Alan Chaubert - Just The Three Of Us - Pacific Coast Jazz
Just The Three Of Us showcases the melodic jazz talents of Alan Chaubert, who masterfully plays both muted trumpet and piano simultaneously. This unique approach results in a captivating album that features nine carefully selected tracks, ranging from the works of Charlie Haden and Bill Evans to Thelonious Monk and Norah Jones. Chaubert is accompanied by bassist Belden Bullock and drummer Jon Di Fiore, with percussionist Luis Quintero guesting on two tracks. The album, recorded live without overdubbing, emphasizes relaxed tempos, allowing Chaubert’s lyrical trumpet to shine alongside Bullock’s concise and inventive bass solos. The set is Chaubert’s finest work to date, highlighting his swinging style and showcasing his exceptional talent on both trumpet and piano.
Steve Johns – Mythology - Steeplechase
For his debut Steeplechase album under his own name as a leader, New York City veteran drummer/composer Steve Johns engaged a uniquely configured crew of versatile players he’s long known and often collaborated with. Johns teams up with guitar great John Hart, the amazing vibraphonist and vocalist Monte Croft, piano wiz Greg Murphy and the incomparable bassist Joris Teepe. Two of Steve’s compositions get the ball rolling, followed by his band mates’ songs, with a few classics sprinkled in. Steve says, he’s always enjoyed tales from ancient civilizations; mystical legends as depicted in the stories of Icarus, Perseus and Medusa. “Mythology” is an album full of imagination, stories and some fantastic playing by this amazing lineup of world-class musicians.
MTB (Mehldau, Turner, Bernstein) - Solid Jackson - Criss Cross
This second gathering of M.T.B. (titled for the surnames of Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner and Peter Bernstein, and to signify upon the late ’80s “young lion” band OTB) is an intense, focused recital that reinforces the exalted position each member holds in the 2024 jazz landscape. Everyone listens. No one overplays or goes for “house.” The ambiance is one of concentrated excellence. All in all, the session is, as the cliche goes, “all killer, no filler,” performed at a level that might have provoked Charlie Haden to respond with a hearty “Solid Jackson.” “There was a natural blend,” Bernstein says. “We all go way back, and everyone was very comfortable being around each other. One thing I like about making a record is that you’re able to spend a day with people you’ve been meaning to hang out with for a long time. It’s not just a party. You’re working, too. But that’s how we interact socially – by playing music. I was amazed. It’s 30 years after we did the first one, but everyone is relatively intact. It’s really a miracle. We’re all still here; we get to play together again.” Line up: Brad Mehldau (piano) – Mark Turner (tenor saxophone) – Peter Bernstein (guitar) – Larry Grenadier (bass) – Bill Stewart (drums).
Oz Noy - Fun One - Criss Cross
Oz Noy releases Fun One, his label debut, on Criss Cross is a creative, sophisticated and, shall we say, swinging trio encounter with pianist David Kikoski, bassist James Genus and drummer Clarence Penn. From 2017 until March 2020, when COVID shut down New York City, the group’s encounters transpired on Thursday nights at the 55 Bar, the Greenwich Village basement where high-level practitioners like alto saxophonist-composer (and frequent Criss Cross artist) Dave Binney and guitarists Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz held years-long weekly sinecures. After the Christopher Street landmark shut down two years later, Noy “moved our operation” to the Bitter End on Bleecker Street, a signpost venue in the development of comedy and various streams of second-half-of-the-20th-century popular music where Noy has played regularly with his power trios for more than two decades. From the beginning of 2024 until the end of July, when Noy recorded Fun One, he frequently workshopped this repertoire there “with some form of this band.”
Benjie Porecki - All That Matters - Funklove Productions
All That Matters showcases the versatile and distinctive pianist-organist Benjie Porecki performing melodic originals and covers in a jazz trio. Ranging from accessible grooves to thoughtful ballads, Porecki creates a program filled with variety and subtle surprises. In his prolific career, Benjie has enriched the music of a countless number of artists in such settings as jazz, pop, funk, R & B, urban, country, rock and mixtures of the above. Through it all, he is tastefully harmonious while adding his own lively musical personality and creativity to the music. Porecki has also recorded many sessions of his own. All That Matters features Benjie at the head of a trio that includes bassist Michael Bowie and drummer Mark Prince, performing six of his originals and four other beloved pieces. While mostly heard on piano, Porecki also adds organ to some of the more gospel-oriented numbers. While there is plenty of variety in moods and tempos, each of the ten selections on All That Matters fit into the themes of love, loss, and the things that truly matter in life. All That Matters is the latest accomplishment in Benjie Porecki’s career, a grooving and subtle trio outing that includes some of his most sensitive and inventive writing and playing.
Lisa Hilton - Lucky All Along - Ruby Slipper Productions
In her liner notes for her latest release entitled Lucky All Along, the acclaimed pianist/composer/band leader Lisa Hilton shares that the music is “Inspired by the history of cool jazz as well as the art of Impressionism.” Instead of paint, her compositional tools include “different harmonic palettes and rhythmic textures such as blues, swing, improvisation, free jazz, polyrhythms, bop, ragtime, early rock, the Latin tinge and traditional riffs.” Hilton hails from California, where many cool jazz creators previously lived for a period, including Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, as well as pianist Bill Evans. These “cool” and very expressive artists favored a moody style of playing with innovative harmonic explorations versus the more energetic “hot”, or free jazz styles. Percolating with ideas, the nine original compositions and three cover tunes are intimate, enthralling, and laced throughout with rich blue tones, swinging with Hilton’s expressive touch on the piano. Lucky All Along gracefully shares the spotlight with quartet mates Igmar Thomas on trumpet, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion.
Jazzmeia Horn - Messages - Empress Legacy
As Grammy nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn looks out the window of her 11th-floor hotel room in Tokyo, she describes the surrounding skyscrapers, the yellow and pink clouds floating by and Messages — her fourth project to date as a leader. In part, Messages is intended to be a word of encouragement to anyone making tough choices — a reminder that we all make sacrifices. Sometimes, the difficulties encountered along the way are worth it, though. The bandleader’s pared back her ensemble, eschewing the personnel of a big band, but retaining the avant-playfullness of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Ruminations on family, friendship and love all circulate among the 10 original compositions on the album.