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CD REVIEW
By Rick Bird, The Cincinnati Post   March 2, 2006

The Jazz Circle:  Saxman Steve Hoskins, a longtime player with Cat City and
The Cincinnati Pops, is releasing "Joshua", an exciting and personal project
intended as a homage to his jazz-influenced youth.

Hoskins put together an eight-piece band dubbed The Jazz Circle with some
of the area's finest musicians.  The CD features eight classic renditions from
the likes of Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Wes Montgomery and Wayne
Shorter.  The hook is that Hoskins penned lyrics to some of the instrumental 
pieces such as Davis' "Joshua", playing as a short history of Davis' legacy
("When Miles changed his sound/All the walls came tumbling down, down, 
down, down").  Hoskins also includes "Pork Pie Hat", using Joni Mitchell's
lyrics to the Mingus/Lester Young tribute.  A standout is "Unit Seven" with
lyrics to a Wes Montgomery tune that transports one to a steamy New York
jazz club.

The second twist on the CD is that pleasing alto scat singer - Steve Coghill -
best known as a veteran rock vocalist with a number of Cincinnati groups
including the Bluebirds.  It's Coghill's first recorded foray into jazz singing.

"He's been a closet jazz singer all his life," Hoskins said.  "I think a a lot of
people are going to be surprised.  He's been aching to do something like
this forever."

But this is hardly a vocal album.  Hoskins' excellent arrangements include
up to three solos on a tune.  "It's an arranger's band," he said.  "There are
some wonderful jazz players.  I think the energy was incredible."

CD REVIEW 
by George W. Carroll
The Musician's Ombudsman   June 5, 2006

CD producer-arranger & reed player Steve Hoskins completes the circle for his aptly named CD project, 'The Jazz Circle.' This is a tribute to several of our jazz masters, i.e. Mingus, Miles, Trane et al.

And, it takes a group this musically proficient which Hoskins has put together to pull his project off technically. The group delivers their jazz renditions such as 'Lush Life,' 'Stolen Moments,' & 'Footprints,' which might sometimes sound
poetic yet a little unwieldy with the fast tempos...To utterly sumptuous on their jazz ballads.

This is a group with a bent for imagination, deliberation, open-mindedness, adventure....Each player playing to their fellow sideman with a sure-footed stimulating matrix of intense rhythm, melody, harmony, & overall artistic support.

CD REVIEW
by John Gilbert
ejazznews.com   June 7, 2006 

The Jazz Circle is an eight piece band that pays homage to the 'masters',
Miles, Trane, Mingus et al.

"Nothing Like You" This Bob Dorough tune is presented with new
treatment, featuring the vocal of Steve Coghill and a swinging tenor
solo by Brent Gallaher. Steve Hoskin's alto comes sailing in with a hip
soliloquy.

"Unit Seven" Nice up tempo tune by Sam Jones with Coghill's best vocal
effort. The guitar of Phil Willis gets after this tune with a blistering
solo that goes right to the heart of hip.

4 Stars