Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Boston doesn’t get enough credit as a jazz town. From the days of the Storyville club and Cambridge-based Transition label to the star factory that is Berklee College of Music, the city stands tall against more celebrated places like Chicago and Detroit. One big part of that high level of creative output is Jerry Bergonzi who, for his new CD “Extra Extra,” leads his most Boston band in recent memory, reuniting with trumpeter pal Phil Grenadier and drummer Luther Gray. Bassist Harvie S came up from New York for the gig and it was he who suggested guitarist Sheryl Bailey for the album. She completes the Boston connection with her position as the Assistant Chair of Berklee’s legendary Guitar Department.
Celebrated pianist and composer Donald Vega elegantly crafts a sonic autobiography with “As I Travel,” an ode to the family and community that empowered him to make the physical and metaphorical journey to where he is today. At age 14, Vega fled from the civil war in Nicaragua and emigrated to the United States where he ultimately studied and worked with jazz greats such as Billy Higgins, John Clayton and Al McKibbon. Musically, Vega puts storytelling at the forefront of his compositions, sharing the story of his journey from Nicaragua to Los Angeles, New York City, and around the globe, through his music.
Also this week, Miami-based guitarist/composer/arranger Russ Spiegel gives a tip of the hat to some of the destinations and cultures he’s experienced as a world traveler on “Caribbean Blue”; guitarist Vin Venezia’s music resonates with soulful melodies and electrifying performances on “The Venetian”; and the young Mongolian-born, Munich-based pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar debuts on disc with “Rising Sun.”