The David Hazeltine Trio - The Jobim Songbook in New York (Hybrid SACD) * * *

The David Hazeltine Trio The Jobim Songbook in New York on Hybrid SACD from Chesky Records

As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, Chesky Records is bringing back David Hazeltine's The Jobim Songbook in New York. Originally released in 2006, this masterful session features the acclaimed pianist and his premier trio—bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Joe Farnsworth—reimagining 11 classics from the architect of bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim. While Jobim's timeless melodies have been recorded countless times, Hazeltine's treatment flips the script by posing a fascinating musical question: What if Jobim had been born and raised in New York, writing his music specifically for a hard-swinging Manhattan jazz trio?

Rather than leaning into standard bossa rhythms, the world-class trio treats the material with taste, subtlety, and constant creative daring. The album yields fresh, surprising reinterpretations that showcase the incredible flexibility of Jobim's writing. Highlights include a surprisingly boppish rendition of "Meditation," and an intricate version of "Once I Loved" that evokes the sophisticated groove of Ahmad Jamal. Most notably, the legendary "The Girl from Ipanema" is brilliantly transformed from a breezy seaside stroll into a driving swing tune.

Backed by the telepathic chemistry of Reeves and Farnsworth, Hazeltine delivers what remains a definitive high point of his storied career. Captured with Chesky's signature commitment to pristine, live acoustic sonics in a natural acoustic space, the performance feels vivid, intimate, and alive.

The Jobim Songbook in New York is reissued on Hybrid Stereo SACD as part of the Chesky Original Masters series.