Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
“Sonicwonderland” represents a new musical adventure for the constantly evolving pianist and composer Hiromi, who is a star in her native Japan and burst onto the music scene twenty years ago with her debut album. Recorded with a new quartet, called Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, the album features nine new works bursting with synthesizer and deep-in-the pocket grooves. Hiromi dazzles at the keyboard, striking a balance of playing that is powerful, aggressive and delicate. The new band features blossoming young talents Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums and Adam O’Farrill on trumpet.
“Basie Swings the Blues” is the latest recording by the legendary Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Scotty Barnhart. This extraordinary recording celebrates the deep-rooted connection between jazz and blues and illuminates their shared roots and reciprocal influence. Barnhart had a vision of the Orchestra swinging behind and with some of the greatest blues artists of the last and current century. He enlisted a stellar lineup of blues icons and contemporary stars including Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Cray, George Benson, Shemekia Copland, Ledisi, Mr. Sipp, Bettye LaVette and Charlie Musselwhite to help realize it fully.
Also this week, trombone virtuoso Bob McChesney takes us on a spiritual jazz journey with a collection of songs of praise on “Come Sunday”; the Eastern Iowa electronic jazz collective Wave Cage release their first full-length album, “Even You Can See in the Dark”; and Anthony Branker’s ninth album for Origin Records, “Spirit Songs,” is a re-issue of his debut recording as a composer/bandleader writing specifically for his ensemble Ascent.