Justin V

I am in a Mabern mood and hadn't listened to this in a few years. I'd love to know whatever became of Keel.

I'd take that!

More Sam Rivers is definitely a good thing. The trio with Doug Mathews and Anthony Cole was a fun band, so I'm happy to see that more live material is on the way.

Mabern is one of several pianists who should have been named NEA Jazz Masters by now. To name just a few more, Richard Wyands, Norman Simmons and Steve Kuhn are also deserving. Congratulations to the winners. I'm particularly glad to see Workman be recognized. With deserving bassists like Workman, Ron Carter and Richard Davis in, to name some living masters, I hope that the great Cecil McBee joins them.

Norman Simmons - The Art of Norman Simmons, while the baby enjoys her PB&J and dances in her seat:

How was it? They are coming to Cleveland next week and I have high expectations. I haven't yet seen Davis or Smith live.

Brian Landrus - Traverse, with Michael Cain, Lonnie Plaxico and Billy Hart. It had been a few years since I'd last listened to this one, but Landrus on baritone sax and bass clarinet can definitely hang with his heavy company. I need to buy more of his work, which I meant to do years ago.

I bought this specifically for the presence of Roy Brewster, the trombonist from Curtis Amy's Pacific Jazz albums. It is a fun one.

I'll give that a spin later. Along with Double Take (co-led by Woody Shaw), that is my go-to Hubbard album. Now playing: I need to rip Dixon's Odyssey box. Although this album would send my wife screaming, my toddler is calmly enjoying it.

I think that video is of the same song that Sidney Bechet recorded using the sarussophone. I recently bought Bechet's Mosaic Select and I get a kick out of Bechet on sarussophone.

Disc 2

Kenny Burrell - Monday Stroll: This is a feel-good album that swings so hard.

I'm glad I found this one the other day for a mere $5.

Looks like a contrabass saxophone. There is also apparently a subcontrabass saxophone, but I don't know if anyone in jazz has recorded on one.