The IAJRC Journal
vol. 44. No 1., March., 2011.

"Perhaps the biggest surprise about it is how unsuprising to find a potent international ensemble, and how small the world of improvised music really is."

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Eastern Boundary Quartet: Icicles
review at audaud.com, Dec., 2010

"Hungarian-American jazz that has a universal appeal."

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Eastern Boundary Quartet: Icicles
review at allaboutjazz.com, Dec., 2010

"Icicles represents a brilliant foray into a unique area."

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All About Jazz

Karen Hogg' s review 07.03.2009

„Eastern Boundary Quartet … is a musical guilt combining the spirit of jazz with the distinctive nature of Hungarian music.”

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Photoreport at www.skjazz.sk
2008. 05. 05.

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Bruce Gallanter ' s review
Downtown Music Gallery, NYC

EASTERN BOUNDARY QUARTET [MIHALY BORBELY/MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS /JOE FONDA/BALAZS BAGYI] - Eastern Boundary (Artisjus 01; Hungary) Recorded live at Nyitott Muhely, Budapest on May 12, 2007. Featuring Mihaly Borbely on soprano sax, Michael Jefry Stevens on piano, Joe Fonda on acoustic bass and Balazs Bagyi on drums. Every few months, downtown bassist supreme, Joe Fonda leaves us with a new CD and each time I am surprised to get another gem. Sometimes it is another version of great Fonda/Stevens Group and sometimes it features lesser-known musicians. And every time, I smile at the results. I can't say that I've heard of either of these fine Hungarian musicians, but again I am pleased to hear some new, creative spirits. Joe Fonda's "Song for My Mother" opens with some haunting piano, bowed bass and spacious mallets. There is some strong interplay between the members of the piano, bass and drums, but it is the soprano sax that takes great, serpent-like solo in the second half. Michael Stevens' "The End Game" has a lovely, laid back melody and more sublime soprano from Mihaly, as well as a fine bass solo from Mr. Fonda. By "Fire Jumping" the quartet start to soar with some great rolling piano, amazing jet-propelled bass and hard-swinging, Art Blakey-like drums. "Improvisation" is just that and all four players get a chance to stretch out and swirl powerfully around one another. The quartet concludes with a tasty version of Mongo Santamaria's classic "Afro Blue." John Coltrane's version of this song is perhaps the most revered version and the quartet do play it in a most spirited Trane-like way with some superb soprano sax and a rich, lyrical, sparkling piano solo

from Mr. Stevens. - BLG