Ralph Bowen, Gordon Bowen, and Victor Vanacore

"I could take that band [the Rutgers University Jazz Ensemble, Ralph Bowen-Director] on the road with me starting tomorrow."
Ray Charles, War Memorial Hall, Trenton, December, 2000

"Horace Silver's band features some fine young talent, notably tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen."
Lee Jeske, New York Post

"Tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen projects the casual perfectionism of the post-John Coltrane school of saxophonists."
Owen Cordle, The New and Observer, Raleigh NC

"Cecil Taylor and Ralph Bowen: main jazzmen of the year-1985."
Mark Miller, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada

"Bowen brings a vital fluency to the solos."
Leonard Feather, The L.A. Times

"Bowen's studied harmonically oriented style (circa 1959) was just about as good as it gets."
Mark Miller, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada

"Ralph Bowen's technique was flawless; and you could hardly see his fingers move from the keys as he created wave after wave of flowing improvisation. His technique and grasp of the Coltrane style was no less amazing."
Danny O'Bryan, The Louisville Times

"I think of saxophonist Ralph Bowen, who has to be one of the greatest talents this school has ever attracted on any instrument since I've been here. He is a world class player."
Harvey Phillips, Distinguished Professor, Indiana University, 13th Annual Brass Conference

Ralph Bowen, Dedicated (Positone)
"Wow, this cat can really blow. Where do these great, relatively unknown players come from. ...well known around the NYC-area, Bowen shows himself to be not only be both a bold and creative player with monster chops, but also a fine composer as well. ... a flavor of his own that is distinct - melodic and seemingly always in control. Don't be a stranger, Ralph.
Brad Walseth, JazzChicago.net

Ralph Bowen, Soul Proprietor (Criss Cross Jazz)
"A consumate technician who obviously values melody."
Zan Stewart, JAZZIZ Magazine, November, 2002

"Bowen is an impressive (and impressively underrated) player with lyrical as well as technical skills. (He) extemporizes with harmonic savvy and rhythmic surefootedness one would expect of a good post-Coltrane, post-Brecker tenor-but unlike many of his peers, he's rarely trite. So to call him a post-anything is actually doing him a disservice."
Nate Chinen, Jazz Times Magazine, January, 2003

Ralph Bowen, A Morning View (Ratamacue Records)
"His full, focused tone maintains its quality throughout all registers and his technical facility approaches perfection. You can follow one of his intricate melodic patterns measure after measure without witnessing a single finger slip..."
David Franklin, Jazz Times Magazine, June 2001

Ralph Bowen, Movin' On (Criss Cross Jazz)
"Bowen blew solos with the crispness and vitality of a Canadian cold front. A superb seven track debut..."
Chris Jisi, Bass Player, April, 1994

"...Full of energy within a narrow range, Ralph Bowen's album is made up of seven of his compositions in a contemporary jazz vein with rock overtones... "
Jazz Times Magazine, May, 1993

Manteca, Extra, Extra (Duke Street Records)
Features "an evocative soprano saxophone solo by Ralph Bowen."
Mark Miller, The Globe and Mail

OTB, Out of the Blue (Blue Note Records)
OTB displays straight ahead cohesion and compositional savvy worthy of the label's storied legacy."
CMJ Jazz Line, Salinas, CA

"Ralph Bowen crafts fresh orchestrations."
Billboard, NY, NY

"Four stars."
Leonard Feather, L.A. Times

"An impressive contemporary hard-bop effort."
Cash Box, NY, NY

OTB, Inside Track (Blue Note Records)
"The title cut, written by Ralph Bowen, is a moderately quick swing with a strong rhythmic conception throughout...Bowen plays well throughout the album...Bowen's highly rhythmic improvisation on 'Cherry Pickens' is particularly effective."
The Herald

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