13 minute read
Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, Fiona Boyd, Charlie Musselwhite See
The Blues Don’t Lie / Buddy Guy
The Blues Don’t Lie is the amazing new album from Buddy Guy, and is the legend’s 34th studio album. Produced by songwriter/drummer Tom Hambridge, The Blues Don’t Lie features guests including Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, and more. The album tells the story of his lifelong journey, and his vow that “as long as I’m alive I’m going to keep the blues alive.” (Sony)
1CD# 19658731521 $11.99
Done Come too Far / Shemekia Copeland
GRAMMY-nominated blues, soul and Americana singer is revered worldwide for her defiant music and fire-breathing performances. Done Come Too Far continues Shemekia’s riveting, clear-eyed streak of recordings. The new album features an all-star supporting cast including slide guitar whiz Sonny Landreth and Hill Country blues great Cedric Burnside. (Alligator)
1CD# MOB501022 $17.99
Hi-FI Drive By / Jeremiah Johnson
Every great artist has a moment when they realize who they are, Jeremiah Johnson has truly come into his own with his new release Hi-Fi Drive By. Get ready for a high-fidelity sonic explosion that combines Johnson’s master guitar work, songwriting skills and uniquely powerful vocals into ten tracks of pure brilliance. (Ruf)
1CD# MOB129929 $16.99 Blues in My Heart / Fiona Boyd
Guitarist and singer-songwriter Fiona Boyes is the only Australian ever recognized by The Blues Foundation in Memphis. This remastered 20th anniversary edition of her debut solo album includes Fiona’s diary-style liner notes, photo memories and original folk art in a single album package. (Reference)
1CD# FR-740 $16.99
Blues Pianist of New Orleans / Champion Jack Dupree [4 CDs]
This set contains three outstanding Storyville CDs, two featuring solo piano and vocal performances, and the third with Dupree accompained by Papa Bue’s Viking Jazzband and Fessor’s Big City Band. Also included is a rare DVD with Champion Jack recorded at Copenhagen’s Radhuskroen and Sound Track Studios. (Storyville)
4CD/DVD# SVL1088619 $25.99
The West African Blues Project
In an intoxicating meeting of cultures, guitarist Ramon Goose and Senegalese singer-percussionist Modou Touré trace the ancestry of the blues – back before its birth to the dunes and deserts of western Africa. The West African Blues Project is a vibrant, exciting marriage of these two seemingly distinct but inescapably-linked musical traditions. (ARC Music)
1CD# EUCD2873 $14.99
Blues Medicine / Little Freddie King
One of the last bluesmen of his generation: The unstoppable Little Freddie King is a country-style blues musician, links to an era when live music poured from the back-of-town nightclubs that were ubiquitous throughout New Orleans’ African-American neighborhoods. Little Freddie King is an artist who is among the last of his kind. (Madewright)
1CD# MOB181017 $15.99
Mississippi Son / Charlie Musselwhite
GRAMMY award-winning blues icon returns to his Delta blues roots for the most captivating musical statement of his long and legendary career. Charlie’s first new solo studio release in seven years is strippeddown and semi-acoustic, driven by his deft guitar playing, while also featuring the masterful harp and soul-deep vocals for which he is famed. (Alligator)
1CD# MOB500926 $17.99 Essential Blues / Various Artists
This new collection brings together some of the most famous songs and musicians from the blues tradition. Blues music is one of the oldest popular music genres and its influence spread into many fields, from jazz to rock ‘n’ roll. BB King, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker and many others sing of troubles and heartache through a series of wonderful tracks that have a remarkably uplifting feel. (Gift of Music)
1CD# CCLCDG1274 $16.99
Chicago Blues – The MCM Records Story / Various Artists [8 CDs]
The brief but dazzling life of MCM Records was a labor of love that captured many treasurable live performances from the classic Chicago Blues age. This 8-CD collection features timeless performances by Jimmy Johnson, Magic Slim, Willie Kent, Bobby King, Eddie Clearwater, and Joe Carter among others. (Storyville)
8CD# SVL1088612 $64.99
I Know I Dream / Stacey Kent
With over 2 million albums sold, Stacey Kent stands strong among the artists that don’t have much left to prove, yet she surprises us once more with her album, I Know I Dream. Recorded inside the famous Angel Studios in London with an orchestra, this is her first orchestral album in a career that spans two decades and more than fifteen albums.(Okeh Records)
The Bad Plus tenth studio recording (and first collection of original material since 2012’s Made Possible, Inevitable Western continues the leaderless trio’s committed belief in what they’ve dubbed avant-garde populism’ the idea that serious music can be as engaging and accessible as it is forward-thinking and provocative. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 88843024062 $11.99
Shadows – Songs of Nat King Cole / Hugh Coltman [2 CDs]
This two-disc colllection features a selection of Nat King Cole songs, recorded by vocalist Hugh Coltman in live & studio settings. Disc one includes studio tracks, while disc two features many of the same tracks in a live setting, recorded at the Jazz à Vienne Festival. Tracks include “What’ll I Do,” “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Are You Disenchanted,” “Pretend,” “Smile,” “I Never Had a Chance,” and more. (Okeh Records)
2CD# 88985383282 $16.99
With a Twist / Bria Skonberg
Fusing a modern-day pop sensibility with sleek and timeless jazz chops, singer, trumpeter and songwriter Bria Skonberg returns with her second album for Okeh Records, With a Twist. The album is a collection that pays tribute to legendary ladies of song while offering her take on songs by Leonard Cohen and Ed Sheeran, along with three of her own compositions. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 88985406022 $11.99
Music Is / Bill Frisell
All compositions on Music IS were written by Frisell, some of them brand-new – “Change in the Air”, “Thankful”, “What Do You Want”, “Miss You” and “Go Happy Lucky” – others being solo adaptations of now-classic original compositions he had previously recorded, such as “In Line”, “Rambler”, “Ron Carter”, “Pretty Stars”, “Monica Jane” and “The Pioneers”. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 19075815002 $11.99
Slow Motion Miracles / Sachal
On Slow Motion Miracles, Sachal delivers a full set of multilayered gems steeped in a variety of styles, including indie pop, hip-hop, electronic, Brazilian, Afro-beat, old-school jazz and new-styled jazz. The album is produced by Michael Leonhart, best known for his work with Steely Dan. Slow Motion Miracles is Sachal’s most accomplished recording as an artist. (Okeh Records)
Pianist Michel Camilo presents What’s Up?, a collection of 11 tracks in “a commanding performance by a truly masterful, wildly creative jazz pianist and composer.” (AllMusic) Tracks include “A Place in Time,” “Island Beat,” “Chan Chan,” “Sandra’s Serenade”, the title track and more. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 88883703992 $11.99
It’s Hard / The Bad Plus
The Bad Plus eleventh studio recording, It’s Hard spans both era and inspiration as The Bad Plus offer new perspectives on classic songs from the 1970s to the 2010s. Tracks include “Time After Time” (Cyndi Lauper), “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (Crowded House), “The Beautiful Ones” (Prince), “Games Without Frontiers” (Peter Gabriel), “The Robots” (Kraftwerk), and more. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 88985337142 $11.99
Craig Handy & Second Line Smith
2014 album from the renowned sax player featuring guest appearances from Wynton Marsalis and Dee Dee Bridgewater. With this album, saxophonist Craig Handy reinterprets, in his own New Orleans style, ten numbers made famous by Jimmy Smith, the father of the modern Jazz organ. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 88883721832 $11.99
Diwan of Beauty & Odd / Dhafer Youssef
This striking 2016 album from the Tunisian composer, singer, and oud player includes beaultiful melodies and heartfelt chanting over infectious grooves. Songs include “Fly Shadow Fly,” “Diving in the Air,” “Cheerful Meshuggah,” “Delightfully Odd,” “17th Flyways,” “Of Beauty & Odd,” and more. (Okeh Records)
1CD# 88985364092 $11.99
Fifty / The Manhattan Transfer
GRAMMY award winning vocal group The Manhattan Transfer celebrate their 50th Anniversary with the new studio album Fifty. The album contains arrangements of some of the groups’ biggest hits, combining the orchestral sounds of WDR with their trademark harmonies. Included are new versions of “Chanson D’Amour” and “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul.” (Craft Recordings)
1CD# MOB464032 $14.99
Origin / Joey Alexander
Mack Avenue Music Group is proud to announce the signing and first label release for Joey Alexander. The pianist, composer and bandleader is one of the most emotive and compelling pianist-composers active on the scene today, and while his accomplishments to this point are significant—including being the youngest artist ever nominated for a GRAMMY Award in a jazz category. (Mack Avenue)
1CD# MAC1198 $19.99
Be-Bop! Pasquale Grasso
Guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso presents Be-Bop! a brilliant new tribute to be-bop pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. BeBop! kicks off in exhilarating fashion with Dizzy’s quintessential 1942 composition, “A Night in Tunisia.” Grasso achieves an astonishing balance of technical wizardry and swing, sounding like two guitarists coming out of the gate on the challenging head on top of the syncopated Latin rhythm. (Sony)
1CD# 19658721632 $11.99
Multicolored Midnight / Thumbscrew
Celebrating ten years of work, the all-star collective trio Thumbscrew celebrates by adding new instrumental hues to their already well-established sound on Multicolored Midnight, the group’s seventh album. An album laden with fully realized connections and reflections, Multicolored Midnight also provides tantalizing hints regarding Thumbscrew’s future explorations. (Cuneiform)
1CD# MOB048529 $16.99
SWR Jazzhaus
Big Bands Live! / Anita O’Day; Benny Goodman
A singer with an exciting presence and a voice to immerse yourself in. A band that lit up with high wattage a repertoire including both standards and popular songs. The result a mixture that whisked the concert hall in Freiburg (Germany) for one evening in October 1959 into a wonderful world of successful jazz entertainment and sent the audience out into the night with an earworm. (SWR Jazzhaus)
1CD# JAH-404 $18.99
Mainz Studio Recordings (1963–1969) / Volker Mainz [2 CDs]
This two-disc collection displays the creative output of German jazz guitarist/.composer Volker Kriegel from 1963 to 1969. Tracks include “Somewhat, Somewhere, Somehow,” “Noisy Silence, Gentle Noise,” “Norwegian Wood,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Mother People,” “Sitting on My Knees,” and more. (SWR Jazzhaus)
2CD# JAH-426 $24.99
Baden-Baden 1959 / Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford’s masterful studio recordings at SWF BadenBaden feature a top-notch list of sidemen such as Jimmy Pratt, Kenny Clarke, Hartwig Bartz, Lucky Thompson, to name a few. Tracks include “But Not For Me,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Minor Plus A Major,” “Blues in the Closet,” “All the Things You Are,” and more. (SWR Jazzhaus)
1CD# JAH-419 $18.99
Big Bands Live! / Duke Ellington Orchestra
This is a re-release of a Jazzhaus/ SWR music bestseller! By Duke Ellington’s standards, this was a modern concert, exuberant in mood and at times mischievous in arrangements, which allowed some shrill coloring. And it also showed that even an ultimately traditional jazz orchestra in the rocky sixties could develop enough charisma to enthrall an audience like that in the Liederhalle. (SWR Jazzhaus)
1CD# JAH-403 $16.99
Late Night Jazz / Various Artists
Our second jazz collection is deliberately easy listening; relaxing and enjoyable, with strong melodies and a gentle swing. Sinatra, Holliday, Ella, Nat and many more stars in possibly the ultimate fantasy night club program! Relax into the small wee hours with numbers like “Sweet Lorraine,” or enjoy “April in Paris,” and “Dream a Little Dream” with Armstrong. (Gift of Music)
1CD# GCDG1195 $16.99 Legends Live – Cannonball Adderley Quintet
Recorded live in Germany on March 20, 1969, this explosive quintet features Joe Zawinul, Nat Adderley, Victor Gaskin, and Roy McCurdy. Tracks include “Rumpelstiltskin,” “Sweet Emma,” “Why Am I Treated So Bad,” “The Painted Desert,” “Blue n’ Boogie,” “Somewhere,” “Work Song,” and more. (SWR Jazzhaus)
1CD# JAH-402 $16.99
Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 1982–1985 / Miles Davis [3 CDs]
That’s What Happened 1982–1985: Bootleg Vol. 7 is the next installment in the celebrated, award-winning archival series that began in 2011, shining an in-depth light onto different eras of the legendary career of Miles Davis. Miles Davis embraced the 1980s, pulling inspiration from FM radio and an upstart music video channel called MTV. He was always searching for the next frontier, letting his creativity roam. (Sony)
3CD# 19439863852 $28.99
Blue Train – The Complete Masters / John Coltrane [2 CDs]
John Coltrane’s Blue Train: The Complete Masters includes a second disc of alternate and incomplete takes, four of which have never been released. The 2-CD set comes with a bound booklet featuring session photos by Francis Wolff and an essay by Coltrane expert Ashley Kahn. (Blue Note)
2CD# MOB062031 $29.99
Organic Universe / Peter Protschka
Peter Protschka writes: “The history of Hammond organ jazz is very closely connected to my personal musical biography with my good friend and musical companion Clemens Orth – and with two important places for us in Cologne. Clemens and I played our first gigs together here and in the region, and it came to my attention that amongst other things, he was also a terrific organist.” (Double Moon)
1CD# DMCHR71413 $14.99
Molecular Systematic Music / James Brandon Lewis Quartet [2 CDs]
Saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis possesses an inspiring energy. His deep curiosity and the thrill he gets from discovery are crucial facets of his personality, and qualities that guide his art. Over the last half-decade he’s emerged as one of the most exciting figures in jazz and improvised music, a voracious listener who has feverishly explored new ideas. (Intakt)
2CD# MOB193898 $32.99 Play Favorites / Aubrey Johnson; Randy Ingram
“Randy and I played together for the first time in 2015 while teaching at a jazz camp in the Catskills. The musical connection was immediate and natural, and one we have continued to explore throughout the past seven years. We hope you enjoy the first of our recorded collaborations as much as we enjoyed creating it.” – Aubrey Johnson (Sunnyside)
1CD# MOB168328 $16.99
Magic Realism / Chai Masters
“This album was recorded during the 2nd Covid lockdown. Circumstances were against us, as the two shows we planned to do before recording were cancelled, and we felt like we weren’t fully prepared to go into the studio. After we started playing, we began to relax and focus on the music, and some magic started to happen.” – Antonio Moreno Glazkov (Challenge)
1CD# CR 73543 $16.99
Dedication / Bruce Barth
New York pianist Bruce Barth’s inspired vision and generous accompaniment has always led to rich musical collaborations, none more so than with his working trio of many years with bassist Vincente Archer and drummer Montez Coleman. Their collective voice found it’s perfect setting, which makes the release of Dedication a profound and emotion-filled moment. (Origin)
1CD# MOB285523 $15.99
It’s a Foreign Language / Klaus Koenig Jazz Live Trio
Klaus Koenig writes: “In my view, it only makes sense for us as Europeans to become engaged with the fascinating world of jazz if we stay true to our European identity, and reflect the cultures that we come from. On that note, I hope that with this music I have been able to present a contribution to the fascinating world of jazz which shows that it is our own music, the music of the “Jazz Live Trio”. (TCB)
1CD# TCB 36602 $16.99
RECOMMENDED TITLES IN BRIEF
Smile / Tawanda
Smile is the debut release from Tawana, winner of the 2020 Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition. A fresh and adventurous mix of standards! (Resonance)
1CD# MOB122891 $16.99
Recuerdos De Mi Madre / Jackie Ryan
This talented Mexican-American vocalist returns with a passionate Latin album celebrating her roots – 10 of Latin America’s most cherished love songs from the Golden Age of Latin Jazz. (Openart)
1CD# MOB072326 $16.99
Four / Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell convenes a new line-up of musical friends on his third Blue Note album, Four where the foursome delves into intimate explorations of thirteen Frisell originals. (Blue Note)
1CD# MOB523139 $11.99
Marching On / Ray Anderson
Marching On is a journey of sound that leaves the listener astonished, because Ray Anderson manages to give space to many different moods with his trombone. (Double Moon)
