New Music Monday: Jonathan Powell; Harry Drabkin Quartet; Bria Skonberg

New Music Monday returns after its annual summer vacation! Tune in on Lunchtime! with Arturo Gómez on Monday, August 5 at noon to hear music from Jonathan Powell, Harry Drabkin Quartet, and Bria Skonberg.

Jonathan Powell: “Mambo Jazz Party”
Earlier this summer Jonathan Powell & his New York City Mambo All-Stars spent a weekend along the Front Range playing Colorado Springs, KUVO’s Masterpiece Studio, Lafayette, and recording their next album at Mighty Fine Studios. The recording their tour was based on has now been released and it is a sure bet to be one of 2024 year-end Top Latin Jazz albums. Trumpeter-composer-arranger and bandleader Powell relocated to Colorado Springs over a year ago from New York to become part of the U.S. Air Force Falconaires Big Band. Thanks to a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation he was able to bring in the band from NY to Colorado. The ensemble features the cream of the crop Latin jazz players excelling at the dynamite cover versions of music by Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, and Eddie Palmieri-Jonathan’s former bandleader, add to these four originals by Powell.

If you missed their performance at KUVO’s Masterpiece studio or wish to experience it again, click: Jonathan Powell Mambo Jazz Party.

Harry Drabkin Quartet: Reincarnation Of A Lovebird”
Denver-based Dr. Harry Drabkin was a student and educator at Boston’s Berklee College of Music in the 1960s when he decided to trade his saxophone for a stethoscope to follow a medical career for over 30 years! Upon retiring he decided to take up playing saxophone once again and jazz listeners were pleased, that he did. For his second recording, Harry recruited a killin’ trio to accompany him; Eric Gunnison-piano, Mark Simon-bass, and Todd Reid-drums with Alejandro Castaño subbing for Todd at drums for a few tracks. The ten selections on the album are by composers-musicians who influenced the sound of Harry Drabkin for example, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, and others. The quartet will have their CD Release Party at Dazzle in the early Fall. Meanwhile, you can see the band playing live at KUVO’s Bonfils-Stanton Studio by clicking Harry Drabkin Quartet.

Bria Skonberg: “What It Means”
Born and raised in Chilliwack, British Colombia, trumpeter, and vocalist was playing in bands in her hometown by the age of thirteen and founded the all-female Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band. After graduating from Capilano University in Vancouver she relocated to New York to further her studies with noted trumpeter Warren Vaché. After touring Japan, China, and throughout Europe, Skonberg returned to NYC to co-found the New York Hot Jazz Ensemble. Her debut album “Bria” won her the coveted Juno Award in 2017 for best jazz vocal album. For her new session, Bria relocated to New Orleans to soak in the language of the birthplace of jazz before entering the studio to record her latest session. She asked her mentor, drummer Herlin Riley to choose the best of the new players of New Orleans to participate in this stellar recording. As noted jazz critic Nate Chinen of the New York Times stated: “Bria is the shining hope of hot jazz, she has the clarion sound of Louis Armstrong on trumpet and the smooth purr of a voice inspired by Anita O’Day.”

Now in its 21st year of debuting the latest arrivals to the KUVO Jazz library, many of them are played ahead of their official release date. In addition to the music comments, I’ll provide a few tidbits about the artist, if it’s a new or an up-and-coming artist. It all begins at Noon every Monday.

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