Keyboardist/pianist Mitch Forman has graciously sent me a collection of releases from Metro and his own solo efforts for our station's jazz library. Among them is a release that is so good that I can't understand how I never became aware of its existence. It's title and some others I've recently received follow:

1. "Patience" - Mitch Forman Trio [Sanctuary, 2000] Features two trio personnel makeups: Trio #1 has Mitch on piano; Dave Carpenter on acoustic bass and Joel Taylor on drums. On Trio #2 Jerry Watts Jr. on electric bass and Brad Dutz on percussion join Mitch again on piano.

2. "The Waiting Game" - Claire Martin [Linn Records, 1992]. You have to hear this gal to appreciate a truly great jazz vocalist. She's from the UK and it's hard to believe she's received virtually no exposure in this country.

3. "Make This City Ours" - Claire Martin [Linn Records, 1997] This is another excellent effort by this glorious vocalist. She is backed on this release by Gareth Williams on piano, Peter Washington on bass, Greg Hutchinson on drums, Antonio Hart on alto sax and Gerard Presencer on flugelhorn and trumpet.

Selections from Mitch Forman's "Patience" and Claire Martin's "The Waiting Game" releases will be featured on tomorrow's (Friday 6:00-8:00am EST) "Catching the Sun" broadcast. On Monday the Claire Martin release "Make This City Ours" will be featured on the show.

Claire Martin's North American distributor for Linn Records is "Honest Entertainment" in Nashville, Tennessee (info@onemusic.com).

Dave Brubeck Quartet - 25th Anniversary Edition
David Sanborn - Closer, The Best of David Sanborn
Kenny Garrett - Tri-ology
David Benoit - Every Step of the Way
Maceo Parker - Roots & Grooves
Eliane Elias - Everything I Love
Hiroshima - Hiroshima

I like your taste in music!

Two must-haves if you like a lotta rock flavor in your instrumental music:

Neil Larsen - Orbit. I am just totally in love with this project with Robben Ford and Jimmy Haslip. It was recorded live in studio and sounds like you're sitting on the front row. It covers too much territory to verbalize but it's simply amazing. Plus, for those of us who loved "Jungle Fever," "High Gear," and the Full Moon and Larsen-Feiten albums there are new takes on some favorite songs from those plus new material. Larsen has been touring with Gregg Allman a lot and its got that same driving, churning keyboard undercurrent w heavy doses of B3 and Rhodes plus lots of moments of sheer beauty when he plays acoustic piano.

And Metro-Express, which some have said is too mellow in spots (compared to the live one it is but that's a different story) but it really isn't. It's textural in parts in a Metheny-ish way.

Some I've ben enjoying lately are:

1. "Elevado" - Astral Project [Compass, 1998]
2. "Some Other Time" - Diane Schuur [Concord, 2008]
3. "Live In London" - Diane Schuur [GR2 Classics, 2006]
4. "Chatterbox" - Jeff Richman & Mitchel Forman
5. "Live At the Blue Note" - Eldar
6. "Interplay" - John Coltrane [Prestige 5-CD Set, 2008]
7. "Live At the London Palladium" - Ted Heath Big Band [London, 1953]
8. "Swing Session" - Ted Heath Big Band [London, 1954]
9. "Bags Meets Wes" - Milt Jackson & Wes Montgomery [Keepnews Collection, Concord, 2008]
10. "Only the Lonely" - Frank Sinatra [Capitol, 1958]

AA - Out of nowhere - kinda mezmerizing...

I like that!

Shifting Sands Quartet - Darkest Rose
Klobas Kesecker Ensemble - No Gravity
Maynard Ferguson - Hollywood
The Very Best of Diana Krall
various - Jazz Like You've Never Heard It Before
Philip Bailey - Dreams
Spyro Gyra - Alternating Currents
Big Bands and Classic Jazz Vol. 1
Diane Schuur - Some Other Time
Yellowjackets - Dreamland

I am listening to an album I downloaded from CD Baby by Cameron Mizell called Life Is Loud, which is quite "Soulive" like. I am digging it. Peace.

Rippingtons - Moonlighting
Dizzy Gillespie - Bebop Professor
Peter Erskine, Tim Hagans & The Norbotten Big Band - Worth the Wait
Spyro Gyra - Breakout
Shapes - The Last Farewell
various - Big Bands and Classic Jazz Vol. 2
Joe Williams - Having the Blues Under European Sky
Raya Yarbrough - Raya Yarbrough
Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter and Peter Erskine - The Standards

I reviewed Shapes' The Big Picture about three years ago. Through one of the members, I got a copy of The Last Farewell. The core group is:
Roger Burns - keyboards, vibes and marimba
Michael Higgins - guitars
Tollak Olstead - harmonicas
Andy Suzuki - saxophones, flutes and clarinets
Dean Taba - acoustic bass
Michael Barsimanto - drums
Guests on this album include Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, and the Yellowjackets' Russell Ferrante and Jimmy Haslip. I think Jimmy was the main bassist on The Big Picture, and he produced this album.
It's a very good, unique sound - especially the way Tollak plays the harmonica.