Label: ECM Records, 2024 Personnel - Fred Hersch: piano. Pianist and composer Fred Hersch, a 17-time Grammy nominee with collaborations alongside jazz legends like Art Framer and Gary Burton, possesses a unique ability to emphasize beautiful melodies within sophisticated harmonizations as well as explore uncharted territory in the moment. These qualities are on full display in Silent, Listening, an introspective solo album that reasserts his stature as a prime pianist with a broad artistic vision. Presenting brilliantly crafted nocturnals, the set begins with Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn’s ..read more

Label: Blue Note Records, 2024 Personnel - Bill Frisell: guitar; Thomas Morgan: bass; Rudy Royston: drums + Brussels Philharmonic and Umbria Jazz Orchestra. The incomparable Bill Frisell, whose remarkable guitar prowess and compositional genius have left an indelible mark on the jazz scene for over four decades, ventures into new territory with Orchestras, a double album that sees him expanding his trio sound with the accompaniment of two European orchestras. This ambitious project features arrangements of some of Frisell's most iconic original compositions, along with a jazz standard, a coup ..read more

Label: Spiritmuse Records, 2024 Personnel - Kahil El’Zabar: drums, earth drum, cajon, kalimba, voice; Isaiah Collier: tenor and soprano saxophone, percussion; Corey Wilkes: trumpet, spirit bowls, percussion; Justin Dillard: keyboards, percussion. To confront the anxieties and challenges of our current times, drummer and spiritual jazz luminary Kahil El’Zabar delivers a double album consisting of nine tracks steeped in soothing harmonies and spring-loaded rhythms. El’Zabar’s credits span from avant-garde/free explorations with David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Billy Bang, and Pharoah Sanders to le ..read more

Label: Greenleaf Records, 2024 Personnel - Dave Douglas: trumpet; James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone; Rafiq Bhatia: guitar; Ian Chang: drums. Renowned trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas has been a stalwart presence in the modern jazz scene for several decades. For this date, comprising new original material and four Billy Strayhorn classics, he’s joined by open-minded associates such as saxophonist James Brandon Lewis (on half the tracks), guitarist Rafiq Bhatia (making his fourth appearance in Douglas’ projects), and drummer Ian Chang. The latter two, members of the experimental/post-rock ..read more

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2024 Personnel - Jamie Baum: flutes, spoken word; Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet, spoken word; Sam Sadigursky: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Chris Komer: french horn; Brad Shepik: guitar, singing bowls; Luis Perdomo: piano; Fender Rhodes; Ricky Rodriguez: acoustic and electric bass; Jeff Hirshfield: drums // Guests - Theo Bleckmann: voice (#4); Kokayi: voice (#6); Sara Serpa: voice (#5,7,8); Aubrey Johnson: voice (#3,6,9); Keita Ogawa: percussion (#1,3,10). During the pandemic confinement, flutist Jamie Baum, renowned for her modern artistic vision and noble ..read more

Label: Aut Records, 2024 Personnel - Achille Succi: bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet; Massimiliano Amatruda: piano; Joseph Circelli: guitar, effects, synth; Andrea Grillini: drums. For their sophomore album, Circles 44, originally a trio of confident Italian vanguardists consisting of pianist Massimiliano Amatruda, guitarist Joseph Circelli, and drummer Andrea Grillini, expanded into a sonically combative quartet with the addition of adventurous clarinetist Achille Succi. The group's improvisatory prowess and rhythmic dexterity are showcased throughout an inspired set of music characterized ..read more

Label: Blue Note Records, 2024 Personnel - Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone; Lage Lund: guitar; Fabian Almazan: piano; Pablo Menares: bass; Kush Abadey: drums. In her seventh album as a leader and second on Blue Note Records, titled Echoes of the Inner Prophet, Chilean-born, New York-based saxophonist Melissa Aldana presents eight sonic reflections that encapsulate her personal journey. Here, she reunites with the same crew that contributed to the acclaim of 12 Stars (Blue Note, 2022): Norwegian guitarist Lage Lund, bassist Pablo Menares, and drummer Kush Abadey. The sole exception is Sullivan ..read more

Label: Self released, 2024 Personnel - Alex Scott: saxophones; Anais Pasanau Miró: clarinets; Willem Suilen: piano; Conrad Noll: bass; Carl Zinsius: drums. Carl Zinsius, a German drummer based in Cologne, brings together an European quintet of colorists to perform music from the late groundbreaking pianist Carla Bley. The group places a strong emphasis on Bley’s harmonic and melodic nuances, opting for a contemporary chamber charm that eschews harsh textures. The journey begins with the mesmerizing quintuple meter of “Five Banana”, where subtleties within the unison melody and expansive harmo ..read more

Label: Self released, 2024 Personnel - Andrew McGowan: piano (#1,2); Calvin Johnson: saxophone (#1,2); Jun Sugiura: Piano (#3,4,5); Nori Naraoka: bass (#1,2,4,5); Keisuke Kishi: drums. Keisuke Kishi's concise sophomore album, Midpoint Cafe, serves as a sonic reflection of his captivating road trip through Texas, Arizona, and Utah in 2021. Currently based in Hawaii and New York, Kishi deftly navigates between a saxophone quartet and a piano trio, channeling the emotions and experiences of his travels into his music with a sense of yearning.. The protean title track, “Midpoint Cafe”, alludes to ..read more

Label: Cygnus Recordings, 2024 Personnel - Miguel Zénon: alto saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano; Dan Weiss: drums. Drummer and composer Dan Weiss emerges as a rhythmic magician on his captivating new album, Even Odds, infusing every beat and spark with profound meaning and context. With a rare ability to craft narratives through music, Weiss collaborates with saxophonist Miguel Zénon and keyboardist Matt Mitchell to deliver an intriguing collection of six written compositions and provocative improvisations. On the latter, he provides risk-taking, magnetic rhythmic tapestries on top of which his ..read more