The main stream of jazz flows well with these recent releases…
Drummer David Whitman took his Art Blakey vitamins the mornings of this recording with Bob Sheppard-Rob Lockart/ts, Andrew Neesly/tp, Ryan Dragon/tb, Geoffrey Keezer/p, Bruce Forman-Chris Montgomery/g and Rob Thorsen/b, as he’s in a Jazz Messenger swinging “Time Out, with Neesley’s muted horn working well with Forman’s slick strings on “Bop This”. Whitman gets funky as he boogaloos on “Home” and Lockart is warm ad bel canto for “With Love”. “Ode to Joe” is a salute to the Blue Note tenor master, featuring Sheppard in glorious tribute, but the entire album is a salute to a style; like blue jeans, a dress shirt and blue blazer, it never wears out. Did I mention the Bass Weejuns?
Trombonist Emmett Goods brings together a unit of Nathan Edwards/ts, Haneef Nelson/tpfh, Andrew Wilcox/p, Richie Goods/b, Mark Whitfield jr/dr and a c ouple guests for timeless tones of hard bop. Goods has a warm and confident sound, muted on the lovely “Faith and L ove” and testifying with boldness on the gospelled “Triedstone”. Atla DeChamplain brings a sweet soul’d voice to of “Sweet Dreams” and guest Shedrick Mitchell’s organ adds the Sunday morning mood to “Goods Brothers”. Edwards is bold and beautiful on the sleek “”October Tune” and Nelson is crisp on “B ennett Street Blues”. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich of jazz.
www.shiftingparadigmrecords.com