The Scorzo Project – “Speak My Name”
Violinist/composer Harry Scorzo delivers a rich and engaging set with Speak My Name, blending Latin Jazz, Afro‑Cuban grooves, and thoughtful arrangements. Joined by Didi Scorzo (vocals), Joe Rotondi (keyboards), Eddie Resto (bass), and Ricardo “Tiki” Pasillas (percussion), Scorzo draws on his deep experience to craft music that feels both classic and fresh.
The album’s standout moments include “Way Out West,” where Scorzo’s expressive violin intertwines beautifully with Jessica Valiente’s flute, and “Autumn Wind,” a richly melodic piece that captures the ensemble at its most nuanced.
With its top‑tier musicianship and inspired writing, Speak My Name succeeds as an album for both deep listening and pure enjoyment — a testament to Scorzo’s artistry and the tight chemistry of his band
Brandee Younger
Gadabout Season
(Impulse!)
Jazz harpists (as opposed to harmonica player) have always been pretty rare, especially those who solo on a world class level. Brandee Younger made her recording debut in 2006 with Ravi Coltrane, led her first album in 2012, and in 2021 made her first of three CDs (so far) for the Impulse label.
Gadabout Season is the brilliant harpist’s most intimate session as a leader. It is primarily a trio date with bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard. Brandee Younger sees Gadabout Season as a musical diary of what was for her a challenging year. The songs, all originals, include moody and introspective works (“Reckoning” and “Reflection Eternal”), likable grooves (“Breaking Point”), ballads (including “Surrender” which has Courtney Bryan on keyboards), and medium-tempo numbers. Shabaka Hutchins’ flute is an asset on “End Means” and he plays clarinet on the relatively playful title cut. Niia contributes background vocals to “Unswept Corners” and saxophonist Josh Johnson is on the closing ensemble piece “Discernment.”
Overall, Gadabout Season (available from www.amazon.com) is an atmospheric work with some of Brandee Younger’s most inventive and heartfelt playing. Alice Coltrane would have enjoyed it.
Joe Farnsworth
The Big Room
(Smoke Sessions)
Joe Farnsworth has played drums in a countless number of jazz settings through the years, always uplifting the music. Since 1998 he has occasionally led his own record dates of which The Big Room is his tenth overall and fourth for Smoke Sessions.
On this album, Farnsworth leads an all-star sextet that offers him a musical embarrassment of riches. The veteran drummer is joined by the always-exciting trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, the up-and-coming altoist Sarah Hanahan, vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist Emmet Cohen, and bassist Yasushi Nakamura. The program begins with a blazing tune by Hanahan (“Continuance”) that has hot solos by each of the musicians other than the bassist. Pelt and Ross are in the forefront on Ross’ ballad “What Am I Waiting For.” It is followed by Pelt’s medium-tempo blues “All Said And Done” and the title cut which is a free improvisation duet by Farnsworth and Ross. While the drummer is best known for playing swinging hard bop, this successful performance is an effective change of pace for him.
The group returns to swinging on “Radical,” Pelt is showcased on “I Fall In Love Too Easily,” Cohen’s uptempo original “You Already Know” inspires passionate solos, and the set closes with the leader’s “Prime Time,” a boogaloo that will leave listeners with a smile on their face.
Everything works well on this enjoyable release. The Big Room is available from www.smokesessions.com.
Bela Fleck
BEA Trio
(Thirty Tigers)
In his career, Bela Fleck has consistently taken his banjo to places it had rarely ventured before. While his background in bluegrass might seem conventional, Fleck has since featured his banjo in classical music, several styles of jazz, World Music, folk, and unclassifiable mixtures of styles. Playing with his group the Flecktones, he could be called the world’s first fusion banjoist. Whether it was performing duets with Chick Corea, being showcased instead of a piano on “Rhapsody In Blue,” or interacting with artists from a variety of genres, Fleck has always shown that the banjo has unlimited potential and should not be confined to bluegrass and Dixieland.
BEATrio is a group consisting of Fleck’s banjo, harpist Edmar Castaneda, and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Strangely enough, nowhere on their CD does it list their instruments; the three musicians are all well-known but this was an oversight. While the instrumentation is unique, the three virtuosos somehow make it seem natural with Castaneda acting as a bridge between the banjo and the drums. As if they needed an additional challenge, their 11 originals often utilize unusual time signatures, unexpected rhythmic accents, and evolve through several themes and moods. It is fair to say that none of these songs will show up at jam sessions. It is also fair to say that no other group has sounded quite like BEATrio.
Since the banjo does not sustain notes like an electric guitar, Fleck tends to play rapid lines and patterns that often border on the wondrous. While he is usually the lead voice, he blends in very well with Castaneda’s harp while Sanchez’s drumming adds to the excitement of the unique trio. BEATrio would be exciting to see live and their debut recording (available from http://www.thirtytigers.com.) is highly recommended.
Noah Haidu
Standards III
(Infinite Distances)
Pianist Noah Haidu, who had led eight earlier releases, made a strong impression with his two most recent recordings, Standards I and Standards II, both of which were made for the Sunnyside label. While Standards featured him playing with either Buster Williams or Peter Washington on bass and drummer Lewis Nash, Standards II was with Williams and drummer Billy Hart. On both projects, Haidu came up with fresh statements on a variety of mostly well-known songs
Standards III has Haidu showcased with three different groups. Four songs from 2023 have him joined by Buster Williams and either Billy Hart or Lewis Nash. One song from that year (his uptempo original “Slipstream”) is with Nash, altoist Steve Wilson and bassist Peter Washington. The other five numbers were recorded more recently (2025) with bassist Gervis Myles and drummer Charles Goold.
No matter the personnel, there is a strong unity to this set. It begins with a cooking version of “Yesterdays” that has Haidu displaying his own chord voicings. An inventive and fast version of “Lover” is almost unrecognizable while “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” is as bluesy as one would hope. After an out-of-tempo section, Thad Jones “A Child Is Born” is taken at a slow pace. “Alone Together” and “Old Folks” (the latter has some particularly expressive piano) are treated conventionally, the obscure “Casual” has Haidu sounding soulful, and his “Stevie W.” is an original based on Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” The set concludes with some unaccompanied piano on “Tonight…Teach…Me” which leads to a slow and emotional rendition of “Teach Me Tonight.”
Standards III is as rewarding as Noah Haidu’s first two CDs of standards. It is available from www.noahhaidu.com.
Emma Smith
Bitter Orange
(La Reserve)
During a period when there are quite a few talented female jazz singers on the scene, here is another new one. Actually Emma Smith has been well-known in her native England for a few years. Coming from a very musical family, she has sung with the Puppini Sisters and the Ronnie Scott’s All-Stars and toured with Postmodern Jukebox. Ms. Smith has also recorded a few albums of her own but is just beginning to be noticed in the United States.
Emma Smith has a very appealing and warm voice, a flexible style, and swings easily. Bitter Orange, which has her joined an excellent rhythm section comprised of pianist Jamie Safir, bassist Conor Chaplin, and drummer Luke Tomlinson, is a fast-moving program that covers a variety of moods and tempos. The straight ahead jazz album includes such performances as a high-powered “Frim Fram Sauce” (mostly in 6/4 time), the obscure Cole Porter song “Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please,” an uptempo and swinging version of “Tonight,” and a slow and rather downbeat but dramatic rendition of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.” The remainder of the program ranges from a pair of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill show tunes (“Hey World Here I Am” and “I’m The Greatest Star”) to Noel Coward’s “London Pride,” “Funny Face,” and a number co-written by the singer and pianist Safir: a swinging “What Took You So Long? It is particularly nice to hear Emma Smith revive some obscurities including a hard-swinging “I’m In The Middle Of A Muddle.” While “My Funny Valentine” has been recorded and performed far too many times through the years, this version is quite slow and haunting.
Emma Smith is a talent who listeners will enjoy discovering. Bitter Orange is available from wwwemmasmithmusic.co.uk and www.amazon.com.
Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims In France
(Fresh Sound)
Zoot Sims (1925-85) was a masterful tenor-saxophonist who was famous for always swinging. After a period playing with big bands (including Benny Goodman’s in 1943, Woody Herman’s Second Herd, Artie Shaw’s short-lived bebop band, and Stan Kenton in 1953), Sims had a long solo career that found him usually performing with pickup quartets or quintets. He always played at a high level and never made an unworthy record.
Zoot Sims In France has the first previously unreleased performances by the tenor in quite some time. Sims appeared in France on a fairly regular basis starting in 1950 and was always popular overseas.
The CD begins with three numbers from a festival appearance in 1958 with pianist Walter Davis Jr. (who is in top form, sounding a bit like Bud Powell), bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. Two of the numbers had been released previously on a very obscure French collectors’ album but otherwise all of the music on the French Sound CD had never been out before.
The other performances date from late 1960 and early 1961. Sims is featured on five numbers with a quintet that has some notable playing from guitarist Jimmy Gourley, two songs with pianist Henri Renaud’s Sax Ensemble (comprised of five saxophones and a rhythm section), and four songs (including two versions of “Indiana Summer”) with Renaud and Gourley in a quintet. Whether it is “It Had To Be You,” “The Red Door,” “Gone With The Wind,” or “Too Close For Comfort,” the always-consistent tenor is heard in top form, swinging hard and surprisingly showing in spots that he was familiar with John Coltrane’s current explorations.
Zoot Sims fans will want this release which is available from www.freshsoundrecords.com.
Ella & The Bossa Beat
Paradise
(Self-Released)
Ella and the Bossa Beat is co-led by singer-keyboardist Ella Borges and her father drummer Magrus Borges. Together with their group, they perform ten originals that they co-wrote. Their music can be described as modern Brazilian bossas that look back towards Astrud Gilberto (with whom Magrus Borges had worked) but also include numbers that are more modern and sometimes a bit funky.
On Paradise, their third album, they co-lead a nine-piece group that includes four horns, a cellist, guitar and bass. While the ensemble has an attractive ensemble sound, the main focus is on Ella Borges’ singing and her occasional spots on keyboards and piano. She has a soft sensuous voice that displays understated power, bridging the gap between jazz (she is a fine scatter), Brazilian music, and soulful pop. Highlights of the set include the infectious groove of the spirited “Must be Love,” the melody and singing on “Mar,” and “Good Day” which is both funky and swinging. But in reality, all ten songs blend together well and provide listeners with a quietly joyful mood.
Paradise (which is available from www.ellaandthebossabeat.com) is well worth a visit.
Matthew Shipp
The Cosmic Piano
(Cantaloupe Music)
Pianist Matthew Shipp can always be relied upon to create stimulating and thought-provoking music. He has been quite prolific ever since he made his first recording in 1987 and he has collaborated with most of the giants of the avant-garde jazz scene. In addition, Shipp has often been heard as an unaccompanied soloist. The Cosmic Piano is at least his 19th solo piano album.
The dozen selections on this CD are all free improvisations but, rather than being merely sound explorations or intense fights into complete freedom, the music is generally thoughtful. Shipp creatively utilizes repetitions, rumbling sounds accentuated by his pedal work, and mood variations. He often sounds as if he is thinking aloud at the piano. Occasionally, as on “Subconscious Piano,” he gets a bit thunderous but more often, as on the ballads “Suburban Outerspace” and “A Cosmic Thank You,” he is somewhat laidback and subtle while still being creative. One of the highpoints is “Cosmic Junk Jazz DNA” during which Shipp has moments when he recalls at least briefly the quirkiness of Thelonious Monk and the melodic improvising of Lennie Tristano.
The overall results form a set of spontaneous ideas with Matthew Shipp never holding onto a thought or pattern too long before moving to the musical adventure. The Cosmic Piano (available from www.cantaloupemusic.com) is well worth several listens.
Levine-Franci Quartet
Jazz From The Skyroom
(New Artists)
Dori Levine is a veteran singer who studied with Lennie Tristano, Jay Clayton, Connie Crothers, Liz Gorrill, and Sheila Jordan among others. Like Clayton, she is quite skilled at giving a fresh take to standards yet is not shy to take chances and engage in free improvisations.
Her first two albums, Koo-Koo and Click, featured her in duets with either pianist Michael Levy or guitarist Ed Littman. For Jazz From The Skyroom, the singer is joined by a full rhythm section consisting of pianist Giacomo Franci, bassist Adam Lane, and drummer Takashi Inoue. While Lane and Inoue mostly play tastefully in the background while keeping time, pianist Franci has plenty of solo space. In fact, he is showcased on instrumental versions of “’Round Midnight,” his original “Cellophone,” and “Bye Bye Blackbird”; he takes the latter as a medium-slow waltz. Throughout this CD, Franci displays a fairly original style within jazz’s modern mainstream and often challenges the singer.
Dori Levine is an inventive and expressive scat singer who, at the same time, lets the music breathe and gives it warmth. Among the highpoints of her vocal performances on this set are “There Will Never Be Another You,” her wild singing on “Skyroom Improv” (which is a free improvisation), a fairly straight rendition of “Almost Like Being In Love,” and her adventurous ideas on “Wild Is The Wind.”
Jazz From The Skyroom (available from www.newartistsrecords.com) has plenty of variety in moods, tempos and approaches. It serves as an introduction to Giacomo Franci and is Dori Levine’s finest recording to date.
David Bixler
Incognito Ergo Sum
(SS Records)
Earlier in his career, altoist and soprano-saxophonist David Bixler worked with the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Chico O’Farrill. However most of his more important playing has been in the small groups that he has led. His Incognito trio with bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Fabio Rojas, which is featured on this new release, had recorded The Grief in 2020.
While Loomis (who has a few short solos) and Rojas make important contributions as accompanists (with the drummer being prominent on “You Are Making Me”), the main focus is on Bixler’s playing. He contributed all but one of the 14 selections, with “Nobody Else But Me” being the lone standard. Bixler’s pieces often have catchy melodies and range from the eccentric theme of “6.29.21” to the wistful “Liminal Space,” the childlike and Ornettish “Recycled,” and the exotic “Johnny Cope.” The leader’s solos, whether on alto or soprano, are thoughtful even during the rapid “You Are Ma,” and his improvisations are both unpredictable and logical. While this CD has its freer moments, Bixler’s playing relates to the melodies and the rhythms of his pieces.
Ergo Sum is a fine showcase for David Bixler and one of his best recordings to date. It is available from www.amazon.com.
Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap
Elemental
(Mack Avenue)
Dee Dee Bridgewater and pianist Bill Charlap performed their first duo concerts in 2020 before COVID shut everything down. They had 40 concerts together during 2021-23 and then were ready to make this studio recording.
Far from a conventional set of vocal-piano duets, Elemental finds the duo really challenging each other. Bridgewater uses her full range, both notewise and in emotions, and sometimes soulfully distorting her voice a bit. Charlap also never plays it safe, playing percussively and with wit while rarely just keeping time. The duo knows these eight standards backwards and is free to let their imaginations run wild while constantly reacting to each other’s ideas.
There are many eccentric moments throughout their performances of such numbers as “I’m Beginning To See The Light,” “Mood Indigo,” “Love For Sale” (which has some nutty sequences plus Bridgewater at one point imitating a muted trumpet), and a fanciful “Honeysuckle Rose.” The two act as equal partners as they show on “’S Wonderful” where they improvise lines around each other, and their journey through “Caravan” is quite wild.
This frequently riotous set is not for everyone but those listeners who want to hear Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap at their most uninhibited and crazy will find much to enjoy. Elemental is available from www.mackavenue.com
Dave Wells’ Trombone City Band
Live At Carmelo’s 1983
(Fresh Sound)
Kai Winding was one of the first to lead a multiple trombone band. He had co-led a popular two-trombone quintet with J.J. Johnson in the 1950s and in 1956 with Johnson recorded JJ & Kai Plus Six which had eight trombonists and a rhythm section. Later that year Winding led a four-trombone septet on The Trombone Sound and in the 1960s he was mostly heard at the head of a band with multiple trombonists.
In 1981, Dave Wells founded Trombone City, a group consisting of five trombonists, two bass trombones, and a four-piece rhythm section. The ensemble had regular rehearsals during its 12 years of existence although they only worked at a handful of gigs and never recorded in the studios or had a recording released until now.
The previously unreleased Live At Carmelo’s 1983 (available from www.freshsoundrecords.com) has music from the group’s second live appearance. Wells contributed all but two of the nine pieces, wrote the arrangements, and is the main soloist although there are also spots for trombonists Andy Martin (who is showcased on two numbers), Bill Yeager, and bass trombonist Jon Leys. Guitarist Bill Ryan, one of the solo stars of the set, apparently made no other recordings except as a college student with the Los Angeles City College Jazz Band; that is a real pity considering his obvious talent. In addition to Ryan’s individual spots, he is part of a fine rhythm section along with pianist John Banister, bassist Richard Maloof, and drummer Ken Maldonado.
Wells’ music is swinging straight ahead jazz. While groups with trombonists as the only horns can get a little dull due to the similarity of the trombonists’ styles, Wells’ arrangements (which divide the horns into different sections and are full of infectious ideas) hold on to one’s interest throughout. The recording quality from the tapes is a little cloudy at times but the excitement of the group shines through. An extensive treatment of Bob Florence’s “Carmelo’s By The Freeway” is a highpoint.
Live At Carmelo’s 1983 is a valuable and historic recording by a long-forgotten but worthy group.
King Curtis
Four Classic Albums
(Avid)
King Curtis (1934-71), who was born as Curtis Ousley, spent much of his musical life playing in r&b settings including taking a well-known solo on the Coasters’ “Yakety Yak,” working with Aretha Franklin, and recording with everyone from Andy Williams and Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix. While he could play jazz, Curtis spent most of his career as a session musician, preferring the lucrative lifestyle and having hits with “Memphis Soul,” “Soul Serenade,” and “Ode To Billie Joe.”
While King Curtis’ Avid double-CD is titled Four Classic Albums, the first album (Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow) from 1959 falls way short of being “classic.” Although the backup band includes pianist Herman Foster and guitarists Al Casey and Joe Puma, the results are corny in the extreme. On ten concise selections, Curtis plays with exaggerated soulfulness, often emphasizes staccato phrases (most annoyingly on “Linda”), and sticks mostly to clichés. On such songs as his original Midnight Ramble,” “Peter Gunn” and “Birth Of The Blues,” Curtis fails to play anything that even borders on an original phrase, and the arrangements must have sounded dated even 35 years ago..
However the other three albums contain the tenor’s finest jazz dates. Two of the records (New Scene Of King Curtis and New Meeting) team Curtis in quintets with cornetist Nat Adderley and pianist Wynton Kelly. He not only displays his large tone but creates reasonably inventive ideas within the hard bop genre, no doubt inspired by Adderley’s highly expressive playing. The other album, Soul Battle, teams Curtis with fellow tenors Oliver Nelson and Jimmy Forrest in a sextet. The playing is competitive and Curtis fares well.
Unfortunately King Curtis did not follow Jimmy Forrest’s path in transforming a career in r&b (Forrest had made “Night Train” famous) into jazz, instead mostly sticking to commercial music throughout his all-too-brief life. But on the three classics included on Four Classic Albums, he shows that he could have been a contender.
Four Classic Albums is available from www.avidgroup.co.uk.