One of thirteen on “The Best of 2014”!!!
Grego Applegate Edwards, ‘Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog’ 02/02/14
BEST ALBUM OF 2014, “WILD CARD” CATEGORY!!!!
“[Big Five Chord] really benefits from the longer cuts and a sympathetic audience…Lundbom is a guitarist who takes it out in his very own way. There is a full press of note-fullness, a way of patterning in extended chromatic territory that is quite original, and a soulful delivery. In many ways he has arrived, but then so has this band.”
Tom Hull, ‘Tom Hull – On the Web’ 12/20/13
BEST JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2014 – #21!!!
“Nearly everything runs past ten minutes, stomping and sliding with two saxophones… The guitar leads are fresh and bold, and Irabagon is nothing short of sublime on ‘North Star.'” A-
Stu Kremsky, ‘Mr. Stu’s Record Room’ 10/02/14
“[JL&BVC] tear it up for a clearly partisan audience at Brooklyn Fire Proof on their dynamite double disc set ‘Liverevil.’ The band’s cheerfully over-the-top sound and restless creativity are fully on display. …The discs are liberally sprinkled with cogent and powerful solos by both hornmen and by Lundbom. …’Liverevil’ is a provocative and lively portrait of a band hard at work and having a great time doing it. Recommended.”
Esteban Arizpe Castañeda, ‘El Intruso’ 05/31/14
In translation by Kelley Smilkstein…
“Lundbom belongs to that category of guitarists that distinguishes itself from the rest by a search much more concerned about expressing ones own voice than in demonstrating versatility. This quality, unfortunately much less common than it should be, means that everything he plays on his instrument has meaning and allows his sound at all times to have the conviction and honesty of someone who appears to be fulfilling a personal desire through his music. The fresh style that characterizes him as a guitarist is reflected with similar clarity in his role as composer, making it appear that labels that are supposedly applicable to the styles presented (those being in broad strokes jazz, rock or fusion) are relegated against a resolve with which he expresses compositionally those that he likes and that identify him in musical terms. And, by the way, these ideas have found a natural and ideal way to be manifested in his band…Big Five Chord, with ‘Liverevil,’ reaches its peak in its evolution as a band and ratifies the talent and true creativity of its leader. Highly recommended.”
Read the full article (in Spanish)
Read the full article (in translation)
Dave Wayne, ‘All About Jazz’ 06/02/14
★★★★ 1/2
“Blessed with one of the most talented and exciting backing bands in jazz today, guitarist Jon Lundbom returns with a mammoth 2-CD live epic. ‘Liverevil’ captures the band in performance on their hometown stomping grounds, Brooklyn Fire Proof, in front of a rightfully enthusiastic crowd. …Big Five Chord has a well-defined sound that combines elements of post-bop, free jazz, and jazz-rock but sounds like ‘none of the above.’ Part of this is the organic, jam-centric nature of the music. If you have guys like Lundbom, Jon Irabagon, and Bryan Murray in your band; you want to hear them solo! …Uniformly a great listen.”
Chris Haines, ‘The Free Jazz Collective’ 04/17/14
★★★★ 1/2
“Lundbom’s clear musical vision continues to make him the original artist that he is. The sound of the band is top notch and the tunes are played well throughout. The pieces are allowed to breathe in the live environment… Lundbom’s playing is excellent… On occasion the music feels barely contained by the structures and the playing threatens to burst the forms wide open. …There’s a buzz about this album and the excitement in the atmosphere comes across in the recording, and not just from the whoops and calls from the audience, but tangibly, so that it’s very presence can be felt within the music itself. This is a great album.”
Robert Iannapollo, ‘The New York City Jazz Record’ April 2014
“[Big Five Chord] is clearly the equal in improvisational prowess [to Mostly Other People do the Killing]… Interestingly, the two discs [of ‘Liverevil’] have very different emphases…it almost sounds like two different bands and that’s not easy to do. But an odd penchant for the group is seeming to relish unexpected endings. ‘Liverevil’ is a worthwhile document of a band that should be better known.”
George Harris, ‘Jazz Weekly’ 03/20/14
“Lundbom is caught in concert here for two sets leading a rollicking and swinging band… Exciting, often swinging…the indulgences make for a fun night in Brooklyn.”
Tim Niland, ‘Music and More’ 03/18/14
“Lundbom leads a wonderful band on this in concert LP… They really do not let up for the full length of this double album… Uniformly excellent and a wonderful example of the type of forward thinking jazz that leaves the jazz-is-dead naysayers in the dust.”