New Releases Spotlight: Week of February 2, 2015

Let’s see what we’re hearing this week in The Music Lounge…
 
Charles McPherson - The Journey
First off, a great album from a legendary saxophonist, altoist Charles McPherson called The Journey.  Charles has some nice players here with him, including fellow saxophonist Keith Oxman.  The playing here is exactly what you’d expect out of McPherson and company – plenty of burnin’ post-bop gems that are a lot of fun to hear.  The arrangement on Bird’s "Au Privave" is especially tasty.

 
Ted Kooshian - Clowns Will Be Arriving
Secondly, while it’s still early in the year, we might have found a decent candidate for a strangest CD of the year award in Ted Kooshian’s Clowns Will Be Arriving.  Between the TV themes, the cartoon tributes and the few originals, this is a fun CD to listen to.  Keep an ear out for the title track, "Clowns Will Be Arriving" – it’s been a good long while since I’ve heard anyone pull off a Mingus tribute that gets this close to the intended target.

 
Joshua Bruneau - Bright Idea
Finally, this week, we’ll start hearing some good ol’ fashioned, straight out of the 60’s swingin’ music from Joshua Bruneau.  His album is called Bright Idea, and the album recalls the Curtis Fuller years of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.  It’s really quite good and the interpretation of Freddie Hubbard’s "Theme for Kareem" is worth the price of admission.