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 “My Grateful Dead experience began a few years ago when I was lucky enough to play a show with the Wolf Bros.,” says saxophonist Dave McMurray of the band led by Grateful Dead cofounder Bob Weir. “The long-form, odd measures and complex chords of the music hooked me immediately. I noticed the songs had great melodies…the music was catchy, psychedelic, raw…the more I listened the more I knew these songs would eventually become a vehicle for my jazz expression.” On the new record, “Grateful Deadication,” McMurray reimagines the songs of the iconic California rock band in his gritty, soulful Detroit sound.

     The Joshua Jern Jazz Orchestra began a quick ascension to the topmost ranks of Chicago big band jazz with the release of their debut album in late 2019 and subsequent live performances. Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic has hindered live performances everywhere, and the fledgling big band hasn’t had any opportunities to perform live in over a year. The extra time to shed and write, however, proved to be creative fuel for Joshua and the musicians in his band. Now comes their second album, “Lockdown,” a collection of original compositions and arrangements written by Jern featuring some of the Windy City’s finest players.

 Also this week, the long-awaited fourth release from The Capitol Bones, “The Beat Goes On,” features some of the best jazz players from the Washington, D.C. area;

saxophonist Dave Mullen and his ensemble offer a vigorous album of healing, heartfelt jazz dedicated to some of the music’s legendary voices on “Solace”;

    and bassist Will Lyle’s “L.A. Source Codes” brings musicians from three generations together on a recording dedicated to the memory of his mentor, Ralph Peterson.

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify     
“In Harmony” is the first previously unissued recording of the late Roy Hargrove since his passing in 2018. Captured live at Merkin Hall in New York City in 2006 and Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 2007 with the late piano great Mulgrew Miller, the set is an intimate snapshot of two masters performing without a net at the top of their games. Aida Brandes-Hargrove, president of Roy Hargrove Legacy, says, “Roy’s daughter Kamala and I are excited to get this great new album out to Roy’s many fans.”

     Will Bernard offers up a hearty meal of tastes and styles from his own harvest of “Ancient Grains” on his third release for Posi-Tone Records. With a modern jazz sensibility and elegantly lyrical compositional focus, the crux of this evocative musical program remains focused upon the fingers and strings of the expressive guitarist himself. Meanwhile the masterful contributions of B-3 organist extraordinaire Sam Yahel and the explosive metrics of drummer Donald Edwards provide several melodic highlights in addition to the rhythmic support necessary to keep the session deeply in the pocket.

Also this week, alto saxophonists Greg Ward, Sharel Cassity and Rajiv Halim come together to showcase their talents on “Altoizm”;

the Alpha Rhythm Kings’ new disc, “Sharp Dressed Men,” was one of the last recordings made at the world-famous Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California before it closed its doors;

      and San Francisco pianist Clifford Lamb continues his concept of jazz mashups, stirring his compositions into existing jazz works to offer a new perspective on history and culture on “Blues & Hues: New Orleans.”