Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

I’ve been avoiding the news since the election, but information keeps leaking into my world, and none of it is good. Dumb beasts seem bent on destroying whatever is still good about this country. For my own sanity, I’ve been focusing on music rather than the fascist takeover. Selfish, I admit, but necessary. If you too are turning to music for what’s left of this country’s humanity, here are some good notes on a few good jazz albums you might want to check out.

Elaine Dame: “Reminiscing” – On this album, vocalist Elaine Dame puts her own jazz spin on some well-known pop numbers from the 1970s. Sure, the music will have you reminiscing, but is also fresh enough to create new memories. The album opens with an excellent, lively rendition of “Tell Me Something Good,” a song written by Stevie Wonder and released as a single by Rufus in 1974.  Elaine Dame gives a fantastic vocal performance here, and there is some wonderful work on drums. And check out that lead on trumpet. That’s special guest Victor Garcia. The band, by the way, is made up of Chris Madsen on tenor saxophone and soprano saxophone, Tom Vaitsas on piano and organ, Sam Peters on upright bass, Jon Deitemyer on drums, and Neal Alger on guitar. Elaine follows “Tell Me Something Good” with “Use Me,” the cool Bill Withers song (one of the cool Bill Withers songs). This too features a delicious vocal performance, as well as some phenomenal work on both guitar and keys. Then we get the title track, that soft rock hit from The Little River Band. Here there is a mellow bossa nova vibe to the song, giving it a nice, romantic feel. And special guest Art Davis adds some really nice stuff on trumpet. Elaine Dame keeps things in somewhat mellow territory with “Wish You Were Here.” I’m not a fan of the post-Syd Barrett Pink Floyd material, but Elaine gives me a fresh appreciation of the song. This rendition has a very different sound and approach from the original, feeling like a late-night dance. And it features good leads on bass and saxophone. Elaine then turns to a harder rock number, “Sing Child,” which was included on Heart’s phenomenal Dreamboat Annie album. I wasn’t sure how this one would work in a jazz context, but the group keeps much of the feel of the original, and adds a totally delicious saxophone lead. Elaine turns in quite a good vocal performance, and Alyssa Allgood and Christy Bennett join her on harmony vocals for this track. And check out that drumming toward the end. Things then get mellower again with a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “Nothing Seems To Matter,” the blues living in Elaine’s performance, and the song providing another opportunity for some good work on saxophone. That’s followed by “Midnight At The Oasis,” which is slowed just a bit here and features some excellent work on keys. Well, this album features all 1970s music, so I suppose it would be weird to not include at least once disco number. Elaine Dame chooses Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” delivering a soulful performance, filled with yearning and need. She then wraps up the album with Pablo Cruise’s “Love Will Find A Way,” this rendition featuring some good stuff on keys, as well as a lovely saxophone lead. This album was released on February 21, 2025.

Joe Elefante: “Wheel Of Dharma” – Pianist and composer Joe Elefante has put together a new quintet, and this is the first release from the group. Joe Elefante is on piano, Freddie Hendrix is on trumpet, Erena Terakubo in on saxophone, Sameer Shankar is on bass, and Dave Heilman is on drums. The album features original material, most of it composed by Joe Elefante. It opens with “Bad Dancing,” and as the track begins, it is easy to imagine bad dancing, for it might be difficult to dance to sections of this tune. There is an interesting rhythm to this piece, one that keeps us on our toes, one that keeps us engaged. And when Joe Elefante takes that initial lead on piano, he still incorporates the piano part of that rhythm, seeming to fulfill two functions at once. It’s really something to listen to him play. This track also features a pretty wild saxophone lead. Then, interestingly, as the trumpet takes over, the feeling of the piece changes, at least for a moment, mellowing out and seeming to announce a new direction. And as the trumpet takes off, the bass and drums dig back into that rhythm. I love the drumming here, particularly toward the end. That’s followed by “Rocky,” the one track not written by Joe Elefante. It was composed by Erena Terakubo and Vincent Herring. Erena Terakubo included a different version of it on her own Little Girl Power. It has welcoming vibe, with some sweet, catchy elements. It’s easy to imagine vocals being added to this piece. As you might guess, there is a really good saxophone lead, which follows strong leads on both piano and trumpet. I appreciate the warmth and cheer of this track. “The One Who Knows” has a different vibe, but also has an appealing warmth. There is a gentle touch here. Then the piano lead has a more vibrant energy. “The Earth Is On Fire” comes on at a fast clip, the way the recent fires here in Los Angeles moved, spreading and overwhelming entire neighborhoods in very little time. This track features some especially great stuff on saxophone, but all the musicians deliver remarkable work here. The band switches gears with “Samadhi,” which builds in an interesting way, like a mantra that takes on force, feeling insistent. And it soon breaks through to another level. Check out that work on trumpet. The album then concludes with “Lion’s Eyes,” which has a cool, delightful sound and vibe right from its opening moments, due especially to Joe Elefante’s work on piano. And here we are treated to a good lead on bass. This album was released on October 25, 2024.

Michelle Nicolle & Larry Koonse: “The Silent Wish” – Australian vocalist Michelle Nicolle usually performs and records in a quartet, and this new album is her first duo recording. Here she is joined by the incredibly talented guitarist Larry Koonse. The album features mostly covers, along with one original composition.  They open with “When Your Lover Has Gone,” Michelle Nicolle delivering a captivating vocal performance right from the track’s opening moments. The ache in her voice on the lines “When you’re alone, who cares for starlit skies/When you’re alone, the magic moonlight dies” hits us with its honesty. She also offers some scat, and it is in those moments that a lighter, freer aspect enters her performance. That is followed by “I Hope I Never,” an interesting choice. This is a Split Enz song, included on that group’s 1980 album True Colors. There is a haunting aspect to this song, and Michelle and Larry give us a strong rendition. “I fall apart when you’re around.” The guitar solo in the second half is gorgeous.  Michelle and Larry include the opening stanzas in their rendition of “I’m Glad There Is You,” but it is in the main body of the song that these two really shine. Listen to the way Michelle delivers these lines: “I’ll muddle through/With you to guide me/In this world/Where many, many play at love/And hardly any stay in love/I’m glad there is you.” She makes the whole thing feel so weighty, so crucial. And it is, isn’t it? Then we get the album’s original number, “Putting It Off,” which Michelle had previously included on Keep Your Heart Right. It’s interesting how her voice and the guitar work in unison early on: “Feeling the way I do/Telling myself I must be crazy/Thinking that I’m the only one who ever had anything to lose/So find the best excuse.” She offers some cool scat on this track too. “I’m freaking myself out once again/For no apparent reason.” Another highlight is the duo’s rendition of “With A Song In My Heart,” which has a bright energy. “How can I but rejoice?” Michelle sings, and we feel that way hearing these two artists working together. And check out how she delivers a line like “Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster” in “All The Things You Are.” There is warmth, vulnerability, excitement and love all wrapped in her delivery of that line. “Only Trust Your Heart” is yet another highlight, and I love the way she adds a sense of intimacy for the song’s title line. I also love the joy to the guitar work. They wrap things up with a spellbinding rendition of “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” that is absolutely wonderful. This album is scheduled to be released on March 7, 2025.

Jackson Potter: “Small Things” – Guitarist Jackson Potter’s new album (his second, following 2021’s Restless) contains a mix of covers and original material. Joining him on this one are Alex Ridout on trumpet and flugelhorn, Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone, Hamish Smith on bass, and Marcello Cardillo on drums. There are also a couple of special guests on one track. He opens the album with Toy Roberts’ “Trams,” a piece that was included on Troy’s 2017 album Tales & Tones. That earlier version featured piano, while this one obviously features guitar. It’s a cool tune, and like the earlier recording, this track contains some excellent drumming. There is also, as you’d expect, some really nice stuff on saxophone, and I love the play between sax and trumpet. But the main focus is the guitar lead in the middle, which is absolutely wonderful. Jackson Potter gets to cut loose a bit here and demonstrate his talent. That’s followed by the album’s title track, an original composition by Potter, and it is here that the two guests join the group. Sophia Formella is on vocals, and Jaleel Shaw is on alto saxophone. This one eases in, and is more about the mood, Sophia providing some beautiful work. I love the way it builds just before Jackson’s early guitar lead, something that is repeated before that gorgeous sax lead. “Mr. M” is also an original piece, featuring some nice stuff from both Alex Ridout and Troy Roberts before Jackson’s guitar lead. This track was released as the album’s first single, and there is something soothing about it. Jackson then begins his rendition of “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” with some excellent work on guitar, touching on that familiar theme before the other musicians enter. This track has a great late-night vibe. Then check out the bass work on this rendition of “Hey, It’s Me You’re Talking To.” This is where things get fun and start to really move, the trumpet and saxophone engaged in a delightful conversation, and the drums setting the pace. “Background Noise” is a mellower number, an original composition that features some engaging guitar work, and grows in power in the second half. This album also contains good renditions of Dave Brubeck’s “The Duke” and Cole Porter’s “Everything I Love.” The album concludes with an original number, “Sophia’s Waltz,” which has sweet, lovely vibe, and features a nice lead on bass. This album was released on January 24, 2025.

James Zito: “Zito’s Jump!” – This is guitarist James Zito’s debut full-length release as band leader, and it contains a mix of original material and covers. Joining him on this album are Rodney Whitaker on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, Luther Allison on piano, Chris Lewis on tenor saxophone and flute, Nicholas DiMaria on trumpet, Joseph Miller on alto saxophone, Jack Kotze on trombone, and Jarien Jamanila on baritone saxophone. Georgia Heers and Tyreek McDole join the group on vocals for one track. The album opens with its title track, a fun bluesy original composition that has a bit of a 1960s vibe, and features a cool lead on piano as well as some great stuff on guitar. There is a snappy, delightful feel to this track. The music then relaxes a bit on “Bird In The Wind,” also an original composition, this one having a nice warmth about it and featuring some really good work on tenor saxophone. There is also warmth to “Island Girl,” an original tune with a bossa nova vibe that contains some beautiful work on flute and has a romantic bent. Things then take a different turn with “Time Zone,” which has some tension from the start, felt in its choppy, short strokes. The saxophone takes over, driving things forward, the guitar lead continuing the movement and creating an intensity of its own. This track also features some exciting drumming. The first cover of the album is “Ready ‘N’ Able,” which has a terrific energy, moving at a delightful pace. This is a whole lot of fun, and it features some tremendous guitar work. It is over much too soon. James Zito mellows things again with his original “Pense Nisso,” a somewhat contemplative bossa nova number that contains some wonderful stuff on piano. The energy rises then with “Minor Lies,” the disc’s final original composition, one to keep us on our toes. What a lively ride this track takes us on. Georgia Heers and Tyreek McDole deliver wonderful, tender vocal performances on “The Nearness Of You.” Just close your eyes, and let them pull you into a better world. James Zito delivers more excellent guitar work on the group’s lively rendition of “The End Of The Affair.” This disc also includes two delightful renditions of “After You’ve Gone” and a touching rendition of “It Could Happen To You,” which is presented as a guitar and organ duet. This album is scheduled to be released on April 15, 2025.