Colby Caillat Bubbly

It's no longer certain what music cold be classified as "mainstream" jazz. One can argue that the genre (and all others, for that matter) have atomized to the point of each performance being considered a genre in itself (a desirable outcome to the music anarchists among us). That said, some type of classification remains useful in describing music, if for no other reason than to let a listener know that "this sounds a great deal like that." Which brings us to tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon. Weldon presently serves featured soloist in Harry Connick, Jr.'s long serving big band, who presently provide tafelmusik for Connick's Harry weekday talk show on ABC. The present Those Were the Days is Weldon's debut on Cory Weeds' Cellar Live label. The saxophonist has released seven previous recordings.

Music, more than all the arts, has the ability to move us to other settings, unforgettable times and moments and hardly describable through rational knowledge. Throughout the world, from blues to voodoo and to the sitar of Ravi Shankar, it has been possible to enter other states of consciousness through sound.

A band with no discernible weaknesses, one that fairly bristles with vitalityand enthusiasm, that reduces even the most formidable charts and demanding unison passages to ho-hum routine - what more could one ask from any ensemble? Rob Parton's Jazztech Band, in its third Release for Sea Breeze, delivers all of this and more. This is, simply put, one of the finest bands you're likely to hear anywhere or any time.

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Southbound I-95, from JP Soars and it's really cool. Opening with Ain't No Dania Beach, there's a country flavor but still folky/rock along the lines of the Band…you know…just right. Joined by Travis Colby on organ, Paul DesLauries on ultra cool slide, Greg Morency on bass, and Sam Harrison on percussion, this is a stylin' opener. Swamp funky, Sure As Hell Ain't Foolin' Me, is a great track with a solid bass line and vocal delivery by Soars. His guitar playing is really nice as well, backed by Teresa James on vocals, Oscar Santiago on percussion and Scott Ankrom on trumpet, this is my favorite track on the release.

Ina Forsman is the one you've been waiting for. Maybe you've caught a glimpse of her on the blues stages of Europe, blowing out the speakers with that burnt-honey voice. Perhaps you marked her for future greatness when she represented Finland at the 2014 European Blues Challenge, or during her early guest spots with Guy Verlinde and Helge Tallqvist. Now, as this next-big-thing releases her self-titled debut album - and rocks the house on the famous Ruf Records Blues Caravan 2016 - it's time for a proper introduction.