Alex Beltran – Rift (Calligram Records)

Chicago based tenor saxophonist Alex Beltran recently released his new album, Rift, on Calligram Records. Alex put together a fantastic band for the occasion, too. Stu Mindeman plays keys, Sam Peters is the bassist and Jon Deitemeyer is the drummer. Alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson and trumpeter Chad McCullough each join in on the fun for two songs apiece as well. “Bird Dance” has a funky groove befitting of its knotty melody, and Simpson’s solo is a blast, with plenty of propulsive motion, packing a lot of ideas into a relatively short time span. “Jay” is a great feature for McCullough, who floats over a greasy groove, building intensity and perfectly handing off to Beltran for some more excitement. Rift knocks it out of the park, and Beltran and Co. should be quite proud of their achievements here.

One For All – Big George (Smoke Sessions)

The venerable New York based sextet One for All expands to a seven piece for a handful of tracks on their latest album, Big George. Trumpeter Jim Rotondi, trombonist Steve Davis, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth are joined by the legendary tenor saxophonist George Coleman for “Oscar Winner,” “My Foolish Heart,” and “This I Dig of You,” the latter of which is clearly the album’s highlight, with Coleman being given ample room to take flight as he sees fit. Other highlights include the album’s kickoff tune, Eric Alexander’s “Chainsaw,” David Hazeltine’s “In the Lead,” and the mellow set closer, Jim Rotondi’s “Leemo.” All in all, Big George is a joy to listen to. Both the guest saxophonist and the album.

Akiko Tsuruga – Beyond Nostalgia (Steeplechase)

Akiko Tsuruga, the Japanese organist, is back with a new album called Beyond Nostalgia. She’s joined here by an awe-inspiring supporting cast including Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Jerry Weldon (tenor saxophone), Ed Cherry (guitar) and Byron “Wookie” Landham behind the drums. To put it simply, this disc just flat out burns. “Tiger” sets that precedent from its opening notes, and Weldon and Tsuruga both turn in excellent, fiery solos. Landham proves that he can lay down a nasty funk groove on an arrangement of Dr. Lonnie’s “Back Track,” and Tsuruga’s “Dancing Cats” is a swingin’ boogaloo reminiscent of Jack McDuff’s work in the early 60’s. Fans of hard-driving organ groups (like most of us on the air at WDCB) are going to love this one.