Search - Eric Kloss :: One Two Free

Strong playing from western Pennsylvania

Tyler Smith | Denver, CO United States | 01/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The great price on this CD makes it a particularly good buy (thanks again, Joel Dorn), but it's worth having anyway.Anyone who goes back to the late '60s and '70s in Pittsburgh knows of Kloss, a strong alto player who was a fixture in local clubs. He played with Chick Corea (and many others), but never really garnered a national following.This record, originally released on Muse, features local musicians that Kloss played with regularly in Pittsburgh, but it also includes Philadelphia guitarist Pat Martino, a huge asset. Those familiar with Martino know that he contributes tastefully and meaningfully no matter what the setting, and "One, Two, Free" is no exception.The whole record is strong, but the blowing feature for Kloss is a surprise: a workout of "It's Too Late," the old Carole King hit. It's an all-too-rare blending of straight-ahead jazz with the just the right measure of funk. (Those of us who lived through the '70s might remember how infrequently that marriage actually worked.)I love giving a homey a plug here, but it would be deserved whether he was from Pittsburgh or Hamburg. The man can play."

An EPIC Jazz Album...

Music Lover | 10/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eric Kloss- Alto Saxophone

Pat Martino- Guitar

Ron Thomas- Keyboards

Dave Holland- Bass

Ron Krasinski- Drums



The album has the perfect blend of raw emotion and technical virtuosity.



Track 1. One, Two, Free- The album starts out with a long and fiery peice that has elements of free jazz and jazz fusion. This peice lasts nearly half of the album.



Track 2. It's Too Late- It's better than the original!!! Eric uses perfect use of dynamics on this one. The melody is played R&B style, yet at perfectly chosen intervals throughout the peice, Eric eases into a R&B solo, which turns into a jazz solo, and then turns into a crazy free jazz solo, and then back into the melody. This is a perfect example of what music is supposed to be about: tension, and then release.



Track 3. Licea- This track is so good that it was included in some very well known fake books. Athough, the peice itself is still not well known. It is a soft, slow jazz ballad and its written in 9/8. It just floats along... and soon enough you find yourself getting totally lost in the music. It is a perfect way to end an album.



You can tell from the moment the music starts that Eric Kloss should be much more well known. His tone is almost perfect, though without sounding cheesy.

He can play a solo for fifteen minutes that'll keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride.



It is also easy to tell that all of the musicians had spent time playing together and knew completely what they were doing. The liner notes describe the amount of detail Eric demanded of his fellow musicians.



Buy it!! It'll become one of your favorites."