Okonski
Entrance Music
Colemine Records [2025]
“From dawn to dusk, Entrance Music glistens with warmth, improvisation, and pure atmosphere.”
Album Overview: With the world in a state of uncertainty, Steve Okonski has reconvened longtime musical collaborators—Durand Jones & The Indications bandmate Aaron Frazer on drums and bassist Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery—to deliver a blanket of ethereal calm to soothe the masses. Entrance Music, the follow-up to 2023’s Magnolia, twinkles and glistens with the light, playful energy of improvisation. The meditative vibe continues as the music ebbs and flows, mirroring the shifts of nature: changing weather, changing locations, changing seasons.
Musical Style: As Fire Note writer Simon Workman aptly put it, “These aren’t flashy showcases of technical skill (though there’s plenty of both technique and skill on display); they’re impressionistic, more about exploration and feeling than getting into a specific groove.” Okonski blends floaty, atmospheric piano with controlled, poignant drumming and a bassline that shifts between pronounced and subdued as needed. It’s vibe jazz at its best.
Evolution of Sound: From Magnolia to Entrance Music, the sound feels more playful. The dynamic contrast between loud and soft moments shapes the direction of each piece. Aaron Frazer and Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery are more prominently featured, adding a shifting, dynamic quality to the record. While Magnolia leaned into lingering, repetitive passages, this album develops a more groove-laden flow.
Artists with Similar Fire: The influences remain true to the previous outing, with echoes of Bill Evans, Alice Coltrane, and Vince Guaraldi. The album’s description also notes inspiration from The Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton, and The Breathing Effect.
Pivotal Tracks: Like a cold, rising gust, “October” opens the album with docile keys and the warm, low hum of the strings. Throughout the record, I hear triumphant moments reminiscent of Abbey Road’s medley, particularly “Golden Slumbers.” “Vista” weighs heavy and intense, driven by hard-pressed chords. “Wind or Vertigo” carries a semi-stage musical quality, its keys subtly echoing Annie’s “Tomorrow.” “Passing Through” lingers, despite its name, with rustling percussion that evokes the beauty of a snow-covered, remote thicket. “Dahlia” immediately intrigues with its staggered, stair-step pattern.
Lyrical Strength: While this is an instrumental album, it effortlessly conveys its emotions.
Final Groove: Okonski has taken Magnolia and expanded upon it—not just breaking it into stories, but weaving it into a full novel. Entrance Music is an album for many moments: coffee and contemplation, simple Sunday mornings, late-night unwinding, midday musings. It’s a release I’m excited to share, thanks to its continued timelessness. The trio and Colemine have truly outdone themselves, further solidifying why Colemine can do no wrong.
OKONSKI REVIEW HISTORY
Magnolia (2023)
OKONSKI LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp | Colemine Records
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