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The high-energy Bay Area jazz trio Charged Particles has displayed its versatility over the years in collaborations with such guest artists as multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless and guitarist Nguyen Lee. On their latest outing, the band joins forces with powerhouse Bay Area saxophonist Tod Dickow in a heartfelt tribute to iconic tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker. “Live at the Baked Potato!” is a fitting testament to the late tenor titan’s greatness. No less an authority than Randy Brecker has given his stamp of approval. “Everyone’s at the top of their Mike game here.”
“Songbook Vol. 1: Bus Stop Serenade” is the latest release from Grammy-nominated trumpeter, composer and bandleader Brian Lynch. The first in a series of “Songbooks” intended to reclaim the many original compositions that Lynch has recorded for other labels throughout his distinguished career as a recording artist, this disc focuses on music originally written between the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, configured for the classic quintet formation. It features Jim Snidero on sax, Orrin Evans on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass and Donald Edwards on drums.
Also this week, Dr. Damani Phillips, who heads the Jazz Studies Program at the University of Iowa, unveils his sixth album as a leader, “No More Apologies”;
five-time Grammy-nominated singer and lyricist Lorraine Feather collaborates again with composers Eddie Arkin, Shelly Berg, Russell Ferrante and Dave Grusin on her latest batch of songs, “My Own Particular Life”;
and seven-time Grammy finalists Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first recording on “Within Us: Celebrating 25 years of the Jazz Surge.”