John Hart, Exit from Brooklyn

Guitarist John Hart entered Brooklyn in 1984, one of those hopeful young jazzmen that chose the B-town as a place where aspirations might be realized, as a part of New York City that was still affordable and chock full of similar musicians and good playing situations. There he met Bill Moring on bass and Tim Horner on drums. They clicked and though they eventually left Brookyn for the burbs, still thrive together as a trio.

Some four CDs later they are once again at it on the appropriately titled Exit from Brooklyn (ZOHO 201605). This one was designed to showcase a couple of Hart originals and a bunch of standards, jazz and songbook, so they could get the spontaneous chemistry going without a lot of preparation.

That they are successful can be felt from the first cut on. Hart is a well-schooled mainstreamist with a beautiful sense of chordal possibilities and good ideas for lining. Moring and Horner have jazz sense in abundance and yes, bring with Hart a sympatico three-way chemistry that makes this outing something very worth hearing.

John Hart is one of the best straight-ahead jazz artists operating today and the album is a definite pleasure from start to finish. The trio is in great form!

Julian Lage, Arclight

Julian Lage is a guitarist who has formidable technical tools but also a very musical way about him, a keen ear for what can be done. His latest is out in a few days, March 11th (see below for a pre-order link). It is called Arclight (Mack Avenue). What we have is a lively trio configuration of Julian, plus the ever-potent Scott Coley on double bass and the swinging Kenny Wollesen on drums.

The album has the influence of early-to-mid period Jarrett trios in their treatment of "covers," but that comes through with originality in what Lage and the trio are doing. Lage does some nicely thought-out arrangements of early jazz/pre-bop. There are also some nice originals.

What is striking is the beautiful playing of Lage and the excellent trio interaction. Lage has become his own stylistic self, cleanly exuberant, tastefully musical in his chordal-lining lyricism, filled with some beautiful intersections of the noteful and the chordally interesting. He is one of a kind at this point and he has worked out his versions of the old and the new that has at times a rock electricity and other times a brightly direct tone. There sometimes is an almost Django-meets-surf brilliance...I don't know how else to describe it. But there are indeed a number of dimensions of Lage to be heard on this fine album, all of it a pleasure and, I'll admit, a challenge to all guitarists out there to be original, to press on!

Lage is becoming a major guitar force out there. It's all on the CD, so jump up and grab it if you want something accomplished and original.

A link if you want to preorder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AIO7OM My live link button is on the fritz so you'll have to copy and paste the link into your address window.

Frank Kohl Quartet, Invisible Man

Frank Kohl has a nice way about him in the mainstream jazz guitar zone. He grew up digging Wes, Pat Martino, George Benson, then John McLaughlin. He went to Berklee and graduated with honors. He put out an album while he was gigging around New York, then moved to Seattle in 1990, where he still holds forth.

There's a new album, Invisible Man (PONY Boy 501783-2) and I've been listening to it. Frank has recruited bassist Steve LaSpina, pianist Tom Kohl and drummer Jon Doty for the album, put together five nicely done compositions and three standards and let loose.

The band swings along well and Frank has a spotlight role on guitar, spelled nicely by Tom Kohl as second soloist, but then we hear from Steve on bass solo, too.

Frank shows his roots with some Wes-&-George-inspired harmonic and melodic touches and furthers his own sort of post-bop/hard-bop take on it all. He is poised, polished and swingingly lined/aligned throughout. It's all good music. It shows Frank off well as a thorough stylist and imaginative improviser. It's a nice listen.

Good show!