Hutchinson Andrew Trio – Prairie Modern
Winners of the 2013 TD Grand Jazz Award from the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Hutchinson Andrew Trio plays it straight with Prairie Modern (Chronograph Records, 2014). The album was produced with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Alberta Music.
The trio is comprised of Kodi Hutchinson, bass; Chris Andrew, piano; and Karl Schwonik, drums. Hutchinson has performed on the Canadian scene since 1992. Among his associations are Ingrid Jensen, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. He is an instructor at the University of Calgary’s Summer Jazz Program. Andrew graduated in 1990 from Grant MacEwan College, and since then has been on the Alberta scene. He has performed with Joshua Redmon, Pete Christlieb, Paquito D’Rivera, Jump Orchestra and the Edmonton Symphony.
Special guests on this date are saxophonist Donny McCaslin, who appears on five songs, and percussionist Rogerio Boccto, who contributes to three tracks.
Live from New York! (2013) by Mike Longo and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble is the kind of concert performance that sets itself apart from other recordings. The concept of going into Gillespie Auditorium, setting up some microphones and recording with an intimate audience is familiar to fans who’ve heard albums like Maynard Ferguson’s M.F. Horn 4 & 5 Live at Jimmy’s.
Chicago based guitarist Nick Colionne just released his new album Influences on Trippin’ N Rhythm Records. The death of his longtime partner and manager Carol Ray overshadowed the production of this project. The album is dedicated to her.
Jazz vocals in the tradition of old-school divas is what you get with Easy to Love (2013) by Lizzie Thomas. It’s a set of 10 standards, including a few that are slightly off the beaten path.
Smooth Jazz Daily 