Jazz bands don’t last long enough. So many times you only hear the alchemy between a given ensemble for one recording and then things change up before the next trip to the recording studio. It is so rewarding when you hear an ensemble stick together and grow. Joan Hutton and Sue Orfield did just that for their sophomore release Splash. Not only are Hutton and Orfield again back to handle frontline horn duties, they have also continued to work with Kameron Markworth (bass), Ted Godbout (piano) and David Schmalenberger (drums). The band has gelled even further than they did on their debut record with exciting arrangement choices. The groove on “Atari Afternoon” conjures the sense of adventure, mischief and youthful ebullience I associate with an afternoon well-spent in front of a game console. Dig in and enjoy the sounds and demand that the band brings us a third record, cause things keep getting better! – Sean McPherson, Music Director – Jazz88/KBEM FM, 9.11.24.
Alto saxophonist Joan Hutton and tenor saxophonist Sue Orfield co-lead a quintet out of the US Midwest called Take That Back. The band’s distinctive sound rises out of the rich dialogue between their two leaders. They flow, stomp and roll through a program of mostly original music with high spirits and style….This album is a potent and lively set of music that radiates joy and good feelings. The tunes have familiar outlines but enough original twists to keep the listener engaged. Hutton and Orfield have a great sound together and this entire band comes off as a special unit. – Jerome Wilson, AllAboutJazz.com, 8.14.24 (Full review HERE)
Prolific jazz musicians Sue Orfield and Joan Hutton, based in the Chippewa Valley and Twin Cities respectively, just released their second collaborative album, Splash – an 11-song effort on Shifting Paradigm Records. The album is a crash course in traditional jazz, featuring the magnificent melodic dueling of bass clarinet and tenor sax courtesy of the powerhouse duo. The record is similar in style to their 2022 album, Take That Back, this time building on their strengths and leaning into their fruitful onstage chemistry. – Parker Reed, Volume One, 8.19.24 (Full review HERE)
Joyfully documenting two writers and players deserving much wider recognition, Take That Back is the witty rejoinder to those cynical among us who think all the fun has gone out of jazz. Take that back, indeed! – Douglas Payne, Sound Insights 2.23.22 (Full Review HERE)
Joan Hutton and Sue Orfield’s Take that Back opens with the smooth dark chocolate crooning of Hutton’s bass clarinet. The tune is “Dirty Secret,” a Hutton-penned, mid-tempo gem. And initially what comes to mind is (Bennie Maupin and Eric Dolphy aside) how rarely we hear the bass clarinet on a jazz album. Then Orfield’s tenor sax enters and interweaves lines with Hutton’s, and the pairing of sounds presented with the two reeds and the piano, bass and drums rhythm team is something special indeed. – Dan McClenegan, AllAboutJazz.com 1.27.22 (Full Review HERE)
Despite the title of the first track, it is not a “Dirty Secret” that Joan Hutton and Sue Orfield are two of the top wind players in the region, and their opening combination of bass clarinet and tenor sax sets the tone for the rest of their new outing. – Andrea Canter, JazzPolice.com 1.28.22 (Full Review HERE)
Prolific jazz musicians Sue Orfield and Joan Hutton just released their first collaborative record, Take That Back, a 10-song effort on Shifting Paradigm Records. The album is a crash course in traditional jazz, featuring magnificent bass clarinet and tenor sax melodic dueling courtesy of the powerhouse duo. – Parker Reed, VolumeOne.com 1.27.22 (Full Article HERE)
TAKE THAT BACK 