Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Joel Frahm is celebrated as a modern icon of the tenor saxophone, known for his emotional projection and technical prowess. His career spans collaborations with leading jazz musicians such as Brad Mehldau, Matt Wilson, Jane Monheit, and Ari Hoenig, solidifying his status as one of the most important and exiting players of our time. The Joel Frahm Trio, featuring bassist Dan Loomis and Canadian drummer Ernesto Cervini, has been performing together for nearly a decade. Their synergy and musical camaraderie are evident on every track of their second album, “Lumination.”
Before embarking on a career in jazz, Leslie Pintchik earned a Master of Philosophy degree in seventeenth-century English literature from Columbia University. She first surfaced on the Manhattan jazz scene in a trio with legendary bassist Red Mitchell at Bradley’s, and in the ensuing years Pintchik formed her own trio which performs regularly at New York City and East Coast jazz venues. Her new album, “Prayer for What Remains,” showcases her gifts as pianist, composer and arranger, and features eight of her original tunes.
Also this week, four-time Juno Award winner and esteemed Canadian bassist Neil Swainson returns with an incredible sextet and nine original tunes on “Here for a While”; Chicago-based trumpeter Eric Jacobson’s eight original tunes provide the perfect vehicle for his warmth-under-fire playing on “Heading Home”; and Canadian singer, songwriter and arranger Caity Gyorgy is accompanied by her regular piano trio on her new disc, “Hello! How Are You?”