Bruno Hubert; Fire Waltz

This has been an outstanding time period for new acquaintances at the piano. Here's yet another one in Bruno Hubert. With his very tightly knit colleagues---James Meger on bass and Joe Poole on drums---Hubert presents a menu of nine selections, mostly from bright lights like Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw, and others. But what really stands out in Hubert's playing is the depth and creativity of his improvisational inspiration. He seems to always be offering new but totally accessible turns and detours on the likes of “Con Alma”, “Good Bye Pork Pie Hat”, and “Edda”, to name a few. But Hubert also lends his creative perspective to standards like “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “Golden Earrings”, “I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face”, and “You And The Night And The Music”. Bruno Hubert is yet another shining light among today's roster of masterful, real deal jazz pianists. This album, with all its intensity and artistry, makes a startling and terrific debut for the Bruno Hubert Trio.

Cellar Music; 2024; appx. 61 min.

Louis Hayes; Artform Revisited

Perfect album title if you give it just a little bit of thought. The art form is of course, bebop. Just look at the list of composers: Dizzy, Bird, John Lewis, Billy Strayhorn, and one surprise, Bobby Troup. In case you didn't know it, Louis Hayes is 87 years old. As is sometimes said, “he was there”, having worked with Oscar, Dexter, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Burrell, and many more. Now here he is in the company of veritable youngsters Abraham Burton, tenor sax; Steve Nelson, vibes; David Hazeltine, piano; Dezron Douglas, bass. The tunes, mostly bop classics, include “Tour De Force”, “Milestones”, “My Little Suede Shoes”, “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing”, “Dewey Square”, and more. From the pop world of long ago, there's “You're Looking At Me” and even the Sinatra hit, “Young At Heart”. Needless to say, all the players are at the top of their game, playing music that we all hold so fondly in our hearts and memories. Louis Hayes, thank you for staying in the game.

Savant; 2024; appx. 51 min.

Ken Peplowski; Live At Mezzrow

How nice it is to see Ken Peplowski back making great music after dealing with concerning health challenges. Peplowski is of course one of the very few remaining monster clarinet players in the jazz world. He also plays a mean tenor sax, making him a legit double threat. On this most welcome session he's joined by an all star lineup of Ted Rosenthal, piano; Martin Wind, bass; and Willie Jones III, drums. The group's choices are all first class and include “Beautiful Love”, “All The Things You Are”, “The Shadow Of Your Smile”, and even a T. Monk surprise, “Bright Mississippi”. But it doesn't stop there. A rarity by Hank Jones called “Vignette”, a Duke Ellington bright spot, “Who Knows”, and “Here's To Life”, a gorgeous ballad that I remember from the late Shirley Horn, are also album plums. Ken P. is back, and as great as ever. How nice for real music lovers!

Cellar Music Group; 2024; appx. 60 min.

Eric Alexander & Mike Ledonne; Together

This incredible duo session marks something of a departure for the gifted tenor player Eric Alexander. First, to my knowledge it is his initial release in a duo setting. And in Mike Ledonne, he works with a pianist filled with flowing ideas and passion. Second, Alexander does not play tenor exclusively here. The opener will grab your attention immediately. It's called “For Mabes” and it's a demanding, challenging roller coaster ride. The twosome then settle into three standards: “Autumn In New York”, “Round Midnight”, and “I'm In The Mood For Love”. Each has something that gives it a new look. It might be tempo, jet-like improvisation, or simply the ideal communication between the two artists. The album continues with tenderness in Ledonne's solo on his ballad “Lost But Not Forgotten”, and that is followed by some high flying originals. All of them illustrate the amazing oneness of these two players. For instance, “Mutation” seemed to be loosely based on Sonny Rollins' “Airegin”. The last of the standards is “The Nearness Of You” beautifully interpreted by the two. It should be clearly stated here that this is high artistry and an amazing meeting of two masters of their craft. You'll be glued to your chair by this one!

Cellar Music Group; 2024; appx. 47 min.

Tardo Hammer; Right Now!

Quite a few years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to hire Tardo Hammer to play a gorgeous Yamaha at Classic Pianos here in Portland. Imagine my surprise when he called me recently to tell me he was going to send his new CD my way. I wouldn't describe Tardo as a minimalist; it's just that he plays ALL the right notes---in the very heart of bebop. On this new release he works to perfection with veterans Lee Hudson on bass and Steve Williams on drums. With shades of heroes like Bud, Monk, Barry Harris, and Elmo Hope, Hammer's exquisite touch and super jazz feeling are outstanding on many tunes you know well. Among them are “I Didn't Know What Time It Was”, “They Didn't Believe Me”, “My Ship”, and the rarely heard “I See Your Face Before Me”. From the jazz Real Book, how about “Dear Old Stockhom” and “Epistrophy”. To complete a stunning, straight ahead effort, there's “Lonely Town”, a Tardo original called “Moonlight”, and the surprise of the session, the Johnny Mercer hit from way back, “I'm An Old Cowhand”! This CD is something of a throwback in that it's a gimmick free, real deal jazz trio playing with excitement, charm, and cohesiveness. I might just conclude by saying that If I Had A Hammer, it would be Tardo!

Jazz Bird Records; 2024; appx. 70 min.

Petra van Nuis; From Me To You

I've been patiently awaiting this recording for quite a while and I'll tell you why. When Petra van Nuis released her initial CD a few years back, I was spellbound by her natural ability to communicate the meaning of a lyric. She doesn't simply sing the song. She tells the story, much like Billie Holiday, Susannah McCorkle, and Lee Wiley, to name a few. Her pianist, Dennis Luxion, is completely on board throughout this intimate performance. Petra's well considered choices are mostly from the American Songbook with such winning fare as “I Got Lost In His Arms”, “I Wish I Were In Love Again”, “Too Darn Hot”, and “Everything I've Got”. A few surprises included rarely heard winners like “You Better Go Now”, “Last Tango In Paris”, and even “Whatever Lola Wants”! For tenderness and sheer emotion, try “Take Me In Your Arms”. On all these and a few lesser known but thoughtful selections, Petra and Dennis have scored once again. Intense feeling, sincerity, clarity, and rare communication---it's all here. You MUST discover Petra van Nuis. You can thank me later.

String Damper Records; 2024; appx. 50 min.