GEORGE'S BRIEFS

Shawn Purcell; Oblivity guirarist Shawn Purcell leads a high energy sextet through nine originals which may be on the edgy side for some listeners but always intensely creative and probing, Of particular interest is the featured tenor sax player Walt Weiskopf, a name from perhaps two decades ago. You may have to stretch a little, but as your doctor keeps telling you, exercise is a good thing.

Origin Records; 2025; appx. 70 min.

Alberto Pibiri; A New World

Pianist Alberto Pibiri displays a beautiful, serene touch on a program of several sparkling original compositions and a few favorites from the past. In the latter category, look for “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning”, “I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free”,  Antonio Carlos Jobim's rarely heard charmer “Double Rainbow”, and even the pop hit from yesteryear, “What The World Needs Now”. Pibiri and his trio mates get the job done with spirit, joy, and resolve .

Alberto Pibiri Music; 2022; appx. 58 min.

Neal Miner; Invisibility

Here we encounter a piano-less trio featuring the veteran leader and bassist Neal Miner. He and his trio mates, Chris Byars on tenor sax, and Jason Tiemann on bass, communicate effortlessly as one on an impressive and versatile array of interesting, sometimes complex music.

Cellar Music Group; 2025; appx. 52 min.

Joe Elefante's Wheel Of Dharma; Return Of The Light

Leader and pianist Joe Elefante has assembled a versatile and high flying quintet of trumpet-flugelhorn, his own piano chops, alto sax, bass, and drums on a set of eleven tunes, nine of which are the leader's originals. The emphasis is on the hard bop arena, but all are also well suited for more modern tempos as well. One should notice the inclusion of “Some Other Blues”, one of John Coltrane's less famous compositions but a great choice just the same. Fans of real deal, energetic, pulsing sounds will gather around this offering.

Self produced; 2025; appx. 63 min.

Conrad Herwig; Reflections-Facing South

It's been quite a while since we last heard from trombonist Conrad Herwig on CD. But here he is again, this time it's in a trio setting with Eddie Palmieri on piano and Luques Curtis on bass. The nine sections heard here are written by either Herwig or Palmieri. Some charming, lyrical melodies are on board here with a distinctive Latin flavor.

Savant; 2025; appx. 46 min.

Albare; Eclecticity

Albare is a guitarist who introduces us to ten of his original compositions amidst the company of a very supportive group of standout colleagues. His writing is often cheerful, optimistic, and bluesy. All players get generous opportunities to strut their solo chops but this is Albare's chance to share with listeners what I believe is a strong connection with a guy named Wes Montgomery. Tempo-wise there's something for everyone here but Albare and friends lay it all out with taste and talent.

Self produced; 2025; appx. 66 min.

Randy Napoleon; Waking Dream; The Music of Gregg Hill & Randy Napoleon

Sometimes one guitar just isn't enough. Well, how about five of them! This is quite an accomplishment under the direction of lead guitarist Randy Napoleon as he and his friends (both guitar and otherwise) explore the music of Gregg Hill and Napoleon himself. There's a wealth of straight ahead guitar excellence here and I might add, much to enjoy.

OA2 Records; 2025; appx. 68 min.

Corey Weeds Meets Jerry Weldon

Tenor saxophone duets have dotted the map over the years of jazz history. Consider formidable pairings like Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Johnny Griffin, or Lockjaw and Sonny Stitt. Or how about the great work of Zoot Sims and Al Cohn? And even a meeting of John Coltrane and Paul Quinichette! So here we have a stunning get together of Corey Weeds and Jerry Weldon. The two tenor titans work their magic with rhythm section pals Miles Black, piano; John Lee, bass; and Jesse Cahill, drums. The tunes chosen by the quintet are rarities from jazz heroes of the past including the aforementioned Lockjaw Davis as well as Clifford Jordan, Freddie Redd, and a tip of the hat to the brothers Gershwin. Weeds, Weldon, and friends find the very heart of the jazz highway here. Highly recommended for you purists out there.

Cellar Music Group; 2025; appx. 52 min.

Jennifer Madsen; Reimagine

Jennifer Madsen is another of the young singers who have discovered the richness and eternal greatness of the American Songbook. With definite hipness, confidence, and rather amazing range, she gives vitality and freshness to a bevy of “forever” tunes like “I Can't Give You Anything But Love”, “Willow Weep For Me”, “Honeysuckle Rose”, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, and lots more. I particularly found her take on “Beyond The Sea” quite endearing. She doesn't take the swinging Bobby Darin approach; instead, she treats it as a ballad and it works impressively. With a diverse backing from several players, Jennifer Madsen works the standard repertoire with both authority and affection.

Sing Baby Productions; 2025; appx 45 min.

Marcello Carelli; First Impressions

Drummer Marcello Carelli leads an energetic quartet through eight cool originals and one etched in stone jazz classic. His colleagues on the session include two veterans in tenor titan Bob Mintzer and former fusion fanatic, pianist Russell Ferrante. They are joined by bassist Mike Gurrola. The foursome plays a varied menu with samplings of bop, ballads, funk, and very straight ahead, “together”, well conceived, in the pocket jazz. By the way, that one classic is Joe Henderson's forever tune “Recordo Me”. All told, this is by any stretch a finely honed quartet playing in the heart of the jazz tradition. I's just that good.

Cellar Music Group; 2025; appx. 55 min.

George Coleman; George Coleman With Strings

Imagine---George Coleman at 89 years old playing his tenor saxophone like he's fifty years younger! And what great company he has in David Hazeltine, piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums; Café da Silva on occasional percussion; and gorgeous string arrangements by Bill Dobbins. The songs Coleman chooses are, as one might suspect, all primo melodies from years gone by. How about “Dedicated To You”, “Moment To Moment”, “Stella By Starlight”, and two versions apiece of “A Time For Love” and Monk's “Ugly Beauty”. This is a stunning reminder of what the art of jazz was all about way back in, say, the 1950's. If only for this moment, it sure is great to hear it again.

High Note; 2025; appx. 58 min.

Chris Wabich; Wabich 1978 (steep)

The odd title of this CD refers to a tea produced in 1978 that Chris Wabich discovered in the last few years in a tea shop in Taiwan, and “steep” obviously is related to the tea. The six Wabich original compositions played by this trio are beautiful, sensitive, and quite thoughtful---and very peaceful. The album is led by Wabich, a drummer. But the real star of the show is pianist Josh Nelson. His elegant touch is like putting the listener in the middle of a beautiful, fragrant garden. Said another way, pour the oolong, turn the lights down low, and enjoy the simplicity and pleasure of these creations.

Kieran Brown; Loving You

There's sure a lot to like about singer Kieran Brown. She's not a jazz singer in the spirit of such luminaries as Anita O'Day, Annie Ross, or Nancy King. But in a lovely setting of no less than fourteen accompanying musicians (not everyone on each selection), Brown chooses ten highly regarded standards in a well trained, gentle, and perfect vocal presence on key performances of these wonders from Songbook America. Of special note is (once again), the appearance of one of my faves, pianist Tyler Henderson. Brown and company receive high marks on such tunes as “You're Gonna Hear From Me”, “Do It Again”, “Meditation”; “Emily”; “Alfie”; and more. Stay in the game, Kieran Brown. You've got a good thing going! 

Cellar Music Group;  2025; appx. 42 min.