Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

Politics and politicians have completely failed us. Recent rule changes have ruined baseball. It's not enjoyable to go to the movies anymore. But we still have music. Here are notes on a few new jazz albums you might want to check out.

Tom Lippincott: "Ode To The Possible" - I was first drawn to this album because of its title, which I love. Tom Lippincott is a guitarist and composer, and this new album contains all original material, including several short, improvised pieces. It begins with "Preface/Overture 25," which opens into a magic glade, and soon begins to people it with interesting characters and to create a certain mood. There is a sense of curiosity, and the track features some good drumming by Lucas Apostoleris. David Fernandez's saxophone is a large part of the track's mood, its atmosphere. Some excellent drumming then begins "Bell Tower," helping to create a feeling of excitement. And I love the way the guitar and saxophone work together early on. There is a cool lead on sax, with some excellent work by Marty Quinn on bass beneath it. The guitar then spirals up from below in a surprising and fantastic way, and that's when things really get interesting. That section in the middle is outstanding, and then we're treated to a drum solo, helping to make this one of my favorites. "Interlude 1," the first of the short pieces, is a wild force rushing down upon us from the heavens. Then in "An Inhabitant Of Carcosa," there is a wonderful section where the bass leads, and Tom adds some cool work on guitar. That is the point where that track really takes off, and after that, both the guitar and saxophone both pull us along on great, related journeys. What a ride! The next "Interlude" is somewhat darker in atmosphere, a piece of both contemplation and exploration. "Sisters And Brothers" eases in with some pretty guitar work, and has a warmth that seems to come partly from memory, from reflection, and partly from the hope of a better world, of better relations. You might find yourself close to tears at moments, as you think of the difference between how things are and how they could be. "Interlude 3" is a nice saxophone solo, and "Interlude 4" is an unusual percussion solo. What grabs me about "Stella By Searchlight" is its interesting rhythm. This album is full of excellent drumming, and this track in particular stands out because of the drum work. "Zakir" is another track that stands out, in part because it features the beautiful vocal work of Camila Meza. The voice plays an important part in both transporting us and soothing us. "Trail Of Tears," once it really gets going, features some delightful and exciting work on guitar, while that rhythm keeps everything moving forward at a great pace, then actually has a gentle ending. "Interlude 8" is some cool bass work, and it leads to "Lynchian," another of the album's highlights, a playful number takes us to interesting places, just as a David Lynch film is likely to do. And it includes a good drum solo toward the end. The album concludes with "Epilogue," a short, somewhat quirky piece that takes us to a different realm. This album was released on February 27, 2026.

Jaana Narsipur: "The Re-Collection" - Vocalist Jaana Narsipur offers jazz renditions of pop songs from the latter half of the 1980s, songs she loved at the time and still loves. While some of these tracks are songs I didn't care much for when they were first released (as far as 1980s popular music goes, the first half of the decade is so much stronger), her approach creates a fresh appeal. And it's clear how much she is enjoying these songs, and that adds to the album's charm. She opens with "Breakout," a song that Swing Out Sister released as a single in 1986. The presence of a brass section is part of what makes this rendition much more appealing than the original recording. Wayne Tucker is on trumpet, Sean Nowell is on tenor saxophone, and Alex Jeun is on trombone, and they all deliver excellent, lively work here. There is also some wonderful work by Nicki Adams on piano. Jaana's vocal performance is the driving force of the song, and there is a delightful joy to her delivery. "You've got to find a way/Say what you want to say/Break out." That's followed by Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." This is a song I did love when it first came out. Jaana Narsipur's rendition has a different opening, which pulls us in, and features an interesting, compelling rhythm. The percussion by Joe Abba plays a strong part here, as does Marco Panascia's work on bass. There is also an excellent lead on piano. Certainly a highlight of the album. Then her rendition of Basia's "Time And Tide" opens with some cool and beautiful vocal work, which immediately grabs us. This track features an especially good vocal performance. Plus, it has a delicious bass line. Wayne Tucker returns on trumpet for "Holding Back The Years," and it is that instrument in particular that makes the opening so good. And from the way Jaana delivers that very first line, "I'll keep holding on," it is clear she has something to say with this song, that the words have personal meaning. This version is far superior to the original Simply Red recording, and is another of the album's standouts. A string section (Meg Okura on violin, Hannah Selin on viola, and Laura Masferrer on cello) joins Jaana Narsipur for "Behind Closed Doors" and "Love And Anger," delivering some beautiful work. While most of these tracks come from the latter half of the 1980s, there are two songs from 1984: Eurythmics' "Here Comes The Rain Again" and Joe Jackson's "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)." "Here Comes The Rain Again" is one of the album's best tracks, right from its intriguing, haunting opening, and featuring some excellent drumming. Meg Okura adds some fantastic work on violin. And "You Can't Get What You Want" features the return of the brass section. The album concludes with Sting's "Sister Moon," which contains another stellar vocal performance and some nice, sexy work by Sean Nowell on saxophone. This album was released on April 24, 2026.

Chris Rottmayer: "Playing Favorites" - Pianist Chris Rottmayer and vocalist Kelsey Wallner join forces to deliver wonderful renditions of some classic numbers, along with a couple of original numbers on this album. Clark Sommers is on bass, and Matt Endres is on drums. The album opens with a snappy rendition of "Everything Happens To Me," which features not only an excellent lead on piano, but a cool bass solo before Kelsey returns on vocals. There is a good deal of charm to this rendition. It's followed by "One Note Samba," which features a light and delightful vocal performance, one that could lead us on a dance in the clouds. There is a totally enjoyable section in the middle, with Clark and Matt shining on bass and drums respectively. The arrangements for these first two tracks are by Kelsey Wallner. Matt gets "Voyage" started on drums, this one moving at a great pace, everything sounding just right, Chris dancing on those keys and pushing everything forward with a determined spirit. This track does not have vocals. They slow things down then with a touching rendition of "Velho Piano," featuring a softly captivating vocal performance. That's followed by "On The Street Where You Live," a cheerful number. "People stop and stare, they don't bother me/For there's nowhere else on Earth that I would rather be." Oh yes! Just being close to that special person can make all the difference. And Chris' piano lead expresses so well that wonderful feeling. There is also something uplifting in the group's rendition of "Firm Roots," something encouraging, and the track contains some excellent drumming. Then "Sail Away" features some beautiful, gentle work on piano. This is a piece that feels like it could carry us away from our problems, away from stress, and contains a thoughtful lead on bass. The energy increases in the second half, and it feels like we've reached some wonderful destination. That's followed by two original compositions by Kelsey Wallner - "I'm Too Sweet" and "Love Ain't Free." "I'm Too Sweet" is delicious from its opening, where she tells us, "It's a hard world to live in/When you're as soft as a jelly bean/Tell me where it is written/I should be pretty but mean." This a seriously cool number, featuring an excellent vocal performance, one that is playful and sexy and nuanced, and even includes some scat toward the end. Chris Rottmayer's work on piano holds just as much appeal. "Love Ain't Free" has more of a late-night vibe. "So if you love the sky/But pour your heart out to the sea/Know that life is one long goodbye/Go on and say which one will live in memory." This one too features some absolutely wonderful work on piano. The band stretches out a bit on "Love Dance," that track more than ten minutes long. The album concludes with "Never Will I Marry," which has an intriguing, unusual opening before getting into more familiar territory, and features some good stuff on drums. This album was released on October 17, 2025.

Loren Schoenberg And His Jazz Orchestra: "So Many Memories" - This is a particularly exciting release. It uses charts by composer Eddie Sauter, made for (but not recorded by) Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey. So the arrangements are close to a century old, but have not been recorded before this album. The album was recorded at Juilliard with mostly young musicians, and recorded in a fashion similar to that of records of the 1930s and 1940s, the idea being to remain as faithful to the time as possible. This album, by the way, features an extensive liner notes booklet written by Will Friedwald. The album opens with "Azure," which creates an interesting mood and makes particularly cool use of xylophone early on. Warren Wolf is on xylophone. I also love that work by Summer Camargo on trumpet. That's followed by "Nice Work If You Can Get It," featuring Kate Kortum on vocals. As I've said many times, you can never go wrong with Gershwin, and this arrangement is a total delight, the song swinging. And Kate's vocal performance totally measures up to some of the best vocalists from the era. This is absolutely wonderful. Kate Kortum delivers another outstanding performance on "You Go To My Head," casting a spell over all of us who listen. I also love the work by Loren Schoenberg on piano and James Zito on guitar. Then check out the xylophone work at the beginning of "I Know That You Know," supported by some delicious stuff on guitar. And that's just the beginning. This track contains all sort of wonderful playing, including by both Andre Perlman and Nick Mesler on trombone, and some exciting work on trumpet toward the end. It's a fun number from start to finish. Then Kate's voice carries us away again on "Music, Maestro, Please," a track that also features a superb lead on xylophone, as well as some vibrant work by Joe Boga on trumpet. There is also some wonderful work on trumpet on "Two Sleepy People," a track that also contains a cool lead on guitar toward the end. In "I See Your Face Before Me," Kate sings, "In a world of glitter and glow/In a world of tinsel and show/The unreal from the real thing is hard to know," lines that stand out in these days when reality has become dubious. As with the other tracks, she turns in an excellent vocal performance. That's followed by "You Couldn't Be Cuter," which is another of this album's delights, featuring wonderful work on piano. "Roses In December" is another gem, an instrumental piece that features fun stuff on trombone. And then we're treated to a really nice arrangement of "Exactly Like You." Ah, this music makes me feel so good. And while Kate delivers what might be the best vocal performance on "You're Laughing At Me," I have to disagree with the lines, "You've got a sense of humor/And humor is death to romance." If that were true, I would have had no romance at all. The album concludes with an excellent rendition of "After You've Gone," a number that I love, featuring some wonderful work on clarinet. This album was released on November 7, 2025. 

Terry Waldo & The Gotham City Band: "Treasury Volume 3" - It's been a year since Treasury Volume 2 was released, and now we have what is the final volume in this series of discs exploring and celebrating the early days of jazz. It contains a good liner notes booklet written by trumpet player Colin Hancock. The album gets off to a delightful start with "Minnie The Mermaid," music to help you shake all cares away. "Oh, what a time I had with Minnie the Mermaid/Down at the bottom of the sea/Down among the bubbles/I lost all my troubles." You too will lose your troubles. And is that a little Popeye musical cue? There is a delicious humor to the music. I love the clarinet work by Ricky Alexander. And Jim Fryer does a great job on both vocals and trombone. And Terry Waldo delivers some absolutely wonderful work on piano. The fun continues with King Oliver's "Canal Street Blues," featuring the excellent work of both Mike Davis and Colin Hancock on trumpet. And I love the way Terry Waldo's work on piano seems to be dancing. This music really comes to life. Mike Davis takes the vocal duties on "Alice Blue Gown," another little gem. Sure, we all know that the times of this music were not without their share of serious troubles, but listening to this album transports us to just the best of those times. Everything is full of cheer, full of joy. Jerron Paxton delivers a really good vocal performance on "Take Me Back," this one with a strong folk vein running through it, a track that becomes a celebration by the end. That's followed by Jelly Roll Morton's "Frog-I-More Rag," another total delight, one to cause a skeleton to dance right out of its skin. How can you do anything but love those trumpets? And surely that piano lead will have you moving all over the room, feeling light as a feather. Then in "Mabel's Dream," we are treated to a wonderful lead by Arnt Arntzen on banjo. "Kansas City Stomp" has a good amount of swing to it, and features a strong lead by Mike Davis on trumpet. The band slows things down with "Lousiana Fairy Tale," which has a sweetly dreamlike vibe and features Jay Lepley on vocals. Ah yes, take us away from our reality into this enchanting realm, where we can dance toward an eternal sunset. The energy returns on "Buddy's Habits," another fun number featuring some delicious work on banjo. Terry Waldo begins "Memphis Blues" with some delicious work on piano, and features another good vocal performance from Jim Fryer. The album wraps up with "Black Bottom Stomp," another delight, with a great rhythm and some excellent leads. Makes me hope Terry Waldo changes his mind and releases a fourth volume. This album is scheduled to be released on June 5, 2026.

I See Hawks In L.A., John Surge And The Haymakers, and Old Californio at DiPiazza's, 5-2-26

I experienced a bit of heaven in Long Beach last night, as three of the best bands around were all on the same bill, each delivering a special sort of magic. I'm always looking for those moments when the music transports me, when all worries and concerns are left behind, when the music becomes everything and I'm just completely in the present, immersed in the sound, in the emotion. That happened during each band's set last night, which is outstanding and rare.

Old Californio

Old Californio started the night, beginning the show promptly at eight. There was a somewhat different lineup for this show. Rich Dembowski and Justin Smith were on guitar and drums respectively, as usual, and Bob Roach was on bass, as he often fills in for Jason Chesney. Neither Woody Aplanalp nor Jon Niemann were present, and instead the band had Dan Wistrom sitting in on pedal steel. They opened with "Mother Road," and immediately the flavor of the pedal steel was appreciated. Dan delivered a good lead. Rich then strapped on his harmonica for a wonderful rendition of "City Lines," Dan's pedal steel helping to set the tone. This song featured some really nice stuff on both harmonica and bass. Rich kept the harmonica on for the third song, a new one titled "Free Ain't Easy," which was beautiful from the start, and soon kicked in to become a glorious number. Dan's lead toward the end was wonderful, especially the way it eased out, with room to breathe, the spaces between just as potent as the notes. Just absolutely beautiful. One of those moments when the music completely took over. You could feel it, the way everyone in the room was experiencing it. Then Justin's delicious rhythm drove the next song. Someone in the audience shouted out, "Old Californio!" Overcome in the moment, you understand.

The band delivered a good cover of "I Never Picked Cotton," the pedal steel being a prominent force from the beginning, setting the song in motion. There was also some great drumming there. Before "California Goodness," Rich told the crowd, "We're going to do something real pretty now." And indeed, that song was pretty, with the pedal steel adding another beautiful layer. The harmonica and pedal steel sounded so good together. Rich then introduced the band. When he mentioned Bob, there was an especially large cheer. Rich, pretending to be taken aback, remarked that Bob's fan club was here, and then joked, "Fired." Bob delivered some fantastic work throughout the set. Old Californio wrapped up the set with a really good rendition of "Kansas City Southern."

John Surge And The Haymakers

John Surge And The Haymakers were up next. John Surge is the host of this music series. And the band's set opened in wonderful fashion, with guitarist Chris Motter and drummer Kevin Jarvis first taking the stage, delivering a cool instrumental introduction. There was no formal introduction, and the guitar work at first seemed to grow out of the soundcheck, but quickly the audience caught on that the set had begun and their conversations ceased as they became rapt in the guitar work. Then the other band members joined them, one by one, first Teresa Cowles on bass, then Carl Byron on keyboard, and finally John Surge himself, and the band eased into a slow, beautiful rendition of "I Remind You." What a stunning way to open. The song featured a great lead on guitar. John then told the crowd, "Now we rock," and led the band into "Ricochet." And, as promised, the energy was there, with a great, strong beat. That was followed by "Almost Time," featuring some excellent harmonies, John and Teresa always sounding so damn good singing together.

John mentioned that David Serby is going to having his album release show at DiPiazza's on June 27th, and then played "Barstow To Baker," a song he wrote with him. There was barely a pause before the band went into "One Promise At A Time," a song with great energy. "Passing Through" followed, this song featuring some fantastic stuff on keys. The keyboard also helped to create the cool atmosphere of the song. Another highlight of the set was "Marisol," the band delivering a particularly fun rendition. The fun continued with "Don't Need No Man," a song with an excellent beat and featuring some delicious stuff on keys. They wrapped up the set with "Your Wonderful Life" and "Mercury Blues."

I See Hawks In L.A.

I See Hawks In L.A. kicked off the final set of this fantastic night with "Ohio." Yeah, right into the blazing fun with that one, no easing in. Victoria Jacobs didn't have a vocal microphone, so we couldn't hear her first "Sweet home" part, which is one of my favorite elements of the song. Dan Wistrom looked over at her, and seeing the problem, got up in the middle of the song, set up her vocal microphone stand and got back to his spot in time to deliver an excellent lead on electric guitar. It was that moment right there when we all knew this was going to be a special set. And Dan delivered a nice, extended guitar lead on "White Cross," which followed "Ohio." Rob Waller then mentioned a gig that was alluded to earlier in the evening, when he was supposed to play with John Surge, but had to cancel because his first kid was born that day. "Only gig I had to cancel," he added. And speaking of gigs, Rob told the crowd how this set was Dan Wistrom's third gig of the day (he almost had four). Earlier, his band Generic Clapton played in Sierra Madre (Justin, of Old Californio, is the drummer in that band). A totally delightful version of "Poour Me" followed, with Dan on pedal steel. "Thank you. Keep on pouring," Rob said afterward.

The band treated us to a new song, "Global Pandemic," Dan back on electric guitar for that one. Rob mentioned that they had challenged themselves to come up with an upbeat positive song about the pandemic. Well, they succeeded. The song had a fantastic energy, and the "La la la" vocal part was hilarious, with then a little nod to Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" (the "fa fa fa" bit). That was followed by another of the set's highlights, a cover of "St. James Infirmary," with Paul Marshall on lead vocals. These guys did such a cool rendition, and Paul threw in lyrics about the venue and the band itself. Not only that, but Paul delivered a bass lead at the end, which received a big (and deserved) cheer from the crowd. That was followed by "Carbon Dated Love" and then "Grapevine," which featured an excellent vocal performance from Rob. After that, Victoria sang lead on "Skipping Stones," a fun song with a beat you can't help but love, and yet another of the set's highlights. Then "Hippie On The Road" had a terrific energy, especially to Rob's vocal performance. That was followed by a sweet rendition of Willie Nelson's "Me And Paul." It was really nice to see the band play this one again. Paul Marshall then delivered an absolutely wonderful vocal performance on "Drinker's Hall Of Fame." The band wrapped up the set with "Good And Foolish Times," which is always fun, even when they don't do that extended ending. It seemed like that was the intended ending, but the crowd wanted more, and John Surge urged the band to play "Humboldt." This was a phenomenal version of "Humboldt," with some excellent stuff on bass. And Dan Wistrom's guitar work was wild!

This is what life is all about. 

Slamdinistas, The Crazy Squeeze and Electric Children At Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 5-1-26

The Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is one of my favorite places to catch music in Los Angeles, and last night there was a bill of fantastic high-energy rock and punk music featuring Slamdinistas, The Crazy Squeeze and Electric Children.

Electric Children

The music started at 9:17 p.m. with Electric Children, who opened with a short, moody number that went straight into "Reptilian Royalty," a song with a great driving force. That was followed by "Blood Red River," which featured some powerful, cool drumming. Someone in the audience called out "Happy birthday, Chanell." She thanked him. And the next song, "Scene Of The Crime," was dedicated to Cassie Jalilie, who died several days ago. She was the drummer for Glam Skanks and The Venomous Pinks. A photo of Cassie was attached the one of the amps, with electric candles placed in front of it, in honor of the punk drummer. And speaking of drummers, the drummer for Electric Children delivered a kick-ass drum solo, having dispensed with his T-shirt, the heat of his playing keeping him warm enough, for sure. "Was It Worth It" was dedicated to Stephen Reed, who was in the audience and who plays on the band's new album. One of my favorites was "Triste Journee," a cool number with something of a late 1960s vibe. That was followed by another of the set's highlights, "Elizabeth La Fey Will Have Her Revenge On Echo Park," a totally fun number. During that song, Eddie ran off the stage and through the audience, and then back, leading Chanell to comment, "Well, he didn't knock over my drink when he jumped back on stage." They wrapped up the set with "Judgment Day," and then a quick "Happy Birthday To You" to several people who were celebrating birthdays.

The Crazy Squeeze

The Crazy Squeeze was up next, taking the stage at 10:14 p.m. Johnny said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Crazy Squeeze," the band immediately ripped into the first song of the set, "All Lies." "This is the smallest stage we've played on since before Covid," Johnny told the crowd. That's one of the things I love about this venue, its intimacy. The band is right there, and so you are right with the music. There isn't any separation, really. Frankie then sang lead on "The Boys Are Gonna Be Here Soon," a delicious rock and roll number. "Gimme A Kiss" came on fast and hard. Another highlight for me was "Sexual Activity Girls," which was a whole lot of fun. "All the men are crazy/They never leave you alone." I love that backing vocal part, a sort of return to earlier days of rock and roll. That was followed by "Let's Go, Let's Go," an exciting, driving tune. Oh yes! After "Blind Truth," Johnny joked, "Not bad for two practices." He then said, "This is dedicated to all the lonely ones out there," and the band played "To The Lonely Ones." And "Nasty" was dedicated to Gabriel Johns, of Slamdinistas. That song featured some great stuff on bass. They wrapped up the set with "I Need A Witness," and someone in the audience shouted out, "Happy birthday, Johnny!"

Slamdinistas

It was 11:13 p.m. when Slamdinistas kicked off the final set of the night with "Time Flies By." It does indeed! And this night of great rock music was flying by all too quickly. But when the music is hitting us right, when the music is shaping and driving reality, we are able to live in the moment, live in the present. "Good to be back at the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, because this is where we belong," Gabriel said after that first song, and as an introduction to "Where I Belong," the lead track to the band's 2025 album Wild & Restless. A delicious rock song, and that was followed by that album's title track, which also follows it on the album. Though first there was a quick sound adjustment. "How much do we love Nubs?" Gabriel said, and Loren added, "Nubs is the glue." For people like me who love music, the sound at any venue is obviously of great importance. Poor sound quality kept me from frequenting places like Silverlake Lounge (though I heard that place recently got a new sound system). So Nubs is as appreciated by those in the audience as by those on stage. "Cut Me Some Slack" was particularly good last night. I love how this band does not hold back at all. That was followed by "Sick Of It All," the band just totally rocking. This is one of my favorites, and it feels so right during these twisted times. "This goes out to all you troublemakers," Gabriel said in introducing "Little Troublemaker." During that song, Gabriel ran out into the audience. That was followed by "Rock 'N' Roll Clown," and it was after that song that Gabriel introduced the band. He especially called out Bob Kiah, the bass player and the group's newest member. You probably know him from his work in The Ape Hangers. Well, he delivered some fantastic work last night, and his energy was tremendous. The band then went into "Latch Key Kids," with Loren encouraging dancing, and Gabriel again coming out into the audience. After that song, Loren mentioned that with the way things are going, there are going to be a lot more latch key kids. "Brand New Day" followed, and the band wrapped up the set with "Oh Yeah," having the entire audience under its spell. In fact, the audience demanded more from the band, and we ended up treated to two encores. The first was a cover of "All For The Love Of Rock 'N' Roll." The second was "I'm Okay," which was fanastic. The show ended a little after midnight.

Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is located at 18389 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana, California.