Discography

The Rhythm Section Kollage with special guest Michael Danso 1. Triple A 5:16 (R. Botos) 2. Tryin' Times 5:11 (D. Hathaway, L. Hutson) 3. Reverie of Love 6:49 (R. Botos) 4. The Other Foot 4:14 (A. Roth) 5. No Moon At All 3:52 (R. Evans, D. Mann) 6. Mercy 6:19 (R. Botos) 7. Pent-Up House 5:32 (S. Rollins) 8. The Wrong Foot 4:35 (A. Roth) 9. My Ship 6:11 (I. Gershwin, K. Weill)

Kollage – AT THIS TIME 1. At This Time 5:39 (Kenny Drew) 2. Lonely Woman 6:24 (Horace Silver/Ecaroh Music) 3. Ad-Dis-Un 5:53 (Kenny Drew/Prestige Music) 4. Bloo-C-Groove 6:00 (Alexis Baro/SOCAN) 5. Circus 7:14 (Alter, Russel/Harrison Music Corp) 6. Are You Real 5:18 (Benny Golson/Time Step Music) 7. III Wind 5:33 (Arlen, Koehler/Mills Music Inc.) 8. Archie Meets Art 5:05 (Bill King/Night Passage Music) 9. On The Ginza 5:05 (Wayne Shorter/Miyako Music)

Kollage
At This Time (The Live Music Report)

The title track “At This Time”, a Donald Byrd composition, kick-starts the recording and goes skyward from there. Botos launches into a solo that is fluid, lyrical and very fast. Baro kicks it up a notch with a solo that is out of this world, a powerful, full sounding, dynamic player, a joy to behold. The band is swinging at double time, led by the Philly Jo Jones styling of Archie Alleyne, who takes the final solo of the track and guides the song to an energetic conclusion.

From glorious to magnificent, we move forward with a blues by Horace Silver, “Lonely Woman”, Baro sets the tone with some magnificent playing. He hits beautiful blue notes and slides into haunting sustain, evoking emotions from joy to sadness all in the space of one bar. The song goes on for six and one half minutes and you find yourself wishing they would have extended it to a more respectable fifteen or twenty.

“Ad-Dis-Un” by Kenny Drew highlights Mei Kelly with some great trombone playing and opens the door for Doug Richardson whose tenor playing in the mid register is very smooth and lyrical. Other exceptional tracks include, “Bloc-C-Groove” by Alexis Baro, “Archie Meets Art”, a Bill King composition, and the closer “On The Ginza” by Wayne Shorter.

There are no disappointing moments on this CD, from recording quality to song selection this is a winner. An enjoyable listen from start to finish and one that will get a lot of airplay on my CD player.

Paul J. Youngman
KJA Jazz Advocate
The Live Music Report

Kollage
At This Time (Jazz.FM91)

When JAZZ.FM91 invited Archie Alleyne and "Kollage" to join the stellar line-up which would comprise the important 2005-2006 30th anniversary season of the radio station's popular "Sound of Toronto Jazz" Series of live concerts, it was with the confidence that the band's hard-swinging excitement and pulsating energy in "A Tribute to Art Blakey" would exemplify the excellence which has distinguished the series throughout the past three decades.

And so it did, with brilliant Canadian drummer Archie Alleyne bringing his own superlative sense of rythm to a tribute that vividly recalled the late Art Blakely's mastery of the drums and memorable approach to jazz for a SRO audience of dedicated jazz fans.

The multi award-winning "Kollage" is that kind of band today, with Archie Alleyne at the drums, co-leader Doug Richardson on tenor sax, Alexis Baro on trumpet, Mei Kelly on trombone, Ron Johnston on bass, and Robi Botos on piano, flawlessly driving home their own characterization of the kind of hard-bop that gave Art Blakely legendary status for several decades.

Ross Porter
President & CEO
JAZZ.FM91

Kollage
At This Time (The Toronto Star)

Hard boppers Kollage, led by a pair of veterans and fuelled by young recruits, goes from strength to strength on this rugged release recorded at the Old Mill as part of radio station JazzFM91’ series, a show designated as a tribute to master drummer Art Blakey and his charging combo The Messengers. The band’s fire-and-brimstone attack is manifest on the opener of nine tunes, trumpeter Donald Byrd’s “At This Time”, that has Cuban-born trumpeter Alexis Baro blazing away, busy pianist Robi Botos showing off considerable chops and venerable drummer Archie Alleyne in vigorous mode. Ensemble work is tight, charts stay simple, considerable soloing room is a given and there’s a keen sense of urgency all round. Tenor sax stalwart Doug Richardson and trombonist Mei Kelly add ripe blowing to the mix and bass Ron Johnston is in lock-step with Alleyne. Baro shines on a laid-back “Lonely Woman” and contributes to the real Blakey feel on his tune “Bloo-C-Groove”, a mood matched on Bill King’s composition “Archie meets Art.”

4 1/2 STARS out of 5

review by Geoff Chapman
August 31, 2006

Kollage – FINE PRINT 1. Just Another Tune 4:49 (Alexis Baro) 2. Trane Schedule 4:05 (Michael Arthurs) 3. Fine Print 5:22 (Doug Richardson) 4. Downtown Brown 7:03 (Doug Richardson) 5. Please Believe Me 6:15 (Alexis Baro) 6. Fire Drums 4:43 (Alexis Baro) 7. Blues 4:29 (Kollage) 8. Contemplation 5:23 (Michael Shand) 9. Spontaneity 8:51 (Michael Shand) 10. Ten Thousand Paces 4:43 (Michael Shand) 11. !@#$'n Hangover 4:57 (Alexis Baro)

Kollage
Fine Print - Jazz FM 91.1 and Kollage
Ratings ***

To use the metaphor provided, Kollage has pieced its music very carefully. Under the joint and veteran leadership of drummer Archie Alleyne and tenor saxophonist Doug Richardson, with the young pianist Michael Shand contributing as an arranger. "The musicians test their limits only with some care, as if walking on thin ice; no one ever quite falls through."

Reviewed by Mark Miller

Kollage 1. Pyramid 6:56 (Horace Silver) 2. A Peckasec 5:13 (Hank Mobley) 3. Carolyn's Song 5:42 (Michael Shand) 4. Step Lightly 6:54 (Benny Carter) 5. Infraray 4:37 (Hank Mobley) 6. Daydream 6:59 (Michael Shand) 7. We'll Be Together Again 7:34 (Fisher/Lane) 8. Decisions 8:53 (Shand/Richardson) 9. Teasin' 5:08 (Haygood Hardy) 10. Saturday Morning 4:31 (Michael Shand)

Kollage
Featuring Archie Alleyne & Doug Richardson (Sea Jam)

Two splendid veterans, drummer Archie Alleyne and tenor saxist Doug Richardson, are up front on this long awaited debut recording by one of Toronto’s top bop bands. Their repertoire includes rare anthems of the hard bop variety spiced with original compositions by the combo’s young pianist Michael Shand. With long time bassist Ron Johnston pumping strongly and young tenor and soprano saxist Joel Josephs adding dense texture, this lively session opened by loping grooves on Horace Silver’s “Pyramid” immediately suggests the Blue Note heyday of the 80's.

"Kollage is forcing it’s way into top ranks
of Canadian hard bop groups"

The approach is similar on up-tempo assaults on Hank Mobley’s "A Peckasec" and "Infaray", and overall there’s the welcome feel of a love performance. The talented Shand is fluent in bop, but adds mellower touches with his ballads like, "Carolyn’s Song". Alleyne’s and Richardson’s weighty forays on "We’ll Be Together Again" and Hagood Hardy’s "Teasin" are rumbling treasures.

Geoff Chapman
(Music critic for the Toronto Star)