Chuck’s Cool CDs List

By Chuck Sher

My wonderful web expert, Bob Afifi, talked me into starting a blog, so I hope all you Sher Music fans out there find it useful. If you have any thoughts on what shows up in this blog, please comment. 

One of my jobs as a jazz publisher (not to mention as a musician myself) is to keep my ears open to the latest developments in jazz—or at least those aspects of jazz that I find personally appealing. So below, please find a list of some of the coolest music I’ve heard lately. I’ll probably be doing this monthly to correspond with my jazz show on KRCB.

You can hear many of these songs on the show by going to krcb.org and clicking “Listen” the first Saturday of each month from 8pm to 12am, Pacific Time.

Or check out rhapsody.com where I found most of these CDs. For a relatively low monthly fee, you can listen to full tracks of thousands of jazz CDs (and other genres too, of course).

Enjoy!

– Chuck

🎶 Recommended CDs:

1. Chris Minh Doky – Cinematic
   Contemporary jazz at its finest. Features Joey Calderazzo, Tain Watts, and more. Start with “James Bond.”

2. New York Voices – A Day Like This
   Beautiful track: “The World Keeps You Waiting.” Very cool lyric for these stressed-out times.

3. George Colligan – Desire and Como La Vida Puede Ser
   Features the world-class alto saxophonist Perico Sambeat. Try the title tune of the second CD.

4. Julian Arguelles – Scapes
   Not all of it’s my taste, but some tracks are gorgeous and highly creative.

5. Marcus Tardelli – Interpreta Guinga
   State-of-the-art Brazilian acoustic guitar playing Guinga’s compositions.

6. Perico Sambeat – Jindungo
   See #3 for why Perico is essential listening.

7. Ali Akbar Khan – Raga Chandranandan (from the 1960s)
   One of the greatest solos—any instrument, any country, any time.

8. Kenny Werner & Roseanna Vitro – Serve or Suffer: The Delirium Blues Project
   Especially their reinvention of Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip?” CD releases next month.

9. Kenny Wheeler – It Takes Two
   With John Abercrombie, John Parricelli, and Anders Jormin. Excellent group chemistry.

10. Morrie Louden – Time Piece
    Outstanding bassist and composer. Features Bob Sheppard on sax—very highly recommended.

11. Kasper Villaume – Hands
    Along with Brecker’s Pilgrimage, the best record I’ve heard in the last year. Incredible rhythm section and Chris Potter solos.