When the right players and circumstances combine, leaderless bands can produce great music. The Red Norvo-Teddy Wilson-Harry James-John Simmons Just a Mood session of 1937 is one example; the 1956 Grand Encounter of John Lewis, Jim Hall, Bill Perkins, Percy Heath, and Chico Hamilton another. Carnaval is in that league. In 1978, alto saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, a jazz hero in his homeland, joined bassist Ron Carter, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Tony Williams befor… MORE