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

The Jeff Hamilton Organ Trio – Coast to Coast (RMI Records)

Legendary drummer Jeff Hamilton has just released a fantastic record with the recently deceased organist Akiko Tsuruga and guitarist Steve Kovalcheck called Coast to Coast. This lean trio gets right down to business on eight tunes, including originals by Tsuruga and Kovalcheck. Tsuruga’s originals, “Blues on Easy Street” and “Tiger” are hard swinging gems. Bud Powell’s “So Sorry Please” and Toots Theilmans’ “Bluesette” both get cool arrangements that differentiate themselves from the pack and help them to stand out. Coast to Coast is the kind of fun and swinging organ trio record that we all love around here on WDCB.

Paul Cornish – You’re Exaggerating! (Blue Note)

If you listen to WDCB with any regularity, you’ve heard pianist Paul Cornish on Joshua Redman’s latest album, Words Fall Short. And, if you’re like me, you took notice of that piano player on the new Joshua Redman album. Well, so did the folks at Blue Note, who just put out his debut album, You’re Exaggerating! Joined by bassist Joshua Crumbly, drummer Jonathan Pinson, and, on one track, “Palindrome,” guitarist Jeff Parker. Cornish’s playing is marked by an obvious love for Geri Allen, and this trio is fascinating to listen to, to hear how much they listen to and absorb what each other is doing. Tempos may go up and down a little, but that’s fine when the Cornish, Crumbly and Pinson are practically breathing together, too, as can be heard on “Star is Born.” Cornish really shines on the ballads, so “Slow Song” and “DB Song” are both recommended listens.

George Coleman – With Strings (High Note)

Up until George Coleman's With Strings landed on my desk, you wouldn’t have convinced me that George Coleman either needed or wanted to do an album with orchestral accompaniment. A hard swinging tenor master like George Coleman? What use does he have for strings? Well, it turns out, he sounds mighty good with strings, and an excellent quintet, backing him up. Pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, drummer Joe Farnsworth and percussionist Café da Silva give Coleman a great base to start from, and orchestrator and conductor Bill Dobbins makes this 13-piece string orchestra sing. Once the CD is playing, there are few surprises here: the standards are well-chosen…”Dedicated to You,” “Stella by Starlight,” “A Time for Love,” all picture perfect choices. Even the lesser known picks, like Henry Mancini’s “Moment to Moment” (a highlight on the record, as far as I’m concerned) or Thelonious Monk’s “Ugly Beauty” are played quite beautifully. By the end of the album, my only regret is that there weren’t more tracks on it to hear George play this pretty some more. Which, of course, is a nice problem to have.