Cadence Magazine
“I am impressed in particular with Olsen’s pianistic abilities as he plays in head turning solos and I am also impressed with Caimano’s distinctive sound.”
“…retain(s) the beauty of the classical melodies but the jazz soloing is done with real abandon and flair.”
“…magical music for your ears that will never get old.”
“Alto Saxophonist Lou Caimano and Pianist Eric Olsen have used their remarkable improvisational skills to turn beautiful operatic melodies into wonderful jazz performances.”
“…a terrifically creative album, one that simply cannot be fully appreciated or savored in just one listening. There is, literally, so much going on here that you need to listen two or three times at least. What a great album!”
Aquarian Weekly
“Here… Caimano and Olsen… take the most dramatic arias from Mozart’s 1787 Don Giovanni, Barber’s 1956 Vanessa, Bizet’s 1875 Carmen, Verdi’s 1887 Otello and three more to turn them into gloriously swinging jazz, no mean feat.”
“High quality music, inspired improvisations! Beautiful music, reinvented with taste and respect by two immensely talented musicians.”
Jersey Jazz Journal
“The results are warmly engaging, and make for stimulating listening. Olsen and Caimano have shown again with this album that they have found a winning formula for this musical synthesis.”
“Dyad Plays Jazz Arias will simply blow your mind! Real playing for real ears on the lookout for hot new sounds.”
WBAA Inside Jazz
“I will play, feature, and talk about this bit of beauty and aesthetic intelligence (Dyad Plays Jazz Arias) a great deal”.
An enthralling CD, eloquent and passionate improvisations on artful arrangements.
DYAD Plays Puccini is rated one of the Top Jazz CD's of 2013 by Scott Albin
DYAD makes Puccini’s melodies sound perfectly natural as postbop…and their risk taking pays off.
Fugue-ish playfulness and a jazz sensibility. The result is a finely tuned recital.
"Dyad Plays Puccini" is an extraordinary project by two American musicians.
Brilliant originality, intriguing blend of classics, jazz and breathtaking skill of the duettists.
Caimano and Olsen vary Puccini’s masterpieces with theatricality and reverence.
You must give this a listen, as it's one of those releases in which words fail.
The only pyrotechnics you need are the sparks this duo sets off. Well done!