Reviews / Boogaloo Bird – Song Review

Overall Impression:
Ryan Burns and his talented allies overcome adversity with musicality in their new track, Boogaloo Bird – masterfully joining forces across time and space to produce a viscerally exciting and fully immersive instrumental jazz experience that’s sure to leave listeners feeling lifted!  Featuring the expert percussive stylings of Max Holmberg, Cole Schuster’s smooth and seductive electric string work, and Ryan Burns on both the bass and organ, Boogaloo Bird is overclocked with skilled solos, exciting harmonic development, and a deeply satisfying sense of groove!

Strongest Point(s):
The overall sound of Boogaloo Bird is awesome – excellent mixing and well done to Cloudbounce for the mastering.  If not clearly stated, the remote nature of the recording wouldn’t be obvious upon listening, which is impressive!  Love the tones of that Hammond, and expert doubling on the electric guitar.  Excellent solo at 2:01, with plenty of gorgeous chaos from the organ.  Big fan of the drum break at 2:48 – stellar control and inflection on the kit.   The guitar tone and execution at 3:33 is gold – perfectly mellow sound while maintaining the lively drive of the tune.

Target Audience Appeal:
Fans of instrumental jazz quartets will love the sound of Boogaloo Bird – Ryan Burns’ choice of instrumentation and attention to detail make for a very rich listening experience.  With the additional detail that this song was recorded in quarantine, it stands to serve as a positive example of excellence in musical collaboration while we continue to work our way around the pandemic, showing that distance does not deter quality in terms of musicianship!  Really great work, thanks for submitting!  – Jon W.

Artist target suggestions:
Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Cory Henry

About the Reviewer:

Jon Wright is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process – from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres.