Press

TV

  • CNN Headline News
    John Daversa, dreamers, and producers featured on CNN Headline News

REVIEWS

  • Associated Press
    ‘American Dreamers’ presents huge talents, ambitions
    “Listening to this album, you’d have to have a tin ear to not hear their abilities and a cold heart to not recognize their aspirations”
  • HITS Daily Double
    The 53 “Dreamers” on the album come from 17 U.S. states and 17 countries of origin, but they share the same desire: to be recognized as Americans. Brought to the U.S. illegally as children, this group and millions like them, now face an uncertain future as politicians delay and debate their fate.
  • Midwest Record
    “One of those jazz sets that does well by doing good”
  • JazzNotes
    A jazz project with important messages
    “The project’s treatment of “America” from West Side Story – is unusual and stunning. It’s an all-percussion version, on which big band member Murph Aucamp brought together more than a dozen Dreamers who add multiple layers of exotic rhythm.”
  • Jazz Music Archives
    “The music on its own would make “American Dreamers” one of the best modern big band albums of this year, but when you add in the importance of the message being presented here, you have a jazz record that has transcended mere art and become a powerful social statement that will hopefully help people understand what is truly going on here.”
  • Glide Magazine
    John Daversa And His Big Band Featuring DACA Artists Bring Poignant Stories to ‘American Dreamers – Voices of Hope and Music of Freedom’
    “Jazz has long been music of protest and freedom of expression. The dichotomy of the touching stories and the enthusiastic musical pieces is startling and in its own way invigorating. This is one of, if not the most, important musical statements across several genres this year aimed at bringing unity and healing divisiveness.”
  • The JW Vibe
    “Daversa and his crew speak to this difficult moment with passion and conviction. If John Lennon had been a big band guru, he might have imagined something along these lines.”
  • The Vinyl Anachronist
    “Musically, Daversa’s band is willing to take all kinds of crazy risks. You probably noticed that I mentioned “Immigrant Song”–yes, we’re talking about the Led Zeppelin song, and it blends the big band sound with lots of churning, electric guitars and–wait for it–sections of pure hip-hop.”
  • Musical Memoirs
    “This music celebrates our diversities and the gratitude we share as one nation and one world.”
  • The JW Vibe Concert Review
    “As a mix of message and entertainment, this show will be a hard one to surpass.”
  • The Aquarian
    “It’s a powerful statement of human understanding and empathy.”
  • JazzQuad
    “remains as the most interesting and emotional document of its time”
  • JazzWeekly
    Musically, you get a rocking and fun funky take of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” with some nice drumming on an assertive and double entendre’d “Don’t Fence Me In.

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