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

Ron Carter & Yotam Silberstein – Duets (Jojo Records)

It’s amazing to hear that even at 89 years old, Ron Carter’s still got it. He’s still swinging, still inventive, and still driving people around him to make great music. Paired with guitarist Yotam Silberstein, the two of them make for a potent duo on their recently released album, Duets. From the gorgeous opener “Nova Ilusao” to the closing “Mil Dew” (a Johnny Griffin classic, by the way), and everything in between, the music heard here is top notch, and I’d expect nothing less. Ron Carter, is of course, unimpeachable, and Silberstein keeps up nicely on both the acoustic and electric guitars. Between the two of them, they fill up so much room that you don’t really feel the lack of a pianist or a drummer. You just tune in to how these two react to each other, and it’s a charming combination. “Love Letters” gets a great, swinging run-through, Silberstein’s two originals here, “Blues for Brother Malone” and “Rain Again” hold their own amongst an album chock full of standards, and those standards all get fantastic arrangements. And who would have thought that “They Say it’s Wonderful” would work as a toe-tapping, mid-tempo groover? These duets from Ron Carter and Yotam Silberstein are well worth a listen.

Mike Jones – With Strings (Capri Records)

Pianist Mike Jones has put out some fun records over the course of the past decade, and his latest, Mike Jones with Strings, continues the trend. Going back to the piano/guitar/bass format that Nat King Cole utilized so brilliantly, Jones brought in Graham Dechter for the guitar duties and Alex Frank to play the bass. Together, the three of them run through eight Jazz classics, from the Gershwins’ “Lady Be Good!” to Oscar Peterson’s “Kelly’s Blues.” The revelation here is “Destination Moon,” which I only ever knew as a gem in Dinah Washington’s catalog, but man does it sound great as a piano trio song. Others here, like “Gone with the Wind,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Deed I Do,” and “Exactly Like You” have been played and recorded literally thousands of times, and while these arrangements don’t break any new ground, all of these performances hold their own with the most famous of their counterparts, making Mike Jones with Strings a very enjoyable and entertaining listen.

Arman Sangalang – Waypoints (Calligram Records)

Saxophonist Arman Sangalang is back with his second album, Waypoints, and in the time between these two efforts, he’s clearly grown as a composer and as a musician. Joined by guitarist Dave Miller, bassist Ethan Philion and drummer Devin Drobka, Sangalang has a crew alongside him that sounds invested in furthering his vision. “Nina” starts the proceedings off with a vibe that borders on meditational. Things pick up considerably on “Easy Does It.” “Monkish” is true to its name, “Prevailing Change” is a nice melody in 6/8 time, and “Writer Agents” really captivates me with its angular melody and the interplay between the four musicians here, especially Miller and Sangalang. We do get one standard on Waypoints, “Body and Soul,” which closes out the album. It starts out with a long solo statement that sets the mood quite well. By the time we’ve gotten through the eight songs that make up Waypoints, we’ve gone through quite the journey in all of 42 minutes. Not a bad feat for a second album, I’d say. I, for one, am looking forward to number three coming sooner than later.