A Late One, the new release from Columbus-based Hammond B3 organist Linda Dachtyl, is her third album on Tony Monaco’s Chicken Coup imprint on Summit Records. Picking up where previous releases Blue Bop and Music for Hep Cats left off, the new album finds Dachtyl expanding her sound with more diverse instrumentation and song selection, as well as honoring those educators and mentors influential to her that have passed on. The Linda Dachtyl Quartet, featuring Don Hales on guitar, Cary Dachtyl on drums and percussion, and Mark Donavan on tenor saxophone, will celebrate the release of A Late One with a performance at Natalie’s on Friday, July 24th at 10pm. Copies of the CD will be available for a special price at the show. Advance tickets are highly recommended (available here) for what is sure to be an engaging journey into some of Dachtyl’s best material to date.
A Late One establishes its own unique swing with the Dachtyl-composed title track that employs the soprano sax of Kris Keith for a lighthearted romp. “Bucket Full of Soul,” the only organ-guitar-drums trio tune on the album, follows, paying tribute to organist Trudy Pitts with a gritty display of grease and soul starring Dachtyl and Hales. The middle of the album consists of tenor sax-organ quartet tunes, starting with the organ workout “Deep Purple” that features some elegantly swinging work from saxophonist Bryan Olsheski. The band’s take on the Horace Silver rarity “Mysticism” is an unexpected treat, as the darker hues of the “Caravan”-esque tune allow for dramatic solos from Hales, Dachtyl and Olsheski. “Sister Francis,” with Mark Donavan on tenor sax, has a quintessential jazz organ feel, paying homage to its composer Dave Wheeler, as well as local organ legend Hank Marr. The eighth track on the album, a version of Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy” with Olsheski switching to alto sax, marks another shift in tone, as the bebop tune is taken straight ahead and Dachtyl charges into a late adventurous solo ahead of some exposed drumset work from Cary Dachtyl. The drums figure prominently on “Topsy,” as both Dachtyls play drumsets and a small horn section of local greats appears to honor Cozy Cole, a legendary swing drummer who was an early teacher of Linda’s. While this throwback to vintage swing is a bold left turn from the album to that point, the reverent feel and excellent musicianship of the ensemble ensure that it doesn’t feel out of place. The album ends with “Don’t Misunderstand,” featuring frequent Dachtyl collaborator Chip Willis on vocals and tenor sax, bringing the proceedings to a passionately soulful close. A Late One is a varied yet cohesive display of organ jazz that builds on Dachtyl’s past catalog but also reveals her breadth of interests and talents for multiple styles.
For those unable to attend the release party, A Late One is available now at dachtyl.com as well as iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. The trio will play a few tunes live in Studio B on WCBE 90.5 FM in Columbus on Wednesday, July 22nd at 2PM to promote the album and release party, so tune in or stream the station online via their website. Check out the video below to sample the entire album: