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

George Cables – I Hear Echoes (High Note)

Pianist George Cables, who celebrates his 80th birthday later this week, is still putting out compelling albums. I Hear Echoes is his latest, out on High Note Records, with the help of bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Jerome Jennings. Cables comes in hot from the start on “Echoes of a Scream,” a muscular song that combines an insistent arpeggio with a hummable melody over a song structure that keeps the listener on their toes. Cables is an excellent writer, and all four of his songs here are excellent. Of course, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Cedar Walton and Horace Silver are all great writers, too, and their compositions also get unique renderings that make I Hear Echoes a real treat to listen to.

Julia Danielle – (self-titled) (Shifting Paradigm Records)

Chicago based vocalist Julia Danielle has been making quite the name for herself over the course of the past couple of years, so it made sense that she would get to making an album sooner than later. The results of that labor are this self-titled album out on Shifting Paradigm Records. On most of the album, we hear from guitarist Joshua Achiron, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall. and on “I Want to Talk About You” we get a full-on, four part a capella, New York Voices style arrangement, and on “Beautiful Moons Ago,” we’re treated to a four-piece string section and Clark Sommers’ bass. “There Will Never Be Another You,” “If I Loved You,” and “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” are all lovely, and I really do like the sparse arrangements here (if you liked Samara Joy’s debut album, you’ll like this album, too). Chris Madsen sits in on two songs, “Night and Day” and Carla Bley’s “Lawns,” which might be the high point of the whole disc. The amount of ground covered on this debut album is, frankly, jaw-dropping. If Ms. Danielle keeps reaching for the stars like this, I’m definitely looking forward to hear what else she’s got up her sleeve in the future.

Brian Lynch – 7x7By7 (Holistic Musicworks)

Brian Lynch is a master trumpeter. In order to spend significant time in the bands of both Phil Woods AND Eddie Palmieri, you’ve got to be a master trumpeter, let’s be honest. In the liner notes to 7x7By7, he speaks of the mystical nature of the number 7, but by the time you get to the septet playing seven songs that are all seven minutes and seven seconds long, it’s clear that Brian Lynch is also a man with an outsized sense of humor. And, oh man, let me tell you about this septet real quick…Craig Handy plays tenor sax, Alex Wintz plays guitar, Luis Perdomo is the pianist, Boris Kozlov is the bassist, Murph Aucamp is the percussionist, and Chicagoan Kyle Swan (go Kyle!) is the drummer. Lynch has been writing bangers in the Latin Jazz vein for quite some time now, but some of the tracks here really feel a cut above the norm, especially “High Point of the Hang” and “Finnegan’s Garden.” “Greeting on 87th Street” is pretty and mellow, and “Sympathetic Vibrations,” well, you’re just going to have to listen. It’s wild. To be fair, all seven of these seven minute and seven second songs played by a seven piece band are pretty great. Even after you’ve listened to them seven times.