JD Allen; Love Letters (The Ballad Sessions)

If, like me, you are forever enamored by the treasures of The Great American Songbook,  you really need to check into tenor sax man JD Allen. He and his very connected rhythm section treat us to eight tender and beautiful ballads on these “forever” tunes. With Brandon McCune, piano; Ian Kenselaar, bass; and Nic Cacioppo, drums, Allen's quartet reminds us of the exceptional quality of such winning melodies as “You Are Too Beautiful”, “I Get Along Without You Very Well”, “Don't Go To Strangers”, My Buddy”, and more. Allen's big, rich tenor tone reminds me a bit of Gene Ammons and it doesn't get much better than that. All said, this recording delivers classic songwriting and first rate playing. Get your ears on it!

Savant; 2025; appx. 45 min.

Answers:

1. Tangerine
2. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
3. If I Knew Then
4. Day By Day
5. It's A Blue World
6. We've Got A World That Swings
7. You've Got Me Cryin' Again
8. In This Whole Wide World
9. Candy
10. This October
11. Sweet Lorraine
12. Whistle Me Some Blues

HAVE SOME FUN WITH GEORGE'S QUIZZES!

Here are some lyric portions of songs made famous by The four Freshmen. How many can you identify? Answers tomorrow

1. she is all they say
2. on a hill where robins sing
3. we would never have drifted apart
4. I'm in love to stay
5. the sea, the sky
6. we can live like kings
7. what is this love all about
8. Is there someone to love me
9. she understands me
10. an Indian summer girl
11. a brand new cho choo toy
12. mr. engineer

GEORGE'S BRIEFS

Shawn Purcell; Oblivity guirarist Shawn Purcell leads a high energy sextet through nine originals which may be on the edgy side for some listeners but always intensely creative and probing, Of particular interest is the featured tenor sax player Walt Weiskopf, a name from perhaps two decades ago. You may have to stretch a little, but as your doctor keeps telling you, exercise is a good thing.

Origin Records; 2025; appx. 70 min.

Alberto Pibiri; A New World

Pianist Alberto Pibiri displays a beautiful, serene touch on a program of several sparkling original compositions and a few favorites from the past. In the latter category, look for “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning”, “I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free”,  Antonio Carlos Jobim's rarely heard charmer “Double Rainbow”, and even the pop hit from yesteryear, “What The World Needs Now”. Pibiri and his trio mates get the job done with spirit, joy, and resolve .

Alberto Pibiri Music; 2022; appx. 58 min.

Neal Miner; Invisibility

Here we encounter a piano-less trio featuring the veteran leader and bassist Neal Miner. He and his trio mates, Chris Byars on tenor sax, and Jason Tiemann on bass, communicate effortlessly as one on an impressive and versatile array of interesting, sometimes complex music.

Cellar Music Group; 2025; appx. 52 min.

Joe Elefante's Wheel Of Dharma; Return Of The Light

Leader and pianist Joe Elefante has assembled a versatile and high flying quintet of trumpet-flugelhorn, his own piano chops, alto sax, bass, and drums on a set of eleven tunes, nine of which are the leader's originals. The emphasis is on the hard bop arena, but all are also well suited for more modern tempos as well. One should notice the inclusion of “Some Other Blues”, one of John Coltrane's less famous compositions but a great choice just the same. Fans of real deal, energetic, pulsing sounds will gather around this offering.

Self produced; 2025; appx. 63 min.

Conrad Herwig; Reflections-Facing South

It's been quite a while since we last heard from trombonist Conrad Herwig on CD. But here he is again, this time it's in a trio setting with Eddie Palmieri on piano and Luques Curtis on bass. The nine sections heard here are written by either Herwig or Palmieri. Some charming, lyrical melodies are on board here with a distinctive Latin flavor.

Savant; 2025; appx. 46 min.

Albare; Eclecticity

Albare is a guitarist who introduces us to ten of his original compositions amidst the company of a very supportive group of standout colleagues. His writing is often cheerful, optimistic, and bluesy. All players get generous opportunities to strut their solo chops but this is Albare's chance to share with listeners what I believe is a strong connection with a guy named Wes Montgomery. Tempo-wise there's something for everyone here but Albare and friends lay it all out with taste and talent.

Self produced; 2025; appx. 66 min.

Randy Napoleon; Waking Dream; The Music of Gregg Hill & Randy Napoleon

Sometimes one guitar just isn't enough. Well, how about five of them! This is quite an accomplishment under the direction of lead guitarist Randy Napoleon as he and his friends (both guitar and otherwise) explore the music of Gregg Hill and Napoleon himself. There's a wealth of straight ahead guitar excellence here and I might add, much to enjoy.

OA2 Records; 2025; appx. 68 min.

Corey Weeds Meets Jerry Weldon

Tenor saxophone duets have dotted the map over the years of jazz history. Consider formidable pairings like Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Johnny Griffin, or Lockjaw and Sonny Stitt. Or how about the great work of Zoot Sims and Al Cohn? And even a meeting of John Coltrane and Paul Quinichette! So here we have a stunning get together of Corey Weeds and Jerry Weldon. The two tenor titans work their magic with rhythm section pals Miles Black, piano; John Lee, bass; and Jesse Cahill, drums. The tunes chosen by the quintet are rarities from jazz heroes of the past including the aforementioned Lockjaw Davis as well as Clifford Jordan, Freddie Redd, and a tip of the hat to the brothers Gershwin. Weeds, Weldon, and friends find the very heart of the jazz highway here. Highly recommended for you purists out there.

Cellar Music Group; 2025; appx. 52 min.

Jennifer Madsen; Reimagine

Jennifer Madsen is another of the young singers who have discovered the richness and eternal greatness of the American Songbook. With definite hipness, confidence, and rather amazing range, she gives vitality and freshness to a bevy of “forever” tunes like “I Can't Give You Anything But Love”, “Willow Weep For Me”, “Honeysuckle Rose”, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, and lots more. I particularly found her take on “Beyond The Sea” quite endearing. She doesn't take the swinging Bobby Darin approach; instead, she treats it as a ballad and it works impressively. With a diverse backing from several players, Jennifer Madsen works the standard repertoire with both authority and affection.

Sing Baby Productions; 2025; appx 45 min.

Marcello Carelli; First Impressions

Drummer Marcello Carelli leads an energetic quartet through eight cool originals and one etched in stone jazz classic. His colleagues on the session include two veterans in tenor titan Bob Mintzer and former fusion fanatic, pianist Russell Ferrante. They are joined by bassist Mike Gurrola. The foursome plays a varied menu with samplings of bop, ballads, funk, and very straight ahead, “together”, well conceived, in the pocket jazz. By the way, that one classic is Joe Henderson's forever tune “Recordo Me”. All told, this is by any stretch a finely honed quartet playing in the heart of the jazz tradition. I's just that good.

Cellar Music Group; 2025; appx. 55 min.