Best Local Jazz Band
–2013 Metroland Readers Poll
“The inspiration for many of these compositions was the group’s 2013 trip to Cairo, Egypt. Not surprisingly, there’s a worldly mystical mysteriousness in the proceedings, giving them weight and depth. The Arch Stanton Quartet takes a giant step forward creatively here, making a bold, brave statement with this inventive recording.”
-Dave Malachowski, review of “Blues For Soli” for Times Union
“This record serves to showcase the evolution of a local group’s compositional style as they continue to go beyond bop and incorporate further cultural influences into their sound.”
-Jeff Nania, review of “Blues For Soli” for Metroland
“The Arch Stanton Quartet is back with Blues For Soli, and there are two bits of good news: First, no sophomore slump here; and second, Greater Nippertown’s musical ambassadors are STILL as nasty as they want to be! … While the Arch Stanton Quartet haven’t strayed from the no-frills, damn-right vibe that had me eating up Along [For The Ride] with two spoons and a straw, they are definitely plumbing deeper depths on Soli.”
–J Hunter, review of “Blues For Soli” for nippertown.com
“Recorded live, this pianoless group offers up a magnificent seven originals and one classic cover. A highly eclectic CD, the material ranges from straight-ahead harder bop (‘Along for the Ride’) to more cerebral Monk-flavored rock-tinged fare (‘Modest Sleuthing’). ‘Della Royale’ struts a Cajun-flavor and ‘Flying Gurnard’ exhibits freer expressive tonalities on which the group shines brilliantly. ‘Compared to What’ (not the Les McCann-Eddie Harris classic) pounds a heavy beat and ‘Estate’ (‘Summer’) is a beautiful rendition that sends it all home.”
–Nick Mondello, review of “Along For The Ride” on CDBaby.com
“Songs like the edgy ‘Flying Gurnard’, worldly ‘Footprints’, and the misty ‘Contemplation’ reveal the band has an uncanny chemistry, and a knack for clever, intuitive interpretations as well as smart, original compositions.”
-Times Union
“You don’t have to re-invent the wheel to do something distinctive in jazz. Instead of emulating Ornette Coleman and blowing the model to smithereens, you can follow Thelonious Monk’s example of adding one variable that separates your work from everybody else’s. The Arch Stanton Quartet has a pretty stock instrumental format, and they play pretty standard forms of jazz. But it’s not what they do that makes Along for the Ride a great debut recording — it’s how they do it!”
–J Hunter, review of “Along For The Ride” for nippertown.com
“With one foot in the timeless traditions of bop, and the other about to set down on something new, the Arch Stanton Quartet is as mysterious as its name, with killer players that aren’t afraid to go out on a limb, right to the very end.”
–Dave Malachowski, review of “Along For The Ride” for the Daily Freeman of Kingston
“Led by guitarist Roger Noyes and trumpeter Terry Gordon, Local 518 favorites the Arch Stanton Quartet kicked off Saturday night’s festivities in swaggering fashion with a muscular, envelope-pushing 45-minute slot that featured their original four-song suite from ‘Blues for Soli,’ based on their 2013 tour of Egypt.”
–Greg Haymes, review of ASQ’s performance at the Bridge Jazz Festival on Feb. 26, 2016 for the Times Union
OTHER PRESS
A Little Jazz Diplomacy — Daily Gazette, April 13, 2013
Five Questions with Arch Stanton Quartet Guitarist Roger Noyes — Troy Record, March 15, 2013
Quartet’s Name a Nod to Iconic Film — profile in the Daily Gazette, June 2, 2011
LIVE: Bridge Jazz Festival (Day Two) @ Massry Center for the Arts, 2/27/16 — Performance Review, Nippertown, March 22, 2016
LIVE: The Arch Stanton Quartet’s “Shadow & Act” @ the Book House, 2/18/17 — Performance Review, Nippertown, February 27, 2017
LIVE: “Jazz in the Key of Dylan” @ Caffe Lena, 8/19/17 — Performance Review, Nippertown, September 5, 2017