Latest CD releases reviewed

NANCY KING/FRED HERSCH
Live at Jazz Standard MaxJazz *****

King may lack the recognition of better-known jazz singers, but she's one of the greatest around, with an intimate, one-on-one conversational style and the ability to wring emotive meaning from lyrics while showing them the utmost respect. She's also the most musicianly of vocalists, one of the few whose scat singing is no self-indulgence but always (a) a real solo and (b) of a piece with the emotional climate of each performance. Live, with just the great Fred Hersch to embrace her pianistically, is a glorious experience; to hear these two great artists' willingness to live on the edge musically, in the process injecting immediacy and freshness into old standards, is to hear something close to perfection. Definitely one of the records of the year.www.maxjazz.com  Ray Comiskey

MARTY PAICH
Paich-ence Fresh Sound ****

Pianist/composer/ arranger Paich emphatically confirmed his gifts in this impressive collection of his first four septet, octet and big band leader debuts on the mid-1950s West Coast scene. He got a huge sound and range of colour from the smaller ensembles, packing an amazing amount of detail into his charts without losing shape or coherence, and in Conte Candoli (trumpet), tenors Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre and the very underrated Bob Hardaway, had superior soloists to grace them. He could also match Bill Holman in devising fresh, contrapuntal lines, and there was no lessening of quality in a big band setting, where he also had Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca andBill Perkins to adorn his exceptional arrangements. As usual with Fresh Sound, transfers are high class and the assembly is comprehensive. www.freshsoundrecords.com  Ray Comiskey

FRANCESCO CAFISO
Happy Time CamJazz ***

Alto saxophonist Cafiso is a 16-year-old virtuoso who, in his ballad playing particularly, already shows a maturity beyond his years. He has a superabundance of ideas to go with his awesome technique, pouring them out with the exuberance of youth. Stylistically he's somewhere between Cannonball Adderley and Paul Desmond, with some contemporary touches, freedoms and flexibilities. Here, very capably backed by Riccardo Arrighini, Aldo Zunino and Stefano Bagnoli on piano, bass and drums, he stakes a persuasive claim to be a coming phenomenon on a programme of his own originals. And if he's this good at 16, what will he be like when he's an ancient 21? uk.hmboutique.com  Ray Comiskey