Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
Saxophonist and co
mposer Chris Cheek has come to feel at home in a variety of musical contexts, from the infectious grooves of Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout to the challenging global music of Guillermo Klein. Much of his compositional style’s effectiveness stems from his love and use of the guitar. The fret masters he’s enlisted for his new CD, “Saturday Songs,” include longtime collaborator Steve Cardenas on guitar and pedal steel expert David Soler along with electric bassist Jaume Llombard. The musical polymath Jorge Rossy rounds out the ensemble on drums, vibes and marimba. The quintet came together for a short tour of Spain and, at Rossy’s recommendation, recorded the disc in Estivella, Spain.
Monika Herzig is a fearless and complete jazz artist touring internationally as a pianist, bandleader, award-winning author and advocate for jazz music, its genres and its players. For her new project, “The Whole World in Her Hands,” Monika showcases her artistry and those of top women band leaders and composers working in jazz today. Bringing together an all-star international band including guitarist Leni Stern, percussionist Mayra Casales, saxophonist/flutist Jane Bunnett, bassist Lindo Oh and others, Herzig presents a program of her exciting originals and those of her band mates.
Also this week, d
rummer Daniel Freedman is joined by Lionel Loueke, Jason Lindner and Omer Avital on his fourth release as a leader, “Imagine That”.
Drummer Scott Neumann and saxophonist Tom Christensen lead the quartet “Spin Cycle” on their debut release.
Pianist Stephen Anderson incorporates the traditional music of the Dominican Republic and uses some of the country’s foremost jazz musicians on “The Dominican Jazz Project.”