New Music Releases: Marcus Anderson, Sonny Rollins, Ben Markley Quartet Featuring Joel Frahm

Marcus Anderson - My Inspiration, Vol. 2

Saxophonist maestro Marcus Anderson (Prince, CeeLo Green, Judith Hill) has evolved into a prominent solo artist with a #1 hit on Billboard's Smooth Jazz chart, among other accolades (His Limited Edition studio album debuted on Amazon as the #1 Best Seller in Smooth Jazz & Jazz Fusion, and #12 in R&B/Soul), playing bills with Ledisi, Lalah Hathaway, Brian Culbertson, Esperanza Spaulding, Peter White, Boney James, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, George Duke, Wynton Marsalis, Jeff Lorber, Bob Baldwin and The Sax Pack, to name a few. Jazz, soul, pop and urban adult contemporary all inform this powerhouse Gospel record, the second in Marcus' discography. My Inspiration, Vol. 2 is the gospel according to Marcus Anderson. Surrounded by a community of inspired talent (Jonathan Butler, Aarik Duncan, Josh Cissell, Tamala Hairston, Marcus Cole and Marcel Anderson), Marcus lays the groundwork, creating great grooves and upbeat foundations that make each song work uniquely with the featured performer.

Sonny Rollins – Bossa Nova

Originally issued as What's New? (RCA Victor LSP-2572), with the subtitle Sonny Rollins brings to jazz a new rhythm from South America, on the album presented here the saxophonist explored Latin rhythms during the heights of the Bossa Nova craze. This was Rollins' second album after his three-year long self-imposed musical exile (following The Bridge), and again featured him with Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Ben Riley on drums, plus added percussionists, among them the great Cándido Camero. A complete 1958 date featuring Rollins in a quartet format along with three members of the Modern Jazz Quartet has been added as a bonus. ****(*)AMG Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins returned from a self-imposed two-year sabbatical in 1962 with a fury, recording prolifically and exploring various directions from outside to inside. Rollins mixes here standards and originals, providing his take on what was then an exploding trend, the bossa nova. Rollins' characteristically huge tone, relentless harmonic and rhythmic inventiveness, and fierce solos were consistently impressive. (Ron Wynn)

Ben Markley Quartet Featuring Joel Frahm – Slow Jam

For Ben Markley's fourth recording, the fleet pianist/composer teams with New York tenor saxophone great Joel Frahm for a dynamic set of modern jazz originals. Though written specifically with the band of Frahm, drummer Jim White, and bassist Marty Kenny in mind, Markley continually finds inspiration from significant influences in his musical life, most notably Cedar Walton, Chick Corea and Bill Evans. With engaging and elevating support from Kenney and White, Markley and Frahm pop on the boogaloo 'Mon Back,' strike a Jazz Messengers-esque pose on the grooving 'The Return of Catboy,' and strut on the half-time funk of the title tune.