| "To Be Sure" |
 |
"When I listen to Dan Reynolds' music on this CD, this movie starts playing in my head- I'm in an urban landscape and everything is cool, funky, romantic, pristine, bright, soulful, windy, beautiful. I don't think that Dan has written a movie score yet but it wouldn't surprise me to see his name flash across the screen someday and his work reminds me a bit of Marc Shaiman who has composed some excellent film music.
Besides Dan on keyboards, this mostly instrumental CD features a variety of really excellent jazz/fusion players with lots of great soloing by different musicians.
All in all, this is wonderful CD, the kind of soundtrack I sometimes wish accompanied my life but I suppose my life isn't a movie. Dan Reynold's To Be Sure makes me wish it was." - Richard Isen, MOI
*Here's an online review: CD Review of Dan Reynolds - To Be Sure on Never Alone Music @ jazzreview.com
"What separates keyboardist Dan Reynolds from a lot of contemporary jazz artists? For starters, he sounds as if he's truly enjoying himself and not just connecting the dots between fashionable backbeats.
His latest album, To Be Sure, conveys his enthusiasm for music making in a variety of radio-friendly settings. "From the Top," the opening track, cleverly updates the organ combo sound with a now slippery, now brash mix of keyboards, sax, drums and percussion before segueing into a extended piano and bass-driven coda. "Delafield Place" takes advantage of Vinny Valentino's fluid mastery of jazz guitar to help create a performance that moves elegantly between sparkling acoustic and electric balladry. Singer Dawn Robinson, bassist Gary Grainger and saxophonist Brian Lanier coolly underscore the prevailing theme of camaraderie on "With My Friends," while saxophonists Marshall Keys, Peter Fraize and Al Williams contribute muted lyricism or a funky swagger to "One Night in a Storm," "Dark Horse" and Boogoo in Brazil."
Except for Valentino's "One Night in a Storm," Reynolds composed all of the tunes on the album and arranged them in a manner that frequently showcases the talents of his bandmates, including drummers Greg Grainger and Francis Thompson. - Mike Joyce, WASHINGTON POST, August 1998
"NEVER ALONE"
"On Never Alone, Dan Reynolds is at his best when he let's his freewheeling, melodic acoustic piano work shine through. The crisp production emphasizes and enhances the pure sound of the piano, acoustic guitar and high-end percussion, rendering Reynolds' solos on such tracks as "April Shower" and "Toll Free" truly dazzling.
Never Alone has jazz/funk aspirations. The grungy organ sound and fuzzy steel guitar on "Sunset Drive" make a nice counterpoint to the detached, jazzier piano. The engaging quality of Reynolds' work is demonstrated often as on the melded "Blue Moment" and "Optimistic Charles", which breaks out into a memorable blues/funk jam."
- JAZZ TIMES, May 1994
"LIFELINE"
"Pianist Dan Reynolds excels at creating sparkling cinematic melodies, which are showcased on Lifeline
with a few twists. Album-opener "Journeyman" snakes along a bubbly rhythm through a neatly differentiated arrangement, while "Sun for Sorrow" shimmers with drum accents and a pretty bass line laid into the leading voice. Reynolds' solid setting launches the laid-back "Summertree", which features an expressive, seam-showing alto sax solo by Marshall Keys. Fodder for future explorations would be the meditative spirit portrayed on the resonant "Only Lonely"."
- JAZZ TIMES, Jan/Feb 1995
"On Lifeline, this keyboardist seems to revel in using his considerable skills to create a punchy ensemble vibe rather than a softer environment for the light radio market. With the seamless help of Gary Grainger's bubbly bass and Marshall Keys' potent sax, Reynolds eases around all artistic bends for a collection that is part jazz jam and part inspired blues tickling. He is most effective when combining acoutic sweeps with wild and crazy organ riffs that add edge to the proceedings. Then there are those very Joe Sample-like solo jaunts over unpredictable soul simmerings.."
-JAZZIZ, Jan. 1995