Christian McBride's second big-band album, 2017's Bringin' It, is a robust, swaggeringly performed set of originals and standards showcasing his deft arranging skills and his ensemble's exuberant virtuosity. The album comes six years after his previous big-band outing, The Good Feeling, and once again finds the bassist conscripting a slew of his talented cohorts (some new, others returning), including saxophonists Steve Wilson and Ron Blake, trumpeters Freddie Hendrix and Brandon Lee, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Xavier Davis, drummer Quincy Phillips, and others. Together, they make a swinging, dynamic sound that brings to mind the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra of the 1960s and bassist Charles Mingus' various big-band recordings. It should be noted that both of those ensembles continue to live on as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Mingus Big Band, and McBride's group matches their high artistic legacies.

Forest of Feelings is keyboardist/guitarist/composer David Sancious' debut solo effort after leaving Bruce Springsteen's employ. He not only played keyboards on Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle and the title cut on Born to Run, but also arranged them. A musical polymath, Sancious never met a musical style he didn't like – or couldn't master. Here he is fully under the sway of jazz-rock fusion and progressive rock. Produced by Billy Cobham, Forest of Feelings features Sancious on an army of keys – Hammond B-3, clavinet, Moog, acoustic and Rhodes piano, etc. – but also on guitar (on which he is just as proficient, if not better).

This single CD contains 12 performances by pianist Russ Freeman (with either Joe Mondragon or Monty Budwig on bass and drummer Shelly Manne) plus the one regular studio session (eight songs) that illfated pianist Richard Twardzik led (in a trio with bassist Carson Smith and drummer Peter Littman). Due to its rarity, the Twardzik date is more important historically but actually Freeman generally takes solo honors. Fine, straight-ahead music from two of the mid-'50s' more promising pianists.

Hotly tipped Icelandic quartet Kaleo deliver A/B, their debut album for Atlantic Records. Blending soulful indie folk ballads and smoldering, riffy rockers, the young quartet explore their fascination with American blues and roots rock on this ten-song effort co-produced by Nashville's Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, City and Colour). In spite of some of the more Americana-leaning acoustic fare like "All the Pretty Girls" and "Automobile," a big, bluesy garage rock approach takes center stage on A/B, with bangers like "Glass House" and "No Good" (as heard on the trailer for HBO series Vinyl) leading the charge.