Getting Down to Business

Trumpeter Donald Byrd's second jazz album during his comeback after years of playing R&B/funk and then totally neglecting his horn finds him starting to regain his former form. The strong supporting cast (altoist Kenny Garrett, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Donald Brown, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Al Foster) sometimes overshadows the leader on this CD but the music overall (modern hard bop) is rewarding. The sextet performs originals by Byrd, Henderson, Donald Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, James Williams and Duke Ellington ("I Got It Bad").

A cosmopolitan hard rock unit built around a shared love for classic rock and blues, Inglorious was founded in 2014 by English vocalist Nathan James (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Uli John Roth), rhythm guitarist Wil Taylor, Swedish lead guitarist Andreas Eriksson, bassist Colin Parkinson, and drummer Phil Beaver. Inspired by bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake, Bad Company, Aerosmith, and the Rolling Stones, the newly minted quintet wasted little time getting down to business, releasing a well-received YouTube video of their cover of "Burn" by Deep Purple. In 2015, the band inked a deal with Frontiers and headed to a studio in Buckinghamshire to track their eponymous debut LP, which arrived in early 2016.

Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams worked together on several recordings between 1958 and 1961, and The Cat Walk (released on LP in 1962) is among the best. A quintet setting, with pianist Duke Pearson (another longtime Byrd collaborator), bassist Laymon Jackson, and a lively Philly Joe Jones on drums joining the front line of Byrd and Adams, the sessions for The Cat Walk benefited from the writing and arrangement skills of Pearson, who contributes three compositions here, the impressive opener "Say You're Mine," "Duke's Mixture," and "Hello Bright Sunflower," which borrows its melodic structure from the opening bars of "Lullaby of Broadway" and features Byrd using a muted trumpet…

Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams worked together on several recordings between 1958 and 1961, and The Cat Walk (released on LP in 1962) is among the best. A quintet setting, with pianist Duke Pearson (another longtime Byrd collaborator), bassist Laymon Jackson, and a lively Philly Joe Jones on drums joining the front line of Byrd and Adams, the sessions for The Cat Walk benefited from the writing and arrangement skills of Pearson, who contributes three compositions here, the impressive opener "Say You're Mine," "Duke's Mixture," and "Hello Bright Sunflower," which borrows its melodic structure from the opening bars of "Lullaby of Broadway" and features Byrd using a muted trumpet…

After spending time on the road after the release of their self-titled debut Jazz Funk Soul, the superstar trio of Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb and Everette Harp booked more studio time, with the goal of capturing their dynamic onstage energy and flow on a follow-up release. The brilliant result may be called MORE SERIOUS BUSINESS, but these legends also have a blast, let loose and jam. Combine Harp’s soaring sax, Loeb’s brilliant inventive guitar and Lorber’s super funky piano, and the result is serious fun – percussive and punchy one minute, sweet and sensual the next. Combined, the three have amassed an incredible 50-plus #1 Smooth Jazz radio hits, including two from their debut as Jazz Funk Soul. There are sure to be a bunch more now that they’re getting down to MORE SERIOUS BUSINESS.

A reissue of the similarly named concert film, Maiden England '88 expands on the epic set of the original with a two-disc CD set. While this version only has three more tracks than its predecessor, it shows that a little change can go a long way, adding classics like "Run to the Hills," "Running Free," and "Sanctuary." Though it doesn't seem like much, these single cuts help to turn the live set into a more well-rounded listening experience, as the band forgoes the more far out tracks from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and Somewhere in Time in favor of some of their earlier, more direct work…