Believe in Spring: Roy Hargrove, Kenny Dorham, Oscar Peterson and More in Robin James's Jazz Roundup
MSR jazz columnist Robin James rounds up the season's most notable jazz releases and news, including Roy Hargrove's live Bern recording from Record Store Day, the first biography of trumpeter Kenny Dorham, new albums from Stacey Kent and the Oscar Peterson Trio, and a Guggenheim Fellowship for saxophonist James Brandon Lewis.
“You Must Believe in Spring” is an album by the late jazz pianist Bill Evans, recorded in August 1977. It comes to mind now as spring brings a wealth of jazz news worth celebrating.
Record Store Day, which took place April 19, brought a doubly special release: late trumpeter Roy Hargrove’s “Bern” (Live at the Bern Jazz Festival 2000), out now from Time Traveler Recordings. Restored from original tapes and remastered for audiophile fidelity, the album features Hargrove’s quintet: Larry Willis, Sherman Irby, Gerald Cannon and Willie Jones III, at their finest.
The performance is a vital document of soul, swing, Latin-inflected grooves, bebop tradition and beautiful ballads. Liner notes are by Nate Chinen, with rare photos and testimonials from the band included in the limited-edition 180g 1-LP pressing. The track list: Side A, “Stranded,” “Depth;” Side B,“Never Let Me Go,” “Caryisms,” “Circus.” If you’ve been lucky enough to experience Hargrove live, you know how important this album is.
Another long-overdue release is the first biography of jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham. “Whistle Stop: Kenny Dorham, Jazz and the Journey of a Texas Family” (University Press of Mississippi, 2026), by Robert M. Pallitto and John A. Melendez, traces his life from a Texas sharecropping family to becoming a key figure in bebop. Dorham was an underrated talent deserving of this kind of historic remembrance. Pair it with his 1961 album of the same name.
Vocalist Stacey Kent has a new album out, “A Time for Love,” from Token Productions. The record is a mix of English and French vocals, featuring Art Hirahara on piano and Jim Tomlinson on tenor saxophone, also Kent’s husband. She covers standouts including “Lucky to Be Me,” “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “As.” Kent is a versatile singer who knows how to make audiences appreciate well-written lyrics. The last time I saw her perform live was at the Dakota.
Also out now is “The Oscar Peterson Trio at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge: The Complete Recordings” from Verve Records, 27 songs running 2 hours and 19 minutes across a 3-LP/digital set. Peterson, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen were at the peak of their powers during this Detroit outing, capturing over five sets on a Friday night in early August 1960.
The tapes were found decades later in a mislabeled box in the Verve vaults. Highlights include “Whisper Not,” “I Remember Clifford,” “My Funny Valentine” and my personal favorite, “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise.” The trio’s interplay is everything one hopes for in a live recording. It’s also a fitting way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Peterson’s birth, Aug. 15, 1925.
Congratulations are in order for saxophonist and bandleader James Brandon Lewis, who announced on X that he is a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow in music composition. “I am beyond words,” he wrote. “I never got into music for awards. I am deeply honored by this acknowledgement.” Lewis and the Lutoslawski Quartet also have a new album out, “These Are Soulful Days (Live at Jazztopad, Wroclaw 2021),” from TAO Forms, available on vinyl.
Now go ahead and enjoy some live music, whether on a recording or in person. Believe in spring.
Robin James welcomes reader responses at jamesonjazz@spokesman-recorder.com.