“Some guys possess all the talent. Miles Donahue is replete with a bunch of it….Sax, trumpet, et al. In either case, he’s an exceptional crisp & promising soloist……as well as a gifted composer-arranger. Miles possesses an astonishing array of stylistic & artistic gifts which he delivers with panache visa-vie his instruments…This, through the use of his subtle yet bettered choice of harmonies….Also, his graceful symmetry as he faultlessly executes his horn lines…All in all, Miles Donahue is confident & all-embracing & is certainly a viable technician with the potential to become a myth in his own era.”
George W. Carroll/The Musicians’ Ombudsman
“Boston-based reeds-and-brass double-threat Donahue didn’t commit himself to jazz until midlife, but since then he’s been on fire, releasing five meaty albums in the last three years alone. That includes “Bounce,” which not only puts Donahue’s post-bop, brains-and-brawn approach to saxes and fluegelhorn on display in quartet, quintet and sextet settings, but also features eight Donahue originals – some of the most engaging writing in modern jazz.”
Ann Braithwaite
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
“Very few musicians have the diversity and hidden talents Miles Donahue possesses”
Saxophone Journal
“Miles Donahue is a rare example of someone whose strong personality asserts itself without hesitation ”
Jaziz Magazine
“Discover a jazz treasure. Equally adept on trumpet and various saxophones and a composer of grace and originality…”
Bob Blumenthal of the Boston Globe
“Miles Donahue is one of my favorite cats because he plays so unique and fresh. Plus the thing of trumpet and sax. To this day I’ve never heard anyone play trumpet and tenor so balanced.”
Jerry Bergonzi of Saxophone Journal
“Miles Donahue Standards Vol 1 thru 4 — ‘There are some pieces where I hear shades of one of my favorite sax players Stan Getz but with more soul. Miles’s arrangements convey pure joy and enchantment with life.’”
Dick Metcalf from IMPROVISATION NATION (2003)
About the Standards albums — “A massive impressive four albums of music.”
Steve Greenlee of the Boston Globe
“His tone on both tenor and alto is at times achingly beautiful… within a few short fleeting lines he is away, the tone now a warm comfy rug in which to wrap around your shoulders and heat up the old cockles…”
Rick Finley (UK)
“Wonderful standards with great liberty, almost reinventing the tunes to better heights… ”
George W Carroll ejazznews.com
About the album The Good Listener — “Very few musicians today have the diversity and hidden talents Miles Donahue possesses. His phrasing on tenor and trumpet, the harmonic sophistication he plays with, and his ability to swing with indelible beauty, all lead up to a master musician…”
Tim Price of the Saxophone Journal
Review of In The Pocket — “‘Miles Donahue is a startlingly prolific and jaw dropping virtuosic saxophonist, tumpeter, and composer…”
Rick Anderson
Review of Bounce and In The Pocket — “Donahue is no doubt a man of ideas. He writes with his focus on the mainstream, but he keeps his compositions diverse, a move that makes his work interesting. He adds further twists of flavor with the different line-ups he uses”
Jerry D’Souza from AllAboutJazz.com
“Miles Donahue can play effective bebop on saxophone as well as trumpet and flugelhorn,something he shares with Ira Sullivan and Benny Carter ”
Michael Gladstone from AllAboutJazz.com
About the album Bounce — “some of the most engaging writing in modern jazz”
Kevin R Convey of the Boston Herald
“The work on these two albums (Bounce and In The Pocket) never gets dull and keeps sending a listener to the liner notes to find out what’s going on….”
Pittsburgh Tribune
“Miles is distinctive and fiery on alto, and trumpet”
Ron Wynn of the Nashville City Paper
“…one of the most consistently strong sax and trumpet players on the scene”
Bob Young of the Boston Herald
“Like the late Benny Carter, Donahue plays thoughtful, impassioned and unfrilly saxophones and harbors romantic penchants”
Fred Bouchard from DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE