NEW MUSIC: JOAO SELVA – NATUREZA; SEAN JONES – LIVE FROM JAZZ AT THE BISTRO; ERIK JEKABSON – ERIK JEKABSON QUINTET

JOAO SELVA – NATUREZA

A fantastic album of Brazilian funk, and one that's got a great contemporary twist, too – given that the whole thing is a collaboration between singer Joao Selva and Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart! Patchworks handles most of the instrumentation here – apart from some percussion from Selva – and the groove is right in the very best samba soul modes of the early 70s – that slinky, funky territory that you'd find on the best records by Jorge Ben and some of the many artists he influenced – presented here in a perfect style that feels far more vintage than you'd expect, and which has none of the clubbier touches of other Patchworks projects! Selva's a great singer too – with a raspy charm that's beautiful – and which, again, is very much in the spirit of the sound he's going for. Titles include "Pessoas", "Se Foi", "Maria", "Perto De Ti", "Babado Forte", and "Natureza".  ~ Dusty Groove

SEAN JONES – LIVE FROM JAZZ AT THE BISTRO

Live From Jazz At The Bistro, Sean Jones’ eighth album for Mack Avenue Records and arguably the most dynamic, playful and loose-limbed excursion of his career. He brings a stalwart poise, the fire of ecstasy and a whimsy in motion. “In a nutshell, I’ve been wanting to do a live album for a while,” he says. “I wanted to capture the band’s energy live and record what it’s like to go to one of my gigs. Granted, recording in a studio creates a polished sound where the music is all tied up. But this album, it’s real raw.” Includes: Art’s Variable; Lost, Then Found; Piscean Dichotomy; Doc’s Holiday; The Ungentrifed Blues; Prof; and BJ’s Tune.

ERIK JEKABSON – ERIK JEKABSON QUINTET

Sharp trumpet from leader Erik Jekabson – but a set that seems to draw equally as much energy from guitarist Dave MacNab – whose curving, colorful lines really shape the sound of the record! The rhythm core is also pretty great too – bassist John Wiitala and drummer Hamir Atwal, the latter of whom has a nice snap in his approach, which makes even some of the mellower moments bristle nicely – which Jekabson matches strongly with his well-phrased notes, as does saxophonist Dave Ellis, who plays both tenor and soprano sax here. Ellis seems maybe a bit more in the background at times, but only because some of the other players are so bold – and the set features all original tunes by Erik, including "Maintain", "Zig Zag", "Little Z's Strut", "Emily Jane", "Nasty Woman", "Detective Work", "A Piece Of The Action", and "The Rising Tide".`  ~ Dusty Groove