Blog Entry:

Transmission, the hip music sub-site of top Chicago blog Gaper's Block, had this to say:

The self-released debut Up to Get Down by straight-ahead postbop quintet Jazz Conspiracy shows another side of younger Chicago jazzers.

Led by the confident and swinging horns of Thomas Mucha (trumpet) and Trent Harris (tenor saxophone), this tight group's set features a dozen varied originals that highlight the talents of each member without showboating or grandstanding. Especially fine are Harris's tenor work and pianist David Beazley's vibing Wurlitzer piano playing on the dark ballad "Clean and Clear," an original penned by bassist Marc Piane. Mucha contributes five tunes replete with sterling solos, including the neobop cooker "City Snap" and Latin boogaloo "The Conspiracy." Beazley also varies his McCoy Tyner-esque piano tracks with some crunchy Rhodes comping on "The Sound of Inevitability" and also contributes some refreshingly restrained and melodic solos on "Riverside Blues" and "Freddie's Groove." Definitely a group to catch live.
-Bob Holub

It's part of a longer story the site did on "some of Chicago's best Jazz." Read the whole thing here.

Then, in the upcoming issue of Chicago Jazz Magazine, you'll find the following:

Up to Get Down, the debut CD from Jazz Conspiracy is the textbook definition of the phrase "straight ahead." This disc oozes mid-sixties Lee Morgan charts, Blakey-style backbeats, and Freddie Hubbard-esque exuberance. And on the back cover of the disc, the guys in the band even attempt to look old school. Unfortunately, they end up looking like CIA henchmen, but the idea is clearly stated: this is a jazz band rooted in the straight up sounds of the classic Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside and early CTI sides.

There are some tight tunes here that are fairly impressive. Whoever is doing the arranging for Jazz Conspiracy is doing a fantastic job! This isn't just head-solos-head stuff. This is a return to form of the Cannonball Adderley-Horace Silver school of big band charts for small groups... a genuinely nice touch. "Freddie's Groove" and their take on "Bohemia After Dark" stand out well in this regard.

Jazz Conspiracy is the kind of band that you hope to see in any number of smaller jazz clubs around town. They keep the tempos poppin', the arrangements slick, and the grooves happening. If you want a little of that in your CD player, then Up To Get Down comes recommended.

Thanks to Ken Scott and WDCB program director Paul Abella for posting that review to the WDCB site (and if you're not already hip to it, this is the best place to find great jazz on Chicago radio).

If you like what you read here, check out the CD yourself. It's available on iTunes, and at CD Baby.