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During the course of a career spanning over four decades, bass luminary Ben Wolfe had earned his stature as one of the forefront composers of our time. Ben Ratliff of the New York Times describes his work as “Mingus and Miles meet Bartok and Bernard Hermann.” Wolfe’s tenth album as a bandleader is another stellar recorded document of the artist’s compositional prowess, taking listeners on a sonic journey of retrospection, insightfulness and exuberance. The gathering of musicians includes trumpeter Nicholas Payton, saxophonists Nicole Glover and Immanuel Wilkins, and vibraphonist Joel Ross.
Rachael & Vilray—the duo of singer/songwriter Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive) and guitarist/singer/songwriter Vilray—return with their second studio album, “I Love a Love Song.” The pair first met as students at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2003. Price recalls he had a nimble mind and quick wit when it came to lyrics. It was more than a decade later that they began to collaborate. She had been on the road much of each year with Lake Street Dive and he had been developing his own solo act, just voice and guitar. The new disc expands the duo format, adding bassist David Piltch, drummer Joe LaBarbera, and keyboardist Larry Goldings.
Also this week, saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin unveils her fourth studio release, “Phoenix,” produced by Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring special guests Dianne Reeves, Patrice Rushen, and Wayne Shorter;
jazz-funk bassist Richie Goods and in-demand vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu expand their collaborative musical relationship with “Connected Vol. 1”;
and guitarist/composer Jim Witzel puts his own spin on the organ trio format of the ‘50s and ‘60s with “Feelin’ It.”