In response to the lockdown and results of the 2020 COVID pandemic, this album/cd was put together in order to raise needed funds to help musicians and others in the music “business” who are in financial straits. The result I material from studio and concert settings from the past few years, some already released and other here for the first time, all of it first class and worthy of hearing and financial support.
Most recent is an artsy trio of Esperanza Spalding/voc, Leo Genovese/p and Juan Chiavassa/dr on “Irma And Leo”, Jon Batiste goes solo on a Nat King Cole-ish stride and vocal of “Sweet Lorraine”, as does Hiromi on a lively “Green tea Farm”. Charles Lloyd and Kindred S pirits gives a loose and lyrical take of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and Salvant duets with Sullivan Fortner in fine stride for a coo of “Easy Come, Easy Go Blues”. There are definitely worse ways to support suffering musicians than buying this Whitman’s Sampler of modern ideas.