Flowers for Albert

Hi everyone, I’ll be away from my computer for a while so here’s a bonus tune for this week.  It’s the simple but catchy title track from David Murray’s 1976 album Flowers for Albert.

New Arrival

Hilton Ruiz was a sublime piano player, a master of both the Latin and jazz idioms.  So well did he blend the two styles that Tito Puente (who has more than a few Latin jazz hits to his name) chose Hilton’s tune “New Arrival” to open his star-studded Live at the Village Gate recording.  Hilton contributes an energetic solo before laying down a solid montuno for a Giovanni Hidalgo conga feature.  His piano work, along with the drumming of Ignacio Berroa, helps the band find a comfortable balance between swing and Latin.  If you need any more evidence of his prowess, consider that Hilton does something few musicians would be brave enough to do: he solos after Paquito D’Rivera.

This is just a lead sheet for the head, I haven’t written out the montuno or the “shout chorus” section of the tune.

Radiant Moon

Happy birthday to Tom Harrell.  This song is on his album Wise Children.

E

“E” is the first track on Dave Kikoski’s self-titled album, released on Epicure in 1994.  Dave is accompanied by Essiet Essiet on bass and the great Al Foster on drums.