NEW MUSIC: JOSH LAWRENCE – COLOR THEORY: JON DAVIS – HAPPY JUICE; WALT WEISKOPF – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

JOSH LAWRENCE – COLOR THEORY

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green".  ~ Dusty Groove

JON DAVIS – HAPPY JUICE

Top shelf jazz trio from pianist Jon Davis – an artist who might look pretty laidback, sipping wine on the cover – but who serves up some great original material as well as key takes on some classics! Working with bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Mark Ferber on this one, Davis earnestly sets out to pay homage to the 60s modern piano jazz genius of his five favorite players – and also manages to really show some of his own best work – a really impressive feat! The originals shine brightly – including "Happy Juice", "Slant Six", "As We Know", "Bred On Read" and "Mostly Minor" – and fit in seamlessly with the nods to classics by Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett – including "The Two Lonely People", "Tones For Joans Bones", "Speak Like A Child", "Search For People" and "Rainbow". Wonderful stuff!  ~ Dusty Groove

WALT WEISKOPF – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Walt Weiskopf is fast becoming one of our favorite contemporary tenorists – a musician who's not just strong on his own instrument, but able to place himself amidst a very fresh setting with each new release! This set has Walt working with a top-shelf lineup of Positone labelmates – including the great Behn Gillece on vibes, Peter Zak on piano, Mike Karn on bass, and Steve Fidyk on drums – musicians who do a really great job of soaring along with Weiskopf's sound, and finding all the right stops along the way! The blend of vibes, piano, and tenor is wonderful – Gillece is also one of our favorite contemporary players – and Walt's got this soulful presence that offsets the other two instruments beautifully. Titles include "Echoes Of The Quiet Past", "Backstage Blues", "Petal", "Hot Dog Days", "Heads In The Clouds", and "Double Date".  ~ Dusty Groove