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

Amina Figarova – Joy (AmFi Records)

Pianist Amina Figarova has put together a powerful sextet for her latest album Joy. With appearances from trumpeter Alex Norris, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Rudy Royston, this band has come to play. When they play uptempo swing, like on “Ruby at Play,” they are cooking, and when the grooves are a little mellower, like on “Morning Dew” or “Only Peace Liberates,” the playing is just downright gorgeous.

Bobby Watson – Back Home in Kansas City (Smoke Sessions)

On Back Home in Kansas City, Bobby Watson shows off just how very versatile he is. From the swift bebop opening title track to the closing, greasy, “Blues for Alto,” Watson proves that he knows how to assemble a great record. Stack it with great personnel (Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, Victor Lewis on drums), fill it with great and memorable melodies, and let the sparks fly. He’s done all of the above on Back Home in Kansas City, and the proof speaks for itself.

Eliane Elias – Quietude (Candid)

It’s been a hot minute since pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias put out an album of Brazilian classics. But in that time, she has not lost an ounce of the special sauce that made her such a special conduit for the fusion of Jazz and Bossa Nova. If anything is shocking, it’s how few songs (only two) were composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. But there is no lack of classic songs here: “Voce e Eu” and “Saudade da Bahia,” among others, are stone cold classics. The feel on these songs is loose and effortless. It makes for a beautiful album that is going to be a joy to listen to a lot.