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

The Pete Ellman Big Band – For Pete’s Ache (self-released)

Pete Ellman’s big band managed to get into the studio early in 2020 before the lockdown began, and recorded For Pete’s Ache. It’s a brightly swinging album with a nice mix of originals (mostly composed by trumpeter Daniel Moore) and standards (mostly arranged by trumpeter Daniel Moore) that will make plenty of WDCB’s listeners happy. 

Richard Baratta – Music in Film: The Reel Deal (Savant)

Drummer Richard Baratta has had a fascinating career in film, from location scouter to producer, so when it came time to record an album, he focused on music in films. With an all-star cast including saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Bill O’Connell, they come up with some really cool arrangements on classic songs from films, including "Everybody’s Talking" (from Midnight Cowboy) and even "Chopsticks" (from Big).

Diana Krall – This Dream Of You (Verve)

Diana Krall’s latest, This Dream of You, focuses on the work Krall did with producer Tommy LiPuma, and it features her playing with five different ensembles, from a piano/bass duet to a studio orchestra with arrangements from Alan Broadbent.  While I’m sure favorites will vary between all of us WDCB hosts, I really like the two duets with John Clayton, which are swinging and feature some really nice piano work from Krall.