Reviews for All of the Above

"Reverberating with impulses from jazz history...infused with the spirit of 
free improvisation, and laced with an insightful dose of twentieth century 
classicism...a meaningful reconciliation of structure and freedom,
the visceral and the cerebral, the past and the present..."Crystals" and
"Refraction"...highlight the sensitive intricacy of Short's writing...
"Then" is noteworthy for its utterly convincing and heartfelt evocation of 
Albert Ayler...Short's manipulation of the twelve-tone row which serves 
as the title track's foundation is ingenious, particularly when it serves 
as support material behind soloists.The ballad-like and then explosive 
full group interjections are likewise captivating...it is Short and Smoker 
who especially shine in this clearly empathetic assemblage of players."
-- Milo Fine, Cadence, July 1995 (p. 81)


"(****) If you don't know Damon Short, you know his influences...
His uncompromising esthetic may explain why a compact disc as strong 
and challenging as Short's all of the above waited four years for release...
Paul Scea also makes a strong impression, adding a grainy sound on
tenor sax on the Ayler tribute "Then, As Now" and applying "extended 
technique" to the flute in the style of Sam Rivers. With luck, we'll hear 
this band's current work before the end of the century."
-- Jon Andrews, down beat, August 1995 (p. 48)

"Without mincing words, this is a wonderful recording...Drummer Damon Short 
has great compositional skills. He also has great confidence in his 
assembled players, allowing them to add their own ideas to the musical 
stew...What Short and his talented associates dish up is structured  
improvisation, open-ended investigations of well-conceived, well-written 
themes, and ensemble playing concepts...Thankfully, Short has found 
several other musicians well up to his project's realization... 
Paul Smoker is a monstrously gifted trumpeter... Paul Scea achieves a  
personal sound on...flute, sax and bass clarinet...Larry Kohut is a 
round-toned bulwark on bass... Short uses the full resources afforded 
by his drum kit to the ends of variety, subtlety, and discretion...
he constantly engages and surprises the listener..."
-- Tom Surowicz, Midwest Jazz, Spring 1995

"...another free-thinking Chicagoan...variety is Short's strong suit...
he offers his sextet wide open spaces, angular Braxtonian melodies, 
a mock spiritual, tuneful bass vamps and undulating written lines  
for harmonized horns."                             -- Kevin Whitehead, Pulse!, April 1995 

"All of the Above (Southport) should help put this intrepid avant-gardist 
on the map...new, daring and experimental ways of building ensembles 
and improvisations."                               -- Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune, 1/22/95 

"Short, a drummer and uncompromising composer, draws a remarkable range
of shapes and thoughtful shadings from what might be called internal 
dialogues...sounds like something from five years from now."
-- Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Sun-Times, 1/15/95


"The works of Short have that remarkable quality of showing the value 
of the musicians who join him...modern, original and demanding...through 
the fine distillations of the necessity of the free revolution..."
     -- Patrice Roussel, ImproJazz (France), May 1995

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