A really striking little cover – one based on the front image of Minnie Riperton's classic Perfect Angel album from the 70s – and a batch of music that really opens up whole new territory in Riperton's rich musical legacy! The set's way more than you might expect – hardly just a straight or smooth jazz take on classics by Minnie – and instead an openly creative project that takes the core structure of the songs, then pulls them apart – especially when it comes to the rhythms – so that the players continually revisit the lovely melodies created by Riperton, yet also fly free in musical moments inspired by her energy. Palmer's trumpet is great – pointed, yet soulful throughout – and other instrumentation by the quintet includes Fender Rhodes from Jake Sherman, guitar from Greg Duncan, bass from Edward Perez, and drums from Lee Fish. Titles include "Memory Lane", "Inside My Love", "I'm In Love Again", "Lovin You", "Adventures In Paradise", and "I'm A Woman". Dusty Groove
A great setting for the creative percussion of drummer Han Bennink – a really well-balanced trio that features piano from Simon Toldam and a range of reeds from Joachim Badenhorst – a player with a nice sense of warmth amidst his freedom, and an artist who seems to bring out the same in Bennink as well! The set's still got some of the bold energy you'd expect from Han's classic work on the European free jazz scene – but there's also an inherent tunefulness at most spots too, and a personal mix of melody and lyricism that really humanizes the record – and makes it one of the best things we've heard from Bennink in years! The shift is almost the same as when Lol Coxhill and a few of his contemporaries recorded for the Nato label in the 80s – a performance that still holds strong to all the territory that Han has gained over the years, but which also has a soulful personality that really stands out. Titles include "Klein Gebrek Geen Bezwaar", "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland", "Dog", "Lauren", "Inside Inside", "Ganz", and "Kiefer". ~ Dusty Groove
David Hazeltine's a player who we love more and more with each new record – a pianist who's been recording for many years, yet one who's really grown a lot too! This set is a perfect example of the way Hazeltine's been capturing our ears of late – a great trio outing that has plenty of the sharp punch that always made David one of the best rhythmic accompanists on the New York scene – yet also a mature lyricism that makes him especially compelling in a smaller group like this – a sense of flow we never would have expected a decade ago, and a unified trio energy that also comes from great work by George Mraz on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Jose Alexis Diaz joins the group on congas for a few tracks – and titles include "Hob Nob With Brother Bob", "I Wish I Knew", "I'll Let You Know", "Blues For Sharpie", "Another Divergence", "The Rebound", and "Bossa For All" – an especially nice original by Hazeltine! ~ Dusty Groove
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