Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
Both a joyous ac
t of communion and a solemn farewell, “Beginning of a Memory” is a celebration of life, community and family expressed with the virtuosic wit and embracing humor that has made drummer Matt Wilson so beloved in the jazz community. Returning to the studio as a leader for the first time since his wife Felicia lost her battle with leukemia in 2014, Wilson convenes the closest members of his extended musical family, including all the members, past and present, of his longest-running ensembles: the Matt Wilson Quartet, Arts & Crafts and Christmas Tree-O. The result is a warm and loving commemoration, featuring new renditions of many of Felicia’s favorite tunes from past recordings interspersed with snippets of studio dialogue that capture the spirit of the session
Trumpet player Theo Croker’s new CD, “Escape Velocity,” doesn’t attempt to fit a single specific category, but draws upon the first principle of jazz: to merge and interpret history, styles and ideas and create a unique sound. Featuring his band DVRK FUNK (pronounced Dark Funk), it is his second release since returning from China where he lived and worked for nearly a decade. Of the group’s name, Croker explains, “Darkness has been labeled as a negative thing but the outer reaches of space are dark. Where life starts is dark. Dark is an endless possibility, infinite and unknown. That’s what we’re about.” Songs on the disc range from spiritual to upbeat, and are sometimes invested with a commitment to current events. The renowned jazz diva Dee Dee Bridgewater, who has served as a mentor to Croker for nearly a decade, makes a guest appearance.
Also this week, thr
ee alumni of the Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau Band, saxophonist Joel Frahm, drummer Marko Marcinko and keyboardist Ron Oswanski, form the Organik Vibe Trio for “Things We Did Last Summer”. Vibraphonist Warren Wolf finds himself alongside Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau, John Scofield, and Jeff “Tain” Watts for his third release as a leader, “Convergence”.
Trombonist Michael Dease has assembled a new sextet for his latest, “Father Figure.”