NEW RELEASES: LEROY HUTSON – HUTSON; DUDUKA DA FONSECA TRIO PLAYS DOM SALVADOR; JOE LOVANO & DAVE DOUGLAS - SOUND PRINTS

LEROY HUTSON – HUTSON

An amazing record – quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare – a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware, or Roy Ayers. Leroy's got a voice that's both warm and mellow, yet incredibly honest at the same time – and the songs on the record show a range of colors and emotions that perfectly fit his unique style. Features mellow "Cool Out", the funky "Lucky Fellow", the sweet "All Because Of You", and the sublime cuts "It's Different" and "Can't Stay Away". The whole thing's great – and is one of the crowning achievements of the Chicago soul scene! Also features bonus tracks – single edits of "All Because Of You" and "Can't Stay Away". ~ Dusty Groove

DUDUKA DA FONSECA – DUDUKA DA FONSECA TRIO PLAYS DOM SALVADOR

One Brazilian jazz great pays tribute to another – drummer Duduka Da Fonseca, who works here in a whole set of classic tunes from the songbook of pianist Dom Salvador! Both Duduka and Dom emigrated from Brazil to the US in their early years – where they found a welcome audience, and a way to really expand their musical palette – and back in the 80s, Da Fonseca even played in Salvador's group for awhile – which makes him a perfect artist for a project like this! And yet, the music is also nicely different than Dom Salvador's older recordings – given that the leader here is a drummer, not a pianist – which definitely gives a different focus to the record, although David Feldman does a pretty great job on the piano throughout. The group also features Guto Wirtti on bass, and Jaques Morelenbaum plays cello on one track – and titles include "Para Elis", "Samba Do Malandrinho", "Transition", "Farjuto", "Antes Da Chuva", "Clauditi", "Gafieira", and "Tematrio".  ~ Dusty Groove

JOE LOVANO & DAVE DOUGLAS - SOUND PRINTS

A beautiful collaboration between trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Joe Lovano – a record that has both musicians really hitting the heights of their creative powers! Dave's got this angular, edgey feel that takes us back to his earlier records – not that we haven't liked his recent projects, but he sounds especially great here in the company of Lovano – whose tenor is sharp and superb, and also plays a bit of G mezzo soprano sax as well! The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a great lineup that features Lawrence Fields on piano, Linda May Han Oh on bass, and Joey Baron on drums – all working with this quality that's angular and swinging at the same time – never too sharp for its own good, but flowing along in a really creative way. Two of the tunes are by Wayne Shorter – who's late 60s music might be a good comparison with some of the sounds here – and titles include "Dream State", "Full Sun", "Ups & Downs", "Full Moon", "Libra", "Juju", and "The Corner Tavern". ~ Dusty Groove