Planet D Nonet presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams Review

Blues, Scat, and Swing: Celebrating Joe Williams with Planet D Nonet

by Sylvannia Garutch

In Planet D Nonet Presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams, released April 19, 2025, on Eastlawn Records, the spirit of Joe Williams doesn’t merely linger; it shouts, scats, and swings with life. Recorded live at the Detroit Institute of Arts, this album captures a fun-filled concert as it distills a vision, a lineage, and a homage into nine spirited performances. At its center stands Dr. Leonard King, vocalist, arranger, and jazz evangelist, whose affection for Williams’s post-Count Basie era grounds this tribute in reverence and renewal.

The seeds of the project were planted during a reflective drive on December 17, 2023, after a gigless silence allowed Williams’s voice to surface in King’s memory. That moment birthed a mission—to spotlight Joe Williams not as a Basie footnote, but as a singular voice of depth, charm, and swing sophistication in his own right. With Planet D Nonet, King found the perfect partner: a band steeped in tradition, yet lithe enough to dance with fresh arrangements by King himself, Jeff Cuny, and Ryan Bills.

Nowhere is this synthesis more joyfully realized than on “Who She Do.” Kicking off the album with a blast of charisma and blues swagger, King’s scatting captures his vocal control, swing vocabulary, and rhythmic phrasing. His sense of joy, which is palpable and electric, invites the band into a communal groove that never lets go.

King’s clever device of naming the groove in “It’s The Same Old Story” focuses our attention. Kings describes the feel as, “we’re going to do it again, do, do, do it again,” it is a vivid reminder that groove isn’t taught by theory alone. It’s felt, phrased, embodied. Planet D locks into the feel, cueing off that mantra to deliver a tight, soul-meets-blues interpretation ripe for your listening.

Arrangements throughout the album reflect the kind of smart, idiomatic writing that elevates tribute into artistry. “Don’t Push, Don’t Pull” stands out with its sharp tutti sax counterpoint, clever brass stabs, and expertly layered ensemble lines. Here, the architecture of the big band is celebrated: reed backgrounds snake behind the vocal, trading off with punchy brass responses, while the rhythm section channels the Kansas City church of swing with walking bass, accenting drums, well-placed piano voicings, and a four-to-the-bar guitar that nods affectionately to Freddie Green. This isn’t just a band playing parts; it’s an ensemble listening and responding in real time.

Soloists across the album breathe individuality into their choruses. On “Young Man on the Way Up,” Christopher Tabaczynski’s sax solo radiates with swing and energy, a nod to Williams’s own ethos. Meanwhile, “Some of This’ N’ Some of That” opens up space for pianist Michael Zaporski, bari saxophonist Tre Smith, and guitarist Matt LoRusso to each voice their blues stories. Zaporski’s piano lines are drenched in gospel-tinged blue notes; Smith’s bari brings a deep-throated swing; and LoRusso’s guitar solo explodes with joy and drive. It’s a portrait of the band as interpreters and co-creators of the tribute.

From a swing blues perspective, the album is a treasure trove. Tracks like “Who She Do” and “Some of This ‘N” Some of That” demonstrate the groove. The arrangements offer countless moments for ensemble expressions to illustrate articulation, call-and-response voicing, and solo-ensemble transitions. Vocalists will enjoy King’s blend of emotional delivery with idiomatic precision; instrumentalists can dissect how the rhythm section maintains propulsion under layered horn writing.

In an age where tribute projects can lean too heavily on nostalgia or too far into abstraction, Planet D Nonet Presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams is a celebration of Joe Williams’ musical style. The album preserves the essence of a master while stamping it with the conviction of the present. This is jazz pedagogy through performance, legacy through laughter, and swing as lived experience. For any listener, this album doesn’t just recall the past. It swings it forward.