Stacy Dillard

On his Criss Cross debut tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard projects the intelligence and fire that have made him a major force in New York hard core jazz over the last decade. Playing tenor and soprano saxophone with great facility. Dillard’s compositions are simple, bluesy choruses built as sturdy platforms for melodic soloing. The album opens with “Pleasant,” a tune that starts out living up to its title in an almost placid fashion but soon becomes a barn-burner with plenty of solo space for Magnano, Evans and the leader. This sets up a pattern which recurs throughout the disc; Dillard always grants plenty of space to his sidemen, sometimes even seeming like a reluctant leader, with the result that six of the eight tracks go past the seven-minute mark, and two of them…
mp3 VBR~ 223 kbps | 104 MB | WU | FSo | ES
…(“There’s No Need” and “Stizzozo”) are more than nine minutes long. They’re never boring, though, even when the musicians are playing firmly within the hard bop tradition. The production is crisp and clear, with Berg’s bass thick and rubbery and Clemons’ drums sharp, especially his swift attacks on the toms. Dillard’s horn is buzzy and human, lacking the bludgeoning force of Sonny Rollins or David S. Ware but also avoiding the 1930s nostalgia of, say, late-period Archie Shepp. Magnano is a very clean player, more in the manner of Jim Hall than Grant Green, let’s say. And Orrin Evans is as fleet and inscrutable as ever. - Exystence

On his Criss Cross debut tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard projects the intelligence and fire that have made him a major force in New York hard core jazz over the last decade. Playing tenor and soprano saxophone with great facility. Dillard’s compositions are simple, bluesy choruses built as sturdy platforms for melodic soloing. The album opens with “Pleasant,” a tune that starts out living up to its title in an almost placid fashion but soon becomes a barn-burner with plenty of solo space for Magnano, Evans and the leader. This sets up a pattern which recurs throughout the disc; Dillard always grants plenty of space to his sidemen, sometimes even seeming like a reluctant leader, with the result that six of the eight tracks go past the seven-minute mark, and two of them…
mp3 VBR~ 223 kbps | 104 MB | WU | FSo | ES
…(“There’s No Need” and “Stizzozo”) are more than nine minutes long. They’re never boring, though, even when the musicians are playing firmly within the hard bop tradition. The production is crisp and clear, with Berg’s bass thick and rubbery and Clemons’ drums sharp, especially his swift attacks on the toms. Dillard’s horn is buzzy and human, lacking the bludgeoning force of Sonny Rollins or David S. Ware but also avoiding the 1930s nostalgia of, say, late-period Archie Shepp. Magnano is a very clean player, more in the manner of Jim Hall than Grant Green, let’s say. And Orrin Evans is as fleet and inscrutable as ever. - Exystence

Here's an intriguing recording from an up and comer on the tenor saxophone scene - Stacy Dillard. We heard a tantalizing preview of his work on Vitaly Golovnev's "To Whom It May Concern", and now Smalls Records has released an album under Dillard's leadership. It features James Hurt playing Fender Rhodes, Craig Magnano at the guitar, Amin Salim, bass and Donald Edwards, drums.

Dillard's playing possesses a full-bodied sound with an edge. There's a bit of the unbridled urgency and flair of a James Carter here, as well. This is all good.

As with the Hammond organ, the Fender Rhodes has been making a comeback upon recordings. It's a welcomed development as the instrument's sound is incomparable - possessing of a distinct tone evolving from its tuning forks, hammers and tone bar that yield a particularly appealing sound. Hurt's playing is divine. Magnano's guitar sound is similar to a John Abercrombie or John Scofield. It's really quite a kick to listen to Dillard, Hurt and Magnano exchange fours in this aurally unique setting.

All the compositions on "One" are by Stacy Dillard. They provide captivating settings for soloing. "Three Sides (Ol' Faithful)" is a complex piece with varying rhythms and a release going into the solos that opens up the selection. "Ageless" is likewise a rather complex arrangement with an attractive theme and insistent prodding from Edwards. "Still Waters" features hypnotic chords from Hurt, luring one to be beguiled by Dillard's tenor notes. "Over And Over" is a Sonny Rollins-like workout for tenor, bass and drums; then "Stizzozo" comes at you with an intense Latin edge. Here Dillard recollects Stan Getz in full soaring form, in command of his instrument and driving the rhythm section.

There's many a level to this fine new release. Dillard has his own sound, both informed by his peers and assertive of individuality, with considerable fire and expertise. The unique nature of instrumentation, depth of the compositions and quality of musicianship make "One" a stimulating recording that should establish Dillard as a significant tenor voice. - Amazon

Here's an intriguing recording from an up and comer on the tenor saxophone scene - Stacy Dillard. We heard a tantalizing preview of his work on Vitaly Golovnev's "To Whom It May Concern", and now Smalls Records has released an album under Dillard's leadership. It features James Hurt playing Fender Rhodes, Craig Magnano at the guitar, Amin Salim, bass and Donald Edwards, drums.

Dillard's playing possesses a full-bodied sound with an edge. There's a bit of the unbridled urgency and flair of a James Carter here, as well. This is all good.

As with the Hammond organ, the Fender Rhodes has been making a comeback upon recordings. It's a welcomed development as the instrument's sound is incomparable - possessing of a distinct tone evolving from its tuning forks, hammers and tone bar that yield a particularly appealing sound. Hurt's playing is divine. Magnano's guitar sound is similar to a John Abercrombie or John Scofield. It's really quite a kick to listen to Dillard, Hurt and Magnano exchange fours in this aurally unique setting.

All the compositions on "One" are by Stacy Dillard. They provide captivating settings for soloing. "Three Sides (Ol' Faithful)" is a complex piece with varying rhythms and a release going into the solos that opens up the selection. "Ageless" is likewise a rather complex arrangement with an attractive theme and insistent prodding from Edwards. "Still Waters" features hypnotic chords from Hurt, luring one to be beguiled by Dillard's tenor notes. "Over And Over" is a Sonny Rollins-like workout for tenor, bass and drums; then "Stizzozo" comes at you with an intense Latin edge. Here Dillard recollects Stan Getz in full soaring form, in command of his instrument and driving the rhythm section.

There's many a level to this fine new release. Dillard has his own sound, both informed by his peers and assertive of individuality, with considerable fire and expertise. The unique nature of instrumentation, depth of the compositions and quality of musicianship make "One" a stimulating recording that should establish Dillard as a significant tenor voice. - Amazon

........His new quartet at the Vanguard includes two musicians he has played with off and on for several years: the bassist Gerald Cannon and the drummer Willie Jones III. It also includes Stacy Dillard, a young saxophonist of serious promise who can improvise tenaciously through chord changes when he needs to but isn't bound to them; he moves through his own ideas.

The band hasn't narrowed itself down to one thing. Tuesday's early set ended with Bobby Hutcherson's "Who's Got You?," a racing tune that tests its soloists with a new chord on every other beat. By contrast, there were also Mr. Reed's more recent ballads, which have that more floating feeling, and they were exquisite.

"Someone Else's Love," played with only piano, bass and drums, set up an opposition between Mr. Reed's cloudlike drift — you couldn't quite hear the root notes of his chords, nor did he play in a defined relation to the beat — and the more solid midtempo swing of Mr. Cannon and Mr. Jones. And "Wish," from Mr. Reed's new album of that name, did much the same thing, with Mr. Dillard on soprano saxophone. There was a strong and obscure tension in this music, pointing more toward Bill Evans than some of the other pianists Mr. Reed has obviously admired, like Wynton Kelly or Oscar Peterson.

Mr. Reed has always played voluminously, filling up most available spaces; he's such an able pianist that some of his music has bordered on facile. But that wasn't the case on Tuesday. And even during the one stretch in which glibness threatened, a jazz-samba arrangement of Mr. Cannon's ballad "Three Elders," there was the jolting, destabilizing force of Mr. Dillard, who played ideas and shapes.

He began phrases in unexpected places and chopped them off abruptly to start a new thought. He changed his tone radically so it moved through a trebly quack and then a throatier, deeper sound. And even as he implied his independence from the song, he still managed to feed the desires of an audience by working toward a crescendo with a rolling, exuberant power. - Ben Ratliff, New York Times

........A lot of folks came out last night. DJ Wendella fell through with a whole "VIP Section" of beautiful people. It was cool. We made a lot of new friends which is always a plus. I can see us hanging out with these cats for a while.

The last thing that I have to say is that Stacy Dillard is my idol. Trust me on that one. - Bandcode

Saxophonist Stacy Dillard loads his songs with good vibrations, exhibiting playful frolics and animated motifs that put quite a zing in the listener’s steps. Dillard’s latest release, One from Smalls Records has easy ambling grooves coursed by bassist Amin Salim and drummer Donald Edwards, cropped in Dillard’s springy saxophone twirls and dazzling guitar twists from Craig Magnano as keyboardist James Hurt fills the spaces between the instrument parts with patches of frothy trimmings like in "Ageless." Recorded in one day on November 3, 2008, One has a spontaneous edge in its smooth jazz flares that induce the listener’s thoughts with happy feelings.

The peppy hooks in "The Three Sides (Of Faith) imbue a warm, fuzzy feeling, and the chime-like sprinkles in the keyboards prancing along "Still Waters" produce a dreamy vibe partnered with the languid drones of the saxophone. The serpentine swagger and syrupy glaze of the sax in the title track has an optimistic pull, and the bushy-bop twitters of the sax in "Over And Over" bend and wiggle with the agility of Dizzy Gillespie. The warm temperature of the saxophone puffs in "Stizzozo" has a hypnotic charm, and the torchlight shimmers of "MoMo’s Smile" are modeled to a soul-jazz lift.

Produced by Luke Kaven, One has a dazzling décor and a smooth jazz veneer. It is music that nurtures the soul and resonates of good vibes from the moment you enter the album until you exit it. Whatever promises Dillard has made, he keeps them in One. - JazzReview

Stacy Dillard
One
Smalls Records
2009 Stacy Dillard
Tarbaby
Imani Records
2009
Saxophonist Stacy Dillard's spirited energy is laced with nuance and intelligence and, while he's not shy of passion or feeling, everything he does is grounded in superb technique and focused and appealing ideas. Listeners who haven't been able to hear Dillard on the late-night (and even later) circuit in New York City can get a taste of his prodigious skills on two recent CDs

One is a thoroughly enjoyable release featuring Dillard on eight of his engaging originals. This CD is quality Dillard all the way and his choice of personnel for this venture is first-rate: James Hurt (Fender Rhodes), Craig Magnano (guitar), Amin Salim (bass) and Donald Edwards (drums).

Dillard can play 'out' as well as 'in' or, if you like, inside-out. But he is perhaps best as himself, accessible and pleasurable to those with mainstream tastes as well as those whose ears appreciate some edge and innovation. "Three Sides (Ol' Faithful)" is focused and logical and well, fun, even across its almost 10-minute running time. And from there, the proceedings remain consistently high. "Still Waters" probes a more laid-back tempo and mood while the title track picks up the forceful theme from the album opener.

Tarbaby is an eclectic but ultimately cohesive undertaking from the "leaderless" ensemble of Dillard, pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis, now-former tenor J.D. Allen, drummer Nasheet Waits and guest vocalist TC III. It's natural to wonder what these musicians are about calling themselves what some consider a racial epithet. The band says they don't consider their name a "political statement." Rather, they're using it "as a metaphor for a stern rejection of all too common cliche in modern jazz ideology."

If all this sounds esoteric don't fret. This music itself is energetic and vibrant with an unpredictable, fresh, experimental feel and proceeds at a breezy pace. Dillard sparkles throughout but the shine is the glow of all, each member contributing originals as well as a piece each by Don Cherry and Trudy Pitts.

The recorded voice spliced into a hiphop milieu at the opening belongs to Bush-era White House press secretary Tony Snow. This kind of spoken-word injection is not unheard of in jazz but here Snow's "I don't want to hug the tar baby," repeated, with variation, is a bit startling, announcing that the music to follow won't adhere to the usual 'standards.' It doesn't. Evans' energetic, fast-paced "Iz Beatdown Time" registers playfully and features some of the composer's more rousing playing, but the piece has good parts for the others too, adding up to a satisfying experience. Allen's slower, at times ominous sounding, title track also has beautiful sequences for piano, but those sinewy lines are picked up to haunting effect by the rest of the band.


Tracks and Personnel

One

Tracks: Three Sides (Ol' Faithful), Ageless, Still Waters, One, Over and Over, Stizzozo, MoMo's Smile, Untouchable.

Personnel: Stacy Dillard: tenor and soprano sax; James Hurt: Fender Rhodes; Craig Magnano: guitar; Amin Salim: bass; Donald Edwards: drums.

Tarbaby

Tracks: Intro, Awake Nu, O, Being in Nothingness, Iz Beatdown Time, Othello, Psalm 150-2, Tar Baby.

Personnel: Eric Revis: bass; JD Allen: tenor; Stacy Dillard: tenor; Orrin Evans: piano; Nasheet Waits: drums; (guest artist) TC III: vocals.
- Laurel Gross, NYC Jazz Record (formally All About Jazz)

Stacy Dillard
Good and Bad Memories (Criss Cross)
Buy it from Amazon
by Phil Freeman

Saxophonist Stacy Dillard has been around for a few years, but was unknown to me until J.D. Allen dropped his name as a peer in our interview. I decided to check out his work, and got hold of two albums—2009's One, on the Smalls label, and this one, his debut for Criss Cross, released in March of this year. He’s got two others that I haven’t heard…yet.

One was a swirling, Fender Rhodes-driven effort that drifted back and forth between vintage soul jazz and the more atmospheric feel of Miles Davis‘s In a Silent Way. Good and Bad Memories, by contrast, is an almost purely acoustic effort, except for the work of guitarist Craig Magnano, who also appeared on One. He and Dillard are joined by pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Ryan Berg, and drummer Jeremy “Bean” Clemons for a set of eight very traditional hard bop tunes, two of which—”Over and Over” and “Stizzozo”—also appeared in slightly shorter versions on One.

Dillard’s compositions are simple, bluesy choruses built as sturdy platforms for melodic soloing. There’s nothing showily complex about his work; he’s not as interested in displaying technique, or carrying out complicated harmonic or rhythmic stunts, as, say, Walter Smith III, Ambrose Akinmusire or Jason Moran (all of whose work I enjoy). I’d liken him to Hank Mobley, a guy who played down the middle, aiming for the heart or the gut rather than the head. And there’s no shame at all in being Hank Mobley. In fact, it’s a far greater shame that his work isn’t as appreciated today as that of some of his contemporaries. I suspect Stacy Dillard may be less of a critics’ darling than some of his peers, but I also suspect he’d be a real pleasure to see live.

The album opens with “Pleasant,” a tune that starts out living up to its title in an almost placid fashion but soon becomes a barn-burner with plenty of solo space for Magnano, Evans and the leader. This sets up a pattern which recurs throughout the disc; Dillard always grants plenty of space to his sidemen, sometimes even seeming like a reluctant leader, with the result that six of the eight tracks go past the seven-minute mark, and two of them (“There’s No Need” and “Stizzozo”) are more than nine minutes long. They’re never boring, though, even when the musicians are playing firmly within the hard bop tradition. The production is crisp and clear, with Berg’s bass thick and rubbery and Clemons’ drums sharp, especially his swift attacks on the toms. Dillard’s horn is buzzy and human, lacking the bludgeoning force of Sonny Rollins or David S. Ware but also avoiding the 1930s nostalgia of, say, late-period Archie Shepp. Magnano is a very clean player, more in the manner of Jim Hall than Grant Green, let’s say. And Orrin Evans is as fleet and inscrutable as ever.

Dillard and a version of this band (the guitar slot is listed as TBD) will be performing Tuesday night, July 12, at the Jazz Standard in New York. Based on this album, it ought to be a very solid set of melodic, mainstream jazz—no stunts, no compositional gimmickry, just dudes who can play getting up and doing so. Lately, that’s all I want. YMMV.
- Burning Ambulance

“…think Clemons must have taken the challenge literally, because from start to finish he played like a man possessed. I wondered if he’d just landed on the shores, fresh from the Motherland, that’s how versatile and multilingual he was.

With chereke, bongos, clave and other instruments plus drum set, Clemons added palatable texture and flavor to each song as he listened to Bey play piano, sing and was right there in the car with him. He’d nod his head, then start talking back to the instrumentation … whether that was Bey hitting a particular note or one of the band soloing against the film Bey was directing.

This was never more evident than on the bebop tune “Donna Lee.” Opening with 16 bars then shifting to eight counts intermittently, Jeremy was speaking in tongues on “Fragile.” Then on “Bridges” (from “Tuesdays in Chinatown,”) he was the percussion engine. It’s a really wonderful song with artistic range Bey took advantage of, as did Clemons…”

Wanda Sabir

San Francisco Bay View - Wanda Sabir, S.F. Bay View

One of the most promising new artists on the tenor saxophone, New York-based Stacy Dillard (http://www.stacydillard.com) is just as impressive with his composing skills as he is in his playing. There's not a wasted note on "Elite State of Mind," and nor does any uniform boredom creep in.

Dillard's music combines the hook-laden and emotionally soothing qualities of smooth jazz with the genre's mesmerizing instrumental wizardry. The result is an album that'll appeal both to the masses and to, well, snobs. On the title track, Dillard's saxophone scales the heights of New York's tallest skyscrapers; it soars through the clouds as wonderfully rolling drums and tingling piano complete the picture of a beautiful city at night.

Although it clocks in at about an hour, the CD actually only has seven tracks; however, none of it is repetitive. Dillard's pieces change shape, or evolve, as they progress, slyly introducing new elements such as piano and bass. Check out how "Saturday" unfolds with its cool sax vibe and throbbing percussion, then introducing piano for its concluding jam.

While Dillard's sax plays an important role on this album, it doesn't hog the spotlight. On "We Need Love," the wildly explosive tribal percussion actually takes center stage; it's a track that burns with fiery desire. Nevertheless, Dillard's saxophone does smoke on "We Need Love."

- Adam Harrington, Whisperin' & Hollerin' (UK)

Saxophonist Stacy Dillard is a snake charmer, eliciting soprano and tenor tones as hectic, showering, kinetic and melodic.........

Kathy Wilson, CityBeat (Cincinnati) - CityBeat (Cincinnati)

.......catch him while you can, he'll be famous soon. That's a fact.

Don Henke, Dayton Daily News - The Dayton Daily News