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

Jeremy Pelt – Our Community Will Not Be Erased (High Note)

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt is back with a new album for 2026, the exciting Our Community Will Not Be Erased. Pelt is joined by a rhythm section for the ages, with Orrin Evans playing the piano, Buster Williams on bass and Lenny White behind the drums. These four gentlemen spend their time together making some impressive music. “The March into Resilience” sounds remarkably like the mid-sixties edition of the Miles Davis Quintet. “Manifesto,” “Sandman” and “For the Culture” are straight ahead and swinging, while “Fathers and Daughters” mellows out the proceedings quite significantly. Our Community Will Not Be Erased is a solid reminder of just how talented Jeremy Pelt is, and how far he’s come through the course of his recording career. This is a special album, indeed.

Melissa Aldana – Filin (Blue Note)

The extraordinarily talented saxophonist Melissa Aldana has just released a new album on Blue Note called Filin. Joining her for rhythm section duties is an all-star trio, with Gonzalo Rubalcaba playing piano, Peter Washington on bass and Kush Abadey on drums. Filin (pronounced fee-leen), was a musical movement in Cuba that dates back to the 1940’s, and this all-ballad collection features music from that movement. Things start off wonderfully with “La Sentencia,” vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant makes appearances on “No Te Empeñes Mas” and “Las Rosas No Hablan.” Hermeto Pascoal’s  “Little Church” is a deviation from the rest of the album, given its Brazilian heritage, and things wrap up just as wonderfully as they started with “No Pidas Imposibles.” Filin is a beautiful album filled from top to bottom with some gorgeous music.

Pat Bianchi – Confluence (21H Records)

While listening to Pat Bianchi’s new album, Confluence, I had a few moments where I had to stop what I was doing and just say “wow.” Bianchi is an in-demand organist, and he’s joined by saxophonist Troy Roberts and drummer Colin Stranahan. This trio, taken as a whole, really takes things to a new level, whether it’s the really interesting take on “It Was a Very Good Year” that kicks off the album, the unison passages woven into “Jitterbug Waltz,” or Troy Roberts’ dizzying solo on “The Song is You.” “I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry” and “Wise One” are gorgeous ballads. “Come Rain or Come Shine” gets an  organ solo that sounds like it was cut directly from one of Jimmy Smith’s Blue Note albums. And, finally, that leaves “Dizzy’s Dilemma,” which sounds for all the world like Joshua Redman’s Elastic Band. Confluence manages to pack all of that into just seven tracks, which is quite a feat. One that might make stop what you’re doing to say “wow.”