Albare, a renowned guitarist with a four-decade legacy, presents his latest jazz album featuring talented musicians from Melbourne. “The Jazz Alchemists” blend post-bebop with Latin influences, highlighted by compelling tracks like “Song for Bird” and “Morning Dance.” Their cohesive sound entertains and captivates, offering a rich musical experience for jazz enthusiasts.
The album “The Copenhagen Session Vol 1” features the late Tomasz Stańko and a group of Scandinavian and Polish musicians, recorded in 2016. This collection showcases free, avant-garde jazz, highlighting compositions by Stańko and others. The session, initially unplanned, vibrantly captures the spontaneity and creativity within jazz, celebrating Stańko’s enduring musical legacy.
Alexa Tarantino’s album, The Roar and the Whisper, features her finest lineup yet, including notable musicians and guest artists. With a mix of her compositions and works from others, the album explores the duality of human reactions. Tarantino showcases her talent across various instruments, delivering high-energy performances throughout the collection.
Dawn Clement’s album “Delight” showcases her mastery of piano and vocals, featuring a talented trio with Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. The album includes original compositions and unique interpretations, notably of Thelonious Monk’s “Monk’s Dream.” Clement’s creativity and vocal warmth define each track, culminating in an enriching listening experience.
Rico Jones, a spiritually inclined tenor saxophonist, makes his New York City debut with “Bloodlines,” recorded live in August 2024. His music blends diverse cultural influences and features a suite of five parts reflecting personal and ancestral themes. The quartet’s dynamic performance showcases Jones’s impressive talent in spiritual jazz.
Jaleel Shaw’s album “Painter of the Invisible” marks his return after thirteen years, reflecting personal experiences and profound societal themes. The compositions honor figures like James Baldwin and Tamir Rice, while showcasing collaborations with talented musicians. Shaw’s heartfelt music captures joy, grief, and ancestral wisdom, ensuring memories endure through every note.
Lafayette Gilchrist’s 2023 album “Move with Love,” features his ensemble New Volcanoes, blending various musical styles. The joyful recording, performed at Club Car, emphasizes love in turbulent times. Notable tracks include “Cut Through the Chase” and “Bamboozled,” showcasing his influential jazz roots and determination to connect through music.
Yosef Gutman Levitt’s album “Shir Yedidot” showcases his soothing and spiritual music, blending traditional Chabad nigunim with original compositions. Featuring notable musicians like Yonathan Avishai and Yagel Haroush, the album creates accessible melodies that appeal beyond cultural boundaries, inviting listeners to experience its calming beauty throughout.
Roger Glenn’s album “My Latin Heart” showcases his remarkable talents on various instruments, blending Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian jazz. Influenced by a rich family musical background, Glenn’s compositions reflect his love for Latin music. His unique style shines through original songs like “Zambo’s Mambo” and “A Night of Love,” emphasizing cultural fusion.
The Billy Lester Trio’s album “High Standards” features innovative reinterpretations of classic jazz songs, showcasing Lester’s impressive piano skills and unique improvisational style. Alongside Marcello Testa on double bass and Nicola Stranieri on drums, the trio delivers dynamic performances that reinvent familiar melodies into fresh compositions. This creative approach defines the album as one of the year’s standout releases.
Lili Maljic’s album “The Nearness of You” pays tribute to mentor Jim Rotondi, a revered jazz trumpeter and educator. Featuring strong arrangements and Maljic’s unique vocals, the album showcases classic standards reimagined, including “Shadow of Your Smile” and “Easy to Love.” Maljic demonstrates her emerging talent and potential as a vocalist and arranger.
Peter Lin’s AAPI Jazz Collective, featuring prominent Asian American musicians, creates an innovative album titled “Identity.” Their diverse repertoire includes original works and film scores, blending jazz with cultural themes. Highlights are fluid solos, rich arrangements, and a reflection of resilience in each piece. The album celebrates both musical creativity and Asian heritage.
Sinne Eeg and Jacob Christoffersen’s album “Shikiori” showcases their two-decade collaboration, blending Japanese and Danish cultures through jazz. Recorded in Matsunaga’s ancestral cottage, the album features original compositions and covers, highlighting Eeg’s dynamic vocals and Christoffersen’s piano mastery, creating a rich and spiritual musical experience.
Felipe Salles’ album “Camera Obscura” fuses chamber music and jazz, drawing inspiration from the early camera’s concept of projecting not-quite-reality images. Featuring a range of instruments and arrangements, Salles creates vivid soundscapes with the Cushman Quartet. The album showcases his creative compositions, blending cultural depth and artistic beauty.
Madre Vaca is a jazz quartet featuring Jarrett Carter, Jonah Pierre, Thomas Milovac, and Benjamin Shorstein. Their album “Yukon” showcases their versatility, blending straight-ahead jazz, ballads, and contemporary grooves. Renowned for their compositions, the group highlights creativity and comfort in their sound, making this album a notable release.
Art Hirahara’s album “Peace Unknown” features a four-horn septet, primarily shaped by producer Marc Free’s vision. The compositions blend homage and innovation, reflecting varied moods and complex harmonies. Notable tracks include ballads and dynamic pieces, showcasing collaborative arrangements and improvisation, ultimately demonstrating the spontaneous creativity of the ensemble.
Emma Smith’s album “Bitter Orange” showcases her powerful vocals, blending humor and heartbreak in her music. Raised in a musical family, she draws inspiration from her grandfather and iconic performers. Award-winning and acclaimed, Smith delivers a range of tunes with emotional depth, demonstrating her dynamic voice and engaging presence.
Antonia Bennett, daughter of jazz icon Tony Bennett, is establishing her presence as a vocalist. After years of performing with her father, she has released five albums, including her latest, “Expressions,” which blends jazz standards and contemporary pop elements. With her vocal talent, she has the potential for mainstream success.
Yotam Ben-Or’s album “Impermanence” features a quartet exploring themes of acceptance through original music inspired by Israeli and Latin cultures. With standout performances from pianist Gabriel Chakarji and special guests Lars Danielsson and Esther Quansah, the album showcases Ben-Or’s harmonica talent, offering a vibrant and soulful jazz experience.
“Tappin’ Thru Life” is an autobiographical musical celebrating Maurice and Gregory Hines, showcasing their singing, tap dancing, and acting talents. The album, capturing the essence of their stage show, features big band standards and highlights vocal and dance performances from various artists. It honors their legacy and contributions to the arts.
Theon Cross’s live album, “Affirmations: Live at Blue Note NYC,” showcases his dynamic tuba performances infused with elements from various genres like hip-hop and reggae. With an energetic band, including Isaiah Collier and Nikos Ziarkas, Cross delivers a vibrant and unconventional jazz experience, filled with intricate solos and spontaneous grooves. It’s a compelling contribution to contemporary jazz.
Anaïs Reno’s sophomore album, “Lady of the Lavender Mist,” showcases her evolution as a jazz artist with a unique voice influenced by Ella Fitzgerald. This collection features emotional interpretations of standards in both English and French, highlighted by her original lyrics to Duke Ellington’s composition. The album reflects themes of joy and personal struggle.
Allan Harris’s second live album, “The Poetry of Jazz: Live at Blue Llama,” showcases his remarkable ability to blend jazz, poetry, and original compositions. Featuring renowned poets and classic pieces, Harris delivers emotive performances, demonstrating his deep connection to Harlem’s history and his artistic versatility. The album is a profound exploration of themes like love and resistance.
Entre Amigos, a Chicago supergroup, releases their second album, “Magpie: The Music of Joe Clark,” featuring compositions by Joe Clark. The quartet displays a blend of styles, led by saxophonist Roy McGrath and pianist Hana Fujisaki. Their dynamic performances pay tribute to Clark’s diverse musical legacy, showcasing exceptional musicianship.
“Standard Deviation” is the second album by drummer Mike Clark and saxophonist Mike Zilber, featuring a New York ensemble. The quartet reimagines jazz standards and classics with innovative arrangements, challenging yet inviting. Highlights include “Blues for Chambers” and a funky “Hallelujah.” The album captures a blend of tradition and fresh interpretations.
Daniel DeLorenzo’s album features original compositions blending traditional jazz with contemporary grooves. The trio, including Casey Toll and Theous Jones, showcases a strong camaraderie and highlights DeLorenzo’s unique guitar technique. Tracks like “Clam Chowder” and “Emergently” captivate with catchy melodies, while “Windfall” ventures into a contemporary jazz style.
Julian Lage View with a Room Blue Note Visionary guitarist Julian Lage follows up his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut Squint with ten more originals on View With a Room, inviting legendary guitarist Bill Frisell to join his returning trio of Bad Plus drummer Dave King and bassist Jorge Roeder. The overriding idea is to […]
James Brown Song Within the Story NGP With the most familiar of names, Canadian jazz guitarist James Brown is likely not familiar to those who are now reading this. Song Within the Story is his first album in more than a decade to boot. It’s primarily a trio recording, featuring bassist Clark Johnston, and drummer […]
Pat Metheny Side-Eye – NYC (V1-IV) Modern Recordings No ‘jazz’ musician except Chick Corea has amassed more Grammy awards than Pat Metheny but the use of quote marks around jazz indicates that both for Corea and Metheny, some of these awards were due to projects in other genres besides jazz. Our greatest artists are both […]
Andrew Renfroe Ride in the Storm Self-released Ride in the Storm is guitarist Andrew Renfroe’s first album as a leader with all original compositions. Renfroe has built a reputation as a first call guitarist for artists such as Braxton Cook, Tia Fuller, and Jonathan Barber, to name a few. Renfroe’s many references, based on his […]
Leni Stern Dance Self-released Dance is the second quartet album for guitarist/vocalist Leni Stern, following rather closely last summer’s 4. For the past decade-plus Stern, hailed as one of the world’s top guitarists (her guitarist husband, Mike Stern, isn’t shabby either), has fused a contemporary jazz approach with West African folkloric elements. She has traveled and studied […]
Rale Micic Only Love Will Stay Whaling City Sound Organ trios generally take the soul-jazz path, to the point where such a configuration is too easily stereotyped. Guitarist Rale Micic will argue that he still brings plenty of soul in this quartet setting, Slavic soul that is. As such, it is a refreshingly different sound […]
Matt Panayides Field Theory Pacific Coast Jazz Guitarist and composer Matt Panayides tries something new and different for him on his third release, Field Theory. While his first wo albums were acoustic, this one blends that sound with electric by using various guitar pedals and jamming often with Matt Vashlishan, a multi-woodwind instrumentalist who plays […]
Mike Scott Collecting things Self-released Guitarist and composer Mike Scott has been a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene for over 20 years. He is founding member of The Los Angeles Jazz Collective, and like many musicians in the city has recorded for film and television soundtracks, in addition to his work as sideman […]
Adam Miller Unify Emtechnik Australian guitarist Adam Miller has released his latest album, Unify. Recorded in Los Angeles, Miller’s trio features prominent LA musicians – bassist Joel Gottschalk and drummer Justin Glasco. All Miller originals, these songs are born from settling not only into a new city, but a new country, all the conflicting emotions associated with such. The album is equally […]
Lou Volpe Before & After Jazz Guitar Let’s acknowledge that moat of the artists you read about on these pages are blues musicians. Even though the record label above and perhaps some of guitarist Lou Volpe’s previous work my steer toward jazz, this writer finds plenty of blues in Volpe’s style. Think back to Larry […]
Mike Pachelli High Standards Full Blast World-class, versatile guitarist Mike Pachelli, who has logged considerable time in Nashville, pulled together a rather impromptu trio for this upbeat jazz album. Playing his 1993 Gibson L5 Wes Montgomery and a 1967 Fender Princeton Reverb, Pachelli called on friends – bassist Tony Levin and drummer Danny Gottlieb for […]
George Freeman George the Bomb! Featuring Billy Branch Southport This is the epitome of “less is more.” George Freeman is a legendary Free 91-year old jazz-blues guitarist who does not waste one note and has such an inherent feel for each genre, befitting the title. Yes, he is the bomb! Freeman can remember when Charlie […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.