Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
It’s been 30
years since bassist extraordinaire Charnett Moffett burst onto the scene with his recording debut. Barely 20 years old but already drawing attention for his virtuosic, soulful contributions to seminal recordings by Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Jordon, Moffett immediately staked out his position as one of the leading voices of his generation. His new CD, “Music From Our Soul,” brings together an all-star line-up of collaborators from throughout the bassist’s life in music, in a variety of contexts and combinations that range from an Ellington classic to original compositions spanning free-jazz combustion, Coltrane-inspired spiritual seeking to blistering funk workouts, vigorous swing and powerhouse rock fusion. The cohorts include legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, ground-breaking guitarist Jordan, journeyman lead pianist Cyrus Chestnut, and iconic drummers Jeff “Tain” Watts, Mike Clark and Victor Lewis.
Ray Mantilla is a veteran percussionist, composer, bandleader and arranger who has played with such giants as Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Eartha Kitt, Cedar Walton and countless others. His new recording, “High Voltage,” features the Cuban trumpeter Guido Gonzalez, saxophonist Ivan Renta and vibraphonist Mike Freeman, among others, in a terrific setlist of jazz and Latin standards with a few surprises thrown in. The session is a kind of amalgamation of Mantilla’s Puerto Rican roots and the Afro-Caribbean style typified by his stint with Gato Barbieri.
Also this week,
trumpeter Nicholas Payton draws on a global array of beats, melodies and harmonic consciousness on his new set, “Afro-Caribbean Mixtape”.
Toronto-based trumpeter Rebec
ca Hennessy is joined by her Fog Brass Band for her first full-length release at the helm, “Two Calls”.
Trombonist 
Brett Gold debuts his New York Jazz Orchestra on “Dreaming Big.”