NEW RELEASES: JAMES HUNTER SIX - WHATEVER IT TAKES; ANDY LAVERNE - FAITH; HAROLD DANKO – TRIPLE PLAY

JAMES HUNTER SIX - WHATEVER IT TAKES

On February 2nd, 2018, Daptone Records will release Whatever It Takes, the sixth album by The James Hunter Six. Hunter had already established himself as a permanent fixture in the world of Rhythm and Soul with his five previous albums, each more poignant and well-executed than the last. However, this record has buried them all. His voice has never been more compelling, his songs never more elegantly crafted. Recorded to tape at Daptone's Penrose Studios in Riverside, California, Bosco Mann's production elevates Hunter's arrangements to the altitude they deserve.

ANDY LAVERNE - FAITH

Pianist Andy Laverne is really showing us all sides of his talents here – not just his wonderful skills on the keys of the piano, but also his strong ear for fresh compositions as well! All the tracks here are originals by Andy, and they're beautiful tracks that sparkle nicely with dark colors and tones – elements underscored strongly not just by Laverne's work on piano, but also by the album's sparkling contributions from Alex Sipiagin on both trumpet and flugelhorn! The pair together are a delight throughout – balanced out with a depth that seems so much more than just the sum of their parts – given a strongly soulful rhythm current by Mike Richmond on bass and Jason Tiemann on drums – the latter of whom has this snap to his work on the kit that moves along tunes that might have otherwise got lost in a moody morass. The whole thing is great – maybe one of the best sessions we've ever heard from Laverne – and titles include "Enigma", "Faith", "Touch Sensitive", "All Things Considered", "Paramour No More", and "Double Down". ~ Dusty Groove

HAROLD DANKO – TRIPLE PLAY

Harold Danko sounds wonderful here with his long-established trio – a group so well-matched, most of the songs on this set arose from collective improvisations during the recording sessions! Yet these aren't outside, avant tunes – in which all players roam freely in space – and instead, they're melodic, rhythmic, very tuneful extrapolations that are often based on older standards – but which are so transformed, you can't really hear any roots of the originals – as the players take flight in that magical collaborative creation that marks jazz at its best! Danko plays piano, Jay Anderson is on bass, and Jeff Hirshfield is on drums – and titles include "Sky Blues", "Stream Of Tears", "Shallow Waters", "Mademoiselle Dreamy", "Total Obsession", and "Ancient & Distant". ~ Dusty Groove