What's New on WDCB... with Dan Bindert

Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade – Long Gone (Nonesuch)

All four members of this quartet are as big as it gets in jazz on their respective instruments in 2022. Unlike the 2021 release Round Again in which compositions came from each of the quartet’s members, Redman wrote everything here and every track on this mostly new studio date finds his blend of complexity and accessibility intact. Among the standouts is a older track pulled from the vaults - a 12-minute live recording from 2007 of the Moodswing album’s Rejoice in which the quartet’s energy never flags, building to a peak with a sparkling piano solo from Mehldau.

Steve Turre – Generations (Smoke Sessions)

As the title implies, veteran trombonist Steve Turre brought several generations together during a one-day studio session to create this release. The elders include bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White. And there’s youth representation from trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr. and Turre’s own drum playing son Orion Turre, as well as talented pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, who shines on 9 of the disc’s 10 tracks. There’s plenty of variety here, including a hard bop dedication to Cedar Walton (“Planting the Ceed”), a spiritual-jazz flavored nod to Pharoah Sanders (“Pharoah’s Dance”), a reggae groove honoring Jamaican trombonist Don Drummond of the Skatalites and a tinge Latin percussion woven in throughout the album.     

Roberto Magris featuring Mark Colby – Duo & Trio (Jmood)

Italian pianist Roberto Magris has more than two dozen CDs to his name and his last few have been collaborations with Chicago artists. On Duo & Trio, Magris plays inspired interpretations of material from Elmo Hope, Andrew Hill, Sonny Clark and more with a trio, but the big story here is the six duo tracks featuring perhaps the last recordings of the beloved Chicago saxophonist & educator Mark Colby, who died of cancer in 2020. Colby was a ballad master and his connection with Magris on standards like “Old Folks” and “Some Other Time” is a beautiful farewell statement.