Stéphane Huchard: Panamerican

Talented French drummer goes to Brooklyn, picks up a band of heavyweight Americans, ends up making a very New York kind of record. That much, at least, seems to be acknowledged by the title of Stéphane Huchard's fifth album as leader. Sometimes these "ringer" sessions can sound like everyone but the leader is just going through the motions, but Huchard's funky, upbeat compositions sit nicely for the assembled muscle – keyboardist Jim Beard, saxophonist Chris Cheek, bassist Matt Penman and guitarist Nir Felder. And the drummer's laid-back grooves set up what for most will be the main attraction: solos from the Big Apple contingent. Beard in particular seems fully engaged on piano, Rhodes and Hammond, and Felder shows why he's a rising star of his instrument. stephane-huchard.com