Kurt Hanson

Dabringhaus & Grimm has already issued an excellent Bruch disc that couples the Second Symphony with the Third Violin Concerto and this collection of pieces is indeed very welcome. The Swedish Dances had not been hitherto recorded since Kurt Masur's set on Philips and Hanson compares well with that excellent version. There is brilliant colour and energy in the music that is well portrayed and brought out by this orchestra.

Pianist Brad Mehldau has regularly performed with his trio, which has included bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard since 2004, when the latter replaced Jorge Rossy. As a trio, they've spent relatively little time in the studio together exclusively - it's been seven years since Day Is Done. On 2010's Highway Rider, Mehldau augmented the group with Matt Chamberlain, Joshua Redman, and an orchestra. Ode marks the very first album comprised of all Mehldau material cut by this trio. While the title may reflect a a certain ponderousness, these 11 tunes are anything but. Specifically written for this group, they show off an increasingly muscular sense of interplay and stylistic athleticism that wasn't nearly as present on Day Is Done. "M.B." (written in memory of Michael Brecker) states a bluesy theme and moves off into several directions, seemingly at once…

If one song can sum up the rip-roaring energy on Jason Aldean’s eighth studio album, it’s “Gettin’ Warmed Up,” a swirling mix of electric-guitar riffs, country-rock choruses, and an explosive rap interlude. “You need a good time?/Well, I brought it,” he spits with the fire of a Beastie Boy. Rearview Town is indeed a good-time ruckus, full of swaggering, arena-ready country anthems backed by rock muscle (“Up in Smoke,” “Set It Off”). A tender moment arrives in “Drowns the Whiskey,” an expressive, harmony-driven duet with Miranda Lambert. Album closer “High Noon Neon,” the inspiration for his accompanying tour, leaves the energy at a 10.