Trumpeter Sean
Jones has been with Mack Avenue Records for 10 years. He's celebrating that achievement with the release of his 7th studio album "im-provise never before
seen" out Tuesday July 22nd. Jones has made some terrific jazz albums for
Mack Avenue such as "No Need for Words" and "Roots," but
none as well thought out as this one. He made it with pianist Orrin Evans, bassist
Luques Curtis and drummer Obed Calvaire musicians, Jones has performed with for years.
The album opens with "60th & Broadway," a burner that will make
the hairs on your neck catch fire. Jones’ exchange between Evans on
"Interior Motive" seems as if they're playing the dozens. The ballads
on the album are perfect. No trumpeter plays ballads as beautifully as Jones does. His
blowing on "Morning After" and "Not While I'm Around" will
make your soul weep.
"Liberation
Blues" is jazz pianist Orrin Evans third live album. Smoke Session Records,
which is putting out live dates from some big shot jazz pianists, releases this
album August 12th. This outing is an
all-star date with two of the top names in jazz right now saxophonist JD Allen
and trumpeter Sean Jones. (Drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Luques Curtis round out the rhythm section.) Evans has been throwing down for 20 plus years without all the press and hoopla lavished on other jazz pianists of his generation. Still, Evans is beloved
by his peers and by serious jazz devotees. Evans has made 20 albums. "Liberation
Blues" is the latest gem, showing he knows how to manage an all-star band among other things. The album starts
with "Liberation Blues," a suite for Evans' departed band-mate Dwayne
Bruno. The first two movements “Devil Eyes” and Juanita Bruno composed and are the
most enticing. Overall, the album offers a complete picture of Evans, a pianist
with impeccable manners not afraid to think outside the box. Putting together
Allen, a deep thinking sax player with Jones who breathes, drinks, and eats
swing is a gamble that pays off.
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