George's Briefs!

The Briefs:  

3/17/19

Native Soul: What Is That Isn't?

Here's a hard boppin' quartet which, in three of the eleven selections heard here, becomes an equally hard boppin' quintet. I am unfamiliar with all of them but that makes no difference. Their program of mostly original compositions includes exhilarating solo work, strong melodic content and, by the way, they swing hard!

Cellar Music; 2019; appx. 72 min.

Lined With A Groove; Pete Coco, bass

This CD marks a debut for New York bassist Pete Coco and his trio. It consists of thirteen tunes, nearly all of which are composed by Coco's bass playing heroes, names such as Chambers, Brown, Mitchell and Hinton, among others. The trio's pianist, Sullivan Fortner, adds dramatic elegance, and veteran drummer Matt Wilson brings his usual expertise to the session. Great trio stuff throughout!

Self-produced; 2018; times not indicated.

Infinity; Tom Harrell, trumpet and flugelhorn

This CD continues Tom Harrell's lengthy association with High Note Records---over ten albums to date. In this case he opts for Charles Altura's guitars (rather than a piano), and the tenor sax of Mark Turner on ten Harrell originals. Together, they once again spotlight his entire scope. Harrell is and always has been a major innovator and influence in the jazz art.

High Note; 2019; appx. 66 min.