What's New on WDCB... with Paul Abella

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings (Blue Note)

We Jazz fans have been spoiled by a treasure trove of lost archival releases over the course of the past few years. First Flight to Tokyo is a great example of that. Arguably the finest edition of the Jazz Messengers, with Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt joining Blakey for a setlist that looks back to Be-Bop with “Now’s The Time” and “A Night in Tunisia” and looks forward with a couple of Bobby Timmons’ compositions (“Dat Dere” and “Moanin’”). The 1961 edition of the Jazz Messengers is at the peak of its powers here. AND... it's available this week with a donation of $120+ during our Summer Pledge Drive!

Danny Grissett – Travelogue (Savant)

Travelogue is the latest album from pianist Danny Grissett. Joined by bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart, this trio makes engaging music from the first note of this CD. “The Long Way Home” is a great way to start this journey, with Stewart’s drums double timed over the groove that Grissett and Archer lay down. That might sound like they’re all together on the same page, but they are. When they need to come to a singular place, they do. And when they can stretch out, they do that, too. The result is invigorating. It sets a tone for the rest of the album. Stewart and Archer are constantly searching for the most interesting place to be throughout these ten tunes. It’s because of that willingness to stretch that the standards “Whisper Not” and “Here’s That Rainy Day” end up being fascinating. Grissett, Archer and Stewart show a reverence for the classics, and their comparatively conservative takes on them were most certainly not expected. I find myself coming back to the closing track, “Spin Cycle,” which, to my ears, hints at the influence of both Robert Glasper and Brad Mehldau on Grissett’s playing and composing. 

Jeff Libman – Feet off the Ground (Cellar Music)

Guitarist Jeff Libman recently released a new album called Feet off the Ground, with help from pianist Michael Kocour, bassist Ben Hedquist and drummer Lewis Nash. An album mostly consisting of standards, Libman contributed two songs to the album, “Fooled in the Past,” which is clearly an homage to Ahmad Jamal’s take on “Poinciana,” and “The Elbow,” a nice, swingin’ tune with lots of stops and starts in its knotty melody. The other non-standard may stick out a little more, “No Tears Left to Cry,” written in part by modern day pop songstress, Ariana Grande. It’s surprisingly melodic and memorable, and a great choice for a Jazz treatment. “A Sleepin’ Bee” gets a remarkably uptempo take. Libman was clearly having some fun with the odd harmonies he uses on the intro to “Violets for Your Furs,” and the ballads here, “You’re My Thrill” and “But Beautiful” are both, well, beautifully done. Feet off the Ground is a charming listen from beginning to end.