"Homefront" is guitarist, composer & Pittsburgh native Andy Bianco's second official album release as a leader & his debut offering on Armored Records. The album consists of 8 modern jazz compositions, 6 of which were written by Bianco & 2 of which were penned & performed on the album by Don DePaolis, an exceptional pianist/composer & elder statesman on the Pittsburgh jazz scene. It also features Don's son Tony DePaolis as the bassist & co-producer of the album, Chris Hemingway on alto saxophone, Jacob Yoffee on tenor saxophone, Mike Murray on piano & Dave Throckmorton on drums. "Homefront" delivers an energetic blend of hard swinging, mixed meter, harmonically sophisticated jazz compositions. Soaring melodies, lush harmonies, menacing ostinatos & fiery improvisation are found everywhere on the album. "Often my writing is influenced by the musicians that I'm working with or checking out at that particular time & place," Bianco says. "Some of my goals with this album were to both document the way I was writing & playing at that time & also to pay homage to the jazz legacy of my hometown of Pittsburgh, since I have musical history in one form or another with all of the personnel on 'Homefront'. They've all had a strong, forward thinking, positive impact on the Pittsburgh jazz scene at one time or another, & some of them still do today. Also the fact that 3 of the musicians on the album (Bianco, Throckmorton, & Tony DePaolis) all have fathers that are musicians from the Pittsburgh area who were active in the local music scene demonstrates the legacy of this music in Pittsburgh, & of jazz as an American art form in general." "This recording represents an evolution of straight-ahead jazz; song-form based improvisation with mostly swinging time & changes but with a modern approach to harmony, sound and rhythm," Bianco explains. "In essence 'Homefront' is an album that is forward thinking yet rooted in tradition."  Dizzy Gillespie once famously stated that a jazz musician should have one foot in the past & the other in the future; the same could be said about this album, as Bianco & his compatriots successfully convey that spirit on "Homefront". -Lemmy Caution "Andy Bianco is an amazing guitarist. He has great ideas, a fantastic sound, & boundless imagination & fire! This is a great collection of compositions by an exciting player who has a lot to say with his music." -Peter Bernstein "Andy Bianco is a very fine guitarist with a natural spark. His playing embodies strong elements of the past & the future." -Bob Moses September 2014 Review of "Homefront" by Brent Black of www.criticaljazz.com: Pittsburgh native Andy Bianco is part of the exciting evolution of modern jazz guitar, he swings like a beast! Good guitarists are like Starbucks, one on every corner. Great guitarists develop their own harmonic voice and then move to the next level, Andy Bianco is a great guitarist. Homefront is an important part of the future of modern jazz while still have a foot anchored in the roots of full contact swing. Bianco is a prolific composer turning in six originals and backed with a stellar ensemble of musical co-conspirators that work as a true collective. Fire and ice...The perfect storm. "Southern Cross" kicks off the session with a vibrant swing and clean angular lines coming from Bianco. "Stormy Sunday" is a groove you can use with a syncopated off metered pop but a swing that you will hear with your feet. "Clouds" is a somewhat more dialed down ambient ballad that transcends genre and allows Bianco's harmonic sense of exploration to take flight. While Andy Bianco is a relative new shooter in the modern jazz realm of six string aficionado's, there is little doubt he is as artistically gifted as he is technically proficient. The band is A list and a first call fire storm of swing that can touch your heart and set your hair on fire at the same time. Homefront is a review that writes itself. Stupid good! One of the better new artists that I have heard this year! http://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/09/andy-bianco-homefront-armored-2014.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+criticalJazz+%28%40Critical+Jazz%29&utm_content=FeedBurner -Brent Black / www.criticaljazz.com