Paul Tobey - Reviews

What critics say about Street Culture:

"Tobey has it all -- technique, talent, insight, imagination and a gift for melody, both in his written tunes and his improvisations, plus that elusive kernel that is impossible to qualify -- a style full of warmth and integrity that is all his own….When jazz fans hear Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck or Bill Evans, they know immediately who's playing. In a couple of years the same will be true for Paul Tobey, for he has everything it takes to join the legends."
--Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Ontario, Canada, March 16, 2001

"The twelve songs on the CD are all Tobey originals, mostly mid- to up-tempo stuff, very energetic, spontaneous, with a distinctly "now" sound to them, with some great blowing, and some joyously inventive piano work from one of the most original and talented young pianists of the day. I don't know what kind of an audience he has, but he deserves a huge one."
--The American Reporter, May 1, 2001

"4 Stars…this quartet is filled with not only boundless energy, but with the ability to play the quiet sentiment and rhythmic language that allows their listeners to connect to the remarkably detailed imagery Tobey has composed and is improvising. Beautiful melodies and a lyrical approach to the compositions are elements that also make Tobey's music interesting and should garner him loyal fans."
--All Music Guide, May 2001

"The CD represents the arrival of a mature artist with not only a performance capacity of the highest level, but also the compositional imagination for a varied repertoire through the album's hour-long excursion… who individualistically honors the jazz tradition, even as he extends it."
--Don Williamson, All About Jazz, July 2001

Pianist-composer Paul Tobey, judging from Street Culture, may well turn out to be the next distinctive jazz pianist to emerge from Canada…On these tracks, and others throughout this diverse, outstanding album, Paul Tobey leaves no doubts about his Street credibility."
--Drew Wheeler, CDNOW Senior Editor-Jazz, July 2001

"One of the most refreshing things about Tobey’s playing is that he doesn’t sound like yer typical 30-something jazz pianist…Tobey’s music is lively, daring, and naturally listener-friendly, but it doesn’t belong in the background. Listening to Street Culture was, for me, an hour well spent."
--Dave Wayne, Jazz Weekly, July 29, 2001

"Tobey is a highly skilled pianist who keeps original ideas flowing at a tempo matching the fast paced “In My Own Time.” He and Murley are comfortable executing their freshness over the fierce rhythms generated by drummer Terry Clarke and bassist Jim Vivian. No clichés here."
--Dick Bogle, Jazz USA.com, June 2001

"From the word go, the 38-year-old Torontonian demonstrates he's comfortable at brisk tempos. He's also clearly a big fan of the knotty musical vocabularies of 1960s piano icons Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner…This is a by and large brash, punchy disc for those who like their jazz overt and muscular."
--The Ottawa Citizen, 19 June 2001

Paul Tobey: Street Culture
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