New Releases Spotlight: Week of January 12, 2015

This week in the Music Lounge, we have three outstanding new discs to tell you about…

Bob Lark - Sweet Return
First off, one that we’ve been playing for a couple of weeks, is the latest from jazz trumpeter Bob Lark.  Bob’s put out some great big band discs through the years, and his latest, Sweet Return, is no exception.  Featuring some great swinging playing from a band stocked with top tier Chicago talent like Thomas Matta, Bob Rummage, Scott Burns, Kirk Garrison, Andy Baker and plenty of others, this disc is a no-brainer for fans of big band music.  Expect to hear a lot of this one!
 

Justin Kauflin - Dedication
Justin Kauflin first garnered notice in 2014 with his role in the Clark Terry documentary Keep On Keepin’ On.  In Dedication, Kauflin leads a trio (and sometimes quartet) through a selection of tunes that are a bit more modern than one might expect given the connection to Clark Terry.  This all original set is quite tasty, especially on "Lasting Impression" and "Up and Up."

 

Chad Eby - The Sweet Shel Suite
North Carolina saxophonist Chad Eby put out a cool album in late 2014 called The Sweet Shel Suite.  It’s music inspired by the poetry of Shel Silverstein, who was no stranger to writing lyrics.  Silverstein wrote Dr. Hook’s "On the Cover of the Rolling Stone" and Johnny Cash’s "A Boy Named Sue" (and a lot of others).  But here, Eby wrote instrumental compositions based on Silverstein’s poetry, and the music is sublime.  Bruce has been eagerly playing this one a lot, so be sure to tune in between 2 - 7pm on weekdays to get a taste of this disc.
 

We’ll be back next week with more new releases here in the Music Lounge!