What's New on WDCB... with Dan Bindert

Gerald Cannon - Live at Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy

Bassist, visual artist and Racine native Gerald Cannon is known not only for his work as a leader, but also for the decades he’s spent as bassist in groups led by legendary figures like Roy Hargrove, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner. His latest release (for his own Woodneck record label) presents a strong program start to finish bringing life to tunes from the Jones and Tyner songbooks. The performances come from a pair of live sets done in 2022 with an all-star band at Dizzy's Club - the showcase jazz venue at Lincoln Center in New York. The powerhouse septet includes saxophonists Joe Lovano and Sherman Irby, trombonist Steve Turre, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Dave Kikoski and durmmer Lenny White. They give plenty of energy and spirit to everything here, including Elvin Jones' "EJ's Blues" and "Three Card Molly" as well as McCoy Tyner classics like "Search for Peace" and "Inception."

Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y - A New Beat

Drummer Ulysses Owens is perhaps best known to WDCB listeners for his work with jazz stars like Christian McBride, Mulgrew Miller and Kurt Elling. His dates as a leader of both small groups and big bands have also been noteworthy…and he's done it all while encouraging a younger generation of musicians as a professor at Juilliard. His latest project as a leader brings together a highly talented group of his former students, including standouts like pianist Luther Allison and saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, for a set that is by turns soulful and sublime. The lead-off cut, an uplifting take on Cannonball Adderley's classic "The Sticks" sets a festive tone and the carries through on Owens' treatment of Roy Hargrove's "Soulful" and Ray Bryant's "Chicken An' Dumplings." Originals from young bandmembers, including trumpeter Benny Benack "London Towne" and pianist Allison "Until I See You Again" are equally at home in this set. A gorgeous take on the George Cables' tune "Helen's Song" is another standout.

Ahmad Jamal - Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968

This is the third double-disc set of superb Ahmad Jamal live recordings to be commercially released for the first time in the past two years. It's another treasure trove for all of us who love the one-time Chicagoan's trio work. This set collects music recorded during four dates at The Penthouse in Seattle between September of 1966 and August of 1968. This is the same Jamal trio lineup that would go on to record his classic Impulse label album "The Awakening" in 1970 – which includes bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Frank Gant - and they sound fantastic together on these live dates. Jamal's meticulous arranging makes even well-worn standards like "Misty" sound fresh, while tunes that were long a part of Jamal's repertoire, like "Fantastic Voyage" and "Naked City Theme" are also given performances that longtime fans will want to hear. I'm already anxious to see if we'll get a fourth volume of these great live recordings from the vaults!