New Music Releases: Patrick Barnitt; Brandee Younger; Eddy Senay

Patrick Barnitt - Sway

Sway, the second album by Los Angeles vocalist, composer and actor Patrick Barnitt, is a project comprising swing, pop, and blues tunes. Barnitt has a warm, intimate voice, somewhat in the tradition of the Great American Songbook crooners but with a more contemporary edge. The vocals were recorded at Capitol Studios. Barnitt is a mainstay on the L.A. jazz scene. He performs regularly at the Dresden, a quintessential Hollywood nightclub. He also gigs regularly with drumming legend Frank Devito, a member of the famous The Wrecking Crew. Barnitt is accompanied by The Paul McDonald Big Band, a 17-pieceband that features some of the top West Coast players. Barnitt’s musical tastes are wide-ranging. His classic tenor voice, top-notch musicianship, and big band arrangements create a thematic whole that is by turns swinging and romantic.

Brandee Younger - Soul Awakening

Really beautiful work from Brandee Younger – maybe one of the few artists to mix together jazz and harp since the generation of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane! The record's even hipper than Brandee's last – richer, deeper, and with these strongly spiritual currents that get great support from an excellent lineup that includes Ravi Coltrane on tenor, Sean Jones on trumpet, Dezron Doglas on bass, and EJ Strickland on drums! The music is sharp and focused, but also has a wonderful sense of flow – perfect for Younger's deft fingers on the strings of the harp – which, as in the hands of Ashby or Coltrane, is completely transformed from its usual instrumental role. Titles include "Soulris", "Games", "Sae The Children", "Soul Awakening", "Linda Lee", "Respected Destroyer", "Blue Nile", and "Love's Prayer". ~ Dusty Groove

Eddy Senay - Step By Step

The second smoking Sussex album from guitarist Eddie Senay – and arguably even better than the first! The tracks here are all instrumentals – played with a style that's tight, right, and very on the money – mixed with keyboards from Rudy Robinson, who also arranged the numbers on the set. There's kind of a choppy early 70s soundtrack funk groove to the whole set – like a funky 45 groove, but stretched out a bit more – with Eddie's guitar bad-stepping its way over Rudy's sweet keyboards – all in a relatively lean mode that's laidback and loose, but still supremely funky! Titles include "Cameo", "Delgado", "Soul Preachin", "Shakeero", "Safari", "Sarko East", "Shakedown", and "Phase 1". ~ Dusty Groove