New Releases Spotlight: Week of February 8, 2016

This week in The Music Lounge, music director Paul Abella takes a look at three new releases, including one from Chicagoan Carlos Vega!

Saxophonist Roxy Coss is best known for her association with the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, as well as trumpeter Jeremy Pelt.  On her second album, Restless Idealism, she’s got a great band, sharing the front line with Pelt, guitarist Alex Wintz, and a rhythm section that includes bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III.  The disc opens strongly with the swinger “Don’t Cross the Coss.”  The rest is a little more adventurous, with the song “Breaking Point” showing off some nice three part writing from Ms. Coss, and “Happiness Is a Choice” is a pretty ballad.  All in all, this is an impressive disc, and I’m glad we’ll be getting a chance to play it for you on ‘DCB Jazz!

Stacey Kent is back with a new album, Tenderly, that really stands out due to the presence of Brazilian guitarist Roberto Menescal.  Kent and Menescal do most of the heavy lifting, and in such a stark format, the bass playing of Jeremy Brown sounds great and makes many of these arrangements really pop.  And it wouldn’t be a Stacey Kent album without a few tasteful solos on tenor and flute by Jim Tomlinson (“The Very Thought of You” and “No Moon at All” are two fine examples).  It’s notable how different “Embraceable You” sounds with even the hint of Bossa Nova and how drastically different “There Will Never Be Another You” feels when played as a ballad.

Finally, let’s check out Bird’s Ticket by Chicago saxophonist Carlos Vega.  This disc has an all-star Chicago lineup, with Victor Garcia (trumpet), Stu Mindeman (keys), Josh Ramos (bass), Xavier Breaker (drums), and Juan Pastor who shows up to play cajon on “Taurus and Virgo.”  “A Confluence in Chi-Town” gets the festivities going, and it’s an explosive jam.  “Dragon Rose” and “Elements” both feel like they could have come straight off of Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay or Sky Dive albums, with excellent solos and a retro feel that evokes the early ‘70s. Between the mellower songs on ‘DCB Jazz and the heavier ones on Notes from the Jazz Underground, you’re going to have plenty of chances to hear Bird’s Ticket in the coming weeks on WDCB.

Next week, we’ll look at new music from Curtis Robinson and Chamipian Fulton.  ‘Til then… keep your ears open!