The only thing drummer Brandon Sanders has to prove on Compton's Finest, is his musicality. Here making his recording after being a successful, professional musician for nearly three decades, Sanders is past the youthful need for flashy pomp and circumstance. He instead focuses on serving the material-and supporting an ace roster of bandmates that includes vibraphonist Warren Wolf, tenor saxophonist Chris Lewis, pianist Keith Brown, and bassist Eric Wheeler-with taste and maturity. Based in New York, Sanders grew up in Compton, California-the famously troubled Los Angeles suburb. The title of the album is in the spirit of celebrating rather than denigrating the drummer's hometown. Between the lively, genial readings of the standards, the melodic soul of Sanders's two originals, or the masterful vocals from special guest Jazzmeia Horn on Stevie Wonder's "I Can't Help It" and Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood," Sanders's maiden voyage on record is a serious accomplishment.

WHAT YOU HEAR IS WHAT YOU GET

As far as drummer Brandon Sanders is concerned, everyone should have a grandmother who runs a jazz club. It was at the Casablanca, his grandmother's nightspot in Kansas City, that he was first exposed to the music of such greats as Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, and Lou Donaldson. Sanders may be long removed from those formative days, but on this CD, his sophomore recording for Savant, he pays homage to the influence and memory of his grandmother, Ernestine Parker, in the the album's first track, "Miss Ernestine." With his understated, whispery light touch on the drums, Sanders breathes fresh life into favorites, such as Parker's "Moose the Mooche" and Monk's "Four in One." The group shifts into pop mode on the Michael Jackson hit "Human Nature," which features guest vocalist Christie Dashiell, who also delivers a sensuous version of Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss." Featuring vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Keith Brown, bassist David Wong and saxophonist Chris Lewis, "The Tables Will Turn" marks another important chapter in Brandon Sander's career.

Winard Harper is one of the most dynamic drummers in jazz today. His sound melds traditional jazz with exotic African instruments pushing the boundaries of jazz with COME INTO THE LIGHT, his latest album. Recorded live at Cecil's, the newest jazz hangout in the Metro-New York area, featuring jazz standards and original tunes.

I WANNA BE LOVED

Alan Broadbent is one of New Zealand's favorite musical sons and perhaps the most well-known and multi-talented of them all. Many are familiar with his arranging and conducting for Sir Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, Pat Metheny and Michael Bubl�. Others may know Broadbent has received 8 Grammy nominations and won 2 Grammy Awards for Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal, one for Natalie Cole and one for Shirley Horn. On Like Minds, Broadbent takes a seat on the piano bench for his third Savant recording with his trio featuring the great bassist Harvie S and the colorful drumming of Billy Mintz. Together these men play with notable clarity and poise, and their performances - even those of familiar standards - are wonderfully tuneful, sometimes whimsical and often moving, with the overall effect always coming across as coolly engaging and totally spontaneous. "I'm averse to playing what I jokingly call 'big band trio arrangements,' where everybody plays the rhythmic hits," Broadbent explains. "I'll get a big band if I want to do that. For me, for the trio, I want it to change every time." Spontaneous and off-the-cuff these 9 tracks may be but the closer you listen, the more inventive and exquisitely crafted they sound, with the recording showing that, without a doubt, these three superb musicians are of like minds indeed.

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.

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.

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.

2018 release. Cannonball Adderley is considered to be one of the all-time greatest jazz musicians; one whose playing projected depth and command. But, he also possessed the rare ability to connect and uplift the listener, shouting out "joy" in every phrase. For his 90th birthday, "Jubilation!" celebrates the genius of Cannonball Adderley. Beloved veterans Jim Snidero (Downbeat critics' poll) and Jeremy Pelt create a formidable front line while David Hazeltine, Nat Reeves and Billy Drummond form an incomparable rhythm section. It's an all-star lineup celebrating a true jazz giant.

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 Var�se 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.

Montauk-the easternmost point of Long Island-has enjoyed a reputation as an idyllic land of the lotus and poppy but now is fully woven in to the Hamptons summer scene. The charms and views associated with that coastal existence served as a backdrop for the creation of this recording. Notable for a number of reasons-as the first live band date in a lengthy discography, and a first on-record meeting with drumming icon Billy Hart-this O'Connell session stands out. Recorded live at the Hamptons Jazz Fest, with an outfit of top-flight artists including saxophonist Craig Handy and bassist Santi Debriano, the performance was further heightened by the appearance of ebullient trumpeter Randy Brecker and the enthusiasm of attentive and engaged listeners. "Playing live brings out different things in each musician," observes O'Connell. "So I was very happy to do this and I think it was a great night with everybody on their A-game."

MONK'S CHA-CHA - SOLO PIANO LIVE

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.

It may be wintertime at this writing, a winter further darkened by the Covid crisis, but Bill O'Connell's optimistically-titled A Change is Gonna Come exudes some welcome warmth and sunshine. Even Bill's original "Covid Blues" displays a subtle sense of playfulness, entrusting the slightly off-kilter blues number to the distinctive tone color of Craig Handy's soprano saxophone. Likewise the plaintive melody of Sam Cooke's title track contains a note of optimism here. But with O'Connell at the helm we shouldn't be surprised by imaginative arrangements. He is a real triple-threat in jazz, equally well-known as a composer, arranger and instrumentalist, having honed his craft carefully from his days with Mongo Santamaria in the 70s, his involvement in the legendary ensemble, Jasmine, his gigs with Chet Baker, Gato Barbieri, Sonny Rollins and others and his long-time associations with Jerry Gonzalez's Fort Apache Band and the late Latin jazz flautist, Dave Valentin. A Change is Gonna Come features seven remarkable works by O'Connell, a four-time recipient of the Jazz Writer of the Year from SESAC, a tune by Trane, the title track by Sam Cooke and a unique take on the standard "My Foolish Heart." With Handy, Lincoln Goines, Pedrito Martinez and drummer Steve Jordon (currently taking over for the late Charlie Watts with the Rolling Stones) Bill O'Connell's latest Savant recording cements his place as a master of the broadest spectrum of musical styles, a giant of modern jazz and a member of Latin jazz royalty.