Durham Morning Herald | R.C. Smith, Jazz

A number of last year’s “new names” in jazz from this column and some this column missed, are deserving of recognition now as emerging stars, poised at the point of liftoff of just up. Among those with new releases are Bobby Watson, John Hicks, Kenny Werner, James Morrison, Walt Weiskopf, John Campbell, Birele Lagrene and Ralph Moore.

Weiskopf is out of the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin band, a Getzian tenor with a happy, extroverted sound, good chops, and taste. He follows up on an earlier effort for Iris (Exact Science) with MindWalking, which exhibits more heat and control.