What's New on WDCB... with Paul Abella
This week, I’m glad to present an All-Chicago edition of “What’s New on WDCB!” We are blessed with so much great young talent in and around Chicago. Please, support our artists when and where you can!
Entre Amigos – Joyful Foundation: The Music of Justin Copeland (self-produced)
The Chicago collective that calls itself Entre Amigos is back with a new album for 2026, Joyful Foundation: The Music of Justin Copeland. Now, the name is a bit of a misnomer; Copeland writes four of the eight songs here. The other members of the band, Roy McGrath (tenor sax), Hana Fujisaki (piano), Kitt Lyles (bass) and Gustavo Cortiñas (drums) contribute one each. For an album with five composers’ compositions, it is remarkably consistent in terms of both quality and tone throughout its runtime. So, we have five solid composers. And anyone who has caught any of these five musicians live in person or heard them on other albums know that they can blow. So, we have five fine musicians. All that’s left to do is to drop the needle. Copeland’s songs all seem to feel Roy Hargrove’s influence without feeling derivative in any way. “Ride” is a great way to start off the album, with a great melody, a moving trumpet solo, and a driving groove from the rhythm section that just doesn’t quit. Or doesn’t quit until it makes room for a compelling drum solo, anyway. “Fleeting Magic” dances somewhere near a bossa nova without quite going all the way there, and instead settling into its own slightly funky groove. “Joyful Foundation” sounds like its title. Like it wants to go to church, like it wants to spend Sunday afternoon in the sunshine and like it wants to tap its foot and nod its head well past its 8 minute run time. “Remembrance,” to these ears, anyway, starts a bit like Lee Morgan’s “Search for the New Land.” That’s some hallowed ground, indeed, and Entre Amigos can hang. It morphs into a beautiful, slow burn jam with some great soloing throughout. The other players contribute some great music, too. Hana Fujisaki’s, “Probability” sounds like it plucked straight out of a 1950’s Jazz Messengers session. Gustavo Cortiñas’ “Valley of 1000 Devils” will most certainly be making it into a future edition of Notes from the Jazz Underground. I sure hope Entre Amigos keeps this project going, because they’re onto something with this group. Their interplay and group sound has jelled into something special, and it’s become a Joyful Foundation, indeed.
Julian Davis Reid – Vocation (self-produced)
Recently, pianist Julian Davis Reid released his debut album, Vocation. He’s joined by fellow Chicagoans Lenard Simpson on alto saxophone, bassist Micah Collier and drummer James Russell Sims. On a handful of songs, they’re joined by Tramaine Parker on vocals. Vocation is a spiritual journey for Reid, and it sounds like it. Even the version “What a Wonderful World” is lifted to an entirely new plane. Reid’s own music can be fascinating, like on “Textures” where he leans heavily into Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” without totally going there, and in the process, making something that sounds modern out of older parts. “My Parents Greatest Gifts To Me” showcases some beautiful playing all the way around, at an excitingly brisk pace. Throughout Vocation, it is clear that Julian Davis Reid is a young force to be reckoned with at the piano bench. But it’s also a declaration that he’s a fascinating composer as well. Put these factors together, and you have pretty awe-inspiring debut on your hands.
Joshua Achiron – Climbing (Calligram Records)
Chicago based guitarist Joshua Achiron has been an in-demand name for a while now. On his debut album, Climbing, he shows off why he’s been such an in-demand name. Leading a phenomenal group with Geof Bradfield on tenor saxophone, Clark Sommers on bass and Dana Hall on drums, Achiron impresses throughout, holding his own with some objectively stellar players. On “Troubles Become Triumphs,” he might start off with a solidly funky groove, but it’s a fake-out designed to pull you into deeper waters and give you a taste of what’s to come. “The Only Way is Through” is a lovely ballad that works up a head of steam towards the end of the song. “Climbing” is a little more rambunctious, with some great soloing from Sommers, Achiron and Hall. The inclusion of the Duke Ellington classic “Take the Coltrane” is a fun way to wrap up the album. If Climbing is Achiron’s debut, I can’t wait to hear what he sounds like with more experience under his belt. I’m sure it will be fantastic.
