Nothing much whets my appetite in terms of hitherto undiscovered upcoming jazz releases for now apart from Fellowship, expected in late-February.

A trio record by pianist Glenn Zaleski, there are, the observant among you may note yes three humans on the cover. The title track is sequenced as the fourth of the nine, a mix of originals and standards. A treatment of the moodily beautiful John Coltrane classic ‘Central Park West’ is included. 

Zaleski returns to sassily tasteful US jazz indie outfit Sunnyside for this his second album for the label. It arrives two years on from My Ideal, Ravi Coltrane bassist Dezron Douglas, above top right in the album cover art, and Henry Threadgill drummer Craig Weinrib, also in the snapper’s viewfinder, are his trio partners and reassemble after their first album together. (Ravi was a guest on that first occasion.) A Duke Pearson piece, ‘Is That So’, listen above to DP himself, is also included.

Originally from Boylston, Massachusetts, Zaleski was a participant in the Brubeck Institute Fellowship programme in Stockton, California more than a decade ago and finished his undergraduate studies at the New School in New York City in 2009. He has since taught at New York University (NYU).

Glenn, you may like me be interested to stumble upon, has a well stocked video blog. The standard ‘Goodbye’ was a recent feature there. His version is still and finely weighted. Listening, clearly he is an astonishing player, one for Jarrettonians everywhere particularly any not necessarily looking for an acolyte of the master’s just one who has imbibed from his curative and therapeutic waters. The opening bars, above, do not shrink from mood and stylistic acknowledgement, more or less inescapable for any advanced jazz musician who finds himself surrounded by Jarrett’s music, practically a global lingua franca of jazz standards for pianists since the 1970s, but move on to choose to steer an originally navigated harmonic course. Also see for close enjoyment and reflection, of course, Jasmine. Everyone who swims in the deep, so deep, modal waters of Evansiana may also choose to wade in the warmth.SG