First glances suggested this was going to be another quirky avant garde project (taking in account the name of the band and the album cover), yet things proved to be quite different and in the end Reoccurring Dream blossomed into a mainstream set of substantial strength. Now just because we’re talking about working "within the tradition," doesn’t mean this is another one of those hard bop retreads. For one thing, the ensemble make-up assures that. Lead instrumentalist and clarinetist Darryl Harper, a native of Philadelphia and graduate of the jazz program at Rutgers, fronts a quintet that also includes guitar, piano, bass, and drums. Harper’s own approach falls somewhere between the audacious work of Don Byron and more conventional models such as Jimmy Hamilton and Pee Wee Russell.

Attention-grabbing twists and turns keep things popping on a number of well-arranged standards. For instance, Mingus’ "Nostalgia in Times Square" is only taken in full-fledged manner after Harper hints at Coltrane’s take on "Inchworm." For "Night and Day" the melody comes into play after a catchy vamp and pianist Kyle Koehler’s adroit piano spot. Harper’s own works tread on appealing ground, including the lovely ballad sentiments expressed in "Kiss Me Again" and the modal waltz "Narcolepsy." In the final analysis, this date speaks confidently with poise and maturity and that clearly has something to do with the empathy that Harper and cohorts have developed over the past four years together working as a unit.

-- Chris Hovan, All About Jazz


When you see a Francis Wolff photo or one of those striking Reid Miles designs on the cover of an old Blue Note recording, it's a good indicator that something just as poised, passionate, striking, and stylish awaits your ears. Well, The Onus, a jazz quintet led by Baltimore-based clarinetist Darryl Harper, hasn't established such a distinctive graphic identity yet, but as its brand new second album, Reoccurring Dream (HiPNOTIC), proves, the group's name is fast becoming a reliable mark of quality.

In invoking Blue Note and its much-imitated visual and musical style, there's a danger of making The Onus sound like just another sharp-dressed, post-Wynton Marsalis revivalist unit. Nothing could be further from the truth. While there is plenty of crisp, tasteful post-bop interplay to the proceedings, the unusual front line of Harper's licorice stick and Jeff Ray's plummy guitar gives even riotous moments like the ride-out of Ray's "Letter to My Brother" an introspective tone that charms the ear as much as the exotic timbres do. The band is tradition-minded enough to include several blues (highlighted by the wonderful "I Wonder," penned by band manager Tony Haywood) and takes of standards such as "Night and Day" and "[Autumn] Leaves." But Harper and company don't bother with standard takes, rewiring the former harmonically and structurally while recasting the latter as a ruminative solo for pianist Kyle Koehler. Then bassist Matthew Parrish's closing "Caliban's Nightmare" gives the band a prime vehicle for a journey outward. In short, Reoccurring Dream is classic, not classicist, and no local jazz fan should be without it.

-- Lee Gardner, Music Editor, Baltimore City Paper, August 2-8, 2000


The Onus' new album, Reoccurring Dream (HiPNOTIC), is an impressive step forward from the quintet's 1997 debut release, "The Onus." Harper explores the lower range of his clarinet with sensual results; Ray pushes the rhythm along more forcefully, and new pianist Kyle Koehler proves more assertive and percussive than his predecessor. The results mark [T]he Onus as one of the most interesting jazz combos in the mid-Atlantic region.

-- The Jeffersonian, Towson, MD, June 29, 2000


The ensemble's various musical excursions continue to be driven by a collective subconscious and heuristic will of the sort which is only achieved by those groups fortunate and committed enough to work together for years. But longevity itself is not the defining factor in creating such a sound. Rather, it is the realization that the ensemble is not merely a forum for unbridled self-expression, but instead a vehicle for shared experience and a conversation based on mutual respect, which is at the core of the The Onus' understated and mature musical vision.

Whether personalizing the Blues, Love, Shakespeare, Cole Porter or Autumn Leaves, The Onus have once again proved themselves worthy of their name, taking their responsibility to heart: to make us, and themselves, think and listen carefully.

-- Andy Jaffe, Composer/Jazz Educator (from the liner notes)


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