Reviews
"...a composer of emotional depth and effortless lyricism... not every jazz pianist can keep an audience at rapt attention with mostly unfamiliar material. Pintchik can and did... she's out to weave a spell, and this she does as well as anyone on the scene... her tunes are subtle, intriguing and seductive, not-so-buried treasures waiting to be recognized and discovered by other jazz artists."
—DownBeat (review of Dec 1 2016 gig at Jazz at Kitano by Allen Morrison)
"...exquisitely beautiful...elegant and heartfelt...Leslie Pintchik creates a rich palette of music that is discerning, unexpected and always inviting."
—NYC Jazz Record (review of You Eat My Food... by Donald Elfman)
"Leslie plays with complete engagement... [she] brings depth and thought to everything she plays. "
—JazzWax.com (review of You Eat My Food... by Marc Myers)
"A crafty, lyrically minded improviser and a compelling composer..."
—The New Yorker
"Pianist/composer Leslie Pintchik has done it again, turning out yet another elevating experience on her latest album, You Eat My Food,You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!"
—MelMinter.com (review of You Eat My Food... by Mel Minter)
"This album is a must-have for all jazz collections."
—CDHotlist.com (review of You Eat My Food... by Rick Anderson)
"Leslie Pintchik's music has a magical draw to it.... Her pieces...have a way of registering and resonating both with the pleasure center of the brain and the heart... Getting lost in this music is simply a joy. If 2016 has a more pleasurable listen to offer than True North, this writer hasn't heard it yet. (4 1/2 stars)"
—AllAboutJazz.com (review of True North by Dan Bilawsky)
"In the Nature of Things [is] one of the more captivating recordings to come out so far this year..."
—The New Yorker
"... achingly beautiful. I truly felt throughout the album she was having a conversation with me, the listener -- a level of intimacy that is rare today in jazz."
—JazzWax.com (review of In The Nature Of Things by Marc Myers)
"... Pintchik's music is fresh, full of light and instantly invigorating (4 stars) "
—Downbeat Magazine
"...a gorgeous display of the trio..."
"'Sparkle' is the type of tune we all need to start the day."
"'There You Go,' the track that closes the album, captures the magic of this trio in performance..."
"Leslie Pintchik's new offering makes me think of the title of her first recording: 'So Glad To Be Here.' I am. So will you, after you hear it."
—WBGO Radar (review of In The Nature Of Things by WBGO music director Gary Walker)
"This is one of those rare sessions you can roll out from beginning to end without getting either bored or jarred. Moreover, as varied as the music is, the CD almost feels like a symphony in nine movements. This is largely because, whether the tune is a ballad or samba or second-line groove, there's always the sense of a clearly-defined and consistent musical intelligence at work. This is the mark of a true artist."
—AllAboutJazz.com (review of In The Nature Of Things by Dr. Judith
Schlesinger)
"A great thing about Leslie Pintchik’s music is that it defies categorizing and is simply and appealingly expressive. Pintchik is a deft and imaginative player and a composer who understands texture, color and how best to utilize her players, working in a relaxed, assured fashion that is engaging and always intelligent. "
"...'I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face'... is transformed from a show-stopping anthem to a ballad of great love and feeling. Hardy’s bass playing is gorgeous and gentle and he and Sarin provide just the right bottom for this stunning reading."
"a beautifully detailed portrait of Leslie Pintchik."
—NYC Jazz Record (review of In The Nature Of Things by Donald Elfman)
"The strength of Pintchik's original compositions lends her music great depth and beauty...."
—Jazz Inside Magazine
"We're Here to Listen is that album that takes a lifetime to make and another to enjoy...Her idiom is, at once, as highly literate and cerebral as it is passionate...this is a rare collection of songs that aims its emotional arrow straight at the heart, while maintaining its highly intellectual quality."
—AllAboutJazz.com (review of We're Here To Listen by Raul d'Gama Rose)
"... an exquisite quartet ... this is music performed at the highest creative level. "
—AllAboutJazz.com (review of We're Here To Listen by Bruce Lindsay)
"...an outstanding example of the [piano-trio genre]...The album boasts strengths in every corner...Whether performing new tunes or old, Pintchik and her outstanding band take listeners on a lovely excursion."
—Jazziz Magazine (review of We're Here To Listen by Ross Boissoneau)
"...The trio's third CD together, augmented by percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, a superb colorist, highlights the band's uncanny empathy on artful covers of Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind', the soulful Bonnie Raitt tune 'I Can't Make You Love Me' and the poignant standard 'For All We Know.' Those interpretations coexist with appealing Pintchik originals..."
—Jazz Times Magazine (review of We're Here To Listen by Bill Milkowski)
Jim Wilke's Best Jazz CD's of 2010
(in "Pianists & Friends": We're Here To Listen)
—JazzAfterHours.org
W. Royal Stokes Best of 2010 lists
(in "Best DVDs": Leslie Pintchik Quartet Live In Concert)
(in "Notable CDs of 2010": We're Here To Listen)
—WRoyalStokes.com
"... Pintchik may have been a 'late starter' in the world of jazz, but her passion and intelligence as a pianist and composer is unquestionable...The band is as cohesive a unit as I’ve seen and heard in a long time...As committed as she is to playing the hell out of the keys, she’s even more committed to transferring her musical spirit to the attentive, toe-tapping audience."
—CanadianAudiophile.com (review of Live In Concert by Jordan Richardson)
"Ms. Pintchik...and her group... play with beauty, sensitivity, dexterity and a desire to connect with the listener on a personal and emotional level...The CD is ripe with beautiful tracks...Much of the music has great depth, there is humor, sadness and flashes of exuberance; in other words, this is music of the human condition."
—Step Tempest Blog (review of We're Here To Listen by Richard Kamins)
"As impressive as ever, The Leslie Pintchik Quartet Live In Concert is one of the best Jazz Blu-rays to date....The more you watch, the more you want to see....As usual, she delivers some of the best music of the year."
—Fulvuedrive-in.com (review of Live In Concert DVD & We're Here To Listen
by Nicholas Sheffo)