George Cables - Too Close for Comfort (2021 HighNote Records)

George Cables should be declared a National Treasure. As a pianist he is surely second-to-none on today's jazz scene. Listen only to “A Valentine for You” on Cables' current offering to hear what a jaw-dropping beauty of tone he can produce from the pile of wood and metal we call a piano, and how much critical mass is behind every sonorous voicing of his chords. As a musician he possesses endless imagination and creativity, shown by his strikingly new takes on tunes we thought we knew, particularly the title track, “Too Close for Comfort,” which retains little trace of its pop song origin. As a composer he has quietly amassed a catalog of works of extremely wide range and extraordinary quality, such as his compositions on this new release, “Circle of Love,” “This is My Song,” “Klimo” and the aforementioned “A Valentine for You.” And finally, the album’s cover photo perfectly captures George Cables the man – full of boundless energy, a love of his instrument and the music he makes on it and an impish sense of humor, evidenced by his titling the record Too Close for Comfort during a pandemic where social distancing has become the order of the day. The artist Edward Hopper said, “Great art is the outward expression of an inner life of the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.” That would explain why the world according to George Cables is such a wonderful place to be.

1. Too Close For Comfort

2. Circle of Love

3. This Is My Song

4. Klimo

5. For All We Know

6. Crazy Love

7. Roses Poses

8. I’ve Never Been In Love Before

9. Teddy

10. A Valentine For You

George Cables – piano

Essiet Essiet – bass (except tracks 6 & 10)

Victor Lewis – drums (except tracks 5 & 10)

Produced by George Cables

Associate Producer: Joanne Klein

Engineered, mixed and mastered by Katherine Miller

Recorded at Sear Sound, New York, NY on September 9, 2020

Pre-order

Jeremy Pelt - Griot: This Is Important! (2021 HighNote Records)

It is only natural that Jeremy Pelt's voracious curiosity would lead him to investigate the West African Griot tradition where stories, reminiscences and accomplishments from times past are handed down as oral histories. Researchers such as Art Taylor, William Russell and Alan Lomax have preserved interviews with older jazzmen but for his Griot odyssey, Pelt turns to his own peer group to record their thoughts on creating jazz, playing jazz and experiencing the life of a jazz musician of color in our own time.

Each brief interview is followed by a composition by Pelt which perfectly captures the sentiments and emotions of it's spoken-word prelude. To help him bring his vision to life, Pelt has assembled a hand-picked group of colleagues, featuring vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu, pianist Victor Gould, bassist Vicente Archer, harpist Brandee Younger and others. The tunes themselves run the gamut from the remarkable mixing of the sacred and the secular in "Carry Christ Wherever You Are," to the Monk-like gallumphing opening unison in "Don't Dog the Source," and the urgent, "Underdog." As Pelt himself says, "I want people to understand that this is for everybody," that the project was undertaken to perhaps help them "understand that whatever they might be going through, their perspectives might run parallel to those of people who are generations apart from them. Maybe, to a certain extent, these younger people will find themselves in these stories."

1 Griot - Intro (Words by Jeremy Pelt) (Music with Commentary)

2 Words by Paul West (Spoken Commentary)

3 Carry Christ Wherever You Are (Instrumental)

4 Words by Larry Willis (Spoken Commentary)

5 Underdog (Instrumental)

6 Words by JD Allen (Spoken Commentary)

7 Don't Dog the Source (Instrumental)

8 Words by Bertha Hope (Spoken Commentary)

9 A Seat at the Table (Words by Bertha Hope) (Music with Commentary)

10 Words by Harold Mabern (Spoken Commentary) [Explicit]

11 Solidarity (Instrumental)

12 Words by René Marie (Spoken Commentary) [Explicit]

13 A Beautiful (F*cking) Lie (Instrumental)

14 In Spite of... (Words by Warren Smith) (Music with Commentary) [Explicit]

15 Words by Ambrose Akinmusire (Spoken Commentary)

16 Relevance (Instrumental)

Jeremy Pelt – trumpet (all tracks except spoken commentary)

Chien Chien Lu – vibraphone (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, & 16)

Victor Gould – piano (tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, & 16), nord keyboard (track 14),

Vicente Archer – bass (all tracks except spoken commentary)

Allan Mednard – drums (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, & 16)

Ismel Wignall – percussion (tracks 1, 3, 9 & 11)

Brandee Younger – harp (track 13)

Pre-order

David Kikoski with Boris Kozlov - Shure Thing (2021 HighNote Records)

The dynamic duo of pianist David Kikoski and bassist Boris Kozlov is a triumph of musicality and virtuosity. There's some kind of magic happening between the two kindred spirits that goes beyond the notes. The musical connection between the two goes back more than 20 years. They have continued to play together regularly over the years in groups like the Mingus Big Band, in Kikoski's own trio and the all-star post-bop cooperative Opus 5. You can feel their sense of telepathy throughout Sure Thing and it is readily apparent on Kikoski's original compositions like "B Flat Tune," "E" and "Strength for Change," on the swinging version of John Coltrane's "Satellite" and the duo's faithful reading of keyboardist Keith Emerson's classically influenced "Fugue" from "The Endless Enigma". Their playful, relaxed chemistry permeates all eight tunes here and makes Sure Thing a true work of collaborative genius.

1. B Flat Tune (David Kikoski) 6:02

2. E (David Kikoski) 6:45

3. Fugue from “The Endless Enigma” (Keith Emerson) 2:31

4. Strength for Change (David Kikoski) 9:32

5. Quartet #1 (Chick Corea) 9:30

6. Satellite (John Coltrane) 6:33

7. Sure Thing (Jerome Kern / Ira Gershwin) 7:38

8. Winnie's Garden (David Kikoski) 8:39

David Kikoski (piano)

Boris Kozlov (bass)

Pre-order

Black Art Jazz Collective - Armor of Pride (HIGHNOTE RECORDS 2018)

The Black Art Jazz Collective's mission statement celebrates African-American cultural and political icons. At the core is a modernism that conjures up the classic bands of Art Blakey and acoustic Miles Davis. But with the contemporary soul-fuelled solos and locked-in rhythm the band is more likely to launch into a counterpoint riff or the spacious funk of hip-hop than the svelte lines of a classic walking bass. The Black Art Jazz Collective delivers strong original tunes and purposeful, form-hugging improvisation that keeps things looking forward rather than back. And with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on ebullient form, and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery's muscularity contrasting with the tenderness of James Burton III's trombone, the focus never becomes diffuse or wavers.

Miller Time

Armor of Pride

Awuraa Amma

The Spin Doctor

And There She Was Lovely as Ever

Pretty

When Will We Learn

Black Art

Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophone

Jeremy Pelt, trumpet

James Burton III, trombone

Xavier Davis, piano

Vicente Archer, bass

Johnathan Blake, drums

Azar Lawrence - Elementals (HighNote Records 2018)

It will come as no surprise to fans of Azar Lawrence that his life's work is to bridge the gap between his listeners and the Elementals (the spiritual essences of the four elements earth, air, fire and water). For over four decades he has unstintingly explored music as a healing force, and the mystical connections between past and future, myth and fact, the physical world and that which is beyond. . Lawrence hopes that in a holistic sense, Elementals encourages a spiritual awakening. "All of this music is healing music; that's our whole concept is to heal and uplift," he explains. "If it's delivered and received on the right level, it will raise our own vibrations and bring us in touch with those higher spirits that respond when the music is pure with love and joy." It also happens to be an intensely powerful and swinging recording.

La Bossa

Eye of the Needle

Elementals

Brazilian Girls

Solar Winds

Koko

African Chant

Sing to the World

It's Easy to Remember

Karma Sutra

Azar Lawrence, soprano & tenor saxophones

Benito Gonzales, keyboards

Jeff Littleton, bass

Marvin "Smitty" Smith, drums

Munyungo Jackson, percussion

with

Oren Waters

John Barnes

Greg Poree

Mayuto Correa & Joe Blocker

Jeremy Pelt - Noir en Rouge (Live in Paris) HighNote Records 2018

Recorded live in Paris at the famed Sunside / Sunset Jazz Club, Jeremy and his colleagues deliver a set of searing intensity and unparalleled musicianship. Pelt's group is that rarest of all things in jazz, a working band, and the communication that comes from extensive time spent playing together is evident. All the players are among the foremost 30-something neo-bop players in jazz today giving the group an all-star-type reputation with a well-rehearsed sound that comes only with familiarity and countless gigs. Pelt's own playing has earned accolades for his staggering virtuosity, which has elicited comparisons to trumpet icons like Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, as well as for his studious, cerebral approach to the music. On this particular night in Paris, Pelt focused all his attention on creating the perfect phrase to fit each musical moment, sculpting long lines that let the music breathe and while building spontaneous ideas into finely-crafted miniatures.

1 Make Noise! (Live in Paris) 5:30

2 Re-invention (Live in Paris) 8:07

3 Sir Carter (Live in Paris) 9:38

4 Black Love Stories (Live in Paris) 7:02

5 Evolution (Live in Paris) 10:34

6 I Will Wait for You (Live in Paris) 11:48

7 Melody for V (Live in Paris) 5:30

8 Château d’eau (Live in Paris) 7:50

Jeremy Pelt, trumpet

Victor Gould, piano

Vicente Archer, bass

Jonathan Barber, drums

Jacquelene Acevedo, percussion

Pat Martino - Formidable (HighNote Records 2017)

FORMIDABLE is the title of Pat Martino's first studio recording as a bandleader in 11 years and it is an excellent metaphor for the guitarist's fearless and virtuosic playing. Martino grew up in Philadelphia, PA, a musical melting pot where many jazz greats began their journey, so perhaps it's of little surprise that he emerged as one of the most exciting guitar players in the 1960s, having already developed a mature style by the age of 20. Today, the guitarist still plays his instrument with the same fiery enthusiasm that he had as a young player first making his name, having lost none of his talent for furious, daring improvisations, or hard-swinging grooves. Martino's core trio featuring Pat Bianchi and Carmen Intorre, Jr., is here augmented by the fiery saxophone of Adam Niewood and the forceful trumpet of Alex Norris. Martino's excellent choice of sidemen is made evident by the thoughtful communication and sense of fun shared between Martino and his colleagues.

El Nino (J. Calderazzi)

Hipsippy Blues (H. Mobley)

Homage (G. Niewood)

Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love (Mingus)

El Hombre (Martino)

In Your Own Sweet Way (Brubeck)

Nightwings (Martino)

In a Sentimental Mood (Ellington)

On the Stairs (Martino)

Pat Martino: guitar and leader

Pat Bianchi: organ

Carmen Intorre, Jr.: drums

Adam Niewood: tenor saxophone (tracks 1,2,3,5,7,9)

Alex Norris: trumpet (tracks 1,3,5,7,9; flugelhorn, track 2)

Tom Harrell - Moving Picture (Highnote Records 2017)

It has been written that Tom has participated in 260 recordings but they may include arranging as well, which is another (sometimes overlooked) facet of his prodigious talent. Since signing with HighNote Records in 2007 Tom has been working primarily with a quintet but kept things fresh with a quartet recording , 'Trip', a two-bass sextet on 'Colors Of A Dream' and the critically acclaimed 'First Impresssions', which featured a nearly classical chamber ensemble playing the music of Debussy and Ravel.

With 'Moving Picture' Tom leads a quartet where he is the only horn, giving his legions of fans the pleasure of hearing more of his solo work backed by this venerable jazz format.

www.tomharrell.com

Kenny Burrell and The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited - Unlimited 1 (Live at Catalina's) HIGHNOTE RECORDS 2016

Kenny Burrell has appeared on so many essential jazz recordings that jazz history and his biography seem irretrievably intertwined. He has recorded 97 albums under his own name and several hundred with other artists including Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Tony Bennett, Billy Holiday, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Smith, Art Blakey, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong. On Unlimited 1 Burrell is captured live at the West-Coast jazz mecca, Catalina's, with a well-oiled big band, The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited, which is made up of some of the West Coast's greatest jazz men and studio players.

Burrell leads the group, solos and sings through a set list of original tunes, standards and, of course, what would a Kenny Burrell record be without some some Duke Ellington?

Wallace Roney - A Place in Time (HIGHNOTE RECORDS 2016)

Wallace Roney's music is a tough, taut and intransigent continuation of the arcane forms and structured freedoms of Miles Davis' 1960s quintet. Listeners often associate Roney with Davis, thanks to Roney's work with the jazz legend early in Roney's career. 

But at this point, Davis' impact on Roney can be considered mostly historic, with Roney's playing larger in scope, firmer in tone and sharper in attack than Davis.' Today, Wallace's set lists feature easy-on-the-ear themes that mask harmonic complexities, while solos are fueled by strong moods and sustained rhythmic drive informed by the spectre of Davis but far from imitating him. Whether he performs up-tempo original compositions or mainstream ballads, Roney is always compelling in his idiosyncratic ways.

His tendency to produce smeared tones, bent pitches and jabbing rhythmic figures in the stratospheric range of the instrument distinguishes his playing, as does the volatile spirit and ever-changing direction of his phrases. With the Grammy-winning composer/pianist Patrice Rushen on hand with guest reedman Gary Bartz and Wallace's sidemen of choice, Ben Solomon, tenor sax, Buster Williams, bass and Lenny White, drums, the musicians deliver a blisteringly accomplished and creative session.

WALLACE RONEY, trumpet

Patrice Rushen, piano

Gary Bartz, alto sax

Ben Solomon, tenor & soprano sax

Buster Williams, bass

Lenny White, drums

01 Around and Through

02 Elegy

03 Air Dancing

04 Observance

05 Ardéche

06 L's Bop

07 0Clair de lune

08 My Ship

George Cables - The George Cables Songbook (2016) HighNote Records

When George Cables was going to school in New York City he used to walk the streets at night, taking in the cosmopolitan sights and sounds, mentally recording his encounters with "so many different kinds of people." In his musical career as well, Cables has prowled sidestreets and main thoroughfares in relative anonymity, absorbing countless influences into his personal style. 

Born in New York City on November 14, 1944, Cables was classically trained as a youth and when he started at the "Fame" worthy High School of Performing Arts, he admittedly "didn't know anything about jazz." But he was soon smitten with the potential for freedom of expression he heard in jazz.

The young Cables was impressed by such keyboardists as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. But, he points out, "I never really listened to pianists when I was coming up. I would probably say I've been more influenced by Miles or Trane and their whole bands rather than by any single pianist. The concept of the music is more important than listening to somebody's chops, somebody's technique, The Way Miles' band held together, it was just like magic. You were transported to another world." 

Cables attended Mannes College of Music for two years and by 1964 he was playing in a band called The Jazz Samaritans which included such rising stars as Billy Cobham, Lenny White. and Clint Houston. Gigs around New York at the Top of the Gate, Slugs, and other clubs attracted attention to Cables' versatility and before long he had recorded with tenor saxophonist Paul Jeffrey, played on Max Roach's "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and earned a brief 1969 tenure at the piano bench with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

A 1969 tour with tenor titan Sonny Rollins took Cables to the West Coast. By 1971 he became a significant figure in the jazz scenes of Los Angeles, where he first resided, and San Francisco, where he also lived. Collaborations and recordings with tenor saxophonists Joe Henderson and Sonny Rollins ("Next Album:), trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw ("Blackstone Legacy"), and vibist Bobby Hutcberson made Cables' wide-ranging keyboard skills, often on electric piano, amply evident. Demand for his sensitive accompaniment increased and by the end of the 1970s, Cables was garnering a reputation as everyone's favorite sideman.

Perhaps the most pivotal turn came when hard-bop legend Dexter Gordon invited Cables into his quartet in 1977. The two years he spent with the reappreciated tenor giant ignited Cables's passion for the acoustic piano and rimmersed him in the bebop vocabulary. "I don't feel that one should be stuck in the mud playing the same old stuff all the time, trying to prove that this music is valid," Cables says. "We don't need to prove anything. But I think you really have to be responsive to your heritage and then go on and find your own voice."

The longest standing relationship Cables developed in the late seventies was with alto saxophonist Art Pepper. Cables, who Pepper called "Mr. Beautiful," became Art's favorite pianist, appearing on many quartet dates for Contemporary and Galaxy, and joining Art for the extraordinary duet album, Goin' Home, that would be Pepper's final recording session. "I've been able to play with some of the greatest musicians in the world," Cables says, ..but it's funny, if you're not seen as a bandleader, doing the same thing alot of times, it's easy to wonder, `Well, who are you really? What do you really feel?' And sometimes I have to ask myself that, because every time I play with somebody different I have to put on a different hat."

He has performed and recorded with some of the greatest jazz musicians of our time, including: Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Williams, Bobby Hutcherson and Dizzy Gillespie.

George Cables has emerged as a major voice in modern jazz. He is currenuy performing and recording as a soloist, with trio and larger ensembles, and as a clinician in college jazz programs. In addition to composing and arranging for his own albums, George Cables has contributed to recordings by Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson and many others. He is noted for his fresh Interpretations of classic compositions and for his innovative style of writing.

01. Traveling Lady

02. AKA Reggie

03. The Dark The Light

04. For Honey Lulu

05. Melodious Funk

06. Face the Consequences

07. Colors of Light

08. Think On Me

09. The Mystery of Monifa Brown

10. Baby Steps

11. Suite for Sweet Rita

Eric Alexander - Second Impression (2016) HIGHNOTE RECORDS

It can be argued with some validity that one's overall movement through life is reflected in his creative endeavor, and Eric Alexander's strength and versatility on the saxophone can be viewed from this perspective. At this point in his career, Eric has certainly covered a lot of territory, both literally and figuratively. 

He himself has lost count of how many albums feature his playing; our guess is 100 or more. While he has garnered critical acclaim from every corner, what has mattered most has been to establish his own voice within the illustrious bop-based jazz tradition which is exactly what he does on his latest HighNote release. The close-knit ensemble of a band of regular buddies, coupled with the bass-clef contributions of the extraordinary Bob Cranshaw, make for a listening experience not soon forgotten.

01. Second Impression

02. So Many Stars

03. Blues for Mo

04. Jennie's Dance

05. Secret Love

06. T-Bone Steak

07. Frenzy

08. Everything Happens to Me

09. Full House

Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone

Bob Cranshaw, bass

Harold Mabern, piano, Fender Rhodes

Joe Farnsworth, drums