Hey everyone – since we’re in the middle of our fall pledge drive this week on WDCB, I figured I’d share the CDs that we’re offering for your $120 contribution. You can make yours at WDCB.org or by calling 630-942-JAZZ. Thanks!

Samara Joy – Portrait (Verve Records)

Vocalist Samara Joy has been on quite a tear as of late, being on tour, releasing singles, and now, she’s back with her third album, Portrait. Featuring a group that includes the up and coming pianist Luther Allison, the music is tight, polished and swinging. Pre-release singles “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “Autumn Nocturne” are hints at what’s to come, as she’s also penned her own lyrics to Mingus’ “Reincarnation of a Love Bird” and taking on the challenge of writing her own music on a track or two, too. Portrait looks to be a glimpse at an ascendant star already well on her way out of this world.

Louis Armstrong – Louis in London: Live at the BBC (Verve Records)

In July of 1968, “What a Wonderful World” had become a surprise hit in the UK, well before it gained similar status throughout the rest of the world. So, Pops rounded up The All-Stars (trombonist Tyree Glenn, clarinetist Joe Muranyi, pianist Marty Napoleon, bassist Buddy Catlett and longtime drummer Danny Barcelona) and headed to London to do a live set for the BBC. This set of 13 songs just jumps from strength to strength, including plenty of his latter day hits like “Mack the Knife,” “Hello Dolly,”  “The Bare Necessities,” and the aforementioned “What a Wonderful World.” Add to that a hot take on “(Back Home Again in) Indiana,” and the net result is a joyous listening experience. I for one am glad that these Jazz detectives are out there doing God’s work and finding these lovely performances for us to enjoy nearly 60 years after the fact. Because enjoyment like this just isn’t going to come around every day. But it’s here now. Take advantage of it.

The Bobby Broom Organi-Sation – Jamalot (Steele Records)

The Bobby Broom Organi-Sation, with Bobby playing guitar, Ben Paterson playing the Hammond B-3 and Kobie Watkins playing the drums, was, amongst other things, the opening act for Steely Dan back in 2014. With three players at their level of excellence playing nearly every night over the course of a tour, sparks were bound to fly, and fly they did. As someone who already loved the previously recorded versions of “The House of the Rising Sun,” “The Jitterbug Waltz,” and “Superstition” that Broom had done, hearing the way these songs have expanded in the hands of Broom, Paterson and Watkins might be completely expected, but it’s still impressive none the less. There’s honestly not much else left to say. Jamalot has eight songs, all of them are awesome, and I’m pretty certain that all of us DCB Jazz people are going to play this disc regularly until well past when we have the solos memorized.

Karrin Allyson – A Kiss for Brazil (Origin Records)

Vocalist Karrin Allyson has now made three albums focusing on the music of Brazil: 1999’s From Paris to Rio, Imagina – Songs of Brazil in 2007, and now in 2024, A Kiss for Brazil. She’s clearly very comfortable with the material, and that makes this newest album a treat. She’s joined by an excellent group with Vitor Concalves on keys and accordion, Yotam Silberstein on guitar, Harvie S on bass and Rafael Barata on drums. There are Brazilian classics, like “Manha de Carnaval,” “Wave,” and “Flor de Lis.” We get new lyrics to Recado Bossa Nova, and now it’s “The Gift.” Allyson’s in great voice throughout, and this band grooves wonderfully.

Zaccai Curtis – Cubop Lives! (Truth Revolution)

Pianist Zaccai Curtis has been playing on some excellent Afro-Cuban and Afro-Boricua Jazz albums as of late, and it’s fantastic to see him making his own album in that realm on the aptly named Cubop Lives! Joined by his brother Luques on bass and the three piece drum section of Willie Martinez III (timbales), Camilo Molina (congas & pandero) and Reinaldo DeJesus (bongos & small percussion). Curtis and company play exceedingly well on a program that includes originals, rearranged classics from Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, a handful of songs from the amazing Noro Morales, and even an excellent reinterpretation of Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag.” In a year that has seen some fantastic Latin Jazz releases from the Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective, Oscar Hernandez, Conrad Herwig and others, Cubop Lives! stands as one of the best and brightest of the year, with its strong grooves, tight solos and excellent choice of music.