What's new on WDCB? ... with Paul Abella

Here's what's new on WDCB this week...

Teodross Avery – Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk (WJ3)

Saxophonist Teodross Avery plays Thelonious Monk’s music with two grooving, straight-ahead jazz trios, and the results are exactly what you’d expect on Harlem Stories. Most of the arrangements stick pretty close to how Monk played them (which is a great thing, right?), but "Ruby, My Dear" and "In Walked Bud" get updated treatments, and those sound pretty cool, too.

Doug Webb – Apples and Oranges (Posi-Tone)

Saxophonist Doug Webb put together a nice sax-organ-drums trio album with organist Brian Charette and drummer Andy Sanesi. A program of mostly Webb’s originals, he does a nice job on Ellington’s "In A Sentimental Mood" and the classic "Estaté" too.

Chad McCullough – Forward (Outside In)

Trumpeter Chad McCullough has been in Chicago for a while now, turning out some great music on his own, with the Spin Quartet, and also as an in-demand sideman. His latest album, Forward, features all-original material, and is filled with fascinating playing from Chad, as well as Rob Clearfield (piano), Matt Ulery (bass), and Jon Deitemyer (drums), with additional contributions from Ryan Cohan. It’s a pretty mellow disc with gorgeous playing throughout, but the quartet turns up the heat on "Focal Point", which is my favorite cut.