Angel Song

When “Nicolette” graces the ears, it’s clear you are in unprecedented territory. Trumpeter Kenny Wheeler offers it as the first of nine original tunes that constitute this warm hug of a jazz album. With Lee Konitz on alto saxophone, Dave Holland on bass, and Bill Frisell on guitar, the drum-less bandleader paints in broad yet precise strokes of such sincerity that it’s all we can do to catch our breath in the interims. Konitz is especially worth focusing on throughout, though Frisell’s liquid stretches are nothing to sidestep, while Wheeler himself has rarely sounded so lush.