This Just In: A New Music Round Up – Friday March 8 from Music Director Sean McPherson

Greetings! Every Friday I’ll be bringing you some highlights of new music we are featuring here on Jazz88. This is all connected to This Just In, our weekly show that celebrates new jazz releases. You can catch This Just In, hosted by moi, on Fridays at Noon on 88.5 or catch it on your own schedule from our show page.

If you have input about the music we’re playing, or ideas about what else we should be playing, let me know please! I can be reached at sean@jazz88.fm.

Ned Kantar “After You’ve Gone” from his new album “All the Best from Minneapolis to Budapest” Listen Here

Nowadays technology is mostly making things worse. But from time to time I’m reminded about the experiences that technology affords us. Ned Kantar, an in-demand pianist and bandleader in the Twin Cities decided to dust off some big band charts during the pandemic and write some new ones. After a quick chat with fellow arranger Adi Yeshaya, Kantar concocted a plan to connect with a top-flight big band in Budapest who specialize in reading down charts for writers and arrangers from all around the world. The band is one of the best reading bands in the world and they shine on the early jazz classic. “After You’ve Gone”. Technology from time to time, delivers a win.

Nubya Garcia – “Fortify” a new single  Listen Here

When you hear a song from a saxophone player you might be expecting to hear a saxophone in the first section of the tune. But I have a theory on this friends. The longer a sax player waits to set in on a composition, the more amazing the stuff they’re gonna play when they do put reed to mouth. In this case when Garcia jumps in she delivers a strident melody that marches above the groove. The band keeps the intensity up throughout “Fortify” with soaring moments of greatness. Word is there’s more to come from Garcia and company, and that’s good news to my ears.

PSA – “Cliff Dunes” from their album PSA Listen Here

Pritesh Walia, Sharik Hasan and Avery Logan are an organ trio with an eye towards the future. The traditional sounds of the organ trio provides a great foundation for the group but they push further with both textures, instrumentation and most importantly, grooves informed by modern taste. One of the tunes from the album that stays on the more straight-ahead side of things is “Cliff Dunes”. As I was reviewing the song at my desk it felt like it was already on the radio. It sounds exciting, virtuosic and most importantly. . .it sounds like a song I would turn up a couple clicks when a DJ plays it. Sometimes a song just screams “turn me up a bit”. Such is the case with “Cliff Tunes”. Lean back and enjoy the groove. . .after you turn it up.

Pierre L. Chambers – “Lonely Girl” from his album Shining Moments Listen Here

The last name on Pierre L. Chambers immediately rings a bell for any bass playing jazz fans. Pierre Chambers is the song of the iconic 50s and 60s era bass player Paul Chambers. On his debut outing as a leader I hear a seasoned vocalist, deeply connected to jazz greatness. Like so many artistic pursuits, some of my favorite vocal performances stand out for what they don’t do. Free of vocal decorations, octave lifts or other fireworks, I hear Hefti’s song with the weight and emotion it deserves. In his performance Chambers is longing, is wishing. It’s their in every syllable and every low note held out across the bar line. It’s a stunning performance from a late bloomer who is nonetheless blooming all the same.

Thanks for checking out This Just In, and be sure to shoot an email over to sean@jazz88.fm if you have any input about our music programming!

-Sean McPherson

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