What reviewers have to say about
Johnnie Valentino: Stingy Brim (OmniTone 15212) [Printer-friendly version]

• ". . . the result is as quirky as it is groovy, as freewheeling as it is anchored in a profound tradition." —John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald

• ". . . revitalizes days of yore with a contemporary slant. . . .  Valentino’s brainchild offers a potpourri of foot-stomping jazz-funk, tinged with a New Orleans vibe. . . .  And it’s a groove-laden jaunt awash with pumping grooves and buoyant second-line pulses. Valentino’s edgy electric guitar phrasings steer a loose gait filled with memorable hooks and syncopated backbeats." —Glenn Astarita, EJazzNews.com

• ". . . a whirlwind of saucy jazz with a contemporary flavor that travels no specific timeline. Slight echoes from the distant past mingle with a little of today and a considerable amount of tomorrow’s music . . . Stingy brim?  Maybe, but this highly recommended session isn’t stingy, and it's brimming with excitement." —Jim Santella, AllAboutJazz.com

• ". . . very modern jazz — unique compositions and great sounding music. . . .  [The] musical mix of contours is shaped, manipulated and performed by artists who know the genre and understand how to create music that is listenable, creative and fun.  Valentino is a serious guitarist with abundant chops and an openness to technical experimentation . . . [a] memorable recording." —Mark F Turner, AllAboutJazz.com

• "Valentino seduces the listener into a groove, forcing out a few sultry shoulder shrugs and toe taps at the very least and inspiring the more coordinated fans in the crowd to get up and join in a full-on, across-the-dance-floor parade." —Molly Sheridan, New Music Box

• ". . . features a New Orleans second-line backbeat behind Valentino's stellar guitar lines that will hold you in its funky groove.  Altogether, Stingy Brim is a fine interpretation of the early instrumental influences of tuba, clarinet, and accordion when paired with guitar, electronica, organ, and saxophone." —Paula Edelstein, AllMusic.com

• "All in all Johnnie & his group catch a highly individualistic style, with an array of gloriously fluid techniques expressed by the sidemen, and a seemingly endless flow of viable & linear harmonic & musical ideas." —George W Carroll, EJazzNews.com

• ". . . Valentino brings the urgency of today's rhythms and compositions into an ensemble that consists of clarinet/tenor sax, guitar/mandolin, tuba and harmonium (taking the place of the accordion), drums and percussion. OmniTone lives up to its envelope-pushing quality while still retaining an Old World flavor." —Michael P Gladstone, AllAboutJazz.com

• "You gotta love — and miss the solid sound of  'the tuba'!" —Boston Post Gazette

• ". . . this set is a lot more than a good time roll. A good deal of depth, edginess and a perversely modern lean — given the inclusion of harmonium, clarinet and tuba—inserts itself into this set of ten Valentino originals . . ." —Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz.com