Big John Patton was a staple of the Blue Note Records roster during the heyday of soul jazz in the 1960s. The link between the bluesy hard bop of Jimmy Smith and the modal free-jazz explorations of Larry Young, Patton had a style that was funky and raw, emotional and honest and thrillingly visceral. In addition to being a respected and in-demand sideman, the keyboardist also made a name for himself as a bandleader and composer, defining the sound of acid jazz for decades to come. Jim Alfredson’s playing and writing for the trio Organissimo has been heavily influenced by Patton. His new project, “A Tribute to Big John Patton,” is his way of honoring the man and his music. The band he’s put together, Jim Alfredson’s Dirty Fingers, includes drummer Randy Gelispie, who performed many times with Patton as well as Jack McDuff, Don Patterson and Larry Young.

     Pianist Marc Cary has spent close to a decade honing a distinctive sound and improvisational approach with his enduring and much acclaimed Focus Trio. Despite a few shifts in the bass chair, and an ever-transforming array of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, the band’s original mission remains the same: “to bring indigenous rhythms together with American jazz to create new palettes of sound.” On “Four Directions,” the band’s first studio recording in eight years, Cary once again leads the boundlessly creative Sameer Gupta on drums and percussion with two new recruits, Burniss Earl Travis and Rashaan Carter, sharing the bass duties. Cary devotes the disc in part to an acoustic aesthetic—while also exploring a full range between organic and electronic sounds. This multi-dimensional approach has always been a hallmark of Cary’s musical identity.