Play It Forward is our monthly online column and a nightly feature on-air for new jazz albums from rising stars and established masters. Each month, we pick six new recordings to highlight here at wrti.org. And as you listen to Evening Jazz on Monday through Thursday at 90.1 FM, we'll feature a different track each night from one of the featured albums to begin the 8 p.m. hour.
Alvin Queen – The Jazzcup Café Blues (Cellar Music)
As a pre-teen, Alvin Queen was mentored by Art Blakey and Elvin Jones. Their charismatic tutelage placed Queen right in the center of the big beat tradition in jazz, where intensity and passion result from a near-volcanic approach to swing. From the opening cut of Queen's The Jazzcup Café Blues (available this Friday on Cellar Live), Jesse Davis, Dezron Douglas, and Danny Grisett all understand the assignment to play their soulful and swinging best. The half-swinging / half-straight “Evening Stroll Through Nyhavn" is a short but concentrated foray into the orchestration and power that makes Queen’s beat so great.
Samara Joy – Portrait (Verve Records)
Being an extraordinary, popular, and award-winning young artist is tricky, in that you’re forced to live out your artistic growth before an unforgiving community of listeners. Many careers prematurely end or stagnate as a result. This isn’t the case for Samara Joy, whose third album, Portrait, just may be her most arresting and compelling work. She’s matched with a mini big band in a new sonic palette that matches perfectly with her deft prowess and explosive vocal power. In particular, the excitement showcased on Joy’s investigation of Charles Mingus’ “Reincarnation of a Lovebird,” aided by her original lyrics, is a highlight among her growing three-album discography — one of a number of tunes here that begs to be experienced live.
Lionel Loueke, Dave Holland – United (Edition Records)
Lionel Loueke and Dave Holland are the jazz duo we never knew we needed. A great match due to their empathy and understanding, Loueke and Holland breathe together. Each musician has the ultimate space to dazzle or stroll from moment-to-moment choices, resulting in a pithy economy throughout their very special album, United. Look to the title track to give you a dose of inspiration for navigating any difficult days ahead.
Jane Monheit – Jane Monheit (Club44 Records)
Jane Monheit’s self-titled album is a rewarding 45-minute foray into the Great American Songbook, with stops through Brazil. Monheit, with her trademark empathy, shines throughout pianist Max Haymer’s arrangements. This working band knows how to get hip, yet they respect the tunes in a way that many other ensembles in this realm fall short. The Montalbano and Reichl rhythm team is incredibly sensitive, never afraid to burn or simmer. It’s also great to hear Monheit’s original lyrics commissioned by composer Ivan Lins on “My Brazil” and “New Beginning.” Try not to shed a tear when meditating on the latter tune’s lyrics.
Scott Colley, Edward Simon, Brian Blade – Three Visitors (GroundUP Music)
Scott Colley, Edward Simon, and Brian Blade come together as Three Visitors. Recorded just before the pandemic, Visitors deals with tension and release in a way that incites reflection and a fair amount of emotion. All three players are some of the most sensitive and active listeners, and when adding strings or guest reeds (Chris Potter) or vocals (Becca Stevens), it’s always the right choice. The second track, “Kintsukuroi,” tows the perfect line between tethered and untethered. It is moving forward, but slowly, and with lots of time for reckoning and processing.
Tom Harrell – Alternate Summer (High Note)
Tom Harrell’s new album, Alternate Summer, is flying unnecessarily under the radar. It’s one of his best: all 10 tunes are penned by this veteran trumpeter, and the lineup boasts contributions from saxophonists Dayna Stephens and Mark Turner, with the rhythm team of Luis Perdomo, Charles Altura, Ugonna Okegwo and Adam Cruz. The group is at once soulful and sophisticated, and there are surprises. Dig “UV,” as Perdomo switches to Hammond organ, with plenty of room for Harrell and Stephens to get spicy. All the while, Altura, Okegwo and Cruz alternate between pressing forward and laying back, in the most flexible and empathetic groove.
Listen to Evening Jazz with Greg Bryant on Monday through Thursday at 90.1 FM to hear a different track from one of these featured albums at the top of the 8 p.m. hour.
