mjzee

This got a great review in WSJ. 4 Blu-ray Discs containing 200 Soundies.

Disc 1.

The Decca Sound - The Piano Edition, disc 4. Also includes Symphonic Dances from this:

Disc 5 (Orchestral Suites #1 & 3).

I have some Mercer on that Ertegun's New York Cabaret Music box. My guess is her singing style is of a time and place, and society, that I was not privy to and so cannot relate. (There are many artists in that Ertegun box who I would similarly characterize: Greta Keller, Goldie Hawkins, Ted Straeter, Joe Mooney...the appeal simply eludes me.) Having said that, I find this performance touching; I have no idea what it's about (probably a song from a Broadway show):

4 of those Blossom Dearie Fontanas just came out in Japan: https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/searchuni?term.media_format=&q=blossom+dearie I believe Dusty Groove will also carry them.

Release date October 27: Growing up in an urban environment could lead to obliviousness to the natural world. Having grown up in a rural environment, saxophonist/composer Jeremy Udden was very aware of nature but living in metropolises made him seek nature's touch in the city's midst. Udden's children have grown up in Brooklyn and he is frequently amazed at how attuned to nature his city kids are, just one of the intriguing juxtapositions he reflects in his new recording, Wishing Flower.For his new recording, Udden used the inspiration of his children and their daily walks from school to write new compositions that reflect the sounds of the city through Udden's singular musical lens, which blends the pastoral sounds of folk and country with contemporary jazz. Coming full circle, Udden recruited guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Ziv Ravitz to revisit their ensemble roles from Torchsongs, along with longtime collaborator, bassist Jorge Roeder.

Release date September 1: When Buddy Rich and his Killer Force Band were at their peak, Buddy began to feature a trio segment, often twice a night. Buddy would exclusively use brushes rather than sticks, even in his drum solos. Young prodigy pianist Barry Kiener, who soon sadly died of an accidental overdose at the age of 30 (on Buddy's tour bus), was the magnificent lead instrument. Virtuoso bassist Jon Burr completed the trio on most of the songs. These never-before released recordings are a true collector's item.

Decca - The Mono Years, disc 31. Also includes:

Deutsche Grammophon 111 - The Violin, disc 42 (final disc in box).

Release date August 25: ... like a skilled boxer, he stays within himself, confidently bobbing and weaving melody through the steady rhythm, jabbing and dancing, soloing in flurries of notes. JAZZ REVIEW. From New York to Los Angeles and Kansas City, saxophonist Matt Otto always cultivated an inspired musical community with which to surround himself. Now having 14 years of performances with the energized and spontaneous KC duo of bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut, the vibrancy of their interactions is a given, and apparent, as the trio provides the momentum for this set of nine Otto originals. On several tracks, Matt Villinger's Fender Rhodes provides astute chordal realizations of Otto's harmonies, while guitarist Alex Frank adds an edge of free, '70s-era fusion energy. Also featured is the Paris-based trumpeter Hermon Mehari, who returns to his Kansas City roots occasionally and was in town to add his sparkling voice to three pieces. Release date August 25: A guitar virtuoso of Indian & Brazilian-Portuguese descent, based in New York City, Bobby Rozario is a third-generation musician mentored by his parents in Hindustani Classical music, and brought up playing jazz & blues. His blazing, idiosyncratic style interprets melodic lines of Raagas and blends them into captivating lines injected with Afro-Latin and jazz/rock/fusion vocabulary. On his second solo album, Rozario dives deep into heavy Latin and Afro Latin rhythms, with his 11 originals accentuated by the virtuosic grooves of Dennis Chambers and Latin drumming master Robby Ameen, and the bass wizardry of Gary Grainger, James Genus and Melvin Gibbs. Edsel Gomez further embellishes the soundscape with his Latin-jazz tinged piano solos, while the soaring vocals of Guinean singer Ismael Kouyate, Cuban vocalist Jose Pepito Gomez and New York's Chris Alfinez are additional highlights on three tracks. With Spellbound, Bobby Rozario has sculpted an album that resonates with entrancing guitar.

Release date October 20: Father and son trumpeter-composers John and David Sneider explore the musical possibilities and potential of the two-trumpet format on their new album for Cellar Live. The Sneiders are joined here by pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Andy Watson, to explore some deeply personal and compelling stories through their music.

Release date October 15: Release date September 15: Release date August 15: Release date September 15:

Release date August 25: John La Barbera's well-framed charts tantalize the ears and quicken the heart - All About Jazz. With his career at the highest levels of the music industry spanning a half-century, Grammy nominated composer/arranger John La Barbera doesn't have much left to prove, so gathering a band of equals in New York City and spending some time recording his latest & best hard-swinging arrangements, makes good sense! Along with his equally storied brothers, saxophonist Pat and drummer Joe, La Barbera fills "Grooveyard" with jazz royalty, including Steve Wilson, Renee Rosnes, Clay Jenkins, and the legendary bassist, Rufus Reid, for a set of four arranged tunes from Brubeck, Curtis Fuller, Elvin Jones, and the title track from pianist Carl Perkins, and six of his own original compositions. Thanks to his early career in helping to define the sounds of the Buddy Rich Band, Woody Herman, Bill Watrous and so many others, La Barbera's works have become jazz big band standards. Release date September 15: Immersed in thoughts of identity, family and culture, Chicago saxophonist Maddie Vogler commissioned the original cover art depicting the hands of her immigrant grandmothers to frame her debut recording. Steeped in modern jazz while freely exploring Vogler's relationship with her Cuban roots, her nine original compositions are brimming with adventurous rhythmic energy and melodic soulfulness. Her musical mentor, trumpeter Tito Carrillo, shares the front line, while the rhythm section of Matt Gold, Jake Shapiro, Samuel Peters, and Neil Hemphill provide a percolating momentum on tunes such as "The Need To Be," an elegiac gait on "Corridors," or a driving, Afro-Cuban flavored 9/8 on "Check Engine Light." While We Have Time is an expansive and striking debut, planting Vogler squarely within Chicago's great, historical jazz legacy. For a decade now, saxophonist, composer, and Fulbright scholar Benjamin Boone has artfully merged the works of vital, contemporary poets with the in-the-moment creations of astute, innovative jazz musicians, first through his two critically acclaimed recordings with U.S. poet laureate Philip Levine, and most recently with 2020's The Poets Are Gathering, providing a striking platform for the spoken word. The dance of imagery and rumination set in motion by Patrick Sylvain's "Caught in the Rhythm," supplies a running theme for this exploding kaleidoscope of diverse voices, with Ambrose Akinmusire, Greg Osby, Kenny Werner and Ben Monder being a few of the interacting musical voices. Together, they offer an aural front page of dispatches, reveries, declamations, and narratives from past and present. Leave it to music, melding with shadow and light, to make the case for poetry.

Release date September 22: New York-based Canadian pianist and composer Noah Franche-Nolan is joined by Juno Nominated Jodi Proznick on bass and Nicholas Bracewell on drums for his Cellar Live Debut. The album is a depiction of Franche-Nolan's eclectic interior musical world, filled with lyrical compositions and intricately arranged renditions of carefully picked songs from the jazz/Black American Music canon. Release date August 11: A captivating collection of original compositions by indomitable pianist Sharon Minemoto. Her new album for Cellar Music entitled 'Dark Night, Bright Stars' is lyrical, playful and introspective with a wealth of emotional depth. It features a fantastic quartet comprised of Jon Bentley on tenor saxophone, Darren Radtke on bass and Bernie Arai on drums. Release date September 22: Rituals is Jefferson's third release as a leader and features nine original compositions, written over a twelve-year period. Juno-award-nominee Jefferson called upon three long-standing connections to bring his music to life - pianist Amanda Tosoff, bassist Jon Maharaj, and drummer Morgan Childs are the perfect support and bring a palpable synergy to the project.

Release date August 25: When it comes to musical material, a nexus between quality and reception is never a sure thing. Some choice compositions and performances receive their flowers while others slide into relative obscurity. Off the Charts takes an inspired set list of lesser-known works by the likes of Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, Charles Lloyd, Chick Corea and others and brings them back into their well-deserved spotlight. Delving into the past calls for a cast attuned to the present, and Richard Baratta has assembled an incredible lineup. Pianist David Kikoski comes with his own brand of kinetic energy, bassist John Patitucci serves as the backbone of the band, tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi brings his signature sound to the fore, and percussionist Paul Rossman proves to be a vibrant colorist and rhythmic collaborator. Together, with Baratta spurring them on, this crew brings out the best in this superb selection of inspired music.

Release date August 18: Rising star tenor saxophonist Willie Morris unleashes a clarion call of jubilation with his debut album "Conversation Starter." With an engaging and well-balanced set of exciting compositions and arrangements, Morris capably displays all of his wondrous abilities as a powerful soloist, songwriter, and bandleader. Morris' tour de force intensity gets the program going quickly delivering a hard-hitting musical message from the scintillating opening salvo all the way through to the brilliant resolution of the elegant finale. Supporting Morris on the date are the combined efforts of alto saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, and the sturdy rhythm section of pianist Jon Davis, bassist Adi Meyerson, and drummer EJ Strickland. "Conversation Starter" will surely delight straight forward jazz fans and keep people talking about these dynamic performances for a long time to come!

Release date August 15:

Release date September 15:

The Decca Sound - The Piano Edition, disc 3.

Disc 4 (Brandenburg Concertos #2, 4, 6).

Decca - The Mono Years, disc 30.

Deutsche Grammophon 111 - The Violin, disc 41.