Greg Abate on alto saxophone, Claudio Roditi on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. CD

Andres Boiarsky on tenor and soprano saxophone, Claudio Roditi on trumpet, Paquito D'Rivera on alto saxophone, George Cables on piano, David Finck on bass, Ignacio Berroa on drums, and Gabriel Machado on percussion. CD

Features Nick Brignola on reeds, Claudio Roditi on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Hicks on piano, Geroge Mraz on bass, and Dick Berk on drums. CD

Features Conrad Herwig on trombone, Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez on drums, and Bobby Sanabria on on percusion, clave, and congas – plus special guests Slide Hampton on trombone and Claudio Roditi on trumpet. CD

Features Gales on bass – with Steve Turre on trombone, Junior Cook on tenor, Benny Green on piano, Ben Riley on drums, and Claudio Roditi on trumpet! CD

With Junior Mance on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on durms – plus guest trumpet from Wynton Marsalis, Wallace Roney, Doc Cheatham, and Claudio Roditi, as well as Red Rodney on flugelhorn. CD

Three albums from pianist Klaus Ignatek – all served up in a single set! First up is Jacaranda, a set that shows that Klaus is a great player on his own, but also a really great leader – one who always has a special ear for putting a group together, and bringing out the best in the musicians on his sessions! This record is a great example of that talent – as it really seems to bring out the best in trumpeter Claudio Roditi, driven on strongly by Mario Gonzi on drums and Paulo Cardoso on bass – all stretching out on long tracks that move easily between lyrical moments and harder-burning numbers – with more than a few great originals to remind us of the compositional talents of Klaus! Titles include "Blues For Lee", "Day For Night", "Jacaranda", "Let's Take A Break", and "Monster Mood" – plus nice takes on "Eu E Brisa" and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". Don't Stop It Is an overlooked 80s cooker from pianist Klaus Ignatzek – a set that's full of imagination, right from the very first note – thanks to a string of all original material that matches the strong performances on the set! Trumpeter Claudio Roditi is a key part of the quartet – and maybe gets a showcase here that's as strong as some of his better-known albums from the decade – really finding his groove with the material that Ignatzek brings to the record, in ways that are also nicely distinct, and show just how much Claudio can add to a session. Other players include Paulo Cardoso on bass and Mario Gonzi on drums – and the record's a gem through and through, with titles that include "Summer & Spring", "Move It", "Ballad For Ulli", "Whisper Yes", "That's It", and "Blue Energy". New Surprise is a record with a really joyous groove, and maybe one of the tightest sets we've ever heard from pianist Klaus Ignatzek – and that's saying a lot, as all of his records are pretty darn sharp! The groove is great – rock-solid basslines from Paulo Cardoso and drums from Mario Gonzi – with sparkling solos over the top from Claudio Roditi on trumpet and Tim Armacost on tenor – plays who spark all sorts of color and light on the great material that Klaus brought to the session! Titles include "Monster Mood", "Horace Gold", "For Sure", "Black Humour", and "New Surprise". CD

Not a bad record from Murphy, but he's sort of biding his time here – working through some pretty mellow tunes, and occasionally hitting a bit more of a groove, but none of the majestic power of his best earlier recordings. The record features backing by a group that includes Claudio Roditi and Pat Rebillot – and titles include "Not Like This", "Ugly Woman", "Happyin", "Miss You Mr Mercer", and "Small World". CD

Michael Carvin's one of those players who always makes us sit up and take notice – not just for his own dynamic work on drums, but also for the way that he manages to lead a group with such soulful fire! This album's a great example of that skill, as Carvin brings together a mix of players who really open up beautifully together – driven by his own direction with the same free-thinking, soul-searching energy that Art Blakey used to bring to the Jazz Messengers in years back. But Carvin's rhythms are hardly Jazz Messengers stuff – given that the tunes here step out in a nice range of modes, and really show a nice evolution of soulbop standards over the years. The group features Antoine Roney on tenor, Claudio Roditi on trumpet, Carlton Holmes on piano, and David Williams on bass – and Houston Person plays guest tenor on one track, and also co-produced the album with Carvin. Titles include "Waltz For Gina", "Nails", "Recife's Blues", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "One By One", and "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You". CD

Conducted by Jon Faddis – with Antonio Hart, Frank Wess, Gary Smulyan, Renee Rosnes, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, Terell Stafford, and others. CD