Search - Anthony Ortega :: On Evidence

Glorious, slightly off-beat mainstream jazz

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 02/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been looking for this disc for more than a decade, ever since I read about it somewhere in an obscure jazz publication. I thought it'd be a cinch to find since it was on the Evidence label, a mainly reissue outfit that included such gems as Santi Debriano's Panamaniacs. But the Evidence was corrupted. In fact, the Evidence was all wrong.Ortega had recorded this disc on the obscure French Evidence label. Thankfully, the amazing Amazon emporium somehow saw fit to pick up this item. And let me tell you, I'm really glad they did.What we have here is some of the most wonderful straightahead jazz I've ever heard. The tunes, which, save for a wonderful and sadly neglected Mal Waldron gem, "Warm Canto," are all by Ortega hemself, or by one Mona Orbeck Ortega, whom, one assumes, is Ortega's wife. They are simply, starkly beautiful. In fact, this strikes me as one of the most hauntingly beautiful jazz discs ever recorded.Ortega has an extremely rich and nuanced tone on both his instruments, alto and soprano sax. Sounding somewhat like Bobby Watson on alto, he displays a startling range of expression undergirt by an entirely welcome dancing fluidity rarely encountered in these days of alto astringincy. Or, one might aptly regard him as the Stan Getz of the alto sax.Gorgeous, filled with highly charged, emotionally seductive playing, this ranks as my most significant mainstream jazz discovery ever."

Thanks, dood

jim g. | houston,tx | 11/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Didn't know anything bout this cat and I'm very glad somebody did. I believe that is a tenor sax, tho. Lovely playing. He has another hard to find album I've discovered entitled New Dance. Avant garde playin (recorded in 1966) with bass and drums. The ballads sound beautiful and beautifully played from the samples I've heard on Amazon. Cheers."