George Cables, The George Cables Songbook (High Note)
As he awaits news about a second kidney transplant, health problems haven’t affected Cables’ fleetness and lyricism at the piano. Most of the compositions here are new, although his celebrated “Think On Me†dates to 1968 and “The Dark The Light†to 1975. “Think On Me†has a new lyric by Sarah Elizabeth Charles, who also wrote and sings words to four other Cables pieces. Her voice is light and sweet. She phrases well and sings in tune. Supported by the regular members of his trio, bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Victor Lewis, Cables is joined on some of Ms. Charles’s numbers by saxophonist Craig Handy and percussionist Steven Kroon. Handy’s shining solo moment is on “For Honey Lulu.†With the trio, Cables adopts the harmonic structure of a certain omnipresent John Coltrane piece and dances through what he calls “Baby Steps.â€