About

Magnolia, the debut solo album of Steve Okonski, wasn’t meant to sound this way. The Durand Jones & The Indications’ keyboard player originally envisioned something quite different. Something that was beat driven and fully composed. In order to realise his vision, Okonski knew exactly who he needed on the team and he duly recruited both of them. The trio survived, however the original concept developed quite differently.

Magnolia is a beautiful album, one that carries an overall sense of peace. It is a vehicle that, if you immerse yourself fully in it, will take you to a better place. The musicianship is outstanding and every note exists for a reason. If I have one criticism it is that it feels very short, coming in at under half an hour. I certainly could’ve taken more of this sublime jazz. Apparently, the Magnolia symbolises luck in some parts of the United States. It’s certainly lucky for us that Okonski’s trio decided to go down the path of working on intuition and improvisation to create this fine, free-flowing album. - Louder Than War