Nancy Harms "Ellington At Night"

In my world there's always room to be re-acquainted with the brilliance of a master, namely Edward Kennedy Ellington. Singer Nancy Harms is a new name to me, but she makes this Ellington set both personal and special. Whichever collaborator Duke chose, be it Billy Strayhorn, Irving Mills, Johnny Hodges, Bob Russell or any of a score of others, his melodies remain timeless and top notch. And Nancy Harms seems to understand that the highest compliment to the maestro is to sing his magnificent material with sincerity and without pretense. As the lyric to "Prelude To A Kiss states, "Though it's just a simple melody with nothing fancy, nothing much, you could turn it to a symphony, a Schubert tune with a Gershwin touch". And it follows that Harms applies just the right touch to this "Dukal" bill of fare. And you've gotta appreciate that she doesn't just play it safe with Duke's "greatest hits". When, for example was the last time you heard Duke's "Long, Strong and Consecutive", "Strange Feeling" or "Reflections"? These are joined by celebrated classics like "Lush Life", "I Got It Bad", "I'm Beginning To See The Light" and lots more. The accompanying trio of Jeremy Siskind, piano; Danton Boller, bass; and Willie Jones III, drums, is sly, subtle and superb. Harms has a tiny edge to her voice that communicates the essence of the lyrics to these unforgettable melodies. Oh, and before I forget, there's a bed of perfectly placed strings on a few tunes. Duke Ellington lives on and Nancy Harms does him honor.

Gazelle Records; 2016; appx. 52 min.

Jeremy Pelt "Jive Culture"

When Jeremy Pelt issued his first couple of albums several years ago I jumped on the bandwagon thinking, "Here's the next trumpet sensation in jazz history." Then he burst my bubble by going with electronic effects to the extreme on one or two later CD's. Well thankfully, now he's back playing his brand of power jazz with a dream rhythm section of Danny Grissett, piano; Ron Carter, bass; and Billy Drummond, drums. Five of the eight selections are Pelt originals. I was particularly impressed with Pelt's muted, stately ballad approach and Grissett's inspired solo work on "Akua". Likewise on the faster tempo of "Desire" as well as the precision and virtuosity of "Baswald's Place". Pelt's standard on the session is Cole Porter's delicious melody "Dream Dancing". He finds a multitude of improvisational possibilities on the tune, one seemingly prettier than the last. In a similar vein, the quartet caresses Dave Grusin's "A Love Like Ours", a romantic and tender melody if ever there was one. I may have taken a temporary tumble from that Pelt bandwagon. But this versatile, often beautiful new release has me back on board.

High Note; 2016; appx. 53 min.

Echoes Of Swing "Dancing"

Small group swing is alive and well in 2016. Here's a group out of Europe which is truly all over the place in the swing idiom. The co-leaders of the quartet are trumpeter and occasional vocalist Colin T. Dawson and alto sax man Chris Hopkins. Rounding out the quartet are Bernd Lhotzky on piano and celesta and Oliver Mewes, drums. Their bill of fare ranges from J.S. Bach to James P. Johnson; from Scott Joplin to Cole Porter; from Sidney Bechet to Glenn Miller to Rodgers & Hart and lots more. Sixteen tunes in all, many of which are familiar to you. And all of which are presented with style, swing and savoir-faire.

Act Music; 2015; appx. 62 min.

June Bisantz Sings Chet Baker, Vol. 2 It's Always You

Chet Baker's legacy is safely secured in American jazz history. But some of us lose sight of his tender vocalizing and only think of his lyrical, very personal trumpet sound. So along comes singer June Bisantz to celebrate the vocal side of the troubled trumpet star. I missed out on volume one of this tribute, but this CD shows Bisantz as a comfortable and relaxed singer very much in the Baker realm. Her two accompanists, Alex Nakhimovsky on piano and Norman Johnson on guitar, are appropriately sensitive in the backing of the singer. Chet "owned" most of the standards on the album, but there are a couple of obscure beauties which deserve comment. "Forgetful" is a typical C B sorrowful ballad, and "Everything Depends On You" is a nearly forgotten gem with a catchy melody line and a hopeful lyric. June Bisantz keeps it close to the vest with no extraneous theatrics, and that's just as it should be when it comes to the great Chet Baker. Self-produced; probably 2016; appx. 41 min.

Mose Allison: American Legend, "Live In California"

It's a pretty sure bet that the best known son of Tippo, Mississippi is Mose Allison. Still going strong and sounding great as he approaches his 80th year, Mose and his trio cook up a typical bluesy main dish in this live appearance. Over the last decade or more Mose has recorded with some horns and reeds. They're all good sessions, but Mose has always been at his best in a trio setting. That Mississippi back roads piano is just too cool and gritty to be relegated to a supportive role. With Bob Douglass on bass and Pete Magadini on drums, that classic Mose Allison piano magic is once again in the forefront. There are nineteen tunes in all and the majority of them are familiar Mose originals. Interesting to note that his two biggest hits, "Parchman Farm" and "Seventh Son", are not included in the set. Perhaps it was time to "retire" those evergreens. One little moment that you have to catch is Mose's yodeling at the end of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me"---believe it or not. So here he is, Mose Allison, the pride of Tippo, Miss, sounding as fit and fabulous as ever. Thanks, Mose!

IBis Recordings; 2015; 54:36

A Tribute To Herbie +1; Dick Oatts / Mats Holmquist New York Jazz Orchestra

As good as these tunes sounded in Herbie Hancock's small group setting of the 1960's, they take on new luster and excitement in this big band edition. Dick Oatts is of course a multi-reed veteran of many big bands. On this session he is heard on both alto and soprano saxophones. Mats Holmquist, a new name to me, is in charge of the arrangements and his writing is dense and orchestral in nature, perhaps reminiscent of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. The "+1" in the album title refers to "Steve R", Holmquist's composition, and the only one not written by Hancock. Herbie's "greatest hits", "Cantaloupe Island", "Dolphin Dance", "Maiden Voyage", and "Watermelon Man" are joined by lesser known of his works with a bristling, take no prisoners attitude featuring fiery, full flavored passages and very generous solo space. Besides the solo from Oatts, trumpet ace Joe Magnarelli is on the gig as is Gotham tenorman Walt Weiskopf. The piano work of Adam Birnbaum was also solid throughout. So it's a new attire for all these Herbie Hancock creations. And it wears extremely well.

Summit; probably 2016; appx. 71 min.

Sarah King And The Smoke Rings

Judging strictly from Sarah King's high-pitched, 1920's style vocal quality, one could get the idea that this is a recording intended to reflect that era. Not so, at least in my opinion. While some of the songs go back almost that far ("Jersey Bounce", "Tea For Two", "Lazy River", etc.) they don't have that oop-oop-ee-do feel present. Besides, there are a couple of other choices, namely "Caravan" and "Some Other Spring" which would not draw impressions of the flapper era. Still, on these and other evergreens, King and her trio of Alex Levin, piano; Scott Ritchie, bass; and Ben Cliness, drums, are in the midst of a party-like performance sure to please devotees of the style. Levin, it should be said, is a lyrical wonder based on a few of his own albums in my personal collection.

Alex Levin Music; probably 2016; appx. 46 min