Few can claim the title of living legend. Kenny Burrell is just such a person. In fact he's more he's living history, past, present and future. His credentials are voluminous and accomplishments staggering, and he hasn't stopped. Today, he is active recording and performing, a respected educator, and an elder statesman of the music. His legacy is pervasive. His soulful sound and approach have influenced virtually everyone claiming a jazz pedigree but extends to many outside the genre, a la Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Steve Howe, Andy Summers, and Freddie King. Here Burrell is backed by some of his favorite West Cost colleagues in a varied program of standards and few originals by the leader himself, including one brand new composition. Also on hand is the exuberant voice of Barbara Morrison who brings her tremendous talent and personality to three tracks.

Guitarist Joel Harrison's 25th CD, Anthem of Unity, brings together a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble that showcases his most pointed and focused work as a jazz musician yet. The team of Gary Versace, with his virtuosic and soul-drenched B-3 organ, Greg Tardy, one of our finest jazz woodwind players, and the legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette, exhibits extraordinary musicianship in a program of six Harrison originals, Sonny Rollins' "Doxy," and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'." Tardy shows the range of his considerable abilities here, developing interesting ideas and phrases throughout his many solos. Versace has been about everywhere at this point, with giants such as Maria Schneider, the late John Abercrombie, Kurt Elling, Al Foster, and he anchors the bottom end on the Hammond as DeJohnette continually ignites the band. This is a blowing session, at times tender and at times volcanic, whose interplay and organic, visceral power is palpable from the first to last tune.

Session dating from 1952 finds the wild man of the tenor sax in an exuberant mood - he & his band romp through 7 tunes, then Dinah Washington comes out for her set & sings a handful of her tunes before spying trumpeter Cootie Williams in the audience & inviting him up for a run-for-cover jam on "I Got It Bad"

ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS: ETTA JONES AS WE LOVED HER

LIVE AT THE THREE DEUCES 2

David "Fathead" Jordan, a native of Dallas, came to national prominence in the 1950s while working wit the legendary Ray Charles. He has been a reliably swinging force on the scene and a imaginative, well-respected leader for the past 4 decades. With keyboard giant John Hicks, Winard Harper propelling the rhythm along with vibist Bryan Carrott, the Gift is most definitely a hip way to start out the year.

CHICAGO FIRE

ALONE

This is third album by one of the world leading exponents of vocal improvisation, Sheila Jordan. Featuring musical back by by the Steve Kuhn Trio and a guest appearance by Tom Harrell.

Playing jazz is a lot like love itself. It is as much about poignancy as it is about joy. It is Jeremy Pelt's understanding of this dichotomy of passion and restraint that makes this album so compelling. The set list is as all-encompassing as a love affair - from the straight-ahead feeling of "I Can't Escape from You" to the breathless stillness of his muted trumpet on "There'll Be Other Times." His sly, half-valve effects on "Blues in Sophistication" show an impish delight while Henry Mancini's "Slow Hot Wind" throbs with an ever so discreet Latin feel. This may be considered a "with strings" record but Pelt does not let this descend into a vibrato-laden string sound. There is an unusually classical feel to this album with the string quartet supporting, reinforcing and commenting on Pelt's playing rather than sugar-coating it. Buddy Rich once said, "Jazz should be treated the same as classical music." He was right. He "got it" and, as evidenced herein, so does Jeremy Pelt.

Have a close encounter of the jazz kind w. tenor icons Teddy & Houston - this sax battle is more complimentary than confrontational, and their easy rapport is evident on these swinging tunes that are full of warmth & humor

Bassist makes his HighNote debut w. a well-planned program of original tunes, classics, a pop tune & Astor Piazzolla's wonderful "Prelude To A Cyclical Night", feat. Israeli-born violinist Miri Ben-Ari, the ensemble produces a vast spectrum of musical color

Veteran saxophonist explodes back on to the jazz scene w. Coltrane-inspired music w. a Latin tinge, straying away from his Panamanian heritage, feat. Carlton Holmes-pno, Brad Jones-bss, Shingo Okudaira-drms, Neil Clarke-perc

Here is the under-recorded vocalist Andy Bey, backed only by his own piano playing - which at one time, propelled the bands of Roland Kirk, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Cecil Taylor and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis - singing with a luxuriant, mature approach that pulls no punches. His delivery is totally unique. He has a message to get out, a story to tell and tell it he does. Featuring four of his own intensely personal compositions the set list is as thought-provoking as it is satisfying, just like Andy Bey himself.

FINE ARABIAN STUFF

Album highlights jazz guitarist's uncanny ability to revisit jazz standards & imbue them with new life & ideas; this session was recorded at the famed Van Gelder Studios & features Ronnie Matthews, Mark Sherman, Yoron Israel & others.

Tenor sax player is recorded here at the famed Harlem night spot, joined by a young Thelonious Monk & Helen Humes (in Monk biographies, the Minton sessions are viewed as his emergence)

Veteran jazz man leads an all star assault recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's place, feat. pianist John Hicks, trumpet/flugelhorn player Don Sickler, bassist Ray Drummond & drummer Kenny Washington

Jazz vocalist gives a program of standards from the rich repertoire of American popular music

This recording has not been available since it's initial release in France in 1959; on the album, tenor sax genius Thompson is joined by an extraordinary back-up group feat. Martial Solal, perhaps one of the most original jazz pianists to come out of Europe

The incendiary tenor of Carlos Garnett burns through a set of original works & a Gershwin favorite - Russell Gunn joins in as a guest musician

Father & son duke it out on B-3 organs on this funky family fued, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's place, feat. Bootsie Barnes, Houston Person, Melvin Sparks & Byron Landham

At first, there was the Blues and Jazz and then there was Latin music-lots of it-traditional Cuban, Purto Rican, Caribbean, Brazilian and more. Once Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo joined their creative and music forces the percolating & uplifting beats & rhythms of Latin music were infused with significant doses of the expression, fire and heat of jazz improvisation and chord changes... The music world itself was changed. And, it appears to have changed forever.

Larry Willis sits down in the famed Fazioli piano showroom in Italy for this 2012 HighNote solo piano recording which highlights his inexhaustible imagination, the stunning sound of the Fazioli piano and songwriting abilities of the composers represented here. Whether it be Kurt Weill's hauntingly beautiful "My Ship," the pop-tinged "True Love," by Cole Porter or his own compositions, Larry Willis displays the intense creativity and impeccable taste which made him the preferred pianist of greats such as Jackie McLean, Nat Adderley, Carmen McRae, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw and others.

Tomorrow's Another Day may be trumpeter and composer Jeremy Pelt's most experimental recording to-date, with greater emphasis on the dynamic aspects of sound. This thought-provoking record gets a huge lift from the participation of drummer/technologist Deantoni Parks, who previously has lent his remarkable talents to such visionaries as Meshell Ndegeocello and Andre 3000. Pelt's newest band features Jalen Baker (vibes), Wintz (gtr), Leighton McKinley Harrell (bs) and Allan Mednard (dms), with Frank LoCrasto (pno) on two tracks. The ensemble seamlessly works together to produce a unique galaxy of sounds which have the ability to evoke gritty scenes that pulse with primal energy or surge transcendently skyward. Through it all, it is the trumpet and creative presence of Pelt which provides a sense of ballast to the myriad sounds and textures, with an intensely personal and mesmerizing weave of arguably some of the most stunningly imaginative and communicative work he has given us so far.