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"Joe Cartwright continues to mine the rich vein of Kansas City jazz with a second volume of live recordings featuring the best of KC’s contemporary music talent. While holding down his seat as house pianist at several venues over the years, Cartwright has documented a wealth of material, and with his latest release he again shares the wealth with us."
—Berman Newsletter
"even as tradition is solidly maintained here, lurking within are diversity and potential that dependably lead to new improvisational landscapes, even as the point of view embraces the present as well as the future"
—Nobuto Sekiguchi, JazzTokyo, Feb 2008
"All is wonderful here—another one for the highlight film"
—Roger Atkinson, Jazz Ambassador Magazine, Feb 2008
"all give rise to a pleasurable thrill by maintaining an exquisite balance between tension and release through Cartwright's refined musicality"
—Nobuto Sekiguchi, JazzTokyo, Aug 2007
"La Luna Negra is a masterpiece of Latin jazz"
—Nobuto Sekiguchi, JazzTokyo,Aug 2007
"Cartwright's most recent release comes flooded with historical tunes, all with a connection to the vibrant KC jazz scene"
—Jazz Ambassador Magazine Dec 2005
" After years of leading the Best of Kansas City Jazz Series in the Oak Bar at the Fairmont Kansas City, pianist Joe Cartwright had compiled some 24 hours of live, recorded music. With “The Best of Kansas City Jazz, Vol. 1,” he begins to share some of those memorable moments with those of us who were unable to attend."
—Berman Newsletter
"Soul Eyes" is the definitive recording for which longtime Joe Cartwright fans have been waiting.
—Berman Newsletter
"Soul Eyes" is full of inspired suprises..."
—Jazz Ambassador Magazine
"...performing with perfection..."
—Ingram's Magazine
"One of the brightest stars in the Kansas City jazz firmament"
—Topeka Capital-Journal
"Disarmingly intense"
—Pitch Magazine
" La Luna Negra combines the cool crispness of a small combo with the crackle and scorch of a Havana hotspot"
—Jazz Ambassador Magazine
"He has a sure sense of time, an appreciation for the blues, and a confident, propulsive quality that heightens the excitement level of everything he plays"
— Berman Newsletter
"...you will be amazed at what Joe Cartwright can do with a piano, with a song, with your soul."
—50 & Better Magazine
"He leans over the grand, head cocked, watching the audience, an ear down near the keys, listening to an octave tremolo. It comes crashing down in a block chord, then another, as Cartwright, head bobbing, superimposes one rhythm on another. Pausing, Cartwright's fingers emerge to spider a line he lips. The steam builds, and soon the pianist is flinging swing out in handfuls. Cartwright throws his whole soul at the keys."
—Kansas City Business Journal
"Beautifully inventive piano playing."
—Jazz Ambassador Magazine
"I am always flattered when a fellow musician decides to perform and record one of my tunes. My pleasure and amazement is enhanced when the artist is as imaginative and talented as pianist Joe Cartwright. Cartwright is one of those unsung artists who deserves the attention that I hope That Trio Thing will bring him... "
—Dave Brubeck
"Assembled for the first time, the trio already speaks with one pure, true voice."
—Jazz Ambassador Magazine
"This recording reminds us how perfectly the basic elements of jazz are married in the classic trio, the piano carrying the melody and suggesting harmonic variations, the bass providing the foundation and a tonal contrast, and the drums keeping the pace steady and hinting at all the potential rhythmic dynamics in the music. On 'That Trio Thing,' those essential roles are played with sensitivity and a sense of shared adventure."
—Tom Ineck, Berman Foundation Newsletter
"This trio goes right to the heart of hip, they have detonated a musical powder keg and I jumped on it like a hobo on a ham sandwich."
