Along For The Ride

The Arch Stanton Quartet, based in upstate New York, is putting a new spin on bop and post-bop jazz, with angular funk and latin grooves, expansive improvisation and inventive original tunes steeped in the post-bop tradition. 'Recorded live, this pianoless group offers up a magnificent seven originals and one classic cover. A highly eclectic CD, the material ranges from straight-ahead harder bop ('Along for the Ride') to more cerebral Monk-flavored rock-tinged fare ('Modest Sleuthing'). 'Della Royale' struts a Cajun-flavor and 'Flying Gurnard' exhibits freer expressive tonalities on which the group shines brilliantly. 'Compared to What' (not the Les McCann-Eddie Harris classic) pounds a heavy beat and 'Estate' ('Summer') is a beautiful rendition that sends it all home.' -Nick Mondello, review of 'Along For The Ride' on CDBaby.com 'Songs like the edgy 'Flying Gurnard', worldly 'Footprints', and the misty 'Contemplation' reveal the band has an uncanny chemistry, and a knack for clever, intuitive interpretations as well as smart, original compositions.' -Times Union 'You don't have to re-invent the wheel to do something distinctive in jazz. Instead of emulating Ornette Coleman and blowing the model to smithereens, you can follow Thelonious Monk's example of adding one variable that separates your work from everybody else's. The Arch Stanton Quartet has a pretty stock instrumental format, and they play pretty standard forms of jazz. But it's not what they do that makes Along for the Ride a great debut recording - it's how they do it!' -J Hunter, review of 'Along For The Ride' for nippertown.com.