Five Jazz Albums for Late November

The shortening days and early dusk call for a shift in listening habits. A KUVO radio segment released on November 4 offers five jazz albums suited to the season. The list avoids standard seasonal fare in favor of deeper cuts.

The segment, titled The O'Zone, rejects common autumn staples like "Autumn Leaves" or Vince Guaraldi's "Great Pumpkin" songbook. The columnist describes those choices as low-hanging fruit. Instead, the focus is on atmospheric and introspective recordings.

The first selection is Gerry Mulligan's 1972 album, The Age of Steam. The centerpiece track, "Over the Hill and Out of Woods," runs for eight and a half minutes. It blends Mulligan's baritone saxophone with Bud Shank's flute and Bob Brookmeyer's valve trombone. The piece evokes a slow train journey through a changing landscape.

Wayne Shorter's 1966 album, Speak No Evil, is the second pick. The record marks the point where Shorter's traditional bop style merged with avant-garde modal elements. The album features atmospheric twilight moods and brooding tempos that fit the November mood.

Bill Evans' 1961 live recording, Waltz for Debby, takes the third spot. Evans wrote the title track for his niece in 1953. The Village Vanguard recording includes ambient sounds like clinking glasses and low chatter. Scott LaFaro plays bass alongside Evans.

Pee Wee Russell's 1965 album, Ask Me Now!, is the fourth choice. Russell formed a piano-less quartet with valve trombonist Marshall Brown in the early 1960s. The group recorded complex pieces by Thelonious Monk and Ornette Coleman for Impulse! Records. The title track is a ballad originally penned by Monk.

The final selection is Abbey Lincoln and Stan Getz's 1991 album, You Gotta Pay the Band. The recording features Stan Getz in his final sessions, alongside Hank Jones and Charlie Haden. The title track carries a blues-inflected pragmatism about settling life's dues. The album combines Lincoln's weathered integrity with Getz's fading brilliance.

The list concludes with a reminder that November is a threshold month. It balances the memory of autumn with the approach of winter. The selected albums offer a soundscape for that transition.