Coyote Cowboy

Miss the tuba in jazz? Okay, admit that you’ve never even considered the issue before now and then check out “Coyote Cowboy”. Johnnie Valentino is “commemorating the 100th anniversary of the tuba’s demise as the keeper of the bass line in jazz,” a milestone that might have otherwise gone unremarked were it not for this disc of the oddly funky tuba-organ quintet tracks (filled out with percussion, clarinet, sax, and guitar). Valentino seduces the listener into a groove, forcing out a few sultry shoulder shrugs and toe taps at the very least and inspiring the more coordinated fans in the crowd to get up and join in a full-on, across-the-dance-floor parade. Each musician throws in a thoughtful take on the material; you’ve got eight minutes to find the beat and compliment them with a few moves of your own.

—MS