New Releases

* * * Bobby Watson, “Tailor Made,” Columbia. Watson’s alto sax has long deserved a big band setting. Here it is, allowing him to stretch as composer and arranger of 10 pieces; two others were written by his wife, Pamela. There is little experimentation here--essentially this is a straight-ahead date relying on orthodox harmony rather than modes or the avant-garde, but within these parameters Watson distinguishes himself. Two jazz mambos, an Afro-Brazillian work and Pamela Watson’s charmingly lyrical “Like It Was Before” lend diversity and distinction to a satisfying set.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).