Two Quick Jazz Recommendations

Two great jazz recommendations:

I picked up a couple of jazz albums this week that I thought were worth passing along. One is new, the other merely new to me.

First is Stanley Turrentine�s, �Sugar� on the CTI label. This is a pretty early CTI release from 1970 with all of the usual label suspects including Ron Carter, George Benson and Freddie Hubbard. Nice relaxed date with a bonus live version of the title track. This is excellent groove-jazz with that great Fender Rhodes atmosphere behind it. Solid playing by everyone involved with nice self control (no high-note histrionics) from Mr. Hubbard. Obviously not a new record, but it has been newly reissued in honor of CTI�s 40th anniversary as a record label. The reissue CD quality is really quite good. It�s got a big, expansively wide soundstage with nice clarity, if not the last word in depth.

Second � and really extraordinary � is bassist Dave Holland�s collaboration with flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela titled �Hands� on the Redeye label. If you like acoustic guitar Spanish style, with some jazz overtones thrown in you can not go wrong here. I�ve never heard of Mr. Habichuela or any of the other musicians (two other guitars, and two percussionists) but they are all obviously exceptional player. The bonus is the recording quality. I am certain that this is the best sounding CD I�ve played in a while, and I buy a lot of CDs. The guitars sound truly life-size and present, the bass is clear and solid, the soundstage is only as wide as the band would be on a small stage, but the bass is as tall as a bass. Everything should be recorded this well.

Enjoy!