New Releases Spotlight: Week of February 1, 2016

This week in The Music Lounge, music director Paul Abella takes a look at three new releases!

Let's start off with Ray Vega’s and Thomas Marriott’s Return of the East-West Trumpet Summit.  This is a sequel to a disc that I loved from back in 2010 called…wait for it…East-West Trumpet Summit.  The formula is easy enough: Hot trumpeter from the east coast (Vega), hot trumpeter from the west coast (Marriott), grooving rhythm section (keyboardist George Colligan – playing the B3 this go ‘round, and drummer Matt Jorgensen) and a bunch of tunes that everybody in the room knows.  Hit the record button, and go.  To my ears, the sequel works even better than the original.  The Cedar Walton composition “Firm Roots,” Wayne Shorter’s “United,” and an almost eerily restrained version of Charlie Parker’s “Quasimodo” are all winners.  You should expect to hear this one a bunch in the coming weeks on WDCB.

Guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist Steve Slagle are back together after a couple of monster solo outings from Stryker in the last few years. They’ve expanded The Stryker/Slagle Band with horns, woodwinds and excellent keyboardist Bill O’Connell. The new album is called Routes.  A largely original affair, Mingus’ "Self Portrait in Three Colors" is the only cover here, and the original material here is jammin’.  “Ft. Greene Scene” is a personal favorite, “City of Angels” cooks and “Lickety Split Lounge” is a great taste of what Stryker does so, so well – fat, greasy, in the pocket grooving that evokes Grant Green, Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and Lee Morgan and will instantly make listeners snap their fingers, tap their toes and bob their heads. 

Finally, vibraphonist Mike Freeman’s ZonaVibe pays tribute to Cal Tjader on Blue Tjade.  While this is an album of all original compositions, it most certainly evokes Tjader’s vibe (no pun intended).  Also notable for us here in Chicago, the wonderful Jim Gailloreto plays tenor sax and flute on Blue Tjade, and I’m hoping this gets him the national exposure that he’s deserved for quite some time.  The rhythm section is the stuff of legend in the Latin jazz universe – Chembo Corniel and Willie Martinez split the drumming duties while Ruben Rodriguez handles the bass.   …and They. Sound. Great.  “Agua y Piedra” and “Pendulum” are my favorites, as well as “Low Rider” which, while it isn’t the famous War song, does evoke that west coast jazz meets funk meets Latin thing that War did to perfection.

Next week, I’ll be back to check out more new music from Stacey Kent, Roxy Coss and Chicagoan Carlos Vega!  ‘Til then… keep your ears open!