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Kenya Revisited Live!!! •••
Bobby Sanabria & The Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Jazzheads
Art Blakey once said that “any place where jazz is played is a sacred place.” This is part of the opening statement for this jazz session at Borden Auditorium in New York City, the year 2006. But that statement, in and of itself, is a contradiction in terms. Jazz might be sacred (most jazz lovers would agreed), but the not necessarily the place where it is being played. Jazz, like any other sacred professions, is more about the professionals, and less about anything else. So, does this album deserve a visit? You bet. Start with “Congo Mulence” and feel your body and soul bonding with the power of the Afro-Cuban-Latin addiction. Follow this with the prelude to falling in love with “Theme And Variations On Tin Tin Deo” along with the bombastic “The Tin Tin Deo.” Finally, have fun and dance for life with “Tururto.” Appearing as special guest soloist is Candido. This is an enjoyable live album, but it is not sacred jazz.

Fly •••
Sky & Country, ECM 2067
No surprises here, just a straight-ahead jazz album with subtle nuances and wondrously beautiful improvisations. Pleasantly relaxing and well-balanced performances from Mark Turner (sax), Larry Grenadier (double-bass) and Jeff Ballard (drums), especially on pieces like “Elena Berenjena,” “CJ,” “Perla Morena,” and “Transfigured.”

Pollock •••
Jurgen Friedrich, Pirouet
Top quality performances from three very graceful musicians in a sunlit house of beguiling emptiness that overwhelms with feelings of joy, sadness, and deliverance. It’s a moment of experiencing something greater than one’s own existence. This is Art Blakey’s “sacred place.” Jurgen Friedrich (piano), John Hebert (bass) and Tony Moreno (drums) a set of distinguished and elegant jazz selections. Starting with Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight,” Mr. Friedrich’s “Ripple,” Mr. Hebert’s “I Am Missing Her” and “Billy No Mates” to “Over,” the music is a celebration of jazz as the purest music of our modern day’s era.

Purple Butterfly •••
Daniela Schachter
Producer: Daniela Schachter
Vocalist and pianist Daniela Schachter arranged all the songs on this album and that might have been too much of a stretch for her. This could have been a great album. Here’s what I heard. The arrangement of the instruments is exceptional and beautifully balanced. But, as if she is waiting to hear the musicians first, she seems to be in a wait-and-see-mode — more like a conductor looking down at the music sheets to see if the musicians were in tune — and then, oops, I’m supposing to be singing. And that’s when the catch-up begins. Now, don’t get me wrong. This lady can sing, and her timing on the piano is impeccable. If only she had slowed her voice down — more like what the late, great Shirley Horn did to her music as a vocalist and a pianist. From the beginning to the end of Purple Butterfly, all the instruments radiate with power and intuitive sensibilities, arousing deep feelings of appreciation and intimate expectations. What should have been the beginning of a love affair was now more or less a flirtatious misunderstanding. Oh, how I wished Ms. Schachter could have stayed a little longer with those lovely songs so we could dance with her a little closer — and who knows what might have happened.

Jazz In The Garden •••
Stanley Clarke Trio, Heads Up
Stanley Clarke (acoustic guitar) is no newcomer to the music world, and on this album with Hiromi (piano) and Lenny White (drums), his performance suggests a musician in peak form. First on the list of accomplishments is the opening track, “Paradigm Shift (Election Day 2008),” a well-crafted, cutting-edge piece that shines and shimmers with brilliant musical forms. Next, we hear “Sicilian Blue,” followed by “Take The Coltrane,” all performed in a perfunctory way. After all, what’s the rush? Change is coming, so let’s enjoy the ride. We follow Mr. Stanley with his exhilarating “Wrong Notes” and his dramatic and prophetic interpretation of “Someday My Prince Will Come.”