Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Pianist Bill O’Connell is a genuine triple-threat in jazz, equally well-known as a composer, arranger and instrumentalist. He honed his craft carefully from his days with Mongo Santamaria in the ‘70s, his gigs with Chet Baker, Gato Barbieri, Sonny Rollins and others, and his long-time associations with Jerry Gonzalez’s Fort Apache Band and the Latin jazz flautist Dave Valentin. His new CD, “A Change is Gonna Come,” features seven remarkable works by O’Connell, a four-time recipient of the Jazz Writer of the Year award from SESAC, along with a tune by ‘Trane and the title track by Sam Cooke.
Jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates is blessed with a smooth and supremely expressive baritone voice and an all-inclusive musicality which encompasses a hipster-like coolness, a smattering of vocalese, an Eckstine-like seductiveness, the story telling ability of a griot, a firm footing in the blues and a sense of swing which is second to none. His performances can be quiet and full of insight or be ebullient and joyful. Whatever style Gates may offer, he infuses the music with an understated humor, wry cultural and social implications and an impish delight in surprising his listeners. His new recording, “You,” includes 18 songs everybody knows and loves, arranged with creativity and wit.
Also this week, bassist Boris Kozlov sets an ambitious course for his Posi-Tone Records debut, “First Things First,” as saxophonist Donnie McCaslin, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, keyboardist Art Hirahara and drummer Rudy Royston keep moving freely over the solid harmonic foundation provided by Kozlov’s playing and leadership;
Harlem-based pianist/composer Addison Frei’s trio album, “Time and Again,” featured legendary bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer sensation Terreon Gully;
and Knoxville, Tennessee-based drummer and composer Kenneth Brown, the son of visionary jazz pianist Donald Brown, unveils “Love People.”