JAZZ

Latest releases reviewed.

ART BLAKEY
Buhaina's Delight Blue Note
*****

One of the great Messengers lineups and one of the finest albums under Blakey's name, this is the early 1960s edition of the band with the Freddie Hubbard-Curtis Fuller-Wayne Shorter front line, Cedar Walton (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and the leader on drums. Distance has reinforced the stellar glow of the personnel. With the trumpet-trombone-tenor mix adding colour to Shorter, Fuller and Walton's compositional palettes, and four dazzling improvisers available, one suspects that Blakey was concerned not only to make the most of the settings they were given, but also to keep the competitive edge keen without letting things lapse into self-indulgence; solos are crisp, articulate and to the point. Hard bop at its best. Ray Comiskey

DAVE BRUBECK
Private Brubeck Remembers Telarc
***

Brubeck's music hath limited charms, so a solo piano CD is not a consummation devoutly to be wished, especially one harking back to his war service in Europe and the tunes of that era. That said, and despite rather corny echoes of stride in anything beyond ballad tempo, there are charming slow pieces (When I Grow Too Old To Dream, Weep No More) in which the pianist's taste and harmonic nous are impeccable, and It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, where he turns the notion of Fats Waller's fun-filled romp on its head and produces an affecting ballad interpretation. A second CD sees him interviewed at length by Walter Cronkite about his army experiences and family origins. One for the fans. www.telarc.com Ray Comiskey

JANIS SIEGEL
Sketches of Broadway Telarc
***

Best known for her membership of the jazz vocal group Manhattan Transfer, Siegel is also a performer whose vocal skills could be called trans-genre. Jazz remains a touchstone for her, which is why this delve into Broadway show songs is accompanied by the likes of vibist Stefon Harris, bassist John Patitucci, pianist and arranger Gil Goldstein, and drummer Antonio Sanchez. But they're in a highly controlled, polished, utterly professional environment which shows off Siegel's lovely voice and virtually faultless intonation. She's a considered interpreter, more at home with the ironic wit of Lucy and Jessie, the gentle ballad feel of Born Too Late and the gorgeous It Never Was You, than the more extrovert material. www.telarc.com

Ray Comiskey