96 ★ HillRag | December 2011 Unsung Heroes ••• Bryan Lynch, Holistic MusicWorks Trumpeter Bryan Lynch’s trib- ute to some underappreciated trum- pet masters is a fine example to the extract “full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air.” Highlights include “Household Of Saud (Charles Toll- iver),” “RoditiSamba” dedicated to Claudio Roditi, and “Big Red (Tom- my Turrentine).” Other unsung heroes include Idrees Sulieman, Louis Smith, Kamau Adilifu, Joe Gordon, Ira Sul- livan, Donald Byrd, and Howard Mc- Ghee. Medicine ••• Tab Benoit, Telarc Blues singer Tab Benoit is in ab- solutely peak form on this album with heartwarming songs like “Sunrise,” “Nothing Takes e Place Of You,” and “Next To Me.” ese are songs that personify the true meaning of the blues when we can connect our own personal lives to what we are listen- ing to. Truly remarkable performances from Mr. Benoit. Love and Sax ••• Elan Trotman, E.T. Muzik Productions Love and Sax is the second con- temporary jazz album from Elan Trotman, a talented young musician who plays tenor and soprano sax and flute with a suave, silky smooth style. Mr. Troman’s songs are intoxicatingly inviting, beautifully melodic and soul- fully inspired R&B instrumentals. 40 Acres and a Burro ••• Arturo O’Farrill & e Afro Latin Orchestra, Zoho Music One peculiar aspect about most Latin music is that every rhythm and every beat evokes the Latin musical culture and its infectious attractive dance styles. e opening track, “Rumba Urbana,” is the unveiling of the curtain into a world of carnivals, street festivities, and exotic beaches of endless summers. Night Song ••• Ketil Bjornstad & Svante Henryson, ECM e night brings an end to day and tells us that this is the beginning of the end of many things to come. ere is a sense of premonition, a sort of uncertainty or uneas- iness, as the day fades away. Pianist Ketil Bjornstad and cellist Svante Henryson’s latest album, Night Song, confirms our brief moment with life and how we feel about it as we hope and await the coming morning. Rruga ••• Collin Vallon Trio, ECM At its best, the music of jazz is about the story of its musicians and their real life experiences. Nonetheless, it’s how jazz is expressed that gives the music its beauty and sophistication. Pianist Collin Vallon’s debut album with its richly endowment of poetic largesse, is a fine example. is is a piano trio whose gifted leader is influenced more by singers than pianists, and the group ‘sings’ in its own unique way – with an emphasis on melody, texture, shading, and dynamics. Forever •••• Corea, Clarke & White, Concord Here is a priceless collection (2 CDs) for all die-hards jazz fans from three great masters: Chick Corea (piano/keyboards), Stanley Clarke (electric/acoustic bass), Lenny White (drums), along with special guest stars Bill Conners (guitar), Jean-Luc Pon- ty (violin), and Chaka Khan. is is quintessential jazz music of great per- formances like “Waltz for Debby,” “La Cancion de Sofia,” and “No Mystery,” “Captain Marvel,” “Crescent,” “After e Cosmic Rain,” and “500 Miles High.” But the real magic is to hear Chaka Khan on “I Love You, Porgy” and “High Wire.” Live At Birdland •••• Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden & Paul Motian, ECM A beautiful jazz album from three of the best contemporary musicians performing standards like “I Fall In Love Too Easily,” “Lover Man,” “Oleo” and “You Stepped Out Of A Dream.” Troubadour Live ••• Eric Bibb, Telarc is Eric Bibb’s latest album and features guitarist Staffan Astner with standouts like “Connected,” “For You,” and “If You Were Not My Woman.” Light My Fire ••• Eliane Elias, Concord Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias is exceptional on her lat- est; you are going to love this woman and her soft, incandescent voice on such pieces like the title track, “Light My Fire,” “Aquele Abraco,” “Made In Moonlight,” and “Take Five.” American Road ••• e Tierney Sutton Band, BFM Jazz Tierney Sutton is one of today’s best jazz singers and every album of hers is a gift from her heart and soul. Her singing is at times heavy, flirtatious, whimsical, and beguiling. Recommended songs: “Wayfaring V V V V Thoughts Of A Jazz Lover Jazz can be enigmatic, an alchemy of mysterious sounds and moods that is spon- taneous and yet deliberate in its free flowing creativity. e music can be complex, but good jazz feels as simple as first love — it goes straight to the heart and rests there, beating gently. At times, the music can be so life-like that it speaks to you with honesty and love. One still gets a keen sense of understanding of the complexity of the music. ere is such a high note of haughtiness, perhaps a sort of natural aristocracy from a kind of inbred austerity about jazz that puts it in a class by itself, elevating one to a higher ground of one’s consciousness. It almost borders on elitism, and yet jazz strikes one as a beautiful music for everyone. And it is, especially for those of us who not only enjoy but truly love the music. True, most good jazz musicians more than likely think of jazz as the arbiter of modern music. And on a good day, I think they are correct. You can walk in your door after a hard day’s work and a harrowing Metro ride, put on Sarah Vaughn and your world is transformed. Your mind clears, your body relaxes and suddenly life is pretty good. ere’s no drug in the world that can do that. Jazz is beautiful music. Native Sun ••• Producer: Blitz e Ambassador, Fatbeats is album features some of the most interesting music I have heard this year. It caught me completely off-guard — and I loved it. Check out “En-Trance,” “Native Sun,” fea- turing Shad, “Best I Can,” featuring Corneille, “Accra City Blues,” “Wa- hala,” featuring Keziah Jones, Ba- louji, Bnegao, and Bocafloja.