Stasia Grey

Veteran trombonist Al Grey leads an unusual quintet on this set from 1988 that, in addition to drummer Bobby Durham, features the sons of Al Cohn (guitarist Joe Cohn), Gerald Wiggins (bassist J.J. Wiggins), and his own Mike Grey on second trombone. The two trombonists have similar sounds, with the elder Grey getting the bulk of the solos. The repertoire mixes together swing standards with lesser-known jazz tunes by Thad Jones, Sonny Stitt, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, and Al Grey himself. The relaxed straight-ahead music flows nicely and all of the musicians (other than Durham) have their opportunities to be featured. Worth searching for.

Trombonist Al Grey is joined by emerging young tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell on this pair of 1962 sessions, which were originally issued as an Argo LP and finally reissued on a limited-edition CD by Verve in 2003. The first five tracks also feature trumpeter Dave Burns and obscure pianist Floyd Morris. "Nothing But the Truth" is smoldering up-tempo blues with a bit of a gospel flavor, while Morris gets into the groove of the mid-tempo "Three-Fourth Blues." Mitchell especially shines on Melba Liston's soulful ballad "Just Waiting." The three tracks from the earlier session feature Donald Byrd on trumpet and Herbie Hancock on piano. Also here is the slashing hard bop composition "Minor on Top." Another Liston piece, "African Lady," is complex and showcases Grey's sensitive solo.

Gear Fab's excavation of the recorded history of Greenwich Village folkie Chris Wilson continued apace with this follow-up to The Grey Wizard Am I (itself reissued three years earlier by the archival label). You needn't be a total sci-fi/fantasy dork to enjoy that 1972-vintage album, though it certainly doesn't hurt. Those with less esoteric – okay, less geeky – tastes, on the other hand, probably felt the Tolkien-themed lyricism was more than a little bit twee and precious. Even more well-adjusted, down-to-earth listeners, however, might find themselves charmed by parts of The Tin Angel. Firstly, the music itself is more diverse and, consequently, has a far broader appeal. Secondly, there is nary a wizard hat or hobbit in sight.

Grey Daze, Chester Bennington’s pre-Linkin Park band, release Amends, the Phoenix-born band’s eagerly-awaited album featuring newly recorded music with re-mastered vocals from the group’s long out-of-print, and largely undiscovered catalog.

It's difficult to find a review of JJ Grey's music that doesn't use the word "swamp" to describe his blend of deep Southern soul and murky funk. So that's taken care of in the first sentence here, which leaves plenty of room to focus on his fourth album's low-key yet surging backwoods R&B. The disc's title and title track refer to Grey's home state of Florida's official flower, but there is little that is floral or sunshiny about his music. Rather, the Jacksonville-based Grey prefers to hover in the gloaming, layering horns and backing vocals over grinding, midtempo blue-eyed soul. This is the most elaborately produced of his albums, but like the chitlin' circuit blues in his blood, there is nothing slick about it…

Maybe number five is the charm? Not that JJ Grey and his ever evolving backing band Mofro care. But it's possible that Georgia Warhorse may be the record that pulls them from the glorified cult status they've enjoyed for a decade into the lights on the mainstream's fringes - but don't count on it. Grey's music is far too gritty; too poetically, sonically, and atmospherically rooted in vintage Southern soul, rock and blues traditions to translate readily into radio fodder. Georgia Warhorse (named for a tenacious and resilient species of grasshopper) contains 11 new originals, recorded at Jim DeVito's Retrophonics Studio in St. Augustine - as were all four previous albums. The music is steeped in funky, greasy, slippery Southern R&B, blues and rock…