Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions to popular music. With a voice that is as instantly recognizable as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles or Dr. John, Taj Mahal throughout his career has pushed the envelope of American music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues and jazz. With “Savoy,” he takes a new direction in his musical journey, exploring classics from the American songbook. Recorded with the hottest musicians in San Francisco, the disc is a loving throwback to the sounds of the swing jazz big band era, titled as a tribute to Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom.

Saxophonist/composer Wayne Escoffery grew up in London, moving often throughout his adolescence before settling in Connecticut, where he studied with the legendary Jackie McLean. A Grammy winner and DownBeat Critics Poll winner, he is one of the musical directors of the Mingus Big Band and has performed with a who’s who of jazz. He celebrates the chemistry shared by his closest musical collaborators on “Like Minds,” featuring special guest appearances by renowned vocalist Gregory Porter, legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell, innovative guitarist Mike Moreno, and vital percussionist Daniel Sadownick, who join Escoffery’s  highly acclaimed working quartet of pianist David Kikoski, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr.

Also this week, Grammy-nominated alto saxophonist/composer/arranger Christopher McBride offers up “Ramon”;

Chicago-based singer Tammy McCann blends a mix of jazz, gospel and blues on her new CD, “Do I Move You?”;

 and muscular modern jazz is served up by drummer Jae Sinnett’s Zero to 60 Quartet on “Commitment,” with special guest Randy Brecker.