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Saxophoni
st, composer and author Walt Weiskopf has made in impressive mark as both a leader and sideman with over a dozen critically acclaimed discs and countless sideman credits. In 1983, he began a fourteen-year association with pianist and arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi, making seven recordings and touring the U.S., Japan and Europe several times with her orchestra. In 1993 Weiskopf began releasing his own CDs as a leader, with sixteen to his credit to date. Also in this time, he’s performed with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Steve Smith’s Jazz Legacy, and has had a long-running association with Steely Dan. He’s also among the most respected authors in the field, penning six books on advanced topics in improvisation. His new record, “The Way You Say It,” continues to show his evolution as a composer, bandleader and reed man, with organist Brian Charette, vibraphonist Behn Gillece and drummer Steve Fidyk helping to convey his clear and straight-forward message.
As a fearless force in the contemporary jazz world, Rene Marie has never been afraid to look into the more challenging places of human experience where love and contentment give way to discord and struggle. She now takes the process one giant step further with the release of her most personal album to date. “Sound of Red” is her first CD of all-original songs written and co-produced by the jazz chanteuse herself. According to Rene, it’s “an attempt to cover the spectrum of human emotion…to provide some kind of architecture to provide support in those moments when our emotions are not necessarily happy ones.” The disc features two-thirds of her longstanding trio—bassist Elias Bailey and co-producer drummer Quentin Baxter—with newcomer pianist John Chin. Rene summoned special guests for final polishing, including saxophonists Diego Rivera and Sherman Irby, trumpeter Etienne Charles and trombonist Michael Dease.
Also this week, jazz master Benny Golson offers up his first recording in seven years, “Horizon Ahead”.
Guitarist Peter Bernstein is joined by longtime collaborators Doug Weiss on bass and Bill Stewart on drums along with newcomer Gerald Clayton on piano as they “Let Loose”.
Pianist Danny Green reaches new creative heights on his fourth recording as a leader, “Altered Narratives.”