Ben Monder’s “Planetarium” is a meticulously crafted project spanning ten years, resulting in three CDs of evocative music. It showcases a complex blend of heavenly and dark tones through layered guitars and vocal harmonies. Each disc offers unique compositions, with contributions from notable musicians, creating a profound auditory experience.
Satoko Fujii’s avant jazz-rock quartet releases “Dog Days of Summer,” their first album in 18 years. Featuring bassist Takeharu Hayakawa, drummer Tatsuya Yoshida, and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, the album blends free jazz and jazz-rock with unpredictable, volcanic energy. Each track offers dynamic, adventurous explorations of rhythm and melody.
Acclaimed pianist and composer George Burton’s album “White Noise” addresses the struggles of Black people today, calling for resistance against colonialism, caste systems, and slavery. Inspired by artists like Max Roach and Kendrick Lamar, Burton combines spoken word, jazz, and electronic music. The album features various renowned musicians and aims to raise awareness and inspire reflection.
Michael Dease’s album, “Found in Space – The Music of Gregg Hill,” showcases Hill’s compositions with a blend of genres from classical to avant-garde, featuring a talented ensemble. The work, co-produced by Hill and Dease, is highlighted by intricate arrangements, unpredictable shifts, and dynamic solos, evoking comparisons to Frank Zappa and Charles Mingus.
Caroline Davis’ “Portals, Volume 2: Returning” is a jazz album inspired by her late grandmother, poet Joan “Lady” Anson-Weber. The album features a quintet and vocalists interpreting Lady’s poetry, blending spiritual and contemporary jazz. Highlights include archival voice recordings and improvisations, offering a deeply emotional, reflective journey.
Michael McDermott, an underrated yet brilliant singer-songwriter, releases two albums, “Lighthouse on the Shore” (acoustic) and “East Jesus” (electric), reflecting his dual personalities. His work is highly personal, addressing themes like addiction and perseverance. McDermott’s masterful lyrics and varied music make these albums rich and thought-provoking.
Yosef Gutman Levitt, a South African-born, Jerusalem-based bassist and composer, creates spiritually rich and soothing music. His recent albums “Why Ten?” and “Unity” showcase collaborations with artists like Gilad Hekselman and Itay Sher. These works combine jazz, Jewish liturgical melodies, and modern influences, offering a peaceful, introspective listening experience.
Vanessa Collier’s new album “Do It My Own Way” reflects her defiance of industry sexism, recorded independently to stay true to her vision. This eight-track album captures a retro feel with influences from Memphis’ Stax and Hi Records. With notable collaborations, Collier showcases her musical versatility in blending soul, vintage R&B, and early rock.
Milton Suggs’ new album “Pure Intention” is a stripped-down jazz project featuring just Suggs and pianist Michael King. The album, rooted in blues, soul, and jazz, is Suggs’ first since 2016. His powerful baritone and dynamic range shine through original compositions and reinterpretations of classics, making this a standout vocal album.
Janel Leppin and Anthony Pirog’s “New Moon in the Evil Age” consists of two albums: an instrumental and a vocal one. Their work blends cello, guitar, and various instruments, delivering both ambient and dramatic pieces. Leppin’s Ensemble Volcanic Ash offers a political, intense set performed by a sextet. All three albums showcase extraordinary versatility and musical talent.
Frank London’s album “Spirit Stronger Than Blood,” released by ESP-Disk, honors friends lost to blood diseases and cancer. Featuring The Elders, the album blends spiritual jazz with post-bop, inspired by notable jazz figures and personal experiences. Highlights include dedications to Lester Bowie, Jewlia Eisenberg, and Ron Miles, showcasing emotional depth and musical intensity.
Alan Walker, previously of The Brilliant Mistakes, releases his second solo album, A Little Too Late. His music draws influences from Joe Jackson, 70s pop, and bands like Squeeze. Walker wrote and performed nine songs, featuring various notable musicians. The album is characterized by rich harmonies, varied instrumentation, and an overall uplifting feel.
Steve Turre’s first live album, “Sanyas,” recorded at Smoke Jazz Club, showcases his talents on trombone and shells. Featuring an elite sextet, the album includes two Turre compositions, a piece by Lee Morgan, and two standards. Highlights include Turre’s remarkable shell performances and strong contributions from Nicholas Payton, Ron Blake, and Isaiah J. Thompson.
Erik Friedlander’s “Dirty Boxing” is a jazz album inspired by Mixed Martial Arts, featuring the same quartet from his previous album, A Queen’s Firefly. With tracks like “Shrimping” and “Submission,” it highlights intense improvisation and teamwork. The CD version includes a bonus project, Floating City, with ethereal melodies.
Sarah Hanahan makes a notable debut on the Blue Engine label with “Among Giants,” showcasing her impressive skills on the alto saxophone. Backed by a seasoned rhythm section, she blends tradition and innovation through a mix of originals and standards. Highlights include the standout track “NATO” and her expressive renditions of jazz classics, marking her as a promising new voice in jazz.
Chance Hayden’s “Baritone Gold,” released through Peace House Music, is a ’60s-inspired organ trio album. It features Hayden’s baritone guitar and incorporates jazz, soul, and blues with standout tracks like “Bank On Me” and “Carolina Summers.” The album showcases relentless energy and impressive interplay among band members, creating a distinctive retro vibe.
Cody Dickinson, known for supporting roles in The North Mississippi Allstars, makes his solo debut with “Homemade,” showcasing his skills as songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. The album blends Mississippi Hill Country blues with elements of southern soul, rock, and pop. Assisted by his daughter and Tikyra Jackson, Dickinson explores family themes and diverse musical styles.
Anthony Branker’s album “Songs My Mom Liked” is a heartfelt tribute to his mother, incorporating selections she reacted to during car rides. Featuring a stellar ensemble, the music blends spirituality with groove-oriented pieces, and includes three new tracks. The album celebrates life with accessibility and an emotional connection, marked by recurrent themes of faith and remembrance.
Jazz vocalist Lisa Rich returns with “Long As You’re Living,” her fourth album after a long hiatus due to illness. Co-produced by Jay Clayton, it features Marc Copland, Drew Gress, and Dave Ballou, focusing on standards and original pieces. The album highlights Rich’s adventurous scatting and intimate vocal delivery, dedicated to Clayton’s memory.
Oliver Wood’s second solo album, “Fat Cat Silhouette,” follows his debut “Always Smilin’” with a more experimental approach, featuring unconventional instruments and spontaneous recording. Produced by bandmate Jano Rix, the album retains Wood’s infectious groove and distinctive voice. Contributions from various artists enhance tracks with unique textures and sounds, underpinned by high energy and emotion.
Drummer and composer Matt Wilson forms a new quintet, Good Trouble, inspired by John Lewis’s legacy and his 60th birthday. The album, dedicated to notable figures like Carla Bley and Geri Allen, features a diverse mix of compositions and covers, emphasizing both traditional and avant-garde jazz. Notable tracks include the “Good Trouble Suite,” honoring Lewis and Ginsburg, and covers of Coleman and Denver. The quintet, marked by Wilson’s versatile style, delivers an uplifting, joyful album.
Phil Haynes 4 Horns & What? The Complete American Recordings (3 CDs) Corner Store Jazz Having read with much fascination Phil Haynes memoir, Chasing the Masters: First Takes of a Modern Drumming Artist, a forthcoming issuance of recordings from his band 4 Horns & What? seemed inevitable. For anyone who wants a better understanding of […]
Something Else! Soul Jazz Featuring Vincent Herring Smoke Sessions Having witnessed a live performance by the collective Something Else! a little over a year ago at Exit Zero Jazz Festival, this album comes with anticipation. That’s because the soul jazz genre is not often heard much these days. It’s like traditional blues; we grew up […]
Etienne Charles’ “Creole Orchestra Featuring René Marie” fuses Caribbean influences with big band jazz, reflecting his Trinidadian heritage and memories of American music played on Trinidadian radio. The album features diverse tracks including originals, covers, and collaborations, showcasing Charles’ skill as a composer and arranger on an 80-minute, multi-artist journey.
Matthew Whitaker On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute MOCAT If you’ve ever attended a Matthew Whitaker show, you know that the young pianist/organist/drummer Matthew Whitaker has a more than engaging rapport with his audience. They are often on their feet dancing from his first few notes. Whitaker is still only 23 years old and has […]
John Escreet the epicenter of your dreams Blue Room Music John Escreet’s 2022 trio album Seismic Shift (covered here) was so bold and impactful that it likely made it difficult to return with the trio and produce a similarly startling result. Pianist and composer Escreet was wise enough to recognize this and although returning with […]
Steve Dawson Ghosts Pravda Well over a decade ago, closer to two, at SXSW I witnessed an impressive performance by Steve Dawson, fronting his Chicago-based band, Dolly Varden. Yes, that Steve Dawson, not to be confused with roots, blues, and folk-rocker, Canadian and Nashville-based Steve Dawson. The former has released several solo albums too and […]
Oded Tzur My Prophet ECM It’s long been said that some of the greatest saxophonists such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Coleman Hawkins are easily identifiable in just the first few notes they play. While we’re not yet putting the Israeli-born and raised New York City based saxophonist Oded Tzur in that ‘all-time […]
Damon Fowler Barnyard Smile Landslide Barnyard Smile is the renowned slide guitarist and singer-songwriter Damon Fowler’s ninth release and third for Landslide Records. Fowler offers a handful of soul driven originals, plus innovative Bo Diddley and Jerry Reed covers and a touch of Americana roots rock. Those not familiar with Fowler’s solo work may recall […]
Fernando Huergo Big Band Relentless Whaling City Sound Bassist and composer Fernando Huergo leads his 18-piece big band on Relentless, a set of compositions inspired by Luke Mogelson’s article in the New Yorker, titled “Relentless Absurdity.” These pieces reflect not only the absurdity of war but societal struggles, oppression, discrimination, and environmental challenges. Huergo aims […]
Alex Sipiagin Horizons Blue Room Horizons is trumpeter/flugelhornist and composer Alex Sipiagin’s twenty-seventh album as a leader. Having covered just two of those, both on Posi-Tone – Upstream (on these pages) and Ascent to the Blues, Sipiagin impressed with his challenging compositions, fiery playing, and improvisational talent. This is his second for Blue Room, following […]
Anna Tivel Living Thing Fluff & Gravy Living Thing is singer-songwriter Anna Tivel’s sixth full-length studio album of original material. The album is existential yet relatable, and keenly provocative. During the pandemic, Tivel collaborated as she has done in the past with longtime friend, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Shane Leonard, ultimately recording the album at his […]
Bruno Råberg Tentet Evolver Orbis Music Sweden-born, U.S. based bassist/composer Bruno Råberg has made 14 recordings as a leader and more than 50 as a sideman since coming to the U.S. in 1981. For this project, Evolver, Råberg returns to a large ensemble format for the first time in 22 years with players familiar to […]
Jake Hertzog Longing to Meet You Self-released Guitarist and composer Jake Hertzog has performed and composed across multiple genres and served as musical director for pop stars. For Longing to Meet You he convened a jazz quartet comprised from their mutual time attending the Manhattan School in New York. They are altoist Matt Woroshyl, bassist […]
Koppel Blade Koppel Time Again Cowbell Music This organ trio emerges surprisingly. We’ve gotten used to the trio albums, three of them, from altoist Benjamin Koppel, drummer Brian Blade, and bassist Scott Colley. We’ve also witnessed that same threesome performing in front of Anders Koppel’s brilliant symphonic piece, The Mulberry Street Symphony. Yet, close followers […]
Laurie Lewis Trees Spruce and Maple Music Laurie Lewis is an icon in the worlds of bluegrass, old time, and folk, a mentor to such vital artists of today such as Molly Tuttle and an inspiration to peers which Linda Ronstadt and Kathy Mattea, as just a couple of examples. Longtime fans of Lewis know […]
The Bobby Broom Organ-Sation Jamalot Steele This year’s reviews from yours truly are not as heavily populated with organ trios as in years past but this throwback album by Bobby Broom’s Organ-Sation may well compensate in spades. These are live performances from 2014-2019 of familiar pop songs and standards, in the tradition of his once […]
Freddie Trujillo I Never Threw a Shadow At It Self-released I Never Threw a Shadow At It is Portland-based singer-songwriter Freddy Trujillo’s fourth solo release. Trujillo is also the bassist for The Delines and Richmond Fontaine, two bands that this writer enjoys. Like his previous releases, Trujillo digs deep into his personal experiences growing up […]
Nir Felder III la.reserve In a year when we’ve been blessed by so many terrific guitar records from the likes of Julian Lage, Bill Frisell, Gilad Hekselman, and others, we welcome back Nir Felder with his third solo release, III, now on a new label, the burgeoning la.reserve. The Katonah, NY native enlists mostly the […]
Grant Langston aLAbama Self-released The Stetson atop Grant Langston’s head on the cover photo, along with the not-so-subtle title screams country music, but there’s a lot more here than those suggest. This veteran, heretofore uncovered by this writer, is no newcomer. This is his tenth album, a mix of contemporary themes and pure honky-tonk, presaging […]
Tony Romano Three Chord Monte TRM With a play on words, from Elvin Jones’s “Three Card Molly,” and the card game of a similar name, guitarist Tony Romano entitles his own solo jazz album, filled with original compositions, Three Chord Monte. Romano has spent most of his career as a sideman for vocalists but issued […]
Jon Gordon 7th Ave. South ArtistShare Having spent quite a bit of time in NYC in the early to mid-1980s, it’s certainly easy to relate to saxophonist and composer Jon Gordon’s salute to the mecca of jazz in the city at that time, 7th Ave. South. The street was lined with jazz clubs, the venerable […]
Jason Robinson Ancestral Numbers 1 Playscape Recordings Saxophonist and composer Jason Robinson just released the first part of a comprehensive project tracing the roots and branches of his family tree on Ancestral Numbers 1 with the second part to follow in October. It’s an intriguing concept and one that’s rarely if ever been set to […]
Roger Kellaway Roger Kellaway Live At Mezzrow Cellar Music Group The renowned pianist, composer, and arranger Roger Kellaway mentions in the liners to his live album Roger Kellaway Live At Mezzrow something that makes the utmost sense but rarely mentioned, and at least here, rarely thought about. The pianist has, for the past twenty years, […]
Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp Magical Incantation Soul City Sounds Magical Incantation is astoundingly the nineteenth duo collaboration between Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp. The duo began in 1996 with the saxophonist’s Bendito of Santa Cruz. Obviously at this point in their collaborative tenure, they can anticipate the other’s moves like the […]
Kaia Kater Strange Medicine Free Dirt There’s been a buzz on social media lately led by Rhiannon Giddens about the importance of the ‘Black banjo.’ In that sense banjoist Kaia Kater’s Strange Medicine is certainly timely. Beyond that it shows the immense possibilities of the instrument beyond conventional ‘Americana’ or hybrid bluegrass or blues. Consider […]
Pokey LaFarge Rhumba Country New West Pokey LaFarge has crafted perhaps the best ‘feel good’ album of the year so far with the tongue-in-cheek titled Rhumba Country, a sarcastic jab at trying to conveniently pigeonhole music into defined genres. Here he embraces music from many areas of the globe, including mambo, tropicalia, rocksteady, and early […]
Jack Walrath Live at Smalls Cellar Music Group Trumpeter, composer, and arranger Jack Walrath joins the legends in the SmallsLive Living Masters Series, leading his long-running conventional jazz quintet in this live gig. This is a group that Walrath has been leading since 2010 – Abraham Burton on tenor saxophone, George Burton on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on […]
Marta Sanchez Trio Perpetual Void Intakt Maybe it was the glut of albums releasing at the same time or not enough focus on the music a couple of weeks ago when Perpetual Void from pianist Marta Sanchez’s Trio was released but Sanchez, a member of David Murray’s new quintet impressed so much on Murray’s recent […]
Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens Red Hook Two musicians inextricably linked to Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) pay homage to their favorite places in NYC’s Central Park. Rather remarkable, since it is decades since they first met, this is the […]
