Flash Mob
$10.98 – $14.98
Anton Schwartz, composer & tenor saxophone
When creating music, Anton Schwartz always wants to make more than just a catchy tune. His goal is to create music that resonates into the listener’s very bones, communicating something profound through melody and harmony. To that end, he collaborated with Dominick Farinacci, Taylor Eigsti, John Shifflett, and Lorca Hart in 2014 to create Flash Mob, a high-energy album that earned mass praise for seamlessly integrating groove and intellect to form a modern delight that only gets better when listened to repeatedly.
Anton Schwartz, tenor sax
Dominick Farinacci, trumpet
Taylor Eigsti, piano
John Shifflet, bass
Lorca Hart, drums
Extra notes
Produced by Anton Schwartz and Bud Spangler.
Recording & Mixing Engineer: Dan Feiszli
Mastered by Paul “Body Check” Stubblebine, San Francisco.
Recorded May 30-31, 2013 in 96kHz 24-bit audio at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA.
Mixed at What’s for Lunch Recording, El Cerrito, CA.
Release date: January 28, 2014
On This Recording
- Flash Mob (6:09)
- Swamp Thang (5:09)
- Cumulonimbus (7:48)
- Pangur Ban (6:49)
- Alleybird (6:33)
- Spurious Causes (7:52)
- La Mesha (K. Dorham) (7:19)
- Epistrophy (K. Clarke; T. Monk) (4:28)
- Glass Half Missing (6:07)
- The Contender (4:14)
- Dawn Song (4:29)
Reviews:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Just about all of these songs have the kind of shapely themes you can imagine other players wanting to cover” — DownBeat Magazine
Blazingly hot stuff throughout, Schwartz and company serve up some of the best ensemble playing around and make it sound way too easy. A winner throughout.”
– Chris Spector, Midwest Record“A superior tenor saxophonist from Northern California, Anton Schwartz has his own sound and a fresh conception of forward-looking hard bop… Schwartz has created a CD worthy of the best of 1960s Blue Note… there are several songs on this set that deserve to become future standards.”
– Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene“The music is imbued with spontaneity, precision, and fun. Schwartz’s thick tenor tone pairs warmly with Farinacci’s dark brass. Melodic clarity trumps technical fireworks. Wide grooves set a jubilant vibe.”
– Steve Griggs, Earshot Jazz“Schwartz and his bandmates play with openness and honesty, creating melodies that linger in the ear, the way great pop songs do…. [Schwartz and Farinacci] create a seamless and powerful front line…. There’s an irreverence and spirit of fun which shines through.”
– WBGO Radar“Impressive and virtually impossible to resist.”
– Jeff Simon, Buffalo News“A splendid outing shaped by Schwartz’s skills as a player and a composer.”
– Ken Franckling’s Jazz Not“Flash Mob… manages to evoke the greatest jazz quintets of the past while simultaneously stretching toward the future.”
– Ron Netsky, Rochester City Paper“If this is hard bop, its 21st century attitude is Schwartz’s own. His compositions have a distinctive quality that incorporates disparate harmonies and rhythms… “Epistrophy” and “La Mesha” are interesting for Schwartz’s special treatments, but his 10 originals hold their own in that distinguished company. He and Farinacci play beautifully throughout…”
– Doug Ramsey, Rifftides“★★★★★… ‘Cumulonimbus’ is insane.”
– Carol Banks Weber, Examiner.com“Schwartz has a wealth of musical ideas and always backs them with a solid high wire tenor!”
– George Fendel, Jazzscene“Schwartz and his band are in full stride on this persuasive release, teeming with multicolored mosaics, vigorous soloing and strong compositions… a modern jazz delight that offers residual enjoyment on successive listens.”
– Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz“★★★★… Just about all of these songs have the kind of shapely themes you can imagine other players wanting to cover.”
– Jon Garelick, DownBeat (March 2014)“Thoughtful, exceptionally detailed, and just plain fresh-sounding.”
– iTunes Jazz Editor’s Note (June, 2014)“Saxophonist Anton Schwartz writes the kind of sharp, punchy, memorable melodies that may send listeners scouring through old Blue Note reissues to find their source. On his latest, Flash Mob, Schwartz’s tunes sit comfortably alongside vintage Monk and Kenny Dorham pieces.”
– Shaun Brady, Philadelphia City Paper (May, 2015)“Anton Schwartz… the soulful and precise, beefy-toned sax man…”
– Paul de Barros, Seattle Times (March 7, 2014)“A great find… Music that is fun, feisty, formidable and forward looking.”
– George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly (Feb 20, 2014)“If I had to use just one word to characterize this album, it would be “urgent;” whether the musicians are playing full speed ahead, or at a more leisurely pace, there is a sense of in-the-moment interaction which sometimes does not get captured on studio recordings such as this.”
– Martin Z. Kasdan Jr., Louisville Music News (Feb 2, 2014)“Having worked as producer on all four of Anton Schwartz’ previous albums, I’ve been blessed to witness his steady growth as both a player and a composer. In Flash Mob, he’s crossed yet another threshold. The CD features some of Anton’s most daring writing to date, balanced by hard swinging originals that conjure the golden age of Hard Bop. And, quite simply, he plays his butt off—as do all the players on the disc. This CD is full of passionate, fiery playing at its best. It ain’t the typical jazz record; I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy fresh, exciting new sounds.”
— Bud Spangler (1938-2014), Grammy Nominated Producer
