Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify  

Guitarist George Freeman is jazz history. His memories burn bright from a childhood surrounded by jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller stopping by his home for a visit and to play the piano. His life in music has taken him around the world as a spirited sideman for a roster of jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Gene Ammons, Johnny Griffin and Dinah Washington. But home and family in Chicago is where his heart is. Growing up with his eldest brother and drummer Eldridge and brother Von on tenor sax, George was destined to forge his own unique sound on the guitar. He celebrated his 95^th birthday last month with the release of “Everybody Say Yeah,” a new CD documenting his recordings from Southport Records that span twenty-six years of music.

     To say that acclaimed New Orleans street band Tuba Skinny has grown steadily popular over the past decade would be an immense understatement. Over the years, they’ve attracted a wide variety of fans with the strength of their musicianship and the scope of their jazz and American roots music catalog. However, following the release of a 2020 compilation album and a collaboration with Maria Muldaur, it became apparent that it was time for Tuba Skinny to release a record of their own songs. That dream has been fulfilled with the release of “Magnolia Stroll.”  

Also this week, the Vancouver-based bass player John Lee exudes an unerring sense for swing and radiates deep joy on his exceptional debut recording, “The Artist”;

Jesse Palter takes her place as one of the next generation of great singer-songwriters, stretching her jazz chops into the mainstream of American music on “Nothing Standard”;

       and saxophonist Doug Webb unveils his 11^th release for Posi-Tone Records, “The Message.”

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify 
“Late Bloomin’ Jazzman,” the newest album by vocalist and songwriter Mark Winkler, is an homage to growing older and all the blessings and drawbacks that come with it. The album is Winkler’s 20^th as a leader. He wrote lyrics to eight of the 12 tunes, and covers a lot of personal topics on the album. He writes about his love of George Gershwin, film noir, and the songs of Rio. He also writes of about losing his husband, finding love again, and about a close friend ravaged by Alzheimer’s disease.

      Guitarist and vocalist Phill Fest was born in Minneapolis. He grew up in a musical family and was exposed to Brazilian music and American jazz from the start. Phil’s father was Brazilian keyboardist and recording artist Manfredo Fest, who worked with Sergio Mendes in the 1970s, and his mother was a composer and music teacher. Phill has toured the world with many national acts, performing jazz, Brazilian, and Tropical jazz. “Seresta” is his fourth release as a leader.

Also this week, the Italian musical prodigy Alberto Pibiri, who has worked with Sheila Jordan and Dave Stryker among others, unveils his fourth recording, “Stardust”;

 Armenian-born Los Angeles-based pianist Tigran Hamasyan offers up a program of standards and originals on “Standart”;

and drummer Daniel Glass, who has recorded and performed with several chart-topping artists from the Brian Setzer Orchestra to the Royal Crown Review, creates a virtuosic sound that is infectious, fun and incredibly entertaining on his new trio disc, “Bam!”