Solo Piano Vol. 1 (self-produced) finds pianist Joe Block offering introspective takes on 16 selections. Most of the program encompasses Great American Songbook standards such as “My Ideal,” “All Too Soon,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Laura,” “Tomorrow,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” “White Christmas,” “Over the Rainbow,” “All the Things You Are”, and “I Remember You;” plus four tunes by Thelonious Monk, “Ask Me Now,” “’Round Midnight,” Monk’s Mood” and “Ruby My Dear.” Block takes distinctly individualistic approaches to his material. The most surprising selections are a brief uptempo stride take on “Laura” and a version of “All the Things You Are” where he plays no melody, only a series of block chords. Block demonstrate throughout the album precisely why he is among the most acclaimed young jazz musicians on the scene. He is a fine jazz pianist and his improvisations show his creative imagination. Listen to this collection and you will be anxiously waiting for subsequent volumes. Block was recently named one of five finalists in the 2027 American Piano Awards competition. (joeblockmusic.com)
Guitarist Dave Stryker always hoped gto record in the legendary studio of Rudy Van Gelder, but did not have an opportunity to do so until July 1, 2005. Joined by organist Jared Gold and drummer McClenty Hunter, Stryker recorded Blue Fire (Strikezone – 8828), a swinging set of nine selections mixing classic tunes such as “The Fool on the Hill,” Charlie Parker’s “Dexterity,” The Folks Who Live on the Hill” and “Summer Night” with four originals by Stryker and one by Gold. This guitar/organ/drums trio has been a staple of small group jazz, a format that often benefited from the engineering genius of Van Gelder. What Stryker and his partners have produced is a fine representation of this genre of jazz. Their approaches vary from the intensity of Stryker’s “Blue Fire” to the gentleness they bring to “The Foks Who Live on the Hill.” There is a bossa nova feeling to “The Fool on the Hill,” and the trio avoids taking “Dexterity” as a typical bebop speed exercise, rather letting the lines flow with a natural swing. Stryker has added to the catalog of guitar/organ/drums sessions with one that is immediately top tier. (davestryker.com)
Listening to Between the Lines (The Noir Collective) it is hard to believe that The BLCK Madonna (Ana Hoffman) is a relative newcomer to jazz. This is her first album, and as I listened to it for the first time, my reaction was “This lady can sing!” She is nicely supported by pianist Sam Towse, bassist Rafael Enciso, drummer Miguel Russell, and saxophonist Santosh Sharma. The eight-song program includes “Afro Blue,” “’Round Midnight,” “Body and Soul,” and “Night and Day”, among others. There is also an original song by Rafael Enciso, Hoffman came to jazz in a roundabout way, having been born of mixed parentage in Ghana, to a Ghanian mother and an American father who was serving in the Peace Corps, then moving to the United States where she eventually started studies as a pharmacist. While singing in a college chorus, she realized that was the direction she wanted to follow. It was during this phase of her development that she became attracted to jazz, and it has led to her current career path. She has an innate jazz feeling and a strong vocal style. This album should open many doors for her as her New York-based jazz singing career advances. (This album is available on all major streaming platforms.)
The background of vocalist Juliet Ewing is as a Broadway theater performer; however, she has an affection for jazz that led her to start singing standards in a jazz setting. Simply “S’ Wonderful (HoneyDiva Music/Lexicon Classics – LC 2507 combines her jazz influence with the songs of George and Ira Gershwin, among her favorite songwriters. She is accompanied by pianist Ron Drotas, who arranged 11 of the tracks, pianist Tedd Firth, who arranged “The Man I Love” and “The Lorelei,” bassist David Finck, and drummer Mark McLean. The other selections are “’S Wonderful,” “Love Is Here to Stay/They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” “Oh, Lady Be Good,” “Slap That Bass,” “But Not for Me,” “A Foggy Day,” “Embraceable You,” “Naughty Baby,” “I Got Rhythm”, and “Summertime.” Unlike many Broadway performers who move into jazz/pop vocalizing, Ewing lets the music flow naturally without the vocal excesses often present when performers make that transition. The simplest way to sum up this album is to conclude it’s ‘s wonderful! (julietewing.com)
Vocalist Jack Wood has a new album, For Every Man There’s a Woman (Jazz Hang Records – 1012), his 11th release. An established singer in Southern California, the Orem, Utah-based Wood also occasionally appears in Las Vegas. For this 15-song collection, he finds himself in a variety of musical settings. On three tracks, “For Every Day There’s a Woman,” “Our Day Will Come” and “Falling in Love with Love,” he sings with the Lenore Raphael Trio and special guest, guitarist Doug MacDonald. On the other tracks, he is accompanied by a variety of piano trios with various additional musicians, including four tracks with a pair of violinists present, “Two for the Road,” “Tristeze,” “Night Mood” and “The More I See You.” Wood has a strong baritone, swings naturally with a good jazz sensitivity and is comfortable at any tempo. This is a solid collection of straight-ahead tracks that avoids relying on overly familiar material. (jackwoodmusic.com).
Since the early 2000s, vocalist Mark Christian Miller has been a presence on the Los Angeles jazz scene. His fourth album, Strange Meadowlark (Sliding Jazz Door Productions), is a nine-song collection that finds him in the company of reedman Robert Kyle, pianist Chris Dawson, bassist Chuck Berghofer, and drummer Joe LaBarbera for seven tracks that include “Mr. Kicks,” “You Make Me Feel So Young,” and “Strange Meadowlark/Skylark”, among others. On “Early in the Morning,” Josh Nelson takes the piano seat, and on “Sometimes” Miller self-accompanies himself on piano. His light baritone makes for easy listening ,and he handles each lyric with appropriate sensitivity. This is the kind of music that one could once find in a variety of intimate music rooms, but in these times, those who dig these sounds must rely mostly on recordings like this one. (markchristianmiller.com)
For several decades, vocalist Brad Schrager has been performing songs from the Great American Songbook at private clubs. He recently released his first album, Late Nights (self-produced), a seven-tune program with musical director/pianist Jerry Vezza, saxophonist Andrew Van Tassell, bassist Alex Clafffy, and drummer Khary Abdul-Shahid in support. Schrader has a great feeling for the standards and puts them across with a light baritone. For this album, he has chosen such selections as “Time After Time,” “I Wish In Knew,” and “It Never Entered My Mind.” Vezza offers wonderful accompaniment and has created charts that perfectly set Schrager’s vocals. This is wonderful music for your late-night listening! (www.latenightsjazz.com)
Vocalist James Judson has an interesting background. He played drums and guitar in country rock bands until his mid-30s when he dropped the music to pay attention to his construction business, one that he grew into a multi-state operation. On a trip to Los Angeles in 2019, he met a local singer songwriter named Don Taicher who convinced him to delve back into his musical past. Jordan bought a guitar and soon was writing songs and developed a jazz sensitivity which has led to the release of Songs of My Dreams (self-produced), a 13-song collection featuring a terrific big band plus a string section performing 13 selections, 11 of which are Judson originals. He also does takes of “The Shadow of You Smile” and “All of Me,” a duet with Laura Cole. Judson proves to be a fine vocalist with a smooth baritone voice, and his songwriting is influenced b the classic standards of the Great American Songbook. Jordan’s return to the world of music is a welcome one as his singing recalls the pop/jazz style of Sinatra and his acolytes, while his tunes should be picked up by other singers of this genre. (jamesjudson.com)
