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

Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart – Rhombus (Smoke Sessions)

The trio of Larry Goldings (organ), Peter Bernstein (guitar) and Bill Stewart (drums), has been around for as long as I can remember, and almost certainly before that, too. Their latest album for Smoke Sessions, Rhombus, is another reminder of why they’re such a beloved group. In its eight tracks, it covers a lot of ground, from Jazz classics like “In Walked Bud” and “Hi-Fly,” the standard “They Say it’s Wonderful” and songs that should get more attention from the Jazz world like Wayne Shorter’s “Penelope” or Keith Jarrett’s “Everything that Lives Laments.” Add in originals by Goldings (“Rhombus”) and Bernstein (“Dissipation Blues”) and you’ve got a well-rounded album that hits everything just right.

Conrad Herwig – The Latin Side of Chick Corea (Savant)

Conrad Herwig’s series of The Latin Side of… albums has been an interesting deep dive into the catalogs of Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, and now, Chick Corea. As it’s always been, the Latin Side band is a solid group of all-stars, featuring not only the leader on trombone, but also Craig Handy on woodwinds, Alex Norris on trumpet, Bill O’Connell on piano, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Robby Ameen on drums and Mauricio Herrera on congas. Many of the songs here will be familiar to anyone with even a passing knowledge of Corea’s songwriting. “Spain,” “500 Miles High,” “Windows” and “Tones for Joan’s Bones” are all here, alongside lesser known gems like “Matrix,” “Litha” and “Humpty Dumpty.” The best part is that they’re all played with tons of energy and passion. The spirit in these recordings is palpable. There’s a reason why these albums are always popular with WDCB’s DJs and listeners: they’re always top-notch. The Latin Side of Chick Corea is no exception.

Bria Skonberg - Indigo (Cellar Music)

Seemingly a companion album to the recently released Brass, Indigo captures a different side of Bria Skonberg’s talents, this time putting the spotlight on her vocals. The core band here is Gil Goldstein on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and Darrian Douglas on drums. On a few songs, this group is augmented by Goldstein’s arrangements of a string group, which does make things lush and lovely. Maybe I’m biased because I think it’s destined to be a modern standard, but Sting’s “Fragile” is a nice piece of arranging for strings, flute and accordion. Skonberg’s “So It Goes” fits well within the program. Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” gets attached to the groove from “All Blues” and it works quite well. “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” is a showcase for Skonberg’s trumpet and vocals, and “Watch What Happens” is a great way to set the table for what’s about to happen throughout the course of the next 45 minutes or so on Indigo. Honestly, Indigo might be Skonberg’s best showcase for her vocals in years.