This Monday evening, the UNH Traditional Jazz Series brings the curtain down on their 2005-2006 season when saxophonist George Robert returns to lead a stellar quartet in an 8 p.m. performance in Johnson Theatre. Joining the Swiss native will be Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and Billy Hart on drums. Reid and Hart both play on Robert’s latest DIW CD release “Soul Searching,” a superb live set with Kenny Barron on piano.

This is as good as it gets. Robert, who offered a dazzling performance at the 2005 Clark Terry/UNH Jazz Festival, is a fleet-fingered post-bop specialist with an alto saxophone sound rooted in the Charlie Parker/Cannonball Adderley/Phil Woods school. He has a clean, hard, yet warm sound on the alto, and his improvisational ideas combine the best of the aforementioned masters, with the more abstract approach taken by Jackie McLean. Robert is one of the few European jazz musicians to thoroughly master the jazz language and has developed a style and voice very much his own.

Listening to “Soul Searching” bears this out. On the uptempo numbers, Robert is energetic and fiery on tunes such as “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” or the driving title cut “Soul Searching.” On the ballads like his original tune “Peace” or the closing “Here’s That Rainy Day,” he’s richly melodic and probing. This is a remarkable CD, made even more so because it was recorded live.

The rhythm section on Monday will be potent. Pianist Mulgrew Miller is one of a triumvirate of pianists who graduated from Memphis State University in the early 1970s (the others being the late James Williams and Donald Brown). Miller toured with drum legend Art Blakey in the early 1980s and later with another legendary drummer, Tony Williams. Miller leads his own trio which has two recent and excellent live recordings on the Maxx Jazz label, “Live at Yoshi’s,” volumes 1 & 2. His approach is a sophisticated blend of styles ranging from Tatum to Powell to Tyner, with the soulful elements of fellow Memphis colleagues Phineas Newborn and Harold Mabern. Miller’s voice is very much his own, blending rich melodicism with a keen sense of rhythm and harmony.

Rufus Reid’s appearance marks a return to UNH only a few weeks after serving as the anchor for the Clark Terry Quintet at the recent jazz festival at the school. Reid’s rock solid bass lines have provided a steady foundation for numerous artists over the years (Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz) and will allow drummer Billy Hart to do what he does best. An active performer, Hart is one of the top call drummers in jazz today, known for his flexible, elastic approach to the drums that gives the music a subtly free-floating feel. Yet, he can dig in and swing hard when needed. Hart has also toured with Getz and was a member of Herbie Hancock’s early 1970s sextet.

For ticket information, contact the UNH ticket office at 603-862-2290 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

They’re funky. They’re soulful. They’re into their 38th year together, and they’re one of the most unique bands in the world. I’m talking about Tower of Power, who return to the Casino Ballroom at Hampton Beach on Sunday, April 9 at 8 p.m. It’s been over a year and a half since TOP last took the Casino stage and funked up the house with their stirring blend of soul and funk. Keyboard player Roger Smith is back in the fold after a battle with cancer and the band is coming off a very active year of touring. The Casino show serves as a prelude to the band’s five night run at Sculler’s Jazz Club in Boston starting on Tuesday, April 11. For ticket information, visit www.casinoballroom.com.

Blue Note Records recently released their first batch of reissues for the year in their Rudy Van Gelder Series, and it’s a superb set of recordings that have all received the master engineer’s excellent touch. Among the 12 titles are “Mosiac” by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, the unit featuring Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter and Cedar Walton; Hank Mobley’s “Workout” with Grant Green and “Dippin’” with Lee Morgan; Dexter Gordon’s “A Swingin’ Affair,” the follow-up to his masterpiece “Go” with Sonny Clark on piano; and Horace Silver’s “Horace-Scope” featuring his legendary quintet with Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook. Van Gelder also has begun a similar series for the Concord Music Group, which purchased the Fantasy Records Catalog in early 2005. That catalog includes several independent labels from the 1950s and ’60s such as Prestige Records, Riverside Records and others. Among the first titles in this new series is Sonny Rollins’ “Saxophone Colossus,” featuring the tune “St. Thomas.”

Lastly, a reminder to all local artists: if you have a recording you’ve been working on or an upcoming gig, send me a message via This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , and I’ll be happy to help you get the word out.