With an exceptional talent for arranging, his compositions are intelligent and sometimes challenging, defying their exquisite clarity and emotional accessibility…” “…his unique and elaborate compositions reveal a deep knowledge of the jazz bop legacy and modern 20th century music. “…it is quite rare to find an up-and-coming composer/musician such as Jacám Manricks, who has already developed strong personal compositional skills …” “…Labyrinth is a piece of work that does for jazz what author Walt Whitman did for existentialism, he gives the genre meaning that people can relate to and apply to their own lives…”
“…Labyrinth has the sculpted finery of atmospheric jazz, the spiraling staircases of eclectic jazz, and the tangential angles of avant motifs…” These two components are coupled beautifully through the floating sensations and flowery plumage that drive the track ‘Micro-Gravity’ …” “…Manricks probes the dynamic relationship between the intimacy of bop and the concert hall furnaces of string-based symphonies.
“…(Jacám Manricks) has become a pre-eminent performer in his trade…” “…‘March and Combat’ (is) an ambitious, sectioned piece inspired by Ravel and Gil Evans…” “…Greg Osby and Steve Coleman’s mercurial concepts and deployment of ostinatos underpinning challenging melody lines are hinted at…” “…Manricks’ meditative, concentrated thought process distill in “Rothko”, a twelve tone experiement featuring Monder’s cavernously reverberant guitar set against pointillistic piano…” “…Monder gets to crank and Manricks throws some grit into the alto’s upper register…” The orchestral scope of Manricks’ writing is revealed in this Schoenberg-influenced piece…”
“…Gorgeously poised saxophone heralds the martial snare of Tyshawn Sorey, expanding to full chamber palette.
“…Ben Monder drop-shadows the leaders mellifluous alto as bassist Thomas Morgan tip toes and Jacob Sacks scurries the breadth of the keys…” “…An impressive collection of pieces from New York based Australian born multi-instrumentalist/professor Jacam Manricks, Labyrinth creeps into your ears with a stealthy sketch, half written, half improvised…” “…evocative…meditative…beautifully contoured …” “…A composer beyond the confines of genre perception…”