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NEA Jazz Master Louis Hayes certainly personifies the term “living history.” He arrived in New York City in 1956 and joined the Horace Silver Quintet and, three years later, was working with Cannonball Adderly. He made several famous recordings with John Coltrane and, over the next 60 years, amassed a great body of work, playing and recording with Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green, Cedar Walton, Woody Shaw and many more. He is surrounded by his recording band of choice on his latest recording, “Artform Revisited,” which fondly recalls some of his old friends. His quintet features Steve Nelson on vibes, David Hazeltine on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Abraham Burton on sax.
“All in Good Time” is the fourth project under the banner Sheroes, an all-female band spearheaded by pianist, prolific composer and arranger Monika Herzig and produced by jazz legend Lenny White. It’s simultaneously a celebration of the group’s 10th anniversary and a salute to their perseverance. Together their chemistry is undeniable, as they skillfully navigate the challenging originals while delivering impassioned improvisations along the way.
Also this week, drummer Matt Wilson’s “Good Trouble” features much of the music we were treated to when his band played the Iowa City Jazz Festival earlier this month; building upon her Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning success, “Time and Again” showcases Eliane Elias’ unique blend of her Brazilian roots, jazz mastery, and a fusion of R&B and popular song influences; and Planet D Nonet continues their salute to one of jazz’s legends on “Echoes of Harlem: A Salute to Duke Ellington Vol.2.”