George's Briefs

 GEORGE’S BRIEFS:

Conrad Herwig; The Latin Side Of Mingus
Over the last decade or more, trombonist Conrad Herwig has released several CDs presenting Latinized works of jazz idols such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and more. This time Herwig brings his unique twist to the compositions of Charles Mingus. Trumpet aces Randy Brecker and Alex Sipigian join the fray on some extended and gritty solo work. The music brings the dense, busy works of Charles Mingus to a new height of excitement. Mingus fans would be wise to check it out!
Savant; 2022; appx. 56 min.

Alex Tremblay; Thoughts and Images
This is a well conceived album of contemporary jazz under the leadership of bassist Alex Tremblay. Most of the all original menu is upbeat heat with scintillating solos from every member of this quintet. Perhaps my favorite selection was an absolutely blistering, boppy thing called “Karma”. Another high point was two vocals on the session from a singer named Vanisha Gould. Her very hip and natural jazz feeling marked another highlight on a ballad called “The Yellow Rose”. All told, there are some very exciting performances by the young musicians assembled here.
La Reserve Records; 2022; times not indicated