Bill Beuttler's picks
1. Joe Lovano, “I’m
All for You” (Blue Note)
The tenor sax- saxophonist’s
ballad
ophonist’s songbook with old
pros Hank Jones, George Mraz, and
Paul Motian is triumphantly melodic
from start (Lovano’s title tune) to
finish (a much-slowed down read of
John Coltrane’s “Countdown”).
2. Branford Marsalis Quartet,
“Eternal” (Marsalis Music)
Proof that younger cats can handle
ballads, too. Each band member
contributes a new piece here, with
three gloomy gems of yore added for
good measure.
3. Dave Douglas, “Strange
Liberation” (RCA Victor)
Trumpeter Douglas and saxophonist
Chris Potter are a fearsome
phonist front line, Uri Caine makes Fender
Rhodes worth hearing again, and the
talented rhythm section of James Genus
and Clarence Penn is augmented
by guitar star Bill Frisell.
4. Saxophone Summit, “Gathering
of Spirits” (Telarc)
This Coltrane-inspired three-way
blowing session for Lovano, Michael
Brecker, and Dave Liebman comes
off brilliantly
5. Bill Charlap Trio, “Somewhere:
The Songs of Leonard Bernstein” (Blue Note)
Charlap’s disc with bassist Peter
Washington and drummer Kenny
Washington generate as much excitement
via subtle artistry as the Bad Plus
does with sound and fury.
6. Andy Bey, “American Song” (Savoy)
When Bey got around to singing
standards, he became jazz’s most
intriguing male vocalist. His
breathy baritone caresses classics by
Ellington, Strayhorn, and others.
7. Enrico Pieranunzi, “Fellini Jazz” (Sunnyside)
The Italian pianist assembles
a crack lineup of all-stars - Kenny
Wheeler, Chris Potter, Charlie Haden,
Paul Motian - for an adaptations
of music culled from Fellini film scores.
8. Don Byron, ‘‘Ivey-Divey’’
(Blue Note)
Another successful homage, this
one inspired by a Lester Young trio album
with Nat Cole and Buddy Rich.
9. Patricia Barber, ‘‘A Fortnight in
France’’ (Blue Note)
Live albums rarely work out quite
right, but this one does and then
some. Barber’s noir-ish sensibility
and singing get the most attention,
but the lady can play piano, too, and
her three sidemen mesh with her for
a group sound all its own.
10. Von Freeman, ‘‘The Great Divide’’
(Premonition)
The 82-year-old Chicago tenor
man leads a quartet through a mix of
ballads, his own breakneck ‘‘Never
Fear Jazz Is Here,’’ and nods to Lester
Young, Coleman Hawkins, and Charlie
Parker.
Globe correspondent Bill Beuttler
writes the weekly Jazz Notes column.
