Hey, Jazz fans!!!

     Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

When pianist Bill Charlap featured Tom Harrell at a recent gig with his trio at New York’s Jazz Standard, he summarized the trumpeter’s genius as concisely as anyone could. “It is our honor and privilege,” he announced, “to share the bandstand with a man who is a living, breathing melody.” For his new release, “Infinity,” featuring a razor-sharp quintet with saxophonist Mark Turner and guitarist Charles Altura, Harrell & company combine complex compositions, seductive rhythms, advanced harmonic concepts, vibrant solos and sheer inspiration on a disc that transcends the jazz idiom. This is perhaps Harrell’s most imaginative recording to date, with the scoring for the piano-less, tenor sax and guitar front line ensemble sui generis among his work.

     Born in Texas and raised on gospel, Quiana Lynell made her salient mark on the jazz scene in 2017 with her trio at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. That led to work with trumpeter Terence Blanchard and a period of mentoring on his part. He described it as “a serious vocal discovery.” In November of that year, she decided to vie for the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Award. She wowed the judges and audience with her vocal prowess that earned her the prize, which afforded her the opportunity to record an album for Concord Records. The result, “A Little Love,” is a feast of jazz, gospel, soul, groove and R&B featuring a powerhouse band including pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Jamison Ross and guitarist Ed Cherry.

Also this week, the Dave Zinno Unisphere further explores the Brazilian/Latin tributary of jazz on their second release, “Stories Told”

veteran Australian keyboardist Peter Clark, who’s worked with artists such as Oscar Peterson, Billy Eckstine and Shirley Bassey, unleashes “The 20-Man Music Machine”

and Israeli-born, New York-based guitarist and composer Yotam  Silberstein also delves into the world of Brazilian music on “Future Memories.”