Catherine Russell & Sean Mason – My Ideal (Dot Time)

Vocalist Catherine Russell not only has a new album out, but she’ll also be performing this weekend at the Chicago Jazz Festival. So, if her new album, My Ideal, strikes you the same way that it’s already struck most of us around here at WDCB, then you can go see her in person and be wowed all over again. Joined by pianist Sean Mason, My Idea is the usual Russell mix of old and obscure tunes from the Great American Songbook (“A Porter’s Love Song”), standards from those same composers (“The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing,” “My Ideal”) and fantastic blues songs like Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” The big difference between this album and previous efforts is the choice in sidemen. Paring things down to simply Russell’s fantastic vocals, and the empathetic piano playing of Sean Mason, the listener is graced with an effective album which succeeds at everything it tries.

Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band - Walk a Mile in My Shoe (Imani Records)

Pianist Orrin Evans (who will also be at the Chicago Jazz Festival this weekend) has just released a new and long-awaited album with his large ensemble, The Captain Black Big Band. Walk a Mile in My Shoe features a stunning cast of characters including Nicholas Payton, drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr, bassist Vicente Archer, and of course, Orrin Evans playing piano. Guest vocalist Bilal sounds incredible on “All That I Am,” and the horns only take on “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” is a shocker that I wasn’t expecting. Walk a Mile in My Shoe is indeed quite an epic journey through myriad moods and expressions that is well worth many a listen.

Wayne Escoffery – Alone (Smoke Sessions)

Tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery has put out a number of excellent albums, on his own, as a sideman, and with the Black Art Jazz Collective, too. But none have been all-star and all-ballad collections like the aptly titled Alone. The rhythm section assembled alongside Escoffery on this excursion is straight up mind-blowing. Gerald Clayton is the pianist, Carl Allen is the drummer, and none other than the legendary Ron Carter is playing the bass. There’s no denying the gorgeousness of this album. Escoffery’s “Moments with You” gets things started right. “The Shadow of Your Smile,” “Stella by Starlight” and “Since I Fell For You” all get just about the slowest renderings of them that I’ve ever heard. “Stella by Starlight” has hints of 60’s Miles Davis, and “The Shadow of Your Smile” works better than I would have assumed, but the real shocker is on “Since I Fell for You.” Sure, it’s always a ballad, but here, Clayton and Escoffery tackle it as a duo, and both the freedom and grace shown throughout its five minutes are mesmerizing. I’m not often taken by ballad albums. But Alone is a whole different animal, and I suspect it will be getting a lot of love from all of us on the air on WDCB.