NEW RELEASES: JERRY BERGONZI - INTERSECTING LINES; JD ALLEN - BLOOM; AJ AND THE JIGGAWATTS

The title's a great one for this album – not just because tenorist Jerry Bergonzi always seems to have this forward-thinking, linear quality about his work – but also because his talents here intersect strongly with the alto sax of Dick Oatts! The pair really create some magic here – a balance between Bergonzi's bold tone and that raspier, more personal sound of Oatts – wrapped up beautifully with bass from Dave Santoro and drums from Andrea Michelutti – no piano at all, which only seems to further the fluid quality of the saxophones! There's a loose, free swing to the record – a quality that's still quite rhythmic, but which opens up without the piano and lets the saxophonists get very expressive – sparking stunning lines on original Bergonzi tracks that include "Creature Feature", "Tanzania", "Dig Oatts", "Itchy", "Arbonius Unt", and "Horton's Lament". ~ Dusty Groove

JD ALLEN - BLOOM

JD Allen just gets more and more deft with each new release – able to craft these sharp, angular lines on tenor sax that seem to spill effortlessly out of his horn – yet all with this wonderfully spontaneous quality too! Allen's lead is a great match for the album's piano work from Orrin Evans – which is blocky and bold, but in a way that's very different than JD's horn – both players rising together with a sense of pride and majesty, creating rich textures throughout! The quartet also features bassist Alexander Claffy and drummer Jonathan Barber – the latter of whom has this crashing energy that really drives things forward – almost this sense of surprise and excitement at the creations of Evans and Allen, which then explodes to set new fire to their leads. Titles include "The Rule Of Thirds", "The Dreamer", "The Secret Lives Of Guest Workers", "Jack's Glass", and "Bloom". ~ Dusty Groove

AJ AND THE JIGGAWATTS - AJ AND THE JIGGAWATTS

The first-ever full length we've ever heard from AJ & The Jiggawatts – and a record that really lives up to the promise of their work on funky 45! These guys are a deep funk combo, but one with a difference – energy that's a bit more raw and rough around the edges, in the best possible way – so that sometimes it feels like the vocals or instrumentation are ready to burst right out of the speakers! The lyrics often have this slight distortion that really reflects the feeling AJ puts into his expression – and the group more than keeps pace alongside, sometimes at a mighty fast clip. The whole thing's a great antidote to too-slick, too-polished funk records – and titles include "98 Degrees", "Pushin Forward", "Throw A Fit", "Get Wild", "Back Alley Beale Street", "Brown Bottle Fever", and "Typical Feeling". ~ Dusty Groove