Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
When trumpeter Terell Stafford took his quartet to the Village Vanguard in July of 2020, it was the height of the pandemic and the iconic room was empty save for four camera people broadcasting to an equally isolated livestream audience, his bandmates hidden behind facemasks. The experience led Stafford to ponder the many ways that his life and career have necessitated juggling the demands of two different worlds at once. His stunning new album, “Between Two Worlds,” is his emotional and wide-ranging response, featuring an all-star band of longtime collaborators: saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Bruce Barth, bassist David Wong, drummer Johnathan Blake, and percussionist Alex Acuna.
Alfredo Rodriguez’s new album embodies the sound of Miami: a melding of the Latin pop, timba, salsa, bachata, tango, reggaeton, and bolero that permeates the city’s diverse community of Latinos living together while individually sharing their unique musical backgrounds from their cultural regions. After moving to Miami in 2019, Rodriguez took note of the few collaborations and cross-pollinations between mainstream Latin music and Latin jazz. “Coral Way” serves as the connective tissue between these worlds—an artistic statement for the diverse Latin community to feel seen, heard and take pride in their history while creating a path forward of individuality through community.
Also this week, Duncan Hopkins honors fellow Canadian trumpeter and composer, the late Kenny Wheeler, with “Who Are You?: The Music of Kenny Wheeler”; rising star Jalen Baker takes the helm for the 6th release in Cellar Music’s black artist-led series curated by Jeremy Pelt, “Be Still,” showcasing Baker’s exceptional skills as both a vibraphonist and composer; and Christian McBride is producer and bassist on the new release from singer and songwriter Nicole Zuraitis, “How Love Begins.”