Press Complete Reviews

Those who still believe that jazz is a down-and-dirty genre of music must cast their ears toward...
Berkshire Eagle Oct 18 2011 AD Trio, Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, MA

A resourceful pianist with a far-ranging résumé, ArmenDonelian has a spruce new album, “Leapfrog”...
New York Times Sept 23 2011 AD Group, Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC

While cohesion and individuality, by their very nature, may seem to be at odds with one another...
All•About•Jazz Sept 23 2011 AD Group, Leapfrog CD Review

Although he has a blue-chip resume, a distinctive personal sound as a pianist and composer and has just...
Hartford Courant Sept 22 2011 *FEATURE ARTICLE*

Some jazz improvisers express themselves through original compositions, while others...
All Music Sept 13 2011 AD Group, Leapfrog CD Review

A prolific creator of music, Armen Donelian's latest recording Leapfrog is a continued foray into...
The Jazz Page Sept 9 2011 AD Group, Leapfrog CD Review

The game of leapfrog is an anomoly. It's not an exhibition of brawn, and it requires no premeditated...
DownBeat Sept 2011 AD Group, Leapfrog CD Review *EDITORS' PICKS*

One of the true veterans dotting the NYC landscape, Armenian-American pianist Donelian plays...
Hot House Sept 2011 *SPOTLIGHT*

Recommended New Release
New York City Jazz Record Sept 2011 AD Group, Leapfrog CD

Hold on to your hat. This is Donelian's 9th set for Sunnyside, and even after a four decade career...
Midwest Record July 30 2011 AD Group, Leapfrog CD Review

The pianist Armen Donelian has a crisp, reflective style, and a sure-footed way of arranging music...
New York Times April 9 2010 AD Group, Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC

First, an admission: I am disinclined toward duo dates. To me, a piano and saxophone alone together...
Jazz Times Oct 2006 Armen Donelian/Marc Mommaas, All Or Nothing At All CD Review

It’s a well-known fact that solo recordings are extremely hard to market. Pianists especially will be...
Mittelland Zeitung Nov 30 2005 AD Solo Piano, Full Moon Music CD Review

Donelian's Grand Ideas each employ solo piano: Vol. 1 focused on standards; Vol. 2, original compositions...
Jazz Times Oct 2005 AD Solo Piano, Full Moon Music CD Review

The third chapter in pianist Armen Donelian's Grand Ideas trilogy, Full Moon Music, stands alone...
All•About•Jazz Oct 2005 AD Solo Piano, Full Moon Music CD Review

Mr. Donelian is a pianist with a crystalline touch but a penchant for avant-gardism...
New York Times Sept 23 2005 AD Group, Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC

Precious few listeners are aware of Armen Donelian, a tremendously talented pianist who has never had...
All•About•Jazz Aug 2005 AD Solo Piano, Full Moon Music CD Review

What we have in Mystic Heights (Sunnyside) is an exercise in tranquility by Armen Donelian...
Jazz Times Sept 2003 AD Solo Piano, Mystic Heights CD Review

The jazz pianist and educator Armen Donelian, who lives in West Orange, is interested in...
New York Times Feb 10 2002 *FEATURE INTERVIEW*

On the pianist's recent album, Wave (Sunnyside), he seems to have pared down his considerable technique...
Village Voice April 3 2001 AD Solo Piano, Wave CD Review *VOICE CHOICE* (Giddins)

Armen Donelian is another of those great unsung jazz piano heroes who has lived in New York for a couple of decades.
Downtown Music Gallery, 2003 (Bruce Gallanter) for Quartet Language CD (Playscape) by Armen Donelian

Pianist Armen Donelian is a veteran whose credentials have never been in doubt: he first appeared on record a quarter century ago and has recently led a string of solid discs. Mark Armen Donelian on your list of musicians to watch.
All About Jazz, 2003 (Nils Jacobsen) for Quartet Language CD (Playscape) by Armen Donelian

On his recent Mystic Heights, he applies that same balance [as on Wave] between tension and release to a program of sensitive originals.
Village Voice, 2002 (Gary Giddins) for Mystic Heights CD (Sunnyside) by Armen Donelian

Donelian's sense of touch and control is astonishing. His melodies emerge from the keyboard as if magically summoned, and his harmonies and multiple reharmonizations are full of profound depth and insight.
Jazz Improv, 2001 (Don Glasgo) for Wave CD (Sunnyside) by Armen Donelian

Donelian’s technique and interpretation are superb and made a deep impression on Armenian Jazz fans.
NAB Artists Management, 1999 (Nika Babaian) for live solo piano performance by Armen Donelian, Yerevan Chamber Hall, Armenia

Donelian mesmerized the audience.
Armenian Mirror-Spectator, 1998 (Nancy Kalajian) for live performance of Armen Donelian Trio, Tufts University, Medford, MA

Donelian’s mastery of writing for small group is startling... exceptional...a provocative modernist.
Lawrence Journal-World, 1990 (Chuck Berg) for The Wayfarer CD (Sunnyside) by Armen Donelian

The spirit of adventure that breathes in this enterprise releases ephemeral currents and raises each theme to the level of epic musicality. The jazz attained here hints at even more than it tells.
Jazz Hot, 1988 (Francois Lacharme) **Critics’ Poll #3 Album of the Year** for Secrets CD (Sunnyside) by Armen Donelian

One of the great unsung piano trio recordings of the 80’s... strongly recommended, especially to those who favor piano trios.
Cadence, 1987 (Robert J. Iannopollo), for Trio ’87 CD (Odin) by Armen Donelian

A masterpiece...an open door to evolutionary jazz.
Swing Jazz Journal, 1987 (Bernard Rabaud), for A Reverie CD (Sunnyside) by Armen Donelian

One can tell it’s a master’s work. His music talks to us of things to come.
Metronom, 1986 (Ertugrul Kayseriloglu), for live performance of Essence led by Armen Donelian, Bilsak Jazz Festival, Istanbul, Turkey

Smooth, harmonically sophisticated solos.
New York Times, 1985 (Jon Pareles) for Heatwave w/Paquito D'Rivera Quintet, PBS-TV

Donelian is a crisp, harmonically oriented pianist whose fleet attack sets the standard for the rest of the quartet. He’s a distinctive stylist.
Jazz Times, 1984 (Kevin Whitehead) for Nightwork (Cadence) w/Rory Stuart

His playing is a revelation. Harmonic intricacies open up all sorts of possibilities, yet he’s always there with just the right note or voicing of a chord when needed.
Ottawa Citizen, 1984 (Lois Moody) for live performance w/Anne-Marie Moss, Cock & Lion, Ottawa, Canada

A strongly individual identity...Donelian’s work subsumes the passion of Chick Corea, the rigor of Richie Beirach, and Bill Evans’ ascetic romanticism.
New York Post, 1983 (Richard Sudhalter) for live performance of Armen Donelian Quartet, 7th Avenue South, NYC

Armen Donelian immediately proved himself a virtuoso... he played hard-edged, exclamatory chords offset by lightly sounded lines that seemed weightless by comparison.
San Francisco Chronicle, 1980 (Conrad Silvert) for live performance w/Billy Harper Quintet, Keystone Korner, San Francisco

He spun out a melodic spiderweb that entranced the audience completely.
New York Daily World, 1978 (William Orker) for live performance of Essence led by Armen Donelian, Sweet Basil, NYC

His flexibility should extend in several directions.
Downbeat, 1975 (Howard Mandel) for Afro-Indio (Fania) w/Mongo Santamaria