Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
 Duchess’s embrace of merriment is not merely a by-product of the group’s natural joie de vivre; their commitment to joy stems from a deeply rooted belief that in troubled times, sharing and spreading happiness is a necessary act. On its third full-length release, “Live at Jazz Standard,” the trio featuring Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner and Melissa Stylianou evokes the swing and swagger of the Rat Pack and the tight harmonies of the Andrews Sisters. The musical simpatico the singers have honed since Duchess’s inception in 2013 can be heard in the evolution of the arrangements by Grammy-nominated arranger/producer Oded Lev-Ari.

     Jocelyn Gould is an accomplished guitarist and bandleader originally from Winnipeg, Canada. Mentored by acclaimed guitarist Randy Napoleon at Michigan State University, she relocated to New York City after graduation. Jocelyn has performed internationally in the groups of Freddy Cole, Etienne Charles and Michael Dease, to name a few. A passionate educator, she is head of the guitar department at Humber College in Toronto and has been a guest clinician at universities and colleges across North America. On her debut release as a leader, “Elegant Traveler,” Jocelyn demonstrates a total command of her instrument along with a delightful depth of talent as a composer and arranger.

Also this week, The Lost Melody, a trio that has been performing together for nearly twenty years featuring pianist Joe Davidian, bassist Jamie Ousley and drummer Austin McMahon, offers up a savory collection of originals on “New Songs for Old Souls”;

 Quebec-born trumpeter Rachel Therrien’s Latin-tinged sound is on display with her European quartet on her fifth album, “Vena”;

    and the Charles Pillow Ensemble’s “Chamber Jazz” fuses jazz with elements of music from French composers, most notably Ravel and Debussey.

    Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
 The dynamic young saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin presents “Pursuance: The Coltranes,” paying homage to two of the greatest musical innovators of the 20^th century, John and Alice Coltrane. Under the tutelage of jazz luminary and co-producer Reggie Workman, whose supple bass lines underscored countless of the Coltranes’ recordings, Benjamin assembled an astonishing cross-generational ensemble of over 40 jazz heavyweights for the project including Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Regina Carter, Jazzmeia Horn, Marc Cary, Steve Wilson, Keyon Harold and Marcus Gilmore.

 “Joy” documents the inspired collaborations saxophonist and composer Benjamin Boone experienced while living in Ghana for a year as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. He performed frequently with the Accra-based Ghana Jazz Collective, and the disc was recorded in his final week in country. Bathed in joy, exuberance and dance, the band tackles four Boone originals along with tunes by Herbie Hancock, Gerry Niewood, and Ethopia-based saxophonist Jonovan Cooper.

Also this week, saxophonist, composer and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Iowa Chris Merz offers up the second release of Christopher’s Very Happy Band, “While We Wait”;

the charismatic tenor saxophonist and composer Jan Harbeck, long a presence on the Denmark jazz scene, gathers his steady band of many years for “The Sound of Rhythm”;

 and singer Kandace Springs, who was mentored by Prince, pays tribute to the female vocalists who most impacted her music, stylings and journey with “The Women Who Raised Me.