Jazz

The latest releases reviewed.

HUGH BUCKLEY Sketches of Now HUBU ****

Hugh Buckley's new album may be the best example yet of his fluent, songlike, lyrical guitar playing, and of his gift for composing attractive material. It's also a heartfelt tribute to those who have meant a lot to him: JW is a funky salute to the late John Wadham and James Williams, drummer and pianist, respectively; A Letter to a Friend is a moving guitar and soprano duet with Ciaran Wilde in memory of the late painter Gerald Davis; and Inspiration for the Bards remembers Buckley's uncle's mock-heroic drinking poem, read to guitar accompaniment by Ronnie Drew. In addition, Buckley marshals notable guests on individual tracks, including Guy Barker, cousin Richie Buckley, Greg Felton and Tony Oscar, around a core band of Michael Buckley, Justin Carroll, Dave Redmond and Shane O'Donovan, for some quality blowing by all concerned. www.paulryanmusic.com RAY COMISKEY

OSCAR PETERSON The Complete Songbooks United Archives ****

Complete? Not quite, but the six CDs do cover all those by Peterson's trio (with bassist Ray Brown and either Barney Kessel or Herb Ellis on guitar) made during 1951-54, as well as the superb 1955 quartet album of tunes associated with Count Basie, made with Buddy Rich (drums). The material, by Porter, Berlin, Gershwin, Ellington, Kern, Rodgers, Youmans, Warren, Arlen and McHugh, is treated, presumably on producer Norman Granz's instructions, with concern for the melodies. The pieces are, for the most part, short. But Peterson's tightly meshed trios are swing machines and as such, these performances work well enough. As a bonus, a 1952 trio session with guitarist Irving Ashby is assembled complete for the first time. Some sources for the remastering could have been better, but overall it's a good-value budget set for fans. http://uk.hmboutique.com

RAY COMISKEY

LESLIE PINTCHIK Quartets Ambient Records ***

Classically trained, with a delicate touch and tasty harmonic sense, Pintchik is another of the fine pianists so abundant in jazz nowadays. Bassist Scott Hardy and drummer Mark Dodge make up Pintchik's regular trio, a cohesively interactive group ideal for her thoughtful approach, exemplified in the three imaginatively reworked standards and six originals here. It's considered, well-crafted playing, and even the addition of a percussionist on five tracks fails to disturb its flow. But neither does it add to it. When soprano and alto saxophonist Steve Wilson is brought in on the four remaining tracks, however, the music takes on an urgency and a sense of risk and surprise that it never quite manages otherwise. And for all their manifest virtues, this fine trio needs something like that to galvanise them. www.ambientrecords.com RAY COMISKEY