What's New on WDCB... with Paul Abella
Bobby Broom – Notes of Thanks (self-produced)
As we all know, Bobby Broom is one of Chicago’s finest Jazz guitarists. He’s played all over the world, has played with a who’s who of Jazz luminaries, and toured as the opening act for Steely Dan. More recently, he’s put out a few records featuring him in an organ trio setting. Now, he’s back with his trio, featuring the great Dennis Carroll on bass, and the fantastic Kobie Watkins on drums, celebrating his two five year stints spent with Sonny Rollins on Notes of Thanks. The album is made up of nine Sonny Rollins compositions. Besides Notes of Thanks being a really solid album, it’s also a reminder that Rollins is an underappreciated composer, too. “Alfie’s Theme,” “Doxy,” “Pent Up House” and “Valse Hot” are all veritable standards by now, and classics like “Strode Road” and “Paul’s Pal” shouldn’t be far behind. Broom, Carroll and Watkins play wonderfully throughout, and Bobby’s love for Sonny is evident in every note heard on Notes of Thanks.
Ben Markley Big Band – Tuesday Morning Feeling (OA2 Records)
Right up front, let me state for the record, that I want a big slab of whatever Ben Markley’s Tuesday mornings are made of. Because his latest album, Tuesday Morning Feeling, comes charging out of the gates like a band possessed. His big band has a few ringers in the mix, including vibraphonist Steve Nelson and trombonist Steve Davis, and Chicagoan Kyle Swan, and between Markley’s charts and the players in the band, Tuesday Morning Feeling is pretty fantastic album. According to Markley, the goal was to focus on his own work this time out, unlike his last album, Clockwise, which dealt with the music of Cedar Walton. He still throws in a few choice arrangements of others’ works, one from Thelonious Monk, two more from Cedar Walton and the beloved standard “Old Folks.” Since Markley wanted to focus on his music on the album, I will do the same here. As previously mentioned, the opening track, “Tell the Truth” came barreling out of my speakers something fierce. Well, alright! We’ve got ourselves a band! And a writer! “Jife” didn’t really turn down the heat all that much, nor did “Ben’s Tune.” Markley’s Big Band is cookin’! “Snowy Range Blues,”“Tuesday Morning Feeling” and “1330” all show off Markley’s skills as a composer, his good taste as an arranger and his good sense to let a band like this just swing and swing hard. If this album is what a Tuesday Morning Feeling is like, I’ll take more Tuesdays and less Saturdays. I’m just sayin’.
Jesse Davis Quartet – Reflections (Cellar Music)
Saxophonist Jesse Davis shows just what a force of nature he really is on his latest for Cellar Music, Reflections. Surrounding himself with an excellent rhythm section composed of Spike Wilner on piano, John Webber on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, these four gentlemen found the pocket and never got out of it. It helps, of course, that Davis is a compelling composer. “Blue Autumn,” which starts the album, feels like a Jazz tango, and as this group cuts loose through great solos by Davis, Wilner and Webber, the groove gets funkier along the way. Not as funky as “Funk Sugo,” mind you, where they get down like they just got done listening to a whole bunch of James Brown and Parliament. There are two Monk arrangements here, the ballad “Reflections” and the much more freewheeling “Evidence.” In between those two points are plenty of solid moments where Jesse Davis and co. mine for gold and oftentimes find it. Reflections is an excellent snapshot of an artist caught in action with an empathetic rhythm section and a great batch of tunes. It’s well worth a listen.
