Here are a couple tribute releases, one to a jazz artist, and one to a borough.
Tenor saxist Virginia Mayhew leads an adroit band with Dizzy alumnus Ed Cherry/g, Harvie S/b, Andy Watson/dr and Wycliffe Gordon/tb sitting in on some of the tunes composed by the iconic pianist. He delivers a beauty of a solo on the minor blues “Medi II.” Some of Ms. Williams’ most enduring and endearing tunes, “What’s our Story Morning Glory?” and “Cancer” (from her famous Zodiac Suite) feature some of the leader’s warm tenor work, as well as some driving rhythm work supplied by the young stallions on “O.W.” Nice steady as she goes mainstream music.
The Brooklyn Jazz Underground is a cooking little quintet that features a full front line of trumpet (David Smith), and various reeds and woodwinds (supplied by Adam Kolker and Dan Pratt)and a without a piano or guitar to accompany the bass (Anne Mette Iverson) and drums (Rob Garcia). You really don’t miss the chords at all, and the lightness of the sound keeps the music floating along very warmly. Except for the disjointed “JV,” most of the tunes have some cooking little grooves, such as the boppish “Starr St.” and the funky backbeat of “Osgood in Brooklyn.” An engagingly Oriental sounding “The Cherry Trees” is sweet and fragile, while the winding “The Cyclone” veers like a motorcross racer. Creative juices flow here.
Renma Recordings
BJU Records