Superette

New York bassist Chris Lightcap’s all-electric 2018 Superette referenced surf, Ornette Coleman’s harmolodics, West African music and the international sounds of psychedlia. Such genre-bounding might sound heavy, but Lightcap’s music—this new LP included—is defined by lightness and grace. Growing up in a steel town near Pittsburgh, Lightcap’s musical curiosity was sated by his parents’ classical music collection and “tons and tons of rock ’n’ roll.” This heritage comes through on SuperBigmouth via distortion-edged guitar chords, while his love of West African music is heard in skittery drums and interlocking horns. SuperBigmouth unites Lightcap’s two bands: the two-guitar, drums (plus guests) Superette with Bigmouth, the group that released the much-hailed Epicenter back in 2015. And it works beautifully. With its almost 9-minute duration, “Zero Point Five” is thick with drowsy swagger.

Altoist Phil Woods took a rare vacation from playing with his regular group to collaborate with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist George Mraz and drummer Kenny Washington on this fine straight-ahead quartet date. The 13 selections are fairly concise (clocking in between 3-7 minutes apiece) and most of the material (other than "Canadian Sunset," "Yours Is My Heart Alone," "Blue and Sentimental" and Bill Evans' classic "Waltz for Debby") consists of either obscurities or recent originals. A special bonus is that Woods plays his appealing clarinet on three numbers. Highlights include "Charles Christopher" (a tribute to Charlie Parker), "Butter" and Hal Galper's "Just Us."