The Artist/Album: P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble, Winter Winds: The Complete Works 1968-1970 (Now-Again, 2008)
The Reason(s) We Can’t Stop Listening: As infrequent as our jazz intake is, we savored this three-disc collection like a series of swiftly-pulled espressos. It’s certainly that caffeinated—leaping from your speakers with what can only be described as modal madness, as led by a kid (vibraphonist/composer P.E. Hewitt) too young to legally drain the whiskey drinks his music deserves. If you must cherry pick only the finest cuts digitally, Hewitt’s third LP (1970′s Winter Winds) is utterly flawless, the kind of painlessly cool listen that makes you feel like you’re living in a Fellini film.
