reviews
Scott Yanow -- Downbeat
⁕⁕⁕⁕ ½
Pianist Craig Davis on Tone Paintings with notable assistance of bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, successfully revives 10 of Marmarosa’s obscure songs while contributing his own ballad, “A Diddy for Dodo.” Davis, who like the older pianist is from Pittsburgh and toured with the Artie Shaw Orchestra (a ghost version in which he played some parts originally written for Marmarosa), has some complimentary boppish style and displays obvious affection for the material, much of which he had to transcribe.
Bill Kopp -- musoscribe.com
A new recording by Pittsburgh-born Craig Davis honors the work of hometown hero [Dodo] Marmarosa.
Davis explores Marmarosa’s catalog, delivering energetic and expressive readings of ten classics. The tunes swing gently, with balanced emphasis on melody, subtlety and groove. Taken as a whole, Davis’ selections display the breadth of Marmarosa’s compositional and arranging style, and may well spur listeners to rediscover the late pianist’s body of work.
Bill Donaldson -- CADENCE MAGAZINE
Marmarosa’s music, some of which is difficult to access without assiduous research.
Now it’s available to revive Marmarosa’s legacy. Engendered by civic pride, Craig Davis’ Tone Paintings may renew awareness of the modest Dodo Marmarosa
Stuart Kremsky – mr stus record room
Tone Paintings will keep your toes tapping and your spirit lifted. Definitely recommended.
Rick Anderson – CD Hotlist
…this outstanding trio recording makes clear, [Marmarosa] was a tremendously gifted composer, and tunes like “Dodo’s Bounce” and “Opus No. 5” are both complex and sweetly lyrical, a fairly rare combination in 1940s jazz. Pianist Craig Davis (alongside the stellar rhythm section of John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton) has crafted a gorgeous and long-overdue tribute to a criminally underrated jazz talent.
All About Jazz
Like Marmarosa (and legendary pianist Erroll Garner), Davis hails from Pittsburgh, and was well aware of Dodo's trail-blazing career at the keyboard. What is lesser known (and what Davis chooses to emphasize here) is Marmarosa's singular proficiency as a composer. To do so, he has enlisted the services of a blue-chip rhythm section comprising bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton to perform ten of Marmarosa's seductive original compositions and one flat-out charmer ("A Ditty for Dodo") by Davis. The bop influence is strong throughout, as is Marmarosa's capacity to write enchanting melodies that also swing. As trio sessions go, it does not get much better than this. An exemplary tribute to a remarkable musician whose legacy should neither be undervalued nor overlooked.
Allen Michie – Ars Fuse
…it’s richly recorded and enthusiastically performed, and it of course swings flawlessly. Tone Paintings makes a strong case for these compositions, and the pianist playing them, to be much more widely known.
George Kanzler – New York Jazz Record
This is a wonderful example of a “what could have been” album, resurrecting an important but largely forgotten figure from the first post-WWII decade, Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa.
The singularity and instant memorability of these Marmarosa tunes firmly cement his reputation as a top jazz pianist and bebop composer.
Stephen W. Smoliar – the rehearsal studio
The album is thus a significant journey of discovery that could not have existed without [Craig] Davis’ efforts at reconstruction. As a result, my awareness of Marmarosa’s works is just beginning to work its way into my “listening mind.” The good news is that there is both clarity and a refreshing rhetoric to the performances by Davis and his trio. My hope is to set aside enough time to cultivate as much familiarity with this album as I had previously cultivated with those [Charlie] Parker sessions from 1946 and 1947.
Joe Lang – Jersey Jazz
[Craig} Davis’s fluid style is well suited to the [Dodo] Marmarosa material. [John} Clayton is a strong and steady presence and [Jeff]Hamilton is his usual sensitive and inventive self. This is a wonderful tribute to a jazzman whose personal demons precluded his becoming a major star.
Dee Dee McNeil – Musical Memoirs
Pianist Craig Davis is on a mission to reinform the jazz community by celebrating Pittsburgh, PA jazz man, Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa. This is an engaging album that not only introduces us to the music of Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa, but allows us to become acquainted with pianist, composer and arranger Craig Davis. He’s in the best of company with hard-hitters like John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton as part of his swinging trio.
Anne Carlini - Exclusive Magazine
Tone Paintings combines masterful compositions with contemporary arranging and exquisite soloing from three Masters of Jazz. A well crafted and harmoniously melodious album.
Philip Sayblack – Phil's Picks
A Surprisingly Enjoyable Compilation.
They stay largely true to their source material while subtly updating the originals with the slightest touches in each. When they and the other covers examined here are considered together, the whole makes the collection such that it deserves to be heard by every jazz aficionado.
