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For more than three decades, trombonist Conrad Herwig has worked the sweet spot where modern jazz meets Afro-Caribbean fire, building his acclaimed “Latin Side of…” series into one of the most distinctive runs in contemporary jazz. Forged in the company of masters like Eddie Palmieri, Mario Bauza and Tito Puente, Herwig brings authority and imagination to the bandstand. Now he takes on “The Latin Side of Chick Corea,” drawing from the pianist’s catalog, from “Tones for Joan’s Bones” and “Now He Sings, Now He Sobs” to the electric energy of “Return to Forever,” and celebrating a composer whose music thrives on motion, color, and cross-cultural spark.
Bassist Chuck Bergeron has enjoyed working in a wide variety of settings over the course of his more than four-decade career, from hard-charging small groups to the boisterous big band swing of the South Florida Jazz Orchestra. Bergeron has long cherished his interactions with singers, including such illustrious voices as Kevin Mahogany, Sheila Jordan, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Janis Siegel and many others. His new disc, “Bass & Face,” features a stellar roster of voices including Ms. Siegel, Pete McGuiness, Roseanna Vitro, Deborah Silver, Kate Reid and Nicole Yarling, as well as two iconic singers who are no longer with us: Ms. Jordan, who passed away shortly after the recording, and Mr. Mahogany, whose contributions stem from a 2005 session undertaken during Bergeron’s seven-year stint in the singer’s band.
Also this week, “Sea Spell” captures the Jeff Rupert Quartet’s sound after nearly two decades of live performances together; trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach pays heartfelt homage to his core influences Freddie Hubbard and Blue Mitchell on “Mid Century Modern Vol. 4”; and Midwest-based pianist and composer Paul Hecht documents his originals on “Pyrography II.”