Recorded on July 9th, 1986, this 12 track album features the solo piano of Art Hodes and features the songs Glad to Be Here - Squeeze Me - 42nd Street - the Pearls - Summertime - How Long Blues - Beale Street Blues - Grandpa's Spells - St. James Infirmary - Sweet Georgia Brown - Tennessee Waltz.

12 songs recorded in 1942 by Gene Williams for the Jazz Information label, which was part of Commodore at the time, plus two very different takes of Big Chief Battle Axe and Franklin Street Blues that were recorded for Purist Records in England. Some of the finest work this New Orleans jazz legend ever did!

Though the term "visionary" is rather overused, it certainly applies to tenor saxophonist and composer JD Allen. A musical sponge of sorts, Allen is a remarkable amalgam of a wide variety of musical styles and influences, blurring the boundaries of contemporary jazz by creating a dynamic fusion of tradition and modernity. There is a decidedly "third stream" quality to Allen's compositions, combining as they do advanced classical compositional techniques, the incorporation of electronic sounds and the distillation of historic jazz genres such as call and response, field hollers and, of course, the blues. This type of music relies on the total dedication of all the performers and Allen's latest recording features three of his regular colleagues, the acoustic and electric basses of Gregg August and Ian Kenselaar and the remarkably expressive drummer, Nic Cacioppo. These men have worked with Allen on his previous Savant recordings, perhaps most notably on the unofficial trilogy of "Americana," "Americana Vol. 2" and "Barracoon," and can be considered kindred spirits with their leader. Together, they delve into themes of culture and history, offering moving narratives through their sophisticated approach and profound improvisational skills.

With his alto sound soaring over a sax trio format on For All We Know, Jim Snidero demonstrates why he is a critical link in the alto saxophone lineage. Snidero pares down the soundscape to it's essence, utilizing a selection of standards to illuminate a rare combination of virtuosity, musicality and depth along with jazz masters Peter Washington-bass and Joe Fransworth-drums. With a tone quality that's second to none-Stereophile cited his sound as "one of the richest and purest on the planet"-Jim Snidero has showcased an enviable resonance in myriad contexts over the better part of the past four decades and 25 previous releases. Now, placing himself in the most exposed setting he's ever inhabited, Snidero reaches the apex on the alto saxophone.

Boston doesn't get enough credit as a jazz town. From the days of the Storyville club and Cambridge-based Transition label to the star factory that is Berklee College of Music, the city stands tall against more celebrated places like Chicago and Detroit. One big part of that high level of creative output is Jerry Bergonzi who, for this date, leads his most Bostonian band in recent memory, reuniting with trumpeter pal Phil Grenadier and drummer Luther Gray. Bassist Harvie S came up from New York for the gig and it was he who suggested guitarist Sheryl Bailey for the album. She completes the Boston connection with her position as the Assistant Chair of Berklee's legendary Guitar Department. "To work with Jerry and study and perform his music is the definition of a dream come true," says Bailey who has played with artists ranging from Ken Peplowski to Shingo Okudaira. Here, Bergonzi has convened a fine band for a compelling album, another feather in Boston's tricorn hat.

Time was when the use of any electronically-generated effects in an artist's work, would immediately brand you as a member of the avant-garde. Eventually, however, jazz embraced the modernism of electronics as people like Rashaan Roland Kirk, John Zorn and classical composers like Edgard Varese took electronics down a less self-destructive and more communicative road. On THIS, tenor saxophonist and composer JD Allen explores the possibilities of electronics+jazz with a set of new compositions for himself, drummer Gwilym Jones and electronics effects wizard Alex Bonney. These works exhibit an astonishingly wide spectrum where you may find modal, blues-infused melodies juxtaposed against startling and provocative electronic effects. There can be a slim line in jazz between being a traditionalist troglodyte and being a radical visionary. On his latest recording, JD Allen has demonstrated that there is a musically satisfying and emotionally fulfilling middle ground.

FAR FAR AWAY is a sonic powerhouse, leveraging every aspect of this magnificent, all-star quintet. Kurt Rosenwinkel's searing, innovative playing is on full display, Jim Snidero demonstrates a broadsword of a sound, and the rhythm section of Orrin Evans, Peter Washington and Joe Farnsworth groove and interact at the highest levels of artistry. Building on the 5-star success (Down beat Magazine) of LIVE AT THE DEER HEAD INN, which included Evans, Washington and Farnsworth, Snidero adds fuel to the fire with the addition of Rosenwinkel's highly influential guitar style. The result is an inspired performance bursting at the seams with musicality and drive. Jim Snidero's six originals create the perfect mix of current trends and tradition. Swing, Latin, and Euro grooves are all represented, yet the album is surprisingly cohesive, flowing from one tune to the next. The classics "It Might as Well be Spring" and McCoy Tyner's deeply relevant "Search for Peace" round out this amazing release.

Together with Americana: Musings on Jazz and Blues, and Barracoon, two of JD Allen's previous Savant releases, Americana, Vol. 2 forms a trilogy of sorts, exploring and encapsulating a universal spirit based in roots and reflection. But despite the profound political, racial, financial and historic issues examined by Allen and company, at the central musical core of all three recordings is the underestimated but crucial role the blues has played in the history of jazz and how it continues to evolve and influence the art form today. On Americana, Vol. 2 Allen continues this investigation with his long-time colleagues Gregg August and Rudy Royston, but is now joined by guitarist Charlie Hunter, who shares not only Allen's interest in the blues and it's legacy, but they also share many similar life experiences. As Allen himself says, "(Charlie's) music brings light to me as a listener. When we met, we found out that we grew up in different areas of the country, but our experiences happen to be very similar. That's Americana right there. I wanted that on this record." Here the blues not only provides a welcome outlet for tension and gentle melodicism but it also gives us an unflinching look into deep-seated and long-lived injustices, particularly via the almost expressionistic utterances of three trio-only tracks. Once again JD Allen shows himself to be a player and composer as remarkable for his directness of communication as he is for the sometimes unforgiving sternness of his message.

In JD Allen's liner notes for Queen City, it becomes clear that he spent a great deal of time thinking about how the pandemic has impacted his relationship with music and specifically his saxophone.  In the notes Allen writes, "Performing music for and with people is what I do and I've come to the realization that an audience of listeners of any size is a part of the music; it's also a shared experience. Covid-19 changed that and forced me to try to remember why I started playing in the first place, the years before I started performing and recording."  The tenor saxophonist's response to his period of introspection is this current recording, a solo saxophone program.  It is a recording full of stark, uncompromising power, affording some rare insight into the psyche of the performer.  This is not a Coleman Hawkins' "Picasso"-toned, I-love-my-horn-and-my-horn-loves-me type of symbiosis.  There is a real sense of confrontation between Allen and his horn and, by extension, the audience which makes for a unique listening experience.  This is not to imply that Queen City is some severe piece of avant garde abrasiveness.  Rather, it encompasses an extraordinarily wide-range of musical languages which communicates an equally broad spectrum of emotions.  Melodies   of ravishing beauty alternate with angular, aggressive phrases to express frustration, anger, resolve, hope, love and acceptance in what may become one of the most personal and revealing recordings to come out of the trying time of Covid-19.

For three decades Mike LeDonne has been an exceptional avatar of the Hammond B3 organ. Forged by his impressive jazz apprenticeship, with the likes of Milt Jackson, George Coleman and Benny Golson, LeDonne comes from a long and distinguished line of masters of that instrument. And for eighteen years, he's lead the Groover Quartet his formidable foursome consisting of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Joining the quartet is the great drummer Mike Clark. After collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton and others, Clark has influenced a generation of percussionists and brings his own unmistakable style to two tracks on the CD.