Read about Sweet Shadow…
Ken Micallef, Downbeat magazine
On the followup to his terrific sophomore effort, Fresh Spin (Chicken Coup), tenor saxophonist Pet Mills works his crack quartet in so many directions that the listener can hardly catch a breath. All that’s left is a single thought, “Man, what a gas!” – DownBeat
Dan McClenaghan from Allaboutjazz.com
On his fourth release as a leader, Mills has gathered a crack quintet to navigate labyrinths of ten of his modern-bop compositions, along with the Ellington/Strayhorn tune, “The Star-Crossed Lovers,” Rolland Kirk’s “Serenade to a Cuckoo,” and a seemingly odd pick that works to perfection, the standard “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
Mill’s opens the disc with his “Shiner,” a rousing ride down an open highway, at ninety miles per hour. Mills, with his smooth delivery sizzling along to deliver a craggy melody, brings the late sax man Joe Henderson, on his classic Blue Note albums, to mind. Or sometimes George Coleman with the fluidity of his lines. Guitarist Pete McCann and pianist Erik Augis supply a rhythmic weave behind the horn, and ubiquitous drummer Matt Wilson and bassist Martin Wind are relentlessly propulsive on this vivacious, modern-leaning tune. Read More…
Jordan Richardson from Something Else Reviews
Mills finds himself walking a fresh path through a genre that is often inhabited by the shadows of past greats, but rather than bemoaning the situation he embraces it. The “sweetness” found in the history of jazz and the many titans who crafted and elevated the art form is found in his compositions and in his playing. Read More…
A jazz listener’s thoughts
Mills plays tenor sax and has rounded up a nice group: Pete McCann on guitars, Martin Wind on bass, Matt Wilson on drums, all of whom I know, and a newcomer who is a standout on piano, Erik Augis. Together they create a feeling of old-time hard bop/post bop as they spin through twelve songs, most by Mills, who writes in a classic style reminiscent of classic Blue Note sessions of the 50s and early 60s. Plus there are two short duos of free ranging music with Mills on tenor and Wilson on the drum set. A lot to like, including special arrangements for two classics, “Serenade to a Cuckoo” and “Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend.” I think lovers of the mainstream will find a lot to like here. Read More…
Read about Fresh Spin…
Pete Mills new release, Fresh Spin, is the follow up to the saxophonist’s critically acclaimed 2004 Summit Records debut, Art and Architecture (4 Stars, All Music Guide). Featuring Tony Monaco on the B3 organ, Fresh Spin is released on Monaco’s Summit imprint, Chicken Coup Records. It also includes the exceptional guitar work of NYC based Pete McCann, drummer Jim Rupp and bassist Andy Woodson. Eleven compositions fill this high energy groove and bop-based recording, including a little-known Horace Silver composition Diggin’ on Dexter and Billy Strayhorn’s haunting ballad A Flower is a Lovesome Thing. Organ marvel Tony Monaco fires up the B3 on this recording, the first to showcase his talents since 2005’s East to West (top 5 JazzWeek Radio Chart). Read more…
DownBeat Magazine
Downbeat Magazine gives Fresh Spin 3½ Stars Read more…
JazzTimes Magazine
“…tenor man Mills and B3 Burner Tony Monaco lay down the law in this thoroughly entertaining set.” Read more…
All Music Review
Tenor saxophonist Pete Mills and organist Tony Monaco make for a very potent musical team throughout Fresh Spin. Although the instrumentation is that of a 1960s soul-jazz organ group, the music, other than two standards (“A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing,” a tenor guitar duet, and guitarist Pete McCann’s “Cooked Cheese”) is comprised of Mills’ orginals. Read more…
AllAboutJazz.com
Brimming with the essence of good cheer, Mills and crew communicate a distinct sense of musical merriment during the entirety of this impacting and irrefutably entertaining jaunt. Read more…
Jazz Review
Fresh Spin covers much territory and, defying expectations, goes beyond a survey of traditional tenor sax classic recordings, like “Body and Soul” or “Moody’s Mood for Love,” and instead reshapes the music to reflect Pete Mills’ own talent and personality. And like his previous album, Art and Architecture, Fresh Spin reaffirms the fact that much jazz talent remains to be discovered outside of New York City and on some of the more specialized labels. Read more…
Read about Art and Architecture…
All Music Guide (4 Stars)
Pete Mills, a tenor saxophonist inspired by his mentor Walt Weiskopf, is an excellent player influenced by but not derivative of John Coltrane. On Art and Architecture, most of the music is straight-ahead post-bop, utilizing chord changes in the themes but not necessarily always tied to them in the improvisations. Mills’ dry tone is showcased at its best on the augmented blues-with-a-bridge “Dot Com,” “In Walked Bud,” a brief duet with guitarist Pete McCann on “Chelsea Bridge,” and the lighthearted “Pumpkin Shoes.” The band really gets to romp on the funky “Clubfoot” and there are fine spots along the way for McCann and pianist Bobby Floyd, with bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Matt Wilson being stimulating in support. The program has plenty of variety in moods and grooves, and Mills fares quite well in every setting of this excellent modern jazz set.
— Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
JazzTimes Magazine
Weiskopf protege Pete Mills has released his own second CD as a leader, Art and Architecture (Summit), which is buoyed by the stalwart bass and drums team of Dennis Irwin and Matt Wilson, assisted by pianist Bobby Floyd and/or guitarist Pete McCann (acoustic and electric). Whatever the instrumentation-sometimes a tenor sax and guitar duo (Strayhorn’s “Chelsea Bridge”) or a tenor sax-bass-drums trio (Strayhorn’s “Isfahan” and Monk’s “In Walked Bud”)-Mills demonstrates a firm control of his instrument and of his material, all except the aforementioned being compositions of his own. His tunes include a nice bossa (“Seven Shades of Blue”), a couple of straightahead burners (“Spin Dri” and “April Tune”), some funk-laden, backbeat blues (“Dot Com” and “Clubfoot”), a lovely ballad (“Remembrance”) and a quirky, fast-paced head (“Pumpkin Shoes”). Everybody plays well in a mainstream modern mode, with the leader’s versatile tenor-kick-butt on “Clubfoot” and gorgeous on “Isfahan”-a key element of the album’s success. Read more…
— David Franklin
Dayton City Paper
Columbus saxophonist Pete Mills has released his second CD on the Summit Label and it’s a real winner. His cohorts on the record include guitarist Pete McCann, bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Matt Wilson — all in-demand New York players, along with Columbus piano legend Bobby Floyd. Read more…
— Don Henke, Dayton City Paper
AllAboutJazz.com
Straightahead jazz combines pleasant memories with fresh energy when it’s created by a unit such as Pete Mills’ quintet. His lovely tenor saxophone tone soothes while it cascades around the room. The session remains peaceful and quiet throughout. Mills stretches out on up-tempo romps and lays back casually for lyrical ballads. Read more…
— Jim Santella, AllAboutJazz.com
More Reviews
“…after hearing the CD, I would give it six stars if I were judging it. Your playing is wonderful, and your writing is superb. I love it.”
— Saxophonist Jimmy Heath
“This recording gets to the heart of what Pete’s music is all about. It’s strong, musical, and personal, showcasing his talents as both a composer and a fine tenor saxophonist, and the band is first-rate.”
— Milestone recording artist, saxophonist Jim Snidero
Read about Momentum…
The Columbus Dispatch’s Curt Schieber writes of Mills’ compositions as being “impressive” with solos that are “ear opening…with a tone that is big and rich…[His CD Momentum] recalls the post-bop of mid-1960s Blue Note records. But it also echoes other decades and other labels. It is remarkable first and foremost though, in its pursuit of pure jazz.”
“[Momentum] established Mills as a composer of complexity and character and an imaginative but exacting improviser.”
— Curt Schieber, The Columbus Dispatch
