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

Devon Sandridge – Storyteller (self-produced)

Vocalist Devon Sandridge has put together a nice band for his debut album Storyteller, with Tom Vaitsas on the organ, Derek Duleba playing guitar, Luke Sagadin behind the drums and special guest tenor saxophonist Eric Schneider on three songs. Sandridge’s deep voice certainly shows off the influence of another great Chicago vocalist, Johnny Hartman. And much like Hartman, Sandridge is heavy on the standards on Storyteller, with nice versions of “Deep Purple,” “Moon River” and “What a Little Moonlight Can Do.”  Devon Sandridge will celebrate his CD Release concerts with his quartet plus special guest Eric Schneider this weekend (Thurs, Oct 6 through Sun, Oct 9) at The Jazz Showcase!

Bruce Barth – Dedication (Origin)

Pianist Bruce Barth has just released an all-original album with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Montez Coleman, who passed away mere months after this was recorded in August of 2021. Some of these songs are dedications to fellow pianists, “Let’s Go” is for McCoy Tyner, and “That’s How It Sometimes Goes” is for Tommy Flanagan. I don’t know who George Perry is, but if “George’s Dance” is any indication, he’s one swingin’ cat. This trio sounds beautiful throughout the collection of songs, and I think this one’s going to see a lot of love on the air in the next few weeks.

Michael Dease – Best Next Thing (Posi-Tone)

Trombonist Michael Dease has been putting together excellent lineups for his Posi-Tone releases for a while now. On Best Next Thing, he takes it to the next level with an eclectic cast of characters: Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto saxophone, Renee Rosnes on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass and Rudy Royston on the drums. Together they make their way through an exciting batch of songs, including Jazz neo-classics like Steve Turre’s “Rainbow People” and a strong handful of Dease’s original songs, including “Parker’s Brood” and “Lullaby for Rita.”