2018 release. Bill O'Connell's pianism has always been known for it's razor-sharp rhythmic sense, clean articulation and phrasing which is as affectionate as it is unfussy. And although the idiom often demands fire and verve one must never lose sight of O'Connell's graceful dynamics which give his lines interesting twists and turns that dart and swerve with spontaneous freedom. With friends like Randy Brecker, Craig Handy, Conrad Herwig, Andrea Brachfeld and Dan Carillo on hand, Jazz Latin is more than a release, it is an event.

When I go into the studio with these guys, it's not like I feel pressure. It's like, oh boy, let's go have some fun, ays saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, recalling how his previous Savant recordings came together. In short, the acclaimed veteran didn't want the fun to end. So now here we have another terrific recording to complement the reedman's impressive Savant discography and another chance to delight in the exceptionally responsive company he keeps. Revelling in the company of long-time partners bassist Dave Santoro and drummer Andrea Michelutti, Jerry also brings Pasadena-born pianist Bruce Barth into the studio. Jerry doesn't often record with a pianist �" when one cuts their musical teeth with a pianist like Dave Brubeck the titan's shadow must loom large over the keyboard but he and Bruce have become muy simpatico over the years and their interplay here is remarkable indeed. With Jerry's imaginative compositions and his intense approach to music-making, this is jazz that cuts you no quarter. The whole session swings, communicates and challenges as only Jerry Bergonzi can.

There's an old saying that a great jazz musician never plays a song the same way once. That could certainly be said of Jerry Bergonzi. He is an intellectual artist of uncompromising integrity and a bold, original composer. On Jerry's new Savant recording he returns to the organ-tenor trio format after a long hiatus from it. From the opening track, Cy Coleman's "Witchcraft" with it's hypnotic organ vamp and "bewitching" chord substitutions Jerry gives to the first 8 bars, you know this isn't going to be your parents' organ-tenor gig. Bergonzi and his discmates, Renato Chicco on organ and Andrea Michelutti on drums, take these standards down new harmonic paths and use them as a launching pad for fertile and impressive improvisation. The playing is always intense and distinctive, fresh and spontaneous.

Danny Grissett is definitely one of today's most exciting and respected pianists. The go-to keyboard man for the likes of Tom Harrell, Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffey and others Grissett also finds time to lead his own groups and is a composer of considerable merit. A rare artist who grips and holds attention, Grissett handles the classics of the American songbook with an aplomb equal to the way he deals with the rather complex structures of his own intricate compositions. A gifted improviser with splendid technique, the pianist can also offer warmth and affection in melodic lines, the balance of fine taste, pungent swing and a jubilant approach inevitably generating audience cheer. For his first recording as a leader for Savant, Grissett and company offer a varied and interesting set-list which mixes jazz standards and some of the pianist's own compositions.

THAT FEELIN'

It might strike as a paradox, but sometimes the brilliance of certain inventions can be measured by how obvious, how commonplace they seem. The music of Venezuelan pianist Silvano Monasterios is so easy-on-the-ear, so elegantly structured, and has such a casual, lived-in feel that it takes a bit to catch on to how sophisticated his work truly is. It's only after awhile that one notices the harmonic turns, the storytelling soloing, or his rhythmic vocabulary, especially his discreet use of traditional Venezuelan styles. Partly Sunny is Monasterios' second album for Savant, and his choices suggest that he feels no need to accommodate any conventional expectations about how Latin jazz should sound. Whatever someone might argue to be some essence of "Latin," is here integrated into the overall sound. With his working trio augemented with the great clarinetist Anat Cohen, saxman Troy Roberts and the colorful percussion of Robert Quintero, Monasterios has given us an album that is exuberant & visceral as well as personal & considered.

HEART BEAT

EVERYTHING IS COOL

Famed jazz percussionist and double-Grammy nominee Sammy Figueroa and Brazilian singer/songwriter Glaucia Nasser got together in Sao Paolo and created an album that presents a perfect balance of great musicianship and soaring vocals. Featuring guitarist Chico Pinheiro, pianist/composer Bianca Gismonti and pandeiro virtuoso Bernardo Aquilar this album is full of surprises. Sammy's percussion flows beneath the songs, with bursts of Uruguayan candombe, Cuban bata, Puerto Rican bomba and of course carnival samba, while Glaucia's pure sound is aspirational and heartfelt, transcending language.

RADIO FLYER

AMERICANA: MUSINGS ON JAZZ & BLUES

IMAGINARY WORLD

FIND A HEART

WHAT TIME IS IT

Tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen was born in Detroit, MI, on December 11, 1972. He is a member of the third wave of Young Lion mainstream jazz players. As a young man, he was influenced by the great musicians who stayed in Detroit, but upon his arrival in New York City his real apprenticeship began, as he worked with such notables as George Cables, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Frank Foster's Loud Minority big band, Butch Morris, David Murray, and Wallace Roney.