George's Briefs: Jim Porcella "Dream Dancing With You"

Here's a hip singer who phrases, scats, sings spot-on-key and chooses great material. In addition to that he welcomes to this session such heavyweights as Mike Renzi, piano; Harry Allen, tenor sax; Bob Cranshaw, bass, and Buddy Williams, drums. Porcella is impressive on "Dream Dancing", "It Don't Mean A Thing", "My Romance", "Here's To Life", "I Remember You", and more. He's got the chops and the feelings. Give him a shot!

Self-produced; 2018; times not indicated.

Petra van Nuis "Because We're Night People"

I'm almost always? affected and sometimes amazed by certain characteristics of some singers. First of all, let's look at the songs of choice. If a few "unlikelies" or delicious obscurities make the list, I have to look more closely. Petra van Nuis has underground items like "Night People", a tune I associate with June Christy. Or how about "The Piano Player (A Thousand And One Saloons)", a gem from singer-pianist Meredith d'Ambrosio. Or consider a delight from Bob Dorough, "Small Day Tomorrow". And while we're at it, there's the intro, rarely sung, to "Street Of Dreams" (which was new to me!). And hats off for "Moonlight Savings Time", a nearly forgotten day brightener that I seem to recall from Billie Holiday. And most importantly, like Lady Day, Blossom Dearie, Lynne Jackson and very few others, Petra conveys the meaning of a lyric in a very direct manner. Other songs in this intimate, live performance include "Dreamsville", "No Moon At All", "The Night We Called It A Day", and "Black Coffee". The accompaniment is limited to the solo piano of Dennis Luxion, who is subtle and a picture of perfection. This is one of those rare recordings that just grabs you and holds on until the last note. Petra van Nuis is a singer who gets it and puts it across to the listener. I hope to hear more from Petra and would suggest this to her: don't change a thing.

String Damper Records; 2018; appx. 59 min.

Alexander Claffy "Standards: What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?"

Think about it. In an age where jazz musicians are largely insistent on sharing their original music with the world (and that's perfectly okay), it's something of a rarity to see an entire album of standards. But here they are, under the leadership of bassist Alexander Claffy and with some top of the mountain talent along for the ride. Among others, David Kikoski on piano, Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar and, guesting on a few tracks, Joel Frahm on tenor sax. The standards chosen for this session cover several decades of writing, and include music from Cole Porter to Wayne Shorter; from Michel Legrand to Duke Pearson, and from McCoy Tyner to John Lennon. The arrangements, not too surprisingly, are quite contemporary and occasionally a bit adventurous for me. Be that as it may, "Blues In The Closet", Devil's Island", "Just One Of Those Things", "You Must Believe In Spring", etc., are classics, and can sustain an examination from the outside in.

SMK Jazz; 2018; appx. 66 min.

Denny Zeitlin "Wishing On The Moon"

He's been an active and creative contributor to the jazz art for the better part of sixty years, yet Denny Zeitlin sounds as fresh and refreshing as he did back on Columbia in '58 or '59. Today he records now and then for New York's Sunnyside label, and this session catches him in a live performance at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola. His workmates are the formidable jazz vets Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Their menu of tunes includes an eleven minute examination of all the possibilities present in Cole Porter's "All Of You"; a dreamy original title tune, "Wishing On The Moon"; Jule Styne's rarely heard "As Long As There's Music"; and even a scamper through, of all things, "Put Your Little Foot Right Out". On these and a few more originals, Zeitlin's piano magic is front and center. If by some quirk you've never heard of him, consider this an assignment!

Sunnyside Communications; 2018; appx. 60 min.

Bootsie Barnes & Larry McKenna "The More I See You" (tenor saxophones)

The tenor saxophone teams have dotted the jazz landscape for decades. Certainly you recall twosomes like Sonny Stitt and Johnny Griffin, or Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, or even occasional meetings like those of Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins. Well, in that spirit, here's Bootsie Barnes and Larry McKenna. The main difference between this and the above named pairings is the presence of organist Lucas Brown, as opposed to mostly pianists in the earlier dates. The organ also gives this a more soulful sound on "Real Book" entries like Jimmy Heath's "For Minors Only" and Hank Mobley's "The Break Through". Add a couple of surprises in this tenors-organ get together with choices like "Mr. Lucky" and "Sunday In New York" plus one original by each of the co-leaders, and you have a cool example of a long admired musical concept. The ballad for the album is "My Ship", played here with a pinch more attitude than usual. All in all this is a worthy addition to the two tenor meetings of an earlier time. Cellar Live; 2018; appx. 63 min.

Danny Bacher "Still Happy" (vocals, soprano sax)

This CD is very well titled, as singer-saxman Danny Bacher takes off on a dozen mostly happy, feel-good songs. Surrounded by a sextet including pianist Allen Farnham and tenor ace Harry Allen, Bacher puts his pleasant vocal stamp on such classy titles as "Hooray For Hollywood", "Lucky To Be Me", "Lazy Afternoon", "Get Happy" and two tunes that I associate with Billie Holiday, "Getting Some Fun Out Of Life" and "Laughing At Life". Perhaps my favorite cut was Bacher's rare vocal on Clifford Brown's masterpiece, "Joy Spring". Bacher is also a skilled and clever writer, as evidenced by "In Spite Of All This, "I'm Still Happy". It's a tune which addresses many annoyances and disappointments in life, while maintaining a happy spirit in spite of them. His "here and there" soprano sax is perfectly placed, along with solos from Farnham, Allen, and trumpet/flugelhorn man Charles Caranicas. If you want to spark up your day, this is a session you'll surely enjoy. Whaling City Sound; 2018; 65:40

Jeb Patton "Tenthish" Live In New York

If, like me, you lean in the direction of bright, joyous, boppy piano trios, you need to check out Jeb Patton. This is the first effort for the excellent Cellar Live label, and it has a lot to be admired. Joined by David Wong, bass, and Rodney Green, drums, Patton opens this live performance with a bop-drenched, Bud Powell-like Thad Jones burner called "Zec". Two Patton originals follow. The first of them, entitled "Tenth" is yet another rapid flight, and the next one, "Third Movement", is a medium tempo groove with an attractive melody line. From here, Patton and pals begin a succession of standards starting with a swinging "This Can't Be Love". The next three choices are from that miracle known as the Ellington-Strayhorn organization. In order, a Duke rarity called "Reflections in D"---I haven't heard it played since Bill Evans gave it life, and Patton does equal honor to its serenity and beauty; an Ellington staple, "Sophisticated Lady", comes next in all its splendor; finally, there's "Johnny Come Lately", a classic "smile inducer" from Duke's second in command, the brilliant Billy Strayhorn. "I'll Never Stop Loving You" is an overlooked ballad beautifully interpreted by the trio, and a medley of "Royal Garden Blues" and Wynton Kelly's "Kelly Blue" finds Patton at his Tatum-esque best. The album's closer, "Overtime" is an inspired, full-of-fun romp. Patton is the complete trio pianist: true to the tradition, but still looking forward. Jeb Patton is a joy to hear.

Cellar Live; 2018; appx. 58 min.