Sons of Pitches

“Sons Of Pitches call their music cowboy jazz, but that doesn’t fully describe them though these elements are there. They tackle Dave Brubeck, Wes Montgomery and Fats Waller, but there is also a version of Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Don Wilson’s Surf Rider and Pat Ballard’s Mister Sandman. Interesting arrangements, tight band, different and familiar at the same time.”
— George Dayton - WTJU Folk Librarian - George Dayton - WTJU Folk Librarian

“The Sons Of Pitches, Dave Hadley (pedal steel) met up with Spencer Phell (guitar) and Tommy Hoy (bass) and Jim Aguzzi (drums) in late 2015 and began to revitalize the “cowboy jazz” genre. This disc is their first release after nearly two years of practice and performing. Their repertoire includes their own reworking of jazz standards like “Blue Rondo a La Turk” (Dave Brubeck), “Four On Six” (Wes Montgomery) and “Jitterbug Waltz” (Fats Waller) and other oldies like Perez Prado’s pop mambo “Patricia” and the straight pop “Mr. Sandman” and that super oldie, Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”. These are strong players and they are having a gooooood time. Hot licks on some kool tunes!”
— Dave Rogers - WTJU Jazz critic - Dave Rogers - WTJU Jazz critic

“From the first note of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo A La Turk, to the final chord of Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Sons Of Pitches deliver an album which makes each and every track their “pitch” (or something which rhymes with that!). For these purveyors of “cowboy jazz”, let’s hope Sons Of Pitches will keep exploring the wild prairie for a long time to come...”
— Peter Jones - WTJU Folk Director - Peter Jones - WTJU Folk Director

“Reminiscent of some of my favorite instrumental groups I grew up listening to in the 60s but with a modern influence. Great compositions and arrangements. Some serious and some just fun.”
— Kent Heckman - Producer/Owner Red Rocks Recording Studio - Kent Heckman - Producer/Owner Red Rocks Recording Studio

“Sons of Pitches is an instrumental group and a new album. The music is an unusual, eclectic assortment of material not usually found in the same place. It combines elements of jazz, country, latin, surf, classical and the “spaghetti western”.

The steel guitar imprints the music with an undeniable “country” flair, Jazz is represented with compositions by Dave Brubeck and Wes Montgomery. There is a nod to surf music with Surf Rider. Mr Sandman represents the pop music of an bygone era. Classical music fans will enjoy the William Tell Overture.

Overall, the musicians play very effectively in the genres represented. They are obviously having a good time and that vibe will be infectious to a wide variety of audiences.”
— Chuck Anderson - President Anderson Music Productions Inc - Chuck Anderson - President Anderson Music Productions Inc

“The Sons of Pitches new collection of music is a great recording display of excellent songs played with mastery and one of my favorite listens this year.”
— Steve Ivey from Nashville, Tennessee is a 17 time #1 Billboard, multi-award-winning and nominated American music writer, producer, musician, and recording engineer. - Steve Ivey from Nashville, Tennessee is a 17 time #1 Billboard, multi-award-winning and nominated American music writer, producer, musician, and recording engineer.

“The self-titled first album from Sons of Pitches takes a handful of classic tunes and reinterprets them for a modern audience in a way that provides both a hip, and pastoral feel. It’s music for drunken lunatic farmers, jaded music professors, and hip vegan baristas alike. The band calls it “cowboy jazz,” and it is as interesting and satisfying as that classification implies. For lack of a more erudite analysis, it’s just damn good.

The songs are curated in such a way as to keep the listener flashing alternately between feelings of intense, sedentary contemplation and freewheeling motion. While listening to this album you may find yourself remembering the desperate loneliness you felt after someone you truly loved decided not to love you back. Then, 5 minutes later, you may end up in the kitchen swiftly dancing around in your socks and not caring if anyone ever loves you again.

These interpretations take music from the smoky clubs and movie house screens of early-mid 20th century America and subtly transform them. In some cases, the music is moodier than the original, and in other cases the band breathes a fresh and effervescent life into the tune. For an album comprised of cover versions, a band must pay a pretty nickel. In my opinion, as regards this particular album, perhaps the money that changed hands went in the wrong direction. ”
— Joshua Vaughan - Writer, Music Lover, & Original Thinker - Joshua Vaughan - Writer, Music Lover, & Original Thinker

“If you wanna establish a cool jazzy smokey room vibe that can get high energy in an instant then these Sons of Pitches is the combo of cats yer looking for!”
— Big Kev Ploghoft - Music Director WLVR-FM 91.3 - Big Kev Ploghoft - Music Director WLVR-FM 91.3