In contrast, the second song that we hear from On Night is “Green Dolphin Street,” with a lighter, more ethereal melody, which is complemented by the elegant playing of Pors on piano and Heydt on the flute. Strings play over the top of the melody, adding more texture.

The real treasure that comes with this set of songs is found on the last track, “Afrikaan,” a Norman Pors composition. Although no mention is made in the liner notes of the individual percussion instruments used, it sounds as though bells, shakers, tambourine and perhaps claves are used to create a South African ambience. I never however underestimate the imagination and creativity of percussionists who continually introduce us to instruments from many cultures or often incorporate everyday household items into their music. If you are looking to be swept away on an adventure by some very pretty music, you will want to forward your CD player to this track and start listening here. It may be difficult for you to find this song on a radio station so you better shell out at your digital store now, because you do not want to miss out on “Afrikaan.”

Other songs to listen for include a capable rendition of the Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell, “Georgia On My Mind,” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is” (Gene DePaul / Don Raye). In the latter song, cellist Friedlander creates a plodding movement that lends itself to darker moods. The song’s foundation is built more upon Friedlander’s cello than Marc Schmied’s upright bass, but that is more a matter of construction than a reflection upon Schmied, who is a very talented bass player. Heydt plays saxophone on “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” and Sheryl Bailey, who appears on several of the songs from One Night, does a good job on guitar.

Motion Of Love

Once every few years a singer emerges whose voice is so uniquely different and of such a high quality that you immediately embrace the music. Jazz singer Machan is such an artist. Her CD Motion Of Love (NuGROOVE Records) has beautiful hues and textures, fronted by Machan’s very pretty vocals.

Machan’s voice may be familiar to you, but perhaps not her name. She has been singing professionally since she was sixteen, having shared the stage with Pink Floyd and George Benson. She also toured extensively with Sting. Motion Of Love is her sophomore project as a solo artist.

Motion Of Love, co-produced by Machan, opens with the title track, a pretty song on which, in addition to singing, she also plays her nylon string guitar. The song features a great bass clarinet bridge by Rick Depofi, who shares production credits for this album.

Big Band Urban Folktales

The fruits of his efforts have been evident over the years, but perhaps no more obvious than on his current CD, Big Band Urban Folktales, where no less than eight different students whose lives he has touched perform either as instrumentalists or singers. Six former students appear in the orchestra, while Shareef Clayton and her trumpet appear on the song, “Since I Fell For You.” Singing lead vocals on this track is Chareneè Wade, another former student.

Dave Brubeck: Indian Summer

The idea for Indian Summer was presented to Dave by Telarc President, Bob Woods. Initially Brubeck focused on the more concrete connotations of “Indian Summer,” then with some prodding from wife Iola, reconsidered his selection of tunes with a more metaphorical concept in mind, choosing songs that had significance for him as reflections on life and career. Thus the playlist includes favorite standards as well as original compositions, often written in collaboration with Iola. All were recorded as single takes over two sessions, and are presented in the order Dave chose to play them in the studio, creating not only a real time document of the event but a logically sequenced suite. The package is enhanced by a brief interview with Brubeck, conducted by producer Russell Gloyd for the liner notes.

Will Bernard’s Party Hats

Funk guitarist Will Bernard’s Party Hats is a delightful collection of original jazz funk songs. In total Bernard used fourteen different San Francisco Bay area musicians, including two different rhythm sections and six different horn players, notably Wil Blades, who gives an outstanding performance on the Hammond B3 organ, and Michael Bluestein, who shines on the Wurlitzer during the title track and “Leo’s Cat.” Recently Bernard took time out from an ambitious tour schedule to talk about his new CD and his career.

The laid-back Bernard says Party Hats has found a receptive audience among the college radio stations across America. “For awhile we were number three on the College Music Jazz Charts. The college market is one of the places where my music is played because we don’t fit into the niches that they have on the commercial radio stations. They are very regimented. If you are in jazz, you must be either in smooth jazz or straight-ahead jazz. They really do not have other categories,” he says.