New Release: Hard Bop: For The Record from Greg Chako

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New Release:  Hard Bop: For The Record from Greg Chako
Label: Mint400 Records
Release Date: September 4, 2026
Website:  https://gregchako.com

Hard Bop: For The Record is the 25th offering from composer-leader-guitarist Greg Chako, a piano-less two-horn quintet recording that places Chako's guitar at the center of the ensemble while demonstrating his commitment to the hard bop language and traditional jazz idioms.  Inspired by the classic quintets of Horace Silver and Art Blakey, the album features shards of swing alongside hard bop, blues, and chillout jazz, most notable in the tribute tune "Bop for Bud," paying homage to pianist-composer Bud Powell.  Chako's improvised thrumming on the guitar is embellished by the frilly tooling of Brooks Giles's saxophone on "Mr. Higgins," a nod to drummer Billy Higgins that is keeled by the steady pulse of David Lloyd's bass and Alex Merk's drumming, while Spencer Mark's lyrical phrasing on the trombone produces a soothing current across "Ballad to the Bone," and returns to the frontline along "Mellow Dee," sowing a tranquilizing atmosphere.  Chako's guitar motifs have a chillout vibe on the track that propels the arrangement forward at a comfy-cozy pace, as the horns entangle into a shooting sparkler.  The title track closes the recording with smooth blues interplay filament by a modern jazz glint.  Chako has built a body of work that reflects his penchant for improvised jazz, hard bop, blues, and swing, and his 25th endeavor demonstrates his fluency in crossbreeding these elements with a masterful hand.


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