Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

The Republican Party is imploding, feeding on itself, and seemingly determined to bring the entire country down with it. It is somewhat fascinating, but it is mostly ugly and sad. Fortunately, musicians are able to keep us focused on the more important and true aspects of humanity. Here are notes on a few new jazz albums you might be interested in checking out.

Danny Jonokuchi Big Band: “Voices” – Trumpet player and composer Danny Jonokuchi’s new album contains no original material, but rather some fresh arrangements of standards, and features the work of eleven vocalists, a different singer on each track. The album opens with a bright and delightful rendition of “The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else),” with Alexa Barchini on vocals. The mood is cheerful, and the piece moves and swings, just the sort of thing to lift your spirits, even if the one you love belongs to somebody else. Then Tahira Clayton takes over vocal duties for a nice rendition of “All Of Me.” This track has great energy, and I especially love those moments when Tahira belts out those lyrics. That’s followed by “Social Call,” Nicole Zuraitis’ voice having a wonderfully timeless quality. This track also features plenty of great work from the brass section. I’ve said it before, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin, and on this album the Danny Jonokuchi Big Band delivers a strong rendition of “Summertime,” featuring Brianna Thomas on vocals. You can feel the heat in her performance, in the horns, and in the pace. Everything about this track creates a fantastic atmosphere, but it is Brianna’s vocals that make this track stand out. She delivers a tremendous performance. And check out how sexy and exciting the horns become toward the end. I love this rendition. The mood turns lighter for “You Turned The Tables On Me,” which features Shenel Johns on vocals. This track contains a strong vocal performance and a good bass line. “What A Difference A Day Made” moves at quicker pace, with a rhythm to get you shaking. Alita Moses provides the vocal work on this one. This track also features some wonderful work by Andrew Gutauskas on baritone saxophone. “Blame It On My Youth” is the only track to feature a male vocalist. That’s Charles Turner on vocals, and he gives a gentle, thoughtful performance. This track also features nice work by Jeb Patton on piano. Lucy Yeghiazaryan then lends her vocal talent to “Born To Be Blue,” a track that also features some good work by Robert Edwards on trombone and by Chris Lewis on tenor saxophone. That’s followed by “So Many Stars,” featuring Sirintip Phasuk on vocals, and then “All Or Nothing At All,” with Martina DaSilva on vocals, before the album wraps up with “I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So,” Hannah Gill singing on that one. This album was released on August 18, 2023.

Jeremy Monteiro: “Sings” – On this album, as its title suggests, pianist Jeremy Monteiro provides vocals as well as delivers some wonderful work on piano. He is joined by Tony Lakatos on saxophone, Ben Poh on bass, and Hong Chanutr Techatananan on drums, along with guests on various tracks. Guitarist Wesley Gehring joins him on the album’s first couple of tracks, “Candy” and “Smile.” “Candy” also features a really nice lead on saxophone. Whenever I hear this song, I can’t help but recall that moment in Home For The Holidays when Holly Hunter sings a couple of lines to herself. I’ve always thought this song was a bit goofy, but Jeremy Monteiro delivers a good rendition. “Smile” is a song that a lot of folks have been covering in recent years, which makes sense. During tough times, we need this song, and with the pandemic and the frightening tendency toward fascism displayed by the Republicans, these are certainly tough times. This track features a string orchestra adding to its beauty. Jeremy Monteiro delivers a gentle, hopeful rendition. The album contains one original composition, “Josefina,” a song written for his wife. This one also features a string section, and begins with some lovely work on piano. There is a romantic, late-night vibe to this one, and it’s one of my personal favorites. “All through the years/All through the tears/You’ve made me feel/Like there is nothing I have to fear.” Tony Lakatos’ lead is gorgeous, and this track also features a good lead on bass. That’s followed by a touching rendition of “Moon River,” featuring guest Jens Bunge delivering excellent work on harmonica. The affection Jeremy Monteiro conveyed in his original song is present here too, and this track is another highlight. Then “Blame It On My Youth” opens with some warm work on piano, and features perhaps the album’s best vocal performance. This is a beautiful and moving rendition. The mood then gets lighter with his playful, cheerful rendition of “Let’s Fall In Love,” which features an absolutely delicious instrumental section, each of the musicians shining. I wish that section went on for another ten minutes, but it’s followed by another excellent part, where Jeremey’s vocals are supported by just bass. Yes, this is another of the disc’s highlights. He also gives us a good rendition of “You’ll Never Know,” which features the string section. Jeremy Monteiro also delivers a pretty rendition of “Softly As I Leave You,” which includes a good lead on bass. This album is scheduled to be released on October 13, 2023.

The Moore-McColl Jazz Society: “Up And Gone” – The duo of Beth Moore (on vocals, keyboards and organ) and Chance McColl (on electric guitar, acoustic guitar and vocals) are the core of this group, and they wrote most of the material on the new album, Up And Gone. If the photo on the album’s cover gets you thinking of the 1970s, you are on the right track. The first track, “What’s Still Happening!!,” feels at times like it could be the theme to a 1970s television program, and indeed its title is a reference to What’s Happening!!, a show that ran in the late 1970s. This instrumental number is a totally fun and funky way to get things in motion. The rest of the band is made up of Tim Aucoin on bass, Joel Morris on drums and percussion, Randy Hunter on alto saxophone, Caleb Lattimore on trumpet, Just Powell on trumpet, and Declan Ward on alto saxophone. “What’s Still Happening!!” is followed by the album’s only cover, Robin Trower’s “Somebody Calling,” keeping that funky vibe going, and featuring some delicious work on guitar, particularly during that great jam in the second half. The band returns to original material with “Up And Gone,” which starts with the sound of a siren moving along a city street, and then very quickly  develops an excellent groove. This music would have been at home on the best of the 1970s police shows, though I’m not sure, actually, if there was a show cool enough for this tune. Perhaps it would have better suited a film. After all, the 1970s were the best decade for movies. This track features some fantastic stuff from the horn section, as well as some great stuff on keys. A lively, totally enjoyable number, this is one of my favorites. The band switches gears with “Sunlit Flowers (Against The Sky),” a softer song with vocals and acoustic guitar. That’s followed by “Back To Atlanta,” a cheerful and soulful tribute to the city, featuring some good work on organ and a strong rhythm, as well as some wonderful stuff from the brass/woodwind section. In the second half, Chance McColl delivers a soulful and bluesy lead on guitar. “A Song For Vince” is also a cheerful number, particularly in its vocal work. This one is a tribute to Vince Guaraldi. We get another delicious groove in “Sojourn In A Minor,” a track that also has plenty of great work on saxophone and trumpet. The band wraps things up with “No Apology,” which is funky, but with a dose of attitude. This album was released on October 6, 2023.

Ben Winkelman: “Heartbeat” – I am still hoping that someone will write a comprehensive book on the music that has come out of the pandemic. Pianist Ben Winkelman mentions in the liner notes to his new album that most of the material was written during those early, crazy months of the pandemic when everything was shut down and nothing was certain. And his method of composition changed. Ben Winkelman plays piano and electric piano on this album, and is joined by Matt Penman on bass and by Obed Calvaire on drums. And on five tracks he is also joined by Gilad Hekselman on guitar. The album opens with “Praise,” a joyful and optimistic piece. For Ben Winkelman, that time early in the pandemic was also notable for he was awaiting the birth of his first child, and that certainly colored his mood and the music he was writing. There is a light and free feel to some of the piano work on this first track, particularly during that lead before Gilad Hekselman’s lead on guitar. There is also a tension felt as the piece approaches its conclusion. Gilad Hekselman also plays on the second track, “Fort Tilden,” and here Ben Winkelman is on electric piano as it begins, that opening section having a more serious tone. It soon becomes warmer, and then as Gilad Hekselman leads the group, it also becomes looser, that section also featuring some excellent work on drums. This track also includes a good lead on bass. Ben Winkelman returns to electric piano and the more serious tone near the end. There is something cheerful in the vibe of “Chilches” as it begins, and there is a wonderful lead on bass early in the track. This is also another of the tracks to feature Gilad Hekselman, who delivers some really nice work. I love the playful aspects of this piece, heard particularly in Ben Winkelman’s work. “Wandering” has a lonelier feel as it begins, as if turning introspective out of necessity. It could turn sad at any point, but there is a light step at moments, as if accepting the situation and finding pockets of joy in it. The piano work is beautiful, and this ends up being one of my favorite tracks. You might expect a track titled “Isolation” to have more than a touch of melancholy, but there is more energy here than in the previous track, almost like the two should perhaps switch titles. Here Ben Winkelman is busy, making use of his time, the way many folks did during that strange period. There is a lot of movement with the bass as well, and a great moment when the drums begin to rumble beneath that lead. Things turn delightfully playful on “The Wonky Waltz,” another highlight of the disc. There is an old-time vibe to the piano, but within a modern context, and the track is a lot of fun. Ben Winkelman changes gears again, turning more somber on “The Plague,” yet his playing also contains warmth and hope. Gilad Hekselman returns on guitar for the album’s final two tracks, “Heartbeat” and “Machine.” There is an excitement to “Heartbeat,” even a sense of wonder at moments. Gilad Hekselman plays electric piano on “Machine.” This album was released on September 15, 2023.

Joe Wittman: “Trio Works Sol” – Jazz guitarist Joe Wittman’s new album features mostly original material. Joining him on this disc are Daniel Duke on bass and Keith Balla on drums. The disc gets off to a great start with “The Judge,” which is cooking from its opening moments, the guitar taking charge, with plenty to say, the tune having a strong sense of character. It isn’t until halfway through that it takes a breath, allowing the bass to lead. But perhaps my favorite section is when the drums have their say. The drums then begin “Big Sip Riser,” and the groove is one to bring a smile to your face. There is certainly something playful about this track. There is a strong character to this track too, but quite a different one from the opening number. The bass helps give it a cool air approximately two and a half minutes in, allowing it to strut about a bit, to get a different sense of itself, and it’s all about having a good time. That’s followed by “Sweet Lorraine,” one of only two covers on this album. Joe Wittman delivers a laid-back rendition of the standard that features some sweet guitar work. “Isiah Restored” is named for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a utility fielder for the Yankees, who had some trouble, but apparently redeemed himself, though he still might get traded during the off-season. Joe Wittman is based in New York, so I suppose we can forgive him for being a Yankees fan, especially as this tune is totally enjoyable, swinging at moments. The music seems to reflect the player’s roller coaster season. The mood gets darker, bluesier on “Felon Wind,” which has a more intimate, contemplative vibe as it begins, and features some seriously cool work on guitar. This is one of my personal favorites on this album. It is followed by “Three Trick Pony,” and the music gets more playful again on this one. Joe Wittman gets more into the blues with the album’s other cover, Mel Tormé’s “Born To Be Blue,” a song Tormé first recorded in 1946. This one also features some excellent guitar work. Joe Wittman stays in the blues realm for the final track, “Boogie For Bloomfield,” though this one is a much livelier blues number, named for Mike Bloomfield.  This album is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2023.