Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Noam Lemish’s new album, “There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here,” offers a gently ravishing program inspired by a Fernando Pessoa poem about experiencing the numinous nature of even the most everyday occurrences. It’s the latest project from the Juno Award-nominated pianist/composer, who’s created an enthralling body of work exploring an array of jazz idioms, Himalayan folk music, Middle Eastern melodies and contemporary classical music. Focusing on Lemish’s poetically charged originals, the disc is a captivating quartet session that brings together some of Toronto’s most accomplished jazz artists.
Rising trumpeter and composer Jason Charos makes a striking debut with “Opening Statement,” an assured collection of eight original compositions that showcase his musical depth and contemporary vision. The 25-year-old artist currently tours internationally with and arranges for Grammy-winning vocalist Samara Joy. Produced by his former mentor Brian Lynch and featuring special guests Lynch and MacArthur-winning drummer-composer Dafnis Prieto, along with saxophonist Marvin Butler, the album explores diverse musical landscapes from Latin jazz and hard bop to lyrical balladry.
Also this week, pianist Kenny Barron features some of his favorite vocalists performing a program of his original music on “Songbook,” including Cecile McLorin Salvant, Jean Baylor, Catherine Russell, Ann Hampton Callaway, Tyreek McDole, Kurt Elling and Kavita Shaw; drummer Brandon Sanders is joined by pianist Eric Scott Reed, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, saxophonist Stacey Dillard and singer Jazzmeia Horn as he returns with his third album as a leader, “Lasting Impression”; and Italian-born Knoxville, Tennessee-based pianist and composer Margherita Fava unveils her second release as a leader, “Murrina.”