I know there are many hot new jazz bands, however Portico Quartet is not one of them. On the contrary, it is super cool. This is the best modern jazz outfit that emerged on these shores in the last decade. (I can’t believe I missed them in Cambridge last year, and a year before that.) Come to think of it, not only on these shores. And these are guys still in their twenties! Their sound is reminiscent of best ECM artists — think of Jan Garbarek jamming with Oregon — yet highly original. I hope Portico Quartet will play their magical music for many years to come, and they will grow even better. But for now, I can’t call the band’s second album, Isla, anything but a masterpiece. Listen, and get an album for yourself, and another for your best friend. (The vinyl is available too.)
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