Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Pianist/composer Lynne Arriale’s career is graced by a love of melody and a joy of musical discovery. She was the first prize winner of the 1993 International Great American Jazz Piano Competition, and soon after launched her touring and recording career. Arriale has performed on international concert and festival stages over the past 25 years, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Montreux and Monterey. Her 14 albums as a leader have topped the Jazzweek Radio Chart. On her new CD, “Chimes of Freedom,” Lynne reflects on freedom, cultural diversity, and her wish that all refugee families reach an inclusive safe harbor among the democratic nations of the world.
21st century jazz is a global movement, and New York bassist Massimo Biolcati embodies the music’s creative reach. A first-call accompanist, producer, composer and bandleader, he’s known as a founding member of Gilfema, the acclaimed collective trio with Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth and West African guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke. He’s thrived as a sideman as well, working widely with Paquito D’Rivera, Terence Blanchard, Ravi Coltrane, Lizz Wright and others. He also runs iReal Pro, a music app he created in 2009 that has become an essential tool for musicians and music students. For the first disc under his own name in ten years, “Incontre,” he’s joined by saxophonist Dayna Stephens and keyboardist Sam Yahel on a program of originals and covers of music by Mingus, Monk and Holland.
Also this week, “The Music of Wayne Shorter” is a previously unreleased live session from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Mr. Shorter;
keyboardist Theo Hill is joined by Downbeat Rising Star vibraphone phenomenon Joel Ross for “Reality Check”;
and Negroni’s Trio, the Puerto Rican father-and-son team of keyboardist Jose Negroni and drummer Nomar Negroni with bassist Josh Allen, unveil their tenth studio album “Acustico.”