Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dec. 2, 2007

Guitarist Jay Azzolina does himself a disservice on "Local Dialect." To his listeners, though, it is a great benefit. Azzolina, a fine, contemporary-styled player, surrounds himself with such a strong cast, it overwhelms him. On this album of all-original music, he is joined by bassist John Patitucci, drummer Greg Hutchinson, saxophonist Tim Ries, trumpeter Scott Wendholt, trombonist Mike Davis, organist Larry Goldings and percussionist Cyro Baptista in varying combinations. They include "Angel's Dance," a duet with Azzolina and Baptista; two pieces with Goldings, Hutchinson and the guitarist; as well as quartet and sextet pieces. "Acceptance" is a solo for Azzolina on guitar and keyboards with drum programming in the background. The guitarist provides a range of work, all of it good. Most of the time, he plays electric guitar, but he is equally convincing on acoustic on "Angel's Dance." When surrounded by horns, he is a blues-styled player. But on the two trio pieces he adopts a more mainstream sound. It is a fine and varied bit of work.

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