s Jackie McLean to my ears. The leader plays with the kind of agile muscularity of, say, Michael Formanek and he pairs really well with Menendez, who crackles throughout. Grant and Willcox are both fairly brooding presences, though that’s not at all meant as a negative. Together, the group contains a winning assemblage of contrasts. They tend to favor the smoldering, from the propulsive mid-tempo burn on the opener all the way to the tuned drums of the moody closer. In between they take in a fair range of material, all of it dialed back a bit. There’s the sweet and wistful title track, with reflective work from Grant (who plays with tons of space and favors pared down phrases that are almost sing-songy). There’s the drowsily impressionistic “Late Goodbye” and “Calling for Casey” (with its memorable repeat ing spiral phrases). Things pop along a bit on “Sunrise,” a nice feature for Wright’s unassuming bass, and the funky, bluesy read ing of “Laura,” with some nice but unforced double-time runs from Willcox. It all has the feel of a competent, but not especially memorable club date.

- Jason Bivins, Cadence

For Portland bassist Aaron Immanuel Wright, his debut album could just about be mistaken for a Tim Willcox album. Wright's pen is behind the full album, with outstanding original compositions that take in parts from bebop, modal jazz, and post-bop. The pieces are rich, textural, and full of life throughout. However, Wright's bass is somewhat hidden behind the rest of the quartet. Willcox's tenor holds court up front, and does a beautiful job. He runs arpeggios, he swoons and sweeps through the scales, he fills the role the music gives him. At the same time, Darrell Grant and Brian Menendez form a worthwhile rhythm section. Wright, however, is nearly lost in the soundscape, leaving others to star in his production, as it were. Eventually, "Sunrise in Quebec" provides an outlet for a lengthy, contemplative solo from Wright. The album closes out with an excellent rendition of David Raskin's "Laura" that moves from a soft groove to a squealing crescendo and back and a more tribal-influenced bit of drum work. It's an outstanding effort of composition and execution alike, with the somewhat rare property that the composer stays in the background of his own ensemble, hidden for the majority of his own works. - Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

Bassist Aaron Immanuel Wright's debut CD indicate a cool rendering where music is demanding, melodic and confrontational, alternating competitive dissonance with translucence. Wright's bass lines are direct with a heavy distinct convulsive sound, learned from playing in many different environments, and with a degree in philosophy and music, performing and composing among the best jazz musicians in the world. Accompanied by mentor, educator and pianist Darrell Grant, talented saxophonist Tim Willcox and drummer Brian Menendez. Without question, the Aaron Immanuel Wright's quartet proves again that exciting jazz music arises from the Pacific Northwest. Well traveled musicians from all over the jazz scene who settled in Portland, Oregon to create wonderful ideas, to practice, play and teach their art. Jazz artists, as Aaron Immanuel Wright are from a different stripe, where music is integral to existence. - Dick Crockett, AccessSacramento.com, "The Voice" 88.7FM