Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify

With his career at the highest levels of the music industry spanning a half-century, Grammy nominated composer/arranger John La Barbera doesn’t have much left to prove. Thanks to his early career in helping to define the sounds of the Buddy Rich Band, Woody Herman, Bill Watrous, and so many others, La Barbera’s works have become jazz big band standards. For his new album, “Grooveyard,” he gathered a band of equals in New York City and spent some time recording his latest and best hard swinging arrangements. Along with his equally storied brothers Pat on saxophone and Joe on drums, he was joined by jazz royalty including Steve Wilson, Renee Rosnes, Clay Jenkins, and the legendary bassist Rufus Reid.

Award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader Rubim de Toledo continues to expand his fertile catalogue of music with the exciting new release, “The Drip.” De Toledo has secured a position as one of Western Canada’s most celebrated musical artists. He has shared the stage with a long list of international stars, including the likes of Mulgrew Miller, Dick Oatts, Wycliffe Gordon, Bob Mintzer, Terell Stafford, and Peter Bernstein. On his new record, his seventh in all, the Brazilian-Canadian musician delves deeper into his tropical roots, exploring sounds from Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, as well as Afrobeat, funk and jazz.

Also this week, keyboardist Chris Hazelton takes organ music back to its traditional “After Dark” setting alongside a quintet of Kansas City’s finest; Mexican-born, Detroit-based percussionist Alberto Nacif offers up latest disc from his band Aguanko, “Unidad”; and guitarist and producer Juan Carlos Quintero blends contemporary jazz with the musical styles of his native Colombia on “Desserts.”