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

This week, I am sharing with you a few of the CDs that are available for your contribution of $120 during our Fall Pledge Drive…

Roy Hargrove’s Crisol – Grande-Terre (Verve Records)

Recorded back in 1998, Grande-Terre was the oft talked about, but never heard second album from the incendiary Latin Jazz band that Roy Hargrove had put together, Crisol. By 1998, the band had turned into Roy’s touring sextet with Roy (trumpet), Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Frank Lacy (trombone), Larry Willis (piano), Gerald Cannon (bass) and Willie Jones III (drums) augmented by a percussion section, and a few sporadic special guests. With a lineup that stacked with top-tier talent, Hargrove was going to be able to play whatever he wanted, and he does exactly that throughout the 10 tracks on Grande-Terre. There are songs on here that sound like traditional Latin Jazz played at a very high level, such as “Rumba Roy,” “Kamala’s Dance,” “B and B” and the lovely bolero “Another Time.” To my ears, one of the most fascinating moments is where Jazz, Latin Jazz and Funk all converge on the undeniable groove of “Lake Danse.” The Hargrove/Willis duet vehicle “Ethiopia” is gorgeous, Cedar Walton’s “Afreaka” really works in this context, and the closer, “Priorities” is a jamming way to remind us of what could have been. I’m glad this one has seen the light of day, and even more glad that we’re putting the spotlight all over Grande-Terre all week long during our Fall Pledge Drive.

Charlie Parker – Ornithology: The Best of Bird (Craft Recordings)

The inimitable Charlie Parker gets a sweet best of collection with Ornithology: The Best of Bird. Covering a few choice cuts from the Guild, Savoy, Dial and Debut catalogs, Ornithology is a great primer for someone just getting into Charlie Parker, and a fantastic greatest hits collection when you just need a quick taste of some of the best saxophone playing ever committed to tape. “Ko-Ko,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “Parker’s Mood,” “Now’s the Time,” “Anthropology,” these are classics one and all that deserve to be not only in every Jazz collection, but every serious music collection, period.

Chicago Jazz Orchestra & Bobby Broom – More Amor: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery

Tribute albums to the icons can be bold moves. After all, you’re inviting comparisons to genius. With a tribute to Wes Montgomery, the challenges become legion. On top of the melodic and harmonic fluidity that we expect from a Jazz master, Montgomery also had an enigmatic sound and a unique technique. Add an orchestra into the mix, and now you also invite comparisons to Oliver Nelson, Claus Ogerman and Don Sebesky. Luckily for all parties involved, Jeff Lindberg, the leader of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and guitarist Bobby Broom didn’t simply recreate the past, for the most part. The highlights are the fresh arrangements, because Broom’s guitar work has its own signature sound. To be sure, Bobby Broom can sound like Wes Montgomery, as he proves on the opener, “Road Song,” but he never aims for mere imitation, and his own vibe shines through on “More, More Amor,” “Boss City” or “West Coast Blues.” For these ears, the highlights are clearly “Four on Six” and “Fried Pies,” where there was no orchestral template to work with, and there’s a playfulness to the performances that makes them a joy to come back to.

Conrad Herwig – Reflections: Facing South (Savant Records)

Conrad Herwig, Eddie Palmieri and Luques Curtis went into the studio in August of 2020 and recorded one of the more interesting sessions to come out in 2025. Reflections – Facing South is not at all what I was expecting when I saw those three names together one album. Eddie Palmieri, who just died earlier this year, was a monster of a pianist in both the Salsa and Latin Jazz worlds. Conrad Herwig has made incredible music (plenty of it with Eddie) in both the Latin Jazz and straight ahead Jazz worlds. And Luques Curtis, despite being a young bassist, has already assembled a resume that most people would be quite envious of. The three of them could have been the stars on one of Herwig’s “Latin Side of…” albums, or a career retrospective of Palmieri’s, and those would have been epic records. Instead, we got a mellow trombone/piano/bass trio album that is not at all what I expected, but I am absolutely loving listening to. Without a three or four piece percussion section, and without multiple trombones, this doesn’t have the heft or power of the average Latin Jazz ensemble. Instead, there is an intimacy here that is charming to its core. And you also hear how much Palmieri sings, grunts and carries on while he’s playing. Songs like “Bianco’s Waltz” make me wish we’d heard Eddie Palmieri in straight ahead settings. He would have swung a band into bad health. Then again, Palmieri pushes this group so hard that songs like “Que Viva Barry” and “Cuando Se Habla de Amor” don’t even miss the drums. They STILL groove. We all owe Conrad Herwig a huge thank you for getting this session out into the public after Eddie’s passing so we could all enjoy it, because it is definitely worth quite a few listens. So, Mr. Herwig, if you read this, thank you.