If you’re looking for some great new music to discover this weekend, look no further than our weekly New Release Cheat Sheet. This week, a tribute to Wes Montgomery and his long-lasting legacy, Jacob Collier reimagines a Queen classic as a piano ballad, Eliane Elias returns to her bossa nova roots and more.
Noteworthy
Nikki Yanofsky, “West Coast Blues”
Montreal-based singer Nikki Yanofsky has shared a distinctive new version of “West Coast Blues,” also a tribute to Wes Montgomery and his long-lasting legacy. This is one of 15 tracks featured on her new album, Nikki By Starlight, which will be released on October 21. The project serves as a homecoming to Yanofsky, marking her return to jazz, and a tribute to some of her jazz heroes, including Montgomery, Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday and more.
Snarky Puppy, “Take It!” feat. Bernard Wright
Snarky Puppy have shared a new video of their live-in-studio performance of “Take It!” This is one of the tracks from their recently-released new album, Empire Central, showcasing the internationally acclaimed ensemble as they pay tribute to their spiritual home of Dallas, Texas. The record was released on GroundUP Music and also marks the final recorded performance by funk legend Bernard Wright before his tragic death shortly before the sessions.
Jacob Collier, “Somebody To Love”
Jacob Collier has released a new live album of piano ballads recorded at various locations during his world tour in support of his visionary multi-album Djesse project. Piano Ballads – Live From The Djesse World Tour 2022 features his reinterpretations of famous songs, including this performance of Queen’s “Somebody To Love,” captured in Lisbon. Other artists whose songs Collier reinterprets in this collection are ABBA, James Taylor, Frankie Valli and The Beatles, among others.
New Albums
Eliane Elias, Quietude (Candid)
Pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias follows her GRAMMY-winning 2021 album, Mirror Mirror, with a return to her Brazilian and bossa nova roots. Quietude offers intimate performances of compositions by some of the most celebrated Brazilian songwriters of all time, resulting in a calming and transportive record.
Owen Broder, Hodges: Front and Center, Vol. 1 (Outside In)
Saxophonist Owen Broder pays tribute to iconic jazzman Johnny Hodges on Hodges: Front and Center, Vol. 1. Released today, the album features a stellar quintet including trumpeter Riley Mulherkar, pianist Carmen Staaf, bassist Barry Stephenson and drummer Bryan Carter, and re-evaluates the influence of Hodges on the history and evolution of jazz.
Various Artists, Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen (Blue Note)
A Blue Note star-studded tribute to the much-missed legendary singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. Here It Is, produced by Larry Klein, presents stunning renditions of some of Cohen’s most profound songs, performed by guest vocalists Norah Jones, Iggy Pop, Gregory Porter, James Taylor, Luciana Souza and Peter Gabriel among others.
Featured photo by Brian Friedman.
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