Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
In 1976, bassist/
composer/arranger/vocalist Gabriel Espinosa came to the United States from his home in Merida, Mexico, to study at Central College in Pella, where he received his B.A. in music. After picking up another degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston and his Master’s degree at North Texas, Gabriel returned to Central in 1996 to become Director of Jazz Studies, a post he holds to this day. For his new CD, “Songs of Bacharach and Manzanero,” Gabriel explores the common ground between two prolific and influential composers who came to prominence during the ‘60s in their respective countries—Burt Bacharach in the U.S. and Armando Manzanero in Mexico. With six-time Grammy Award-nominated singer Tierney Sutton handling the five familiar Bacharach tracks and Espinosa himself singing the Spanish lyrics of five tunes by his fellow countryman, this alluring concept album is brimming with the kind of sophisticated harmonies, unexpected chord progressions and changing meters that mark both acclaimed composers’ work, while also being unabashedly romantic at its core.
Walt Disney loved jazz and paid great attention to the writing of the music accompanying his heroes’ adventures. Dedicated teams wrote and performed these essential songs, several of which were nominated for or won Academy Awards, and many jazz and pop stars have covered them over the years, including Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Johnny Mathis and Linda Ronstadt. A selection of these classic tunes are given the big band jazz treatment on the new disc “Disney Loves Jazz,” featuring artists such as Gregory Porter, Melody Gardot, Stacey Kent and Jamie Cullum. Arranged and directed by Rob Mounsey, the CD celebrates the heritage of Disney music from beloved films such as “Cinderella,” “The Jungle Book,” “Lady and the Tramp” and more.
Also this week, Canadian pianist Will Bonness, a one-time member of Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau Band, unveils his second release as a leader, “Halcyon”.
One of Chicago’s most impressive reedman, saxophonist Mark Colby, features tunes from the soundtrack of his life on “All or Nothing At All”.
Pianist Ma
rtin Bejerano, a 14-year veteran of drummer Roy Haynes’ band, offers up his third release as a leader, “Trio Miami.”
Kurt Elling has investigated matters of the soul and of faith throughout his career. He’s done so through his choice of repertoire; his inventive use of poetry, some of which dates back to the thirteenth century; and through his own writing. Filling an entire album with such matters required a different effort. Making that disc an inclusive ode to Christmas raised the bar. “The Beautiful Day” is definitely a jazz record, but the material draws from several genres—from traditional carols to the modern soul of Donny Hathaway and the folk rock of Dan Fogelberg, with several delightful songs written by Leslie Bricusse for the lesser known 1970 film musical “Scrooge.” The arrangements come from Elling himself in collaboration with guitarist John McLean, bassist Clark Sommers, pianist Kendrick Scott and others.
Also this week, Detroit’s Planet D Nonet, known nationally for curating some of the best in early jazz traditions, features musical selections associated with the composer, lyricist, arranger and pianist Billy Strayhorn on “A Salute to Strayhorn”.
