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

This week, it’s three excellent albums by three master drummers. I hope you enjoy these as much as I’m enjoying them!

Ulysses Owens Jr & Generation Y – Around the World with U (Cellar Music)

Drummer, educator and bandleader Ulysses Owens, Jr has been busy as of late. Between live performances, recording sessions, viral YouTube videos and more, one might wonder when he has time to sleep, much less corral his own band together for their new album, Around the World with U. Taking a cue from drumming bandleaders like Art Blakey and Roy Haynes, Owens, Jr has enlisted the help of young Jazz musicians to get his vision of Jazz out into the world. That vision is Jazz as a swinging, living and breathing artform, that draws from the standards, (“Stardust”), the legacy of Bebop (“Bebop & Confirmation”), more recent influences, such as Branford Marsalis (“Mo’ Betta Blues”) or Mulgrew Miller (“The Light That Grew Amongst Us”), modern-day pop (Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”) and the voices of the band members themselves (saxophonist Erena Terakubo’s “Little Girl Power,” pianist Tyler Bullock’s “Prodigal Son,” or bassist Yasushi Nakamura’s “Marning Prayer”). Trumpeter Anthony Hervey’ didn’t contribute a composition to the album, but is a vital part of the conversation nonetheless, and he turns in burning solos throughout. The net result of a young and hungry band and a broad vision from a strong leader is a striking album. Around the World with U is as satisfying as it is diverse, and it’s a joy to listen to. 

The Jeff Hamilton Trio – A New Chapter (RMI Records)

Drummer Jeff Hamilton is no stranger to great piano trios. Beyond leading his own fantastic units throughout the years, he’s also been the drumming third of piano trios led by Ray Brown, Monty Alexander and too many others to count. On A New Chapter, he debuts a new trio, even if that only really means a new piano player. Jeff Hamilton, of course, has been a part of the Jeff Hamilton trio since its inception. Bassist John Hamar joined in 2018, and the freshman of the group is pianist Tadataka Unno. Besides playing the piano, he also composed three of the songs on A New Chapter, and they’re all solid efforts. “Roy Said So” is an uptempo swinger which Hamilton and co. handle with the expected aplomb. “The Magic of Mr. Wess,” on the other hand, is laid back and elegant. The standards here are especially tasty. “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” takes its time to unfold, giving Jon Hamer some time to stretch out with his bass. “Isn’t it Romantic” has a hushed beauty to it. “Nail…In Need,” like a number of selections on A New Chapter, lives at a tempo that invites a long conversation and a tall pour of your favorite beverage. Taken as a whole, A New Chapter is a mellow listen from beginning to end, and in the right hands, mellow can be glorious. 

Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua & Scott Colley – Peregrine (Hard Wag Records)

Peter Erskine wears a multitude of hats: he was the legendary drummer of the most legendary edition of Weather Report, he’s a session drummer extraordinaire, an educator, and more. He also put out a string of interesting and tasteful piano trio albums for ECM in the 90’s, and Peregrine reminds me immediately of those excellent dates. It helps to have a pianist as compelling as Alan Pasqua along for the ride, as well as a bassist as versatile as Scott Colley. Put three heavyweights like that in a studio, and all you have to do is hit the record button. The rest will take care of itself. And that certainly seems to be the case here. From classics like Keith Jarrett’s “Bop Be” to pop hits that have become modern-day standards like “God Only Knows” or “Wichita Lineman,” Pasqua, Colley and Erskine are making unique and intriguing music on Peregrine. The influence of Keith Jarrett’s 70’s groups can be felt on “Gumbo Time.” It’s a crime that “Leaving LA” is only two minutes. I don’t know who the Dave is in “Dave’s Blues,” but he’s clearly a guy who swings to his own beat, and I can tell you I already like him. Peregrine delivers exactly what it promises: eleven well crafted songs played very well by three legitimate living Jazz legends.