New Releases Spotlight: Week of June 22, 2015

This week in The Music Lounge, music director Paul Abella takes a look at new music from a fantastic pianist, an up-and-coming vocalist and a swinging trombonist:

Halie Loren is a vocalist that’s been on my radar lately, and her latest album is called Butterfly Blue.  As I’ve noticed on a few albums over the past five or so years, more vocalists are writing their own material with their own melodies, and it’s interesting to see the evolution of the classic American song form.  It’s here where the influence of Joni Mitchell is really being felt.  Loren’s originals are definitely a fusion of jazz and folk on some level, and three of these, "Yellow Bird," "Danger In Loving You" and" Carry Us Through" are great listening.  In fact, I’m looking forward to getting to share them with you soon.  There are some fine examples of what can be done with the Great American Songbook here.  "Our Love Is Here to Stay" gets a really interesting arrangement that makes use of the bass and the lower range of the tenor sax.  "On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams," she goes straight-up, low-key funk, which works nicely.

Pianist David Berkman has a new disc out as well, titled Old Friends and New Friends.  Berkman has a jaw droppingly awesome crew with him on this album, with Linda Oh on bass, Brian Blade on drums and three saxophonists along for the ride.  This group works very nicely together, making some beautiful sounds on a contemplative set of tunes that doesn’t burn as much as it simmers.  For fans of Lennie Tristano’s more cerebral brand of jazz, there will be A LOT to love here.

Finally, let’s look at trombonist Steve Davis’s latest release Say When.  Like everything on Smoke Sessions Records, the music here is straight-ahead and swinging.  And this band is solid, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet) and Eric Alexander (tenor sax) joining Davis (trombone) on the front line.  As you might expect on a straight-ahead trombonist’s album, this disc is chock full of J.J. Johnson tunes (six of them, and a Harold Mabern tune written in tribute to JJ 'Mr. Johnson').  The grooves are spot on, the playing is spot on.  There’s a lot to love.  But check out "Pinnacles" and Coltrane’s "Village Blues" for two excellent jams.

Next week in The Music Lounge, I’ll review new releases for you.  ‘Til then… keep your ears open!

Paul Abella