Good Troubles includes a variety of American music. There are many original songs, not just jazz standards. Asturian Nights by Lex Valk is particularly noteworthy, as its haunting melody reminds me of Isaac Albeniz’s classical work Asturias. Robert Sanders’ Midtown Manhattan depicts the chaos and calm that can occur when Manhattan’s traffic lights change. Nelson Mills’ song Good Troubles (the title track of the album) was written in Singapore while he and Gloria Edwards were performing there, a gig that had mixed blessings. Nelson Mills’ originals go in a completely different direction. They expand the musical palette by adding pop and R to the mix.
