Mighty Joe Belson - The Doodle Cats: Reinventing The Wheel (2025) [Hi-Res]

The album by The Doodle Cats, featuring Mighty Joe Belson (bass, composer, arranger), Erik Jekabson (trumpet), Carl Schultz (tenor sax), Kevin Wong (piano), and Julian Hogan (drums), with a guest appearance by Will Shannon (trombone) on one track, consists of a dozen compositions inspired by the classic jazz of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The musicians from Frisco's Bay Area showcase proficiency focused on melody, lyricism, and emotional depth, deliberately avoiding long and empty solos. Tracks like "Greerin' Out," "Snow Day," and "Shreddin'" exemplify pure bebop. Other compositions include "Manny Manhatten," the Count Basie tribute "Basie Boy," the Wong and Schultz collaboration "Weenie Martini," the emotional tribute "Dear Sammy," "Schmaltz Waltz," and "Orthopedic Hell" with Belson's walking bass, which evokes "All Blues." The album, available from October 17th, is a substantial work, despite not aiming to "reinvent the wheel."

Tracklist:
1-1 Mighty Joe Belson - Greerin' Out [2:55]
1-2 Mighty Joe Belson - Manny Manhattan [4:26]
1-3 Mighty Joe Belson - The Doodle Cats: Basie Boy [5:22]
1-4 Mighty Joe Belson - Weenie Martini [3:25]
1-5 Mighty Joe Belson - Dear Sammy [5:10]
1-6 Mighty Joe Belson - Schmaltz Waltz [3:55]
1-7 Mighty Joe Belson - Orthopedic Hell [6:16]
1-8 Mighty Joe Belson - Odie-O (Scribble Dogs Theme) [0:35]
1-9 Mighty Joe Belson - Big Business [4:15]
1-10 Mighty Joe Belson - Starry Night [2:49]
1-11 Mighty Joe Belson - Snow Day [3:44]