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American saxophonist Sam Newsome and Romanian pianist Lucian Ban have just released The Romanian-American Jazz Suite. As indicated in the press release from The Romanian Cultural Institute, “The CD presents a multi-movement work…which combines Romanian folk music with American jazz.

Transilvanian Dance begins with the melodic statement and guitar solo followed by some improvisational interplay between soprano and baritone saxophone. Lucian Ban’s soprano soars above Alex Harding’s gutsy baritone as the two poke and prod each other into a musical frenzy before the final statement.

Pianist Lucian Ban embarks on a tender and pensive journey on Carol. Newsome and Harding respond respectively on soprano saxophone and bass clarinet. The duo or Newsome and Harding exhibit a beautiful musical sense between them. The remainder of the tune is just gorgeous with bassist Arthur Balogh, drummer Lillard Dyson and guitarist Sorin Romanescu completing the ensemble. I truly love this tune.

Balogh and Dyson set up Danube Stroll with a decidedly Afro-Cuban flare, albeit defiant of true category. Romanescu solos first followed by Newsome on some impressive soprano playing. Newsome has a wonderful command and voice on soprano saxophone – definitely in the Liebman tradition.

The fourth cut on the cd, Home is easy to overlook due to its understated nature. The tune again predominantly features Ban and Newsome in a duo.

Prelude immediately follows the understated Home once again with Harding on baritone and the full ensemble behind Newsome’s waning soprano.

The Chill Factor is the third solo release by tenor saxophonist Jenny Hill. This longtime New York-based saxophonist has coined a unique sound for herself and her band on this newest release from Park West Studios of Brooklyn, New York.

The opening track entitled Beautiful Madness features the classic sound of tenor and trombone in a traditional jazz setting. The addition of vibraphone to this piano-less quartet further delineates this quintet from many others playing similar forms of straight-ahead jazz. Hill’s tenor sound is full, bright and still robust here. She also shows she has formidable command of the instrument – just as I remember from our days together at Berklee in the early 80s.

The samba Ocean Mist showcases Jenny’s talent on flute as well as Curtis Fowlkes hearty trombone sound. Passion Dance begins with a quasi-New Orleansesque groove (Is that a real term or did I make that up?) with Hill and Fowlkes on tenor and trombone respectively. Ms. Hill then launches into a tenor solo that tests the ears of the ensemble and beckons to their collective creativity. Her sound is complex and full of influence. I hear Trane, Klemmer, Felder, Brecker, Rollins, Vadala – bunches of influences. With so many perceived influences projected by this listener it is likely that I’m just hearing JENNY HILL the saxophonist.

Regrets Only showcases Jenny Hill as balladeer. David Ambrosio’s bass, Stefan Bauer’s vibraphone and Todd Isler’s brushwork set up the perfect mood and background for this more tender moment on The Chill Factor.

Marsha Heydt has been living and working around New York City for the past two decades. Following her tenure at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a brief stint in Los Angeles, Heydt settled in New York. She has now...

Denis DiBlasio and Brian Betz have recently released their self-titled CD on Dreambox Media. The two CD set features DiBlasio and Betz in two separate, yet complimentary settings. CD one features twelve duos by the pair on...