“…immense excellence…while the compositions themselves were reason enough to find great enjoyment in the presentation, it was the way that the duo played their respective instruments that enamored me…wholly in tune with the music, unbridled joy and passion.”

“This Project Encore Vol. 1 album is packed with inventive and outstandingly crisp tracks that feel lush and full-bodied, and the players both put their heart and passion into the performances each and every time…it’s all quite breathtaking and on point all the time.”

“this array of talented composers born between 1953 (Marianne Ploger) and 1996 (Zoe Cutler), all rising to the occasion in different but satisfying ways. I don’t imagine I will encounter a saxophone recital exhibiting as much imaginative fun for a long time. The recorded sound is exemplary.”

“The pieces performed by McAllister, in tandem with the talented pianist Liz Ames, stand out for their melodic inventiveness and liveliness and rhythmic intensity. In most cases, the authors summoned here draw liberally from extra-cultured music - jazz primarily, but also funk, rock and even Balkan music -, mixing classical, contemporary and vernacular languages with imagination and consistency…a beautiful and exhilarating CD.”

“Timothy McAllister brings his inimitable, classical sax playing to the stunning piano playing of Liz Ames here, where both minimalism and modernism fill the Latin, jazz, funk and theater nods across these daring 14 tracks…A very unique listen that embraces abstract pop moments as well as rich moments of dramatic swells, McAllister and Ames create a highly atypical version of contemporary classical sounds that requires repeated listens.”

“…an extremely high level of musicianship and especially an incredibly dense interplay. What is astounding and only revealed once one reads the hype flyer is that the pieces are composed by just as many contemporary composers as there are tracks. Although styles move between aggressive and melodic, they strangely merge into a consistent whole.
Outstanding and really fun to listen to.”

“Intriguing conversant duets are delivered by Timothy McAllister on alto or soprano sax alongside pianist Liz Ames. The two create a wide spectrum of moods and colors, forming a graceful unison trail on “Painting With Knives”…The two jab like middleweights on the punchy “Get Up!” and are most jazzy on the bright “Obstacle Illusion”, but throughout the two work well with volleys, relays and responses. Modern sonatas.”