Various Artists – The Congregation – Jazz Alliance International

Right Tempo Records is celebrating 30 years of existence, putting out some of the swankiest jazz imaginable, finely represented by the Easy Tempo and Tempo Jazz compilations, considered to be classics by connoisseurs of finer music.  Imagine my shock to see that the label was finally releasing material on Bandcamp, and hitting a home run on the first digital platter, which will be available on March 1.

Currently, four tracks are available for listening, are all are sublime.  Starting with Yellowtail feat. Mark Murphy – Seasons In My Mind (Patchworks Version), an unreleased track featuring Murphy in lounge mode, making me thirst for a martini while watching a crimi on TV.  Francesco Sotgiu, a new name for me, is definitely worth exploring after doing justice to Afro BlueTino Contreras, who passed away in 2021, had come back from semi-retirement to put out a classic album, La Noche De Los Dioses, on Brownswood Records and this track shows Tino at his ever-finest on the track Naboró.  The show-stealer for me, however, is Anthony Joseph’sWho Will Save The World,” which brings soulful spoken-word/singing with a spiritual jazz underpinning.  Absolutely powerful listening.  Rocco Pandiani’s ears are as golden as they were 30 years ago, and Right Tempo will continue bringing mind-blowingly good music from here on in.