Press

Jared Schonig

Press Reviews
“. . . a prime candidate for album of the year . . .” 
– Ron Netsky, Rochester City Paper

"Schonig has worked extensively as a touring sideman, a session drummer, and a pit engine in Broadway productions like The Color Purple. His two new albums — Two Takes Vol. 1: Quintet and Two Takes Vol. 2: Big Band— decisively put him forward as a bandleader, with eight original tunes rendered in both combo and large group settings. The quintet has Marquis Hill on trumpet, Godwin Louis on alto saxophone, Luis Perdomo on piano and Matt Clohesy on bass; the big band enlarges Schonig’s themes with charts by some of the leading orchestrators of our time, like Jim McNeely, Darcy James Argue, Mike Holober and Miho Hazama." 
– Nate Chinen, WBGO Fall Preview

“Quite frankly, this level of enterprise needs a degree of attention that a mere review can only hint at. Suffice to say, that the quintet versions are best described as hard bop, they’re bright, direct, and filled with exceptional solo playing, all underpinned by Schonig’s varied rhythmic motifs and accents. This is stirring stuff . . . you’ll realise the audacity of the concept and its range. There’s incident aplenty, a multiplicity of twists and turns offered by these writers, each chart marked by a suffusion of top soloists, the whole enterprise a huge gesture of confidence in both composer and executant. Lucky Jared” – Peter Vacher, JazzWise Magazine

“Taken on its own, the stripped-down quintet recording would be a worthy offering of original music, played at the highest level by some remarkable performers . . . feels like accelerating onto the freeway in a brand-new BMW. Schonig’s drumming is energetic, precise, and with the exception of the solo interludes, never steals the spotlight . . . But the true brilliance resides in the decision to release the quintet recordings as a kind of source material to show how the music is transformed in spectacular fashion by some truly incredible arrangers.” 
– Gary Fukushima, DownBeat Magazine (4 ½ Stars)
 
"the exemplar of the 21st Century musician . . . rich in melodic material, ripe with strong solos, and excellent accompaniment. Jared Schonig set a sumptuous table for his musical partners and the listener gets to partake in the feast! . . . Both albums are worth investigating and owning. Great sounds that will brighten your attitude and your day!" 
– Richard Kamins, Step Tempest

“ . . . an ambitious release with differing takes on some brilliant material that sounds simply stunning. Jared is classically-trained, yet his Jazz drumming chops are very organic and shine on this release.” – Jamie Eads, The Drum Shuffle Podcast

“It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised when bright moments arrive from different, unanticipated musical corners. Such is the case with drummer Jared Schonig’s quite ambitious, recently-released companion discs: ‘Two Takes: Vol 1: Quintet’ and ‘Vol. 2: Big Band’ . . . The quintet disc certainly underscores jazz’s true spirit and showcases the genre’s many musical characteristics . . . As for the large ensemble’s personnel, like the participating arrangers, it borders the impeccable . . . Many involved in jazz gravitate to the music because it presents the possibility of seeing the democratic process in action. Coming across a project such as “Two Takes" is not only exciting, but also very real.” – Jon W. Poses, Columbia Daily Tribune

“When drummer/composer Jared Schonig says he wants to go big, he’s not kidding. The music on Schonig’s debut recordings as a leader on Anzic Records, Two Takes Vol. 1: Quintet & Vol. 2: Big Band are meticulously crafted, played with the freedom, abandon, joy and excellence” 
– Jeffrey Siegel, Straight No Chaser-A Jazz Show

“Vibes, bass and drums achieve a jazz-rock synthesis that goes beyond anything accomplished by the Bad Plus or Medeski, Martin and Wood - witty, wise and fun stuff, riding on the funk breeze of Jared Schonig's drumming.” – The San Francisco Chronicle (Best Jazz of 2008) 

“. . . Schonig's throttling trap set palpitations provide the fuel . . .” 
– Troy Collins, All About Jazz 

“the participation of wondrous young drummer Jared Schonig . . . every bit as crucial to the group sound . . .” – Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News 

“drummer Jared Schonig create a language flexible and distinct enough to contain multitudes.”
– Jon Garelick, The Boston Phoenix

“drummer Jared Schoenig gives the music a dynamic rhythmic drive. He gives the Monk tune a nice subtle funky undercurrent but he also knows when to pull back-check out his tasty brushwork” – Robert Iannapollo, All About Jazz

“bassist DAN LOOMIS and drummer JARED SCHONIG flow like the tides.”
– The San Francisco Chronicle 

“drummer Jared Schonig keeps it alertly rustling as they cover Nirvana, Sufjan Stevens and Thelonious Monk along with complementary originals . . .” – Greg Burk, Metal Jazz 

“Drummers need love too, and Schonig deserves some for his incredible kit-work throughout”
 – Mark Turner, All About Jazz 

“drummer Jared Schonig provides a snappy, powerful backbone . . . it develops in surprising and spontaneous ways.” – Peter Margasak, The Chicago Reader 

“Schonig plays a skittery, electronica-influenced rhythm - it’s oddly infectious. More, please.”
 – Steve Greenlee, The Boston Globe 
“drummer Jared Schonig tackle(s) pop hits with postbop aplomb.”– Time Out Chicago 

“. . . drummer Jared Schonig's poetic, but hard-hitting solo, brimming with brisk hi-hat hits and polyrhythmic tom patterns, returning with a vengeance for the finale.” 
– Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz 

“drummer Jared Schonig has the freedom to show off some serious chops . . .”
– Wesley Britton, BlogCritics Music 

“Schonig’s a busy drummer who mixes in-the-pocket grooves (“1984”) with head banging thrashers (‘Sunday’) . . . a sonic playground . . .” – Nick Bewsey, ICON 

“The sound of the Wee Trio is defined as much by the upfront drums of Jared Schonig”
– Lloyd Sachs, Jazzespress 

“this manic drum signature from Jared Schonig which seems to hurtle the song from one improvisational exchange to another.” – Nick DeRiso, Something Else! 

“drummer Jared Schonig . . . re-staging the air battle fought over the English Channel in 1940. Schonig's proven many times over that he can fight the Luftwaffe single-handed . . . roaring fills and ‘Hulk Smash’ muscle . . .”– JC Hunter, State of Mind Music 


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