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Mighty Joe Belson to release The Doodle Cats: Reinventing The Wheel (Necessary Vice, Oct 24, 2025) a new album of original jazz compositions featuring talented San Francisco Bay Area musicians.
LISTEN TO REINVENTING THE WHEEL
On his sophomore album, bassist Joe Belson returns with twelve new swinging tunes. Joined by renowned trumpeter Erik Jekabson and versatile saxophonist Carl Shultz, the core group is rounded out by Kevin Wong on piano and Julian Hogan on drums. Together they form a tight-knit unit that breathe a joyous life into the record, effectively becoming the superb lineup of “The Doodle Cats.”
The title “Reinventing The Wheel” is a knowing nod to the idea of improving that which can’t be improved – in this case, the classic jazz of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Every track is inspired by tunes that have become standards in the canon, and were written to emulate those golden recordings. Melody and lyricism are front and center, with short but tasteful solos by the players. Nothing extra – just the good stuff. As Mighty Joe says, “You can’t reinvent the wheel, so why try?”
“Reinventing The Wheel” was recorded over several sessions from late 2024 into early 2025 at the Teahouse in Oakland, CA by grammy award-winning engineer Reto Peter. The small but warm room offered little separation between the instruments, providing scant space for overdubs and editing. The result is an intimate and live listening experience, replicating what is heard on classic early 1960s recordings from the famed Van Gelder Studios.
“Basie Boy” is the lead single off the album. Like the name implies, it’s inspired by Count Basie, and true to form begins with a piano lead before introducing the melody and horns. In his only appearance on the album, trombonist Will Shannon delivers the first head and solo, a sliding bluesy affair that completes the mood. “Basie Boy” is out August 22.
“Greerin Out”, the second single, is the lead off track on the album, and inspired by nothing but straight ahead bebop. The title is a reference to the small town of Greer in the White Mountains of Arizona, where Joe was holed up in the summer of 2024 and wrote the melody. It’s a bright up-tempo angular number, and one of the fastest on the whole record. “Greerin’ Out” drops on September 19.
The third and final single, “Manny Manhattan”, is a happy swinger that might as well be the theme song for the album. It’s accompanied by a short music video that features the animated cat mascot of the group (informally known as “Mr. Doodle”, and inspired by Mighty Joe’s tuxedo cat) strutting and dancing his way around. As implied, the tune is meant to evoke the simple pleasures of good jazz, a promise enthusiastically delivered by the band. “Manny Manhattan” is released one week before the full album, on October 17.