Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
While it was captured over the course of a single night, there’s a rich lifetime’s worth of music packed into “The Iron Man—Live at Smoke.” If it’s a slight overstatement to say that the album represents an autobiography in song, that’s only because 82-year-old Harold Mabern tells his story in every note that he plays. The disc was recorded on the final night of a remarkable three-week residency, an annual holiday tradition at the renowned New York City club. Most of that 2017/2018 run was dedicated to the music of John Coltrane and featured a host of invited guests to the bandstand. For this magical final performance, however, Mabern and his longstanding quintet—tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth—went it alone, vigorously swinging through well-loved tunes from throughout Mabern’s storied career.
Award-winning, multi-genre trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter is releasing his first album as a leader, the self-titled “Charlie Porter.” Featuring a lineup of eighteen of Portland’s finest musicians, the disc showcases Charlie’s virtuosity amidst nine different ensemble configurations. Hailed as “a winner in all respects” by Randy Brecker, and “very innovative and creative” by Arturo Sandoval, many highly esteemed trumpeters are taking note of Porter’s debut album. Though a recent transplant to the West Coast, Charlie first cut his teeth on the New York scene while simultaneously studying at Juilliard under tutelage of Wynton Marsalis, who described Charlie’s playing as “fiery and intelligent.” The many New York musicians and bands Porter played with, including Paquito D’Rivera, Charli Persip, Joe Zawinul, David Burger’s Sultans of Swing and the Mingus Big Band as well as his own quartet and septet, laid a solid foundation for Porter’s musical growth.
Also this week, organist Pat Bianchi is joined by friends and colleagues Pat Martino, Joe Locke, the late, lamented Kevin Mahogany and others for “In the Moment”;
saxophonist and composer Greg Yasinitsky has put together a big band of fantastic musicians based mainly in the Pacific Northwest for “Yazz Band”;
and Chicagoland drummer Jack Mouse unveils his fourth recording as a leader, “Intimate Adversary.”