“Now in Stores” XV

Here are five more recent jazz releases worth giving a listen to:

1. Rio by Keith Jarrett (ECM Records, November 8, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

2011 two CD release from the Jazz pianist On April 9, 2011 Keith Jarrett returned to South America for the first time in decades to perform three solo concerts. The third and final concert found him in Rio de Janeiro in front of a packed house and enthralled audience. Inspired by the electrifying atmosphere, the pianist pulls a broad range of material from the ether: thoughtful/reflective pieces, abstract sound-structures, pieces that fairly vibrate with energy. The double album climaxes with a marvelous sequence of encores. 40 years ago this year Keith Jarrett recorded his first ECM disc, the ground-breaking, solo piano Facing You. He has refined his approach to solo music many times since then, always finding new things to play. So it is here, in this engaging solo recording from Brazil.

2. Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues Live From Jazz at Lincoln Center by Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton (Warner Bros., September 13, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

Deluxe two disc (CD + DVD) edition includes bonus DVD. 2011 live collaboration between guitar legend Eric Clapton and Jazz great Wynton Marsalis.. The duo performed together in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center for two sold-out shows dedicated to vintage Blues. The extraordinary collaboration, billed as Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues, paired these musical virtuosos with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as they brought to life a repertoire of songs selected by Clapton and arranged by Marsalis. The band nimbly navigated a diverse set list that touched on different styles, from the four-on-the-floor swing of Louis Armstrong’s “Ice Cream” and the southern slow-drag of W.C. Handy’s “Joe Turner’s Blues” to the traveling blues of “Joliet Bound” and the boogie-woogie jump of “Kidman Blues.”

3. Guitar Man by George Benson (Concord Jazz, October 4, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

2011 release from the Grammy-winning Jazz legend. The album includes a mix of Jazz and Pop standards – some in a combo setting and some solo, but all of them tied together seamlessly by Benson’s soulful and exploratory signature sound. Lending a hand on this recording is a solid team made up of veterans and newcomers alike – pianist Joe Sample, keyboardist and musical director David Garfield, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Harvey Mason.

4. For True by Trombone Shorty (Verve Forecast, September 13, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

2011 album from the Grammy nominee Troy Andrews AKA Trombone Shorty. Produced by Galactic’s Ben ElIman, For True, features Andrews’ band, Orleans Avenue, as well as a string of legendary performers with whom he recently shared the stage, including Jeff Beck, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Ledisi, Warren Haynes, Ivan and Cyril Neville, The Rebirth Brass Band and more. Troy wrote or co-wrote all 14 tracks on the new album including co-writes with Ledisi, Kid Rock, the legendary Lamont Dozier and others.

5. MSMW Live: In Case The World Changes Its Mind by Medeski Martin & Wood (Red General Catalog, November 8, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

2011 live album featuring guitar guru John Scofield and genre-busting improvisational Jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood. MSMW LIVE: In Case The World Changes Its Mind is a live collection of 12 tracks culled from their 2006 MSMW tour and features music from Scofield’s A Go Go and MSNW’s Out Louder.

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