Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Renowned for her creative imagination and finesse, celebrated Montreal-based pianist and composer Kate Wyatt has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most compelling voices. For her second release as a leader, she’s joined by Montreal jazz heavyweights Adrian Vedady on bass and Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums. The concept of “Murmurations”—inspired by nature’s spectacle of birds moving in unison—perfectly captures the essence of the album. The trio delivers a collection of original compositions by each member, weaving together sensitivity, spontaneity, and a nearly telepathic interplay.
Modern Exotica ensemble The Waitiki 7’s new venture, “Exotica Reborn: In Studio and Live at House Without a Key,” is a captivating collection that revitalizes the lush, atmospheric sounds of Hawaii’s golden age of Waikiki. Drawing on two decades of dedication to preserving and advancing the Exotica tradition, the seven piece ensemble weaves together jazz virtuosity, folkloric influences, and mid-century sophistication into an immersive sonic experience that transports listeners to faraway places with a single note.
Also this week, pianist Jay D’Amico’s love for the music of composer Frederick Chopin is the inspiration for his original compositions on “Ginevra”; organist Linda Dachtyl, hailing from Columbus, Ohio, one the most fertile areas of the world for jazz organ music, unveils her latest release, “Full Steam Ahead”; and clarinetist James Danderfer is supported by an all-star ensemble including trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonist Cory Weeds and pianist Miki Yamanaka on his new disc, “If Not Now.”