Photo by Ines Kaiser

In today’s Hartford Courant, Chuck Obuchowski reviews Saturday night’s headline performance by Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society at the 16th Annual Western Connecticut State University Jazz Festival.

“Argue’s Secret Society gave a mesmerizing performance at the Ives Concert Center in Danbury,” he writes. “The leader’s repertoire brimmed with enticing sonic combinations and fresh instrumental possibilities. Ultimately, the union of these diverse influences has given Argue’s compositions and arrangements a unique standing among large jazz ensembles. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s recruited a number of outstanding soloists, such as trombonist Mike Fahie, whose potent work drove the sardonically titled ‘Blowout Prevention.’ But Argue is a masterful arranger, above all else.”

Learn more about Argue and the band, which just announced its first-ever Canadian tour, at http://www.secretsocietymusic.org