Danny Jonokuchi features on both of the records I’ve reviewed this month—yes, it’s a Doyle’s Discs double-Danny discourse. He isn’t someone I was too familiar with before, but I’m very pleased to have finally become acquainted. The bandleader’s website describes him as “a multi-talented jazz artist based in New York City and Los Angeles”: a blurb which just oozes glamour. It says relatively little and promises so very much—before checking him out, I wasn’t sure whether to be very excited or very skeptical.
But before anyone can accuse Jonokuchi of excessive pride, the PR primer follows up with a one-two-three punch of impressive accolades: the brace of Grammys he shares with recording project collaborators, an inaugural Count Basie Great American Swing Contest gong and a 2020 ASCAP Foundation Louis Armstrong Award. The trumpeter, vocalist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator is a swinging force of nature, as evidenced by the tidal wave of talent he has brought to bear on latest release Voices.
Just like Jonokuchi’s PR, this whole record just drips with glitz—from its outstanding arrangements, via its awesome orchestration, and down to its jaw-dropping individual performances, both vocal and instrumental. And while some tracks lean heavily towards bebop—and thus might not be to every Times-reader’s taste—the swinging stylistic variety and raw ta
