What's New on WDCB... with Paul Abella

Leon Lee Dorsey: Thank You Mr. Mabern (JazzAvenue1)

This fantastic album by bassist Leon Lee Dorsey, with support from legendary drummer Mike Clark, is the last recording of pianist Harold Mabern. Thank You Mr. Mabern serves as a wonderful document of Harold’s playing, as well as highlighting the grooving interactions between Dorsey and Clark. The disc is a collection of standards and jazz classics, with one original from Mabern, and one Fats Domino tune thrown into the mix.

Redd Holt: Where’s the Cats? Man! Live at the Jazz Showcase (self-produced)

Recorded live during one of our monthly WDCB Night at the Jazz Showcase concerts (back when gigs were a thing), the one-and-only Redd Holt (drummer for Ramsey Lewis Trio, co-leader of Young-Holt Unlimited) just released Where’s the Cats? Man!  Redd is joined by Jim Ryan (piano) and Ken Haebich (bass) for two jam-filled sets that covered a lot of stylistic ground, from Cole Porter and Duke Ellington to Michael Franks and Stevie Wonder. Of course any time one of our hometown heroes, in this case a Chicago legend, wants to make a CD of one of our concerts, we're all for it!

Clifton Anderson: Been Down This Road Before (Ropeadope/What We Do)

Clifton Anderson is Sonny Rollins’ nephew. But, much more importantly, he’s an amazing trombonist, who unfortunately doesn’t record enough music. Clifton certainly made up for lost time with his new album, Been Down This Road Before! With a roster that includes pianists Monty Alexander and Stephen Scott, saxophonists Rene McLean and Antoine Roney, bassist Buster Williams, vocalist Andy Bey and others, this is a hard swinging album with lots of interesting textures and a bunch of great songs. I’m a big fan of "Mission Statement", "Nana D", and "Sonny Says..." all of which you’ll be hearing on DCB Jazz!