What's New on WDCB... with Paul Abella

Sam Robinson – Chasin’ the Dream (Miles High Records)

Chicago based trumpeter, composer and educator, Sam Robinson is releasing his fourth album, Chasin’ the Dream, on Miles High Records. Joined by his longtime front-line partner Scott Angst on tenor saxophone, the band is rounded out by the taut rhythm section of Jack Macklin on guitar, Aaron Krings on bass and Chase Wilkins on drums. This quintet runs through a program of six of Robinson’s compositions on Chasin’ the Dream, and they fantastic while doing it. Kicking off with “The Gatekeeper,” Robinson and company charge right out of the gate, swinging hard and taking no prisoners. “Big C’s Chart” takes the group into waltz territory, which they handle with aplomb. “Leia,” named after Robinson’s daughter, is a lovely, bossa nova-tinged tune. “Brian’s Tune” has a charming Ahmad Jamal-esque bounce to it. Robinson’s day job as a French teacher makes an appearance with the ironically titled closer, “Bienvenue” (which means “welcome”). Chasin’ the Dream is Robinson’s best release yet, and he’s got a lot to be proud of here.

Sam Burckhardt & Jeremy Kahn – Lucky Dragonfly (Airway Records)

Saxophonist Sam Burckhardt and pianist Jeremy Kahn make for a potent team. Whether part of a larger quartet with Jake Vinsel (bass) and Phil Gratteau (drums) or as a duo, they sound great together, like this pairing should have happened some time ago. Alas, we have it in our hands in 2026, and that’s a great thing indeed. Burkhardt’s got the kind of tone that fits songs like Johnny Hodges’ “No One” or standards like “Moonglow” like a glove, and he’s versatile, too. From the balladeering of Billy Strayhorn’s “My Little Brown Book,” or the swinging “Calling Dr. Jazz” to Burckhardt’s own “Bluebird Blues,” which hints at 50’s Rock n Roll while still retaining its Jazz character, Burckhardt sounds right at home regardless of the situation. And if you’re familiar with Jeremy Kahn, you know that he’s a world class pianist, and he sounds wonderful throughout. Lucky Dragonfly is a charming album that sounds great when it’s a duet record, and when it’s a swingin’ quartet record, too.

James Fernando – Philly3 (Spring Garden Records) 

Pianist and composer James Fernando just dropped a new album called Philly3. It’s a fine, straightforward piano trio album that has one foot in the blues drenched piano trios of Erroll Garner, Red Garland, Gene Harris or Benny Green, and another foot in the more progressive piano trios of Brad Mehldau, Aaron Parks and maybe even The Bad Plus. At times, such as on the opener, “Persistence,” those more progressive influences shine through. On “Neon Kyon” or “The Parisian,” a more traditional version of this trio comes out. And on “Unlikely Animal Friendships,” these two sides of Fernando’s Philly3 coexist side by side. The net result is an interesting album that frequently surprises its listeners.