Review by arcane-beautiful — III by Aether is a very vibrant and exciting instrumental prog rock album from the Italian quartet. Mixing elements of classic 70s prog with jazz fusion and experimental rock. A very good mix of compositional arrangement with alot of room for improvisation, each member shows off great skill with their abilities, with great electric piano, guitar and fretless bass trade offs throughout. While there can be comparisons to bands like The Moondig and Echoes Of Distant Stars, the compositions overall are alot more focused than improvisational acts. The influences can be heard, but each track is unique in its own right, with a very vibrant display of melody, harmony, creative colorful chords and clever use of dissonance. In think in the future, it would be great to hear other instrumentation for this style, like saxophone or flutes.If I'm being honest, it's probably the best instrumental album I've heard all year. I'd give this a high 7 to low 8 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is Cinq Teintes, Quatre Cadres.

Review by arcane-beautiful — John Zorn's Olympiad, Vol. 4: Curling by John Zorn is an interesting noisy composition, with great use of light percussion, interplay between saxophone harmonics and an overall sparse amount of noise to create a very sonically interesting palate, but overall something not overall engaging. The players on this one should be commended for their ability to create the atmosphere requested by Zorn, but it's not his most compelling work, but it's an interesting section of this overall series. Also I really don't get why it's music inspired by the Olympics, but Zorn isn't exactly predictable. I'd give this a mid to high 5 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is Curling Part 1.

Review by snobb — Pianist Simon Nabatov’s very intimate, monumental new double CD album contains two of his composed suites; he plays piano on both as well, among others. Very unusually, I started reading the liner notes before listening to the music, and... didn't click the "play" button after I finished all the text. I am not an emotional person, but what I read shocked me. Not because I found something I had never heard before, but because the story told was very close to me and familiar. I left the album alone without even starting to listen to it; after some time, I just read the text once again.

I started listening to the musical content the next day only when I was ready. The music caught me strongly as well.

Simon Nabatov, a musician of Jewish descent, was born in Moscow, the capital of the former Soviet Union - the heart of the bloody Evil Empire - in 1959. His grandfather was a high-level officer in the central KGB (then known as NKVD) structures, living in a 12-room flat in the centre of Moscow. Probably responsible for thousands of deaths of his own people. Owning a mini-Zoo in one of the rooms, with exotic birds and animals, for his daughter. And he loved race cars too.

Semyon Jakowlewitch Mindal (Simon Nabatov has been named in his memory) was arrested, tortured, and liquidated as part of Stalin’s purges when his daughter, Nabatov's mother, was 12. Simon's family in 1979 were permitted to leave the USSR for Israel, as Jewish expatriates, but instead flew to Italy and applied for visas to enter the United States. Nabatov studied at Juilliard School from 1980 to 1984 and became an American citizen in 1986. From 1989, he has lived in Europe, mostly in Cologne.

I was born in the same Soviet Empire, just five years later than Simon. Not in Moscow, though. I was born in Vilnius - one of the most culturally rich and beautiful European cities, occupied by russians and incorporated into their Empire at the end of WWII. My biological grandfather died on the military campaign at the very beginning of WWII, leaving my grandmother with an 8 year old daughter on her hands. Grandmother, who was always a boss in our family, soon married a high-ranking KGB officer, responsible for the city's railways. According to the family legend, in 1946 he died quickly and unexpectedly, because of "too humid climate". A professional KGB officer in his late thirties? Do you believe? Simply, "Stalin's cleansing" words sounded too terrible to be told, even in a family. And I never heard anything or saw his grave in my life either. Being old, my grandmother told a few times that "they had a great time during the war - with regular balls, drinking champagne and eating caviar". After her husband's death, she - wife of a high-position KGB officer - found herself staying right on the street with a teenage daughter, with no place to live, no job and no money. She survived again; her new boyfriend, who later taught me to read and to write, was a former marine, taken prisoner by Nazis in 1941, who spent the rest of the war in a military prisoner camp in Cologne. I remember, as a teenager, more than once, him shouting on public transport that “the best time of his life was when in a German prisoner camp”. He didn’t succeed in his career in the Soviet Union, that’s for sure.

Album's second suite, completing all of CD 2, is titled "What my grandfather could tell me", and dedicated to Nabatov's grandfather. Each of eight songs has the author's comments presented in liner notes, in fact, a little story.

The album's first suite, "Your ID Please", takes all of CD 1 and is dedicated to Simon's childhood and formation period, full of drama and tension. In the same way as the second suite, each composition of the first suite is supported with short comments in the liner notes. Simple stories which weren't so easily told, I expect. Nabatov tells how his father brought him to the synagogue, and about "being amazed by the „otherness“ of what was supposed to be part of me (but wasn’t really)." On the other hand, young Simon finds spiritual support (I would call it - the escape from Soviet reality) in the Russian Orthodox church. He says: "It was a beautiful world, full of grace and mystery. Even though it was supposed to be completely foreign to Jewish life, it influenced me a lot, in more ways than I am able to detect."

There were no Jews in my family, but I was born and grew up in a city, for ages known as "Northern Jerusalem". I spent the very first years of my life in a former Jewish Quarter, where we lived with my grandparents and mother. Some buildings were still abandoned; from the hundreds of thousands of former Jews, there were left fewer than five thousand there. Others disappeared during the Nazi's occupation and the Holocaust, were killed, or left and never returned. Our nearest neighbors and friends were Jewish families, those who survived. My grandmother spent evenings speaking with "aunt Rachile"; her teenage daughter Rivka taught me the very first steps in my life on the green hill nearby. The house we lived in was just a ten-minute walk from a synagogue, the only one that survived, from sixty, being in town before WWII. I have never visited it, though.

My grandmother, christened in an Orthodox church as a child, never visited it. But she often took me to Catholic churches, a beautiful Baroque world full of light, paintings, and organ music. I have never been religious, but often visit Catholic churches around the world - as monuments of art and beauty. Dark and mysterious Orthodox churches (I have visited plenty of them around the world too) always make me feel uncomfortable. I feel like they try to delete my personality, make me feel helpless and dependent, and scared. I never give up.

The reason I wrote such a long intro (”the story inside of the story”) is that I just want to illustrate how important a background of knowledge is sometimes for the appreciation of one or another musical work. I am sure that only a listener familiar with the time, place, and atmosphere of Nabatov's stories can appreciate his two new suites in full depth. That’s why I highly recommend starting with reading the liner notes, and in case of interest, continuing with deeper research on the epoch. On the other hand, the music presented here is so strong in itself that it can attract the unprepared listener too, I believe. Even if Nabatov and I will probably agree in some assessments, and disagree in others, without doubt I understand his every note and sound much deeper than the listener, less familiar with the background.

So, now about the music itself in more detail. Each suite is recorded in a single day in 2024, with two combos of highly skilled musicians. “Your ID Please” is recorded by a septet, containing, alongside Nabatov on piano, a chamber strings trio (Axel Lindner - violin, Axel Porath - viola, Nathan Bontrager - cello), renowned German reedist Frank Gratkowski, oboist Ina Stock, and Lucia Mense on recorders. “What my grandfather could tell me” is recorded by a quite different quintet with a strings duo(Axel Porath - viola, Nathan Bontrager - cello), Pascal Klewer on trumpet, Shannon Barnett on trombone, a rhythm section(Roger Kintopf on bass, Alex Parzhuber on drums) alongside Nabatov on piano himself, and another German jazz star - Polish-born sax player Angelika Niescier. No matter the instrumentation, both suites present an organic mix of(dominating) 20th-century classical music, Russian and Jewish folk, Orthodox church chants, Soviet pop tunes, and jazz improvs. The description sounds chaotic on paper, but in real life all compositions are surprisingly well organized, often quite ascetic. The elements of different genres are often presented in the same composition; they change seamlessly, without destroying the clear structural line. Many compositions, besides the author’s comments on thematic content, contain brief comments on musical instrumentation and arrangements, which help to appreciate the music better. Never overcrowded, both suites’ music builds a very special, near-sanctuary atmosphere, full of drama and relief at the same time. In fact, it is very close to Orthodox chants, in the way it works.

Very intimate and unique work; it invites you to experience an emotional catharsis together.

Review by Tony Adamo — Tony Adamo “IT’s Gotta B U!”, " is a smokin’, swingin’ 2026 jazz track Once again, Tony encourages us to keep seeking and not rest on our laurels. He is taking us on a hip trip by way of a swinging tune, which I am proud to play drums on. He tells us about Shirley Scott, Philly Joe, and what swingin’, being hip, and heading into uncharted waters is like, not being afraid to take a chance and let jazz take you there. Now, that’s living in my book!!!" - Drummer Mike Clark

Tony Adamo: Lead Vocals / Spoken Word Mike Clark: Drums Richie Goods: Bass Tim Campbell: ORGAN

Review by js — In the world of early jazz performance, there seems to be almost two distinctly different approaches for the musicians. One approach is almost scholarly or museum like, while the other approach focuses on the robust and raucous nature of this music that was the gangsta rap/punk rock of it’s day. Fortunately pianist Terry Waldo falls mostly in that latter group, and this is borne out by the endorsement of Colin Hancock who leads the most energetic hot jazz band today, The Joymakers. In Hancock’s pamphlet notes for Waldo’s “Treasury Volume 3”, he points out, “So much of what makes the music so enjoyable for so many is lost by most modern groups. They lose the earthiness, the spirit, and the soul.” Obviously Hancock believes Waldo has the soul as he joined Waldo’s Gotham City Band on trumpet for this recording and he also wrote a very informative pamphlet that comes with the CD.

Terry Waldo is considered a foremost authority on ragtime performance and has earned the endorsement of Wynton Marsalis as the living embodiment of the ragtime spirit. On “Treasury Volume 3”, Waldo traces jazz’s development from ragtime into the early jazz of New Orleans. Technically, the music on here is New Orleans jazz, but it’s not the real early marching band variety but more in the vein of what became known as ‘Dixieland’, in which the musicians were more or less stationary which allowed for instruments like the piano and the drum set to join in. New Orleans jazz has a built in cacophony to it because to most ears, it sounds like everyone is soloing at the same time. The musicians have a way of ordering this chaos by giving the trumpets the melody, the trombone or saxophone the harmony and the clarinet provides counter melodies and fills around the horns. The rhythm section pounds out the beat.

Most of the tracks on here are up tempo instrumentals plus a couple vocal numbers and one ballad. Of the vocal numbers, “Take Me Back’, is the best. This is the only number that banjoist Jerron Paxton sings on, and he is the only singer on here with an obviously New Orleans accent and bluesy delivery that really works. On many of today’s early jazz recordings, the vocals can be too glib or silly, it’s nice to hear Paxton’s no nonsense earthy voice. The track selection features some well known numbers as well as some less recorded and often features the work of two New Orleans masters, Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver. According to Waldo, “This music has never been static, it’s always been about what happens in the moment. That’s why it still lives.”

Review by snobb — French pianist of Slavic-Provençal origin, Christine Wodrascka, is surprisingly less known outside of her home country. Trained as a classical pianist from a very young age, at twenty she found out the world of free improvisation, which she has practiced for more than half a century now. She played with some renowned artists, such as Fred Frith, Ivo Perelman, and Joëlle Léandre, among others, and released a dozen albums as a leader. Still, she remains a well-kept secret of the French free improv scene, partially because of extremely rare gigs outside of France and very few recordings released.

For me, in some way, Wodrascka's music reminds me of other French avant-garde jazz female piano players, such as Sophie Domancich. Sophie's roots are in classical training as well, yet she is better known, in part because of her long-lasting collaborations with some key figures of the once-popular English Canterbury rock movement. Both Christine and Sophie are brave experimentalists with an always-felt classical background, filling a musical niche of their own. Still, Christine is always freer and rarely lyrical, never sentimental, more often dry and a bit distanced.

On "Oblic" Christine plays in duo with French double bassist Bernard Santacruz, who is probably better known from two albums with renowned American tenor Frank Lowe, which they recorded in France in the late 90s. Bernard's duo with Christine works pretty well; in general, duos are probably the most successful format for Christine.

The album's music consists of nine free compositions, each of which has a complex structure with ever-changing rhythms, flow, and a lot of tune snippets. Christine's piano is very percussive, as always. In moments, her music recalls Cecil Taylor's piano attacks. More often, it sounds as elegant as if a bit dry, improvised dialogues between ever-changing acoustic bass and piano. Being extremely free, in some way, the album never sounds chaotic - the music is unseemingly framed and controlled in a way that the listener may not notice. Slower moments have an obvious modern classical music feel, there are plenty of them, but not one lasts long.

On some pieces, the music starts unexpectedly from the silence, and after a series of turns, it disappears in silence as well. It adds some mystical atmosphere to an already unorthodox recording. Unlike some other Wodrascka's music, "Oblic" is much better structured and organized, which makes it a bit more accessible to listen to. There are plenty of layers that require considerate, repetitive listening. Patience will not remain unappreciated.

Review by arcane-beautiful — Alea Ieacta Est by John Zorn is a great mix of styles and jazz composition from the legendary virtuoso John Zorn. Made with a quartet consisting of piano, double bass, drums & vibraphone, it shows off great talent from the instrumentalists, especially the dualing abilities of Brian Marsella & Ches Smith. Again, not hearing Zorn's squeaking sax playing is a downer, but his compositional skill is fantastic. While it may overall not be as impactful as Sing Me Now Asleep, it still has all the hallmarks of exciting complicated jazz. I'd give this a high 6 to low 7 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is Part IV.

Review by Carmel — Julian Lage has long been associated with a transparent guitar language of clean articulation, controlled pick attack, and a harmonic chord vocabulary that stays fluid even when moving in fluid successions.

On “Scenes from Above,” that language feels distilled even further. The album’s deepest identity is not simply in Lage’s tone or compositional writing, but in the way his voicings shape nearly everything around them: melody, pulse, phrasing, ensemble blend, and improvisational direction. Harmony is rarely treated as accompaniment. The chords keep redirecting the music from inside the texture itself.

That framework appears immediately on “Opal.” A soft electronic ambiance and dry hi-hat pulse open the record before Lage and John Medeski enter close in register. The guitar carries the melodic contour while the organ widens the voicing underneath it, adding warmth to the texture. The dynamics stay low enough that tiny adjustments become a part of the story, with ascending figures returning with slight interval changes. The sustained organ tones cushion the edge of Lage’s pick attack, and the guitar chords subtly reposition themselves so the two instruments lock together instead of blurring into each other. Even before improvisation appears, the track establishes the album’s focus of melody unfolding from the movement and spacing of the chords themselves.

“Red Elm” shifts into a medium-up swing feel. Lane’s playing remains rooted in voicing movement as he builds the solo from angular rhythmic cells that repeatedly fold back into compact chord figures. Single-note lines rarely stand alone for long; he answers them with clipped harmonic responses that feel like real-time self-accompaniment. The tension comes from velocity and placement of dissonant intervals that briefly against the organ’s sustained tones before easing into clearer shapes. As the solo develops, the voicings spread upward in stages until the upper register moves with harmonic decorative passages by climax chords. Medeski tracks those shifts carefully, holding the center of the harmony steady while Lage keeps moving the intervallic edges.

On “Talking Drum,” groove becomes the carrier for the album’s chord language. The organ lays down a thick funk pulse while Kenny Wollesen distributes the beat across cymbal patterns, snare commentary, and deep-pocket backbeat figures. Lage responds with clipped chord fragments, repeated rhythmic hits, and descending voicing patterns that keep re-coloring the groove underneath the pulse. His right hand constantly changes the texture of the attacks near the bridge and rounder articulation near the neck for sharper accents pushed through rhythmic figures. This gives the recurring harmonic shapes different weight each time they return. Even the transitions’ voiced descending chord clusters repeatedly pull the ensemble out of one section and push it into the next.

The acoustic material deepens the album’s emphasis on physical chord movement. “Havens” revolves around percussive steel-string articulation where slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and accented repeated rhythmic figures blur the line between accompaniment and lead phrasing. The harmony cycles underneath the active 16th-note drum pattern with a forward steadiness, but Lage keeps interrupting that motion with chord accents and two-octave arpeggios that snap back into compact voicings.

“Night Shade” slows the pacing but sharpens the internal motion of the harmony. Brushes and half-time bass open large pockets of air while Medeski sustains chords whose inner voices keep quietly shifting underneath the surface. Lage leans bends into those held tones rather than cutting across them, allowing tension to accumulate inside the sustained harmony. When the groove section opens, and the organ brightens into a more gospel-shaped sound, the quartet expands naturally through stronger backbeat emphasis, widening chord pressure, and repeated motive figures instead of dramatic dynamic jumps. Even the climax feels controlled from within the voicings.

“Solid Air” briefly loosens the album’s relationship with pulse altogether. Rubato chorale textures drift into time and then recede again, with cymbal rolls and arpeggiated guitar-organ figures creating the sense that the harmony is breathing. Jorge Roeder and Wollesen shape the pulse the same way, adjusting the rhythmic floor underneath repeated figures, opening space during transitions, then tightening the groove when the voicings begin to accumulate weight.

“Scenes from Above” reveals how Lage makes harmony feel physical. Chords tighten, spread, bend, repeat, and dissolve with the same expressive force assigned to melody alone. His solos develop through spacing, contour, rhythmic recurrence, and tonal variation as much as through line.

By the end of the record, the harmony no longer feels like support material sitting behind the music. The chords keep reshaping the pulse, the texture, and the direction of the ensemble, let’s harmony also behave like motion.

Review by Carmel — The defining pulse of “Wake Up Call: The Music of Gregg Hill” is rhythmic stylistic. Across the album, recurring rhythmic motives, ensemble punches, and creative shifts in feel operate as coloration for the project’s primary path. The quartet settles into recognizable post-bop and hard-bop vocabulary, but the music keeps shifting its internal weight through ensemble rhythmic figures and phrases that move together at sectional turns. What emerges is a session built around interaction-driven exploration of compositional material that circulates through a shared grounding in jazz and beyond.

Built around Gregg Hill’s compositions and Rick Roe’s arrangements, the album brings together an integrated Detroit-based quartet featuring Roe on piano, Marcus Elliot on tenor and soprano saxophone, Robert Hurst on bass, and Nate Winn on drums. Hill’s writing supplies concise forms, asymmetrical turns, and compact rhythmic motives, while Roe redirects the material through changes in ensemble punches and transitions that move from swing to straight-eight feels. 

The quartet, however, functions as more than an interpretive vehicle for the composer and arranger. Elliot alternates between warm lower-register tenor lines and sharper angular phrases while stretching rhythmic fragments across bar lines, Hurst locks the center of the pulse with a woody, percussive attack, and Winn answers phrases with snare commentary and cymbal color that shape the direction of each performance. 

That chemistry appears in the title track, where the quartet puts groove into form. “Wake Up Call” begins with ensemble rhythmic figures and coordinated ensemble punctuation that continue to shape the improvisational space long after the written melody concludes. This also connects the theme and solo development within the form. The opening pocket figure keeps resurfacing in Roe’s comping, in ensemble accents, and in the way the trio compresses phrase endings. Roe’s piano approach reinforces that continuity. His improvisation stays planted in the middle of the beat, with crisp piano attacks and blues-inflected phrases that lock into Winn’s cymbal pulse before opening into longer post-bop lines across the bar.

The album repeatedly returns to this idea of rhythmic material functioning as compositional glue. “Hyperbarity” is a strong example. Its movement between swing passages and darker modal straight-eight sections creates formal tension not through harmonic contrast alone, but through the reactivation of the feel around the pulse. The modal interludes color the quarter-note pulse into straight eights before the rhythm section widens back into swing, with the same rhythmic cell reappearing in Elliot’s soprano lines, Roe’s comping figures, and the ensemble hits that reconnect the sections.

“Double Play” extends the interaction through repeated riff structures and collective rhythmic cadences. The tune keeps circling back to the same compact rhythmic figure, but each return lands in a different register or harmonic pocket, so the momentum feels cumulative instead of segmented into separate solo spots. Roe’s improvisation stays closely tied to the written material, using chromatic variation and blues-inflected fragments that evolve from the composition. Hurst’s arco feature changes the album’s textural sounds. The compositional integrity remains integrated into the larger rhythmic design through the responsive ensemble phrasing and coordinated exchanges.

Throughout the session, band hits function as accent devices. On “The Ringer,” they accent the forward motion of swing through sectional pivots that evoke Monk-influenced angularity without turning the performance into stylistic imitation. The tune’s six-four undercurrent and shifting phrase lengths create a flexible rhythmic environment in which the ensemble repeatedly reshapes momentum together. Cadences arrive as group events, with Winn tightening the snare commentary, Hurst digging harder into the quarter-note pulse, and Roe dropping chord voicings that pull the ensemble into the same landing point.

“La Canción” demonstrates ensemble unity inside a different rhythmic vocabulary. The straight-eight Latin framework gradually evolves through melodic and harmonic expansion, but the deeper continuity comes from the way rhythmic cells organize the tune’s movement from section to section. During the tune’s fluid passages the quartet keeps the pulse audible through repeated rhythmic tags, aligned phrase endings, and small ensemble catches that highlight the transitions. Both Elliot’s and Hurst’s solos combine technical fluency with structural awareness. Roe’s solo preserves the composition’s rhythmic identity, treating the Latin feel stylistic charm.

The album continually reinforces its preference for collective interaction. “Inside Straight” uses repeated ensemble hits and bop-derived melodic fragments to establish a flexible medium-swing environment shaped by anticipation and flowing phrasing. “Modal Yodel No. 2” balances modal harmony with recurring cadential figures that keep the form audible. “Sunspiration” shifts between rhythmically driven sections and more lyrical material without abandoning its underlying pulse. The ensemble listens closely to each other. “The Return of Mr. Pea” inserts playful interruptions and pauses directly into its swing structure, creating rhythmic landing spot through ensemble punctuation. The ensemble leans into Hill’s harmonic surprises.

“Wake Up Call” thrives because of the consistency with which written material survives contact with improvisation. Hill’s compositions provide concise frameworks filled with asymmetrical turns, recurring motives, and formal contrast, but Roe’s arrangements continually reactivate those elements through changes in feel, ensemble punctuation, and rhythmic redistribution. Just as importantly, the quartet’s collective execution brings the writing to life from the static page. Rhythmic figures continue into solos, feel changes reshape formal direction, and ensemble coordination continues the compositional moods.

That interaction-driven approach also explains the album’s balance and clarity. The music constantly shifts between ensemble punches, widening swing sections, straight-eight interludes, and layered rhythmic motion. Roe’s rhythmic pianism, Hurst’s grounded pulse, Winn’s responsive cymbal and snare coloration, and Marcus Elliot’s ability to carry rhythmic motives through melodic improvisation all contribute to an ensemble language built on collective precision and listening.

By the end of the session, the album’s strongest identity is neither its post-bop lineage nor its composer-arranger premise alone. What lingers is the sound of the quartet that share the same rhythmic language. Hill’s writing gives the group a framework full of fresh turns and balanced transitions, but Roe, Elliot, Hurst, and Winn make those ideas feel alive with constant listening and response.

Review by Carmel — “Vital Spark (Music of Kenny Wheeler)” brings together Dave Holland on bass, Norma Winstone on voice, the London Vocal Project under the direction of Pete Churchill, Nikki Iles on piano, James Maddren on drums, Mark Lockheart on tenor and soprano saxophones, and John Parricelli on guitar for selected pieces. The album centers on Kenny Wheeler’s writing for jazz ensemble and choir, a setting that naturally foregrounds space, development, motion, and release. 

That matters because “Vital Spark” is rich in sectional contrast. Its character emerges through the controlled movement of energy. Each track unfolds through a recurring cycle: space, accumulation, activation, peak density, and release. The music organizes itself through changes in texture and momentum. 

“Inner Traces” lays out the theme with clarity. Nikki Iles opens alone at the piano, establishing a sparse, suspended field. Norma Winstone’s vocal texture expands with her warm timbre, marking the first clear increase in evolving color palette. The London Vocal Project follows. The choir initially provides sustained wordless harmonic support but then widens into a more active choral presence. The pacing grows with each layer, allowing the texture to grow without congestion. 

Holland’s and James Maddren’s entrance shifts the music from suspension into motion. From there, the track builds through accumulation as Iles increases her rhythmic activity. The choir expands into counterpoint, and Mark Lockheart’s saxophone enters the texture. At the composition’s peak, the choir, soloist, and rhythm section operate simultaneously. The release is just as controlled as activity recedes, the texture thins, and the music resolves into a sustained harmonic field. 

A similar cycle appears in “Will You Walk a Little Faster?” as Maddren introduces momentum from the outset, with Holland’s syncopated bassline establishing a forward-moving pulse. The straight-eighth feel creates immediate motion, but the build still depends on layering. The vocal melody builds to Winstone’s scat lines, the choir’s arranged parts, and Lockheart’s improvisation. All occupy different roles, increasing texture through simultaneity. Holland’s role is especially clear as a grounding force anchoring the expanding texture. 

The contrast and layered parts function as accelerants of evolution and storytelling. Shifts between improvised vocal scatting by Winstone and structured choral writing gain momentum in the form. Feel shifts from straight-eighth and swing-based phrasing, develops the form as it intensifies the ongoing build, adding energy with continuity. 

“Fuite D’Enfance” shows a different surface as John Parricelli’s guitar brings a Latin influence, giving the track a new profile. The underlying layering process, as parts intertwine and enter. The choir begins as a harmonic pad and then expands into counterpoint. Lockheart’s tenor saxophone enters over a gradually intensifying rhythm section, followed by Parricelli’s solo and then Iles at the piano. Each addition increases energy and development, while Maddren and Holland scale their activity in response. By the time the ensemble aligns rhythmically, the track reaches its densest point, then resolves into a final chord. 

“Heavenly City,” let’s momentum build naturally. Holland begins in a two-feel, grounding the music without fully activating swing. The shift into walking bass becomes a motivating event and one that the ensemble responds to collectively. The choir splits into male and female counterpoint, Lockheart extends his phrasing, and Parricelli’s lines begin to interlock with the vocal and instrumental layers. Development rises through the accumulation of independent lines. 

Across the album, music resolves by reducing activity. Lines drop away, motion slows, and what remains is sustained harmony. These releases feel like conclusions of developments, summing of the preceding accumulations. 

What gives the song set its consistency is the nature of the material itself. The writing is built on extended harmonic fields, non-standard progression movement, and long-line melodic structures that resist immediate resolution. These elements build resources for gradual accumulation, allowing layers to enter, expand, and interact with sectional changes, thereby maintaining a sense of development. 

You hear this in the way momentum is handled. Harmonic patterns and melodic phrasing allow movement between suspended and kinetic states without breaking the connecting flow. The rhythm section doesn’t impose direction but acts as a layer that activates it at key points, while the choir, Winstone’s voice, and instrumental layers develop in response. 

Within this progressing framework of vocals and instruments, the performance is defined by developmental control. Each player, vocalist, and section shapes the flow of energy. The result is an album of layered structures and contrasts that create a lovely motion in time.

Review by js — Well as they used to say long ago, “and now for something completely different”. UDEiGWE (stage name, real name Lawrence Udeigwe) is a vocalist, keyboard player, math professor and philosopher, and he combines all of these endeavors on his new album, “Four Lemmas”. In mathematics, a lemma is a statement that supports larger concepts. On this album, Udeigwe presents four lemmas, orthogonality, sparsity, local maxima and stable equilibrium, three of these lemmas are also joined by a corollary. The album is not meant to be mathematics translated into sound, but it is a musical meditation on what it feels like to ‘think mathematically toward a proof of identity‘. The lemmas lead us to four reflections: independence without isolation, reduction without loss of meaning, mistaking a peak for completion and balanced sustained through motion.

All this may sound very foreboding and overly intellectual, but fortunately the music is not. Despite all the philosophizing and mathematics, the music is upbeat, melodic and rhythm oriented. Udeigwe draws on the pop and dance music of his homeland, Nigeria, plus adds bits of hip-hop, funk and nu jazz to make irresistible grooves over which he sings and presents his philosophical insights through spoken word. Joining him are two trumpet players, plus drums and bass for a solid groove outfit. The trumpets take solos occasionally and Rade Bema lays down some funky lines on the bass. Udeigwe sings and talks over the grooves with a warm appealing voice in everyday language that makes it easy to understand the philosophical outlook that he is trying to pass onto us, the listener.

Review by snobb — JoSilEmi (Joe - Silke - Emil) is a new trio that will release their debut album, "Hear This," in May. Bassist Joe Fonda, stated first on the album's cover, needs no introduction. He has played free jazz for more than half a century and is well known in the US and Europe. Just a few months ago, Fonda's other trio, Remedy (with two Germans - drummer Joe Hertenstein and trumpeter Thomas Heberer), released an interesting collaborative album with Japanese pianist Aki Takase.

Without a doubt, the true star of the new trio is a German reed player, Silke Eberhard. Less known outside of her home country, she is one of the most interesting female reed players on today's European jazz scene. She played with such renowned artists as Henry Threadgill, Dave Liebman, Michael Formanek, Joe Morris, and Dave Rempis, among many others, but she made her name actually with her Potsa Lotsa - a project, founded in 2009 and dedicated to the music of Eric Dolphy.

In 2010, Potsa Lotsa released "The Complete Works Of Eric Dolphy" - an ambitious double-CD album, containing 28 compositions, all played by four reedists. In 2014, Silke returned with the improved Potsa Lotsa Plus and another Dolphy-dedicated album, "Potsa Lotsa Plus Plays Love Suite By Eric Dolphy". Her enlarged collective this time consists of six reed players plus a keyboardist.

Finally, in 2017, Silke formed the most ambitious Potsa Lotsa version - Potsa Lotsa XL. The tentet (which contains pianist, drummer, bassist, vibist, and cellist besides woodwinds) on British and German labels released four albums during the last five years.

Third member of JoSilEmi - Austrian drummer Emil Gross, for 15 years was known as a member of a few blues/rock bands and a roots/reggae artist. Later, he started playing with avant-garde jazz/experimental musicians. Kindred/Fonda/Gross Blues Trio and Generations Trio (with the same Joe Fonda) can be mentioned among his more jazz-related collaborations.

Back to "Hear This" - Silke's knowledge of Dolphy's music and its influence are notable here without doubt. Unlike Potsa Lotsa (of all sizes), where Silke plays Dolphy music with richer arrangements, bigger sound, and even adding some electronics, JoSilEmi is an acoustic minimalist trio and it works pretty well.

The music here contains two Fonda and three Silke originals, all played with well-controlled freedom and passion. Recorded live, there are some enthusiastic public screams and applause heard here and there. Silke’s sax has a clear tone; she plays tunes, switching to improvisation seamlessly, and returns. The music flows unpredictably but never goes too far - it always keeps the listeners' attention under control. Compared to well-known late German free-jazz giant Peter Brötzmann's "Teutonic jazz", Silke's "German jazz" is well-calculated and controlled, but never brutal. It's elegant and playful, fresh and intriguing.

The rhythm section is more than competent; Joe and Emil ensure an excellent backing for Silke's soloing. They even have a moment of their own freer solos, but it's still Silke who's the hero of the day here.

The music's sound is very good for live recording - clear, aerial, with well-heard smallest details. Silke's sax is always in the front of the mix, but in this case, it works pretty well.

I really enjoyed listening to this album. It pushed me to re-listen to some of Silke's previous works (and to search for some unheard of too).

Review by arcane-beautiful — Honora by Flea is a very interesting first solo album for the legendary musician. Incredibly different from anything he has done with Red Hot Chili Peppers, this album sees him fully embrace his jazz background, with creative bass lines, some very beautiful trumpet arrangements and trumpet playing from Flea himself plus some great guest collaborators throughout. But the song I'd highly recommend is his cover of Maggot Brain, where the arrangement is changed from keys and guitar to melodic percussion and trumpet, and it really shows off another side to that beautiful piece of music originally from Funkadelic. Overall it's not as gripping as you'd expect because it is incredibly jazzy, but the musical talent on display can't be ignored. I'd give this a mid to high 7 out of 10.

Review by Bassman — Few bassists in contemporary jazz combine diplomatic stature, compositional ambition and melodic authority as convincingly as Harvie S. A former Jazz Ambassador for the United States, a touring artist across Europe and Southeast Asia, and co-leader of the influential Double Image, which recorded for ECM Records and Enja Records, Harvie S brings decades of global experience to Bright Dawn. But this album is not a retrospective statement. It is a forward-facing work, a meditation on narrative, texture and the evolving role of the double bass in modern jazz.

From its opening moments, the record establishes a language that is both contemporary and grounded in tradition. The melodic lines are expansive but never indulgent; rhythmic structures shift subtly, sometimes stretching across bar lines, sometimes tightening into sharply defined pulses. What distinguishes the writing is not complexity for its own sake, but architectural control. Themes unfold patiently, then fracture into improvisational dialogue before reassembling with quiet inevitability.

The ensemble, carefully chosen, highly responsive, approaches the material without hesitation. There is no sense of musicians navigating difficulty; instead, there is collective fluency. Harmonic colors are explored rather than merely stated. Dynamics swell and recede organically. The interplay suggests years of listening, not just to each other, but to the broader history of the music.

Harvie S has often been associated with the spacious aesthetic of ECM, yet here he moves beyond atmosphere into something more structurally assertive. This is not ambient lyricism. It is acoustic fusion in its most thoughtful form, a synthesis of jazz lineage, chamber-like intimacy and rhythmic elasticity. Written passages dissolve into improvisation so seamlessly that the boundaries blur. The album rewards, and demands, repeated listening.

A reinterpretation of Chick Corea’s “Humpty Dumpty” offers a revealing case study. Rather than treating the piece as repertoire, Harvie S reframes it. The familiar contours remain, but tempo inflections and subtle reharmonizations shift the emotional center. The bass does not simply anchor; it converses, redirects, occasionally destabilizes before restoring equilibrium. It is interpretation as authorship.

The solo bass passages throughout the album are among its most arresting moments. In these spaces, Harvie S demonstrates a rare ability to balance technical command with narrative clarity. Pizzicato lines speak with muscular directness; arco passages bloom with almost orchestral resonance. He moves from grounded resonance to suspended harmonics with deliberate pacing, allowing silence to function as structural punctuation. The double bass becomes not accompaniment, but protagonist.

That narrative impulse reaches its emotional apex when he takes up the bow on “Navalny.” The performance carries a cinematic weight, unfolding less like a jazz solo than like a monologue. Long, sustained tones create tension against restrained harmonic movement beneath them. There is restraint, but also quiet urgency. The piece suggests contemplation, of loss, of resilience, of elemental forces, without resorting to sentimentality. Wind, water, light: the music feels attentive to the natural world without imitating it.

What ultimately defines Bright Dawn is clarity of intent. Every motif feels considered. Every rhythmic displacement serves a purpose. Yet the album never sounds academic. Listeners can follow the melodic lines at face value and find immediate pleasure. Those who lean in more closely will discover deeper structural conversations, counterlines emerging beneath themes, rhythmic tensions resolving across extended arcs.

Harvie S does not overwhelm the listener; he trusts them. That trust may be the album’s most radical gesture. In an era of maximalism and speed, Bright Dawn insists on patience. It insists on attention. It insists that the double bass, often relegated to foundation, can instead articulate the conscience of the ensemble.

This is not merely a display of mastery. It is a reminder that jazz, at its most vital, is both story and structure ,emotion shaped by design. And here, Harvie S shapes both with unflinching precision and quiet authority.

Thierry De Clemensat Member at Jazz Journalists Association USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

Review by snobb — London-born reed player Shabaka Hutchings is one of the key figures on the revitalized UK new jazz scene over the last decade. His bands Sons Of Kemet (Afro-Caribbean jazz), The Comet Is Coming (space-jazz), and cross-continental project Shabaka And The Ancestors (with South African artists) were all among the best and most influential collectives around. In January 2023, Shabaka stepped away from playing the sax - his main instrument- and switched to flute (the instrument he had never played before). In 2024, he released his first solo album (as flutist) collaborating with a dozen of renowned artists, including Americans; bassist Esperanza Spalding, harpist Brandee Younger, pianist Jason Moran, and Brits; electronics wizard Floating Points and multi-instrumentalist Miguel Atwood-Ferguson among others. Shabaka's new sound became more distanced from African rhythms and adapted a more electronic, contemporary feel.

Shabaka's just released, "Of The Earth", is the continuation of his solo career, and actually is a "pure" solo album - Shabaka plays all the instruments (and uses studio possibilities) strictly by himself.

As one can expect, the new album's music is even more distanced from Shabaka's earlier collaborations. In fact, a big part of the new release has only a partial relation with jazz. Fortunately, Shabaka returns to playing the saxophone (what he always did best) - besides the flute. Other musical instruments used are wooden blocks, bells, bass pedal, synth, and probably something else. Still, rhythmically, the album's music depends a lot on generated sounds and loops.

Twelve short pieces are connected with each other in a way as if they were one spacey suite. There are tune snippets, and a lot of cosmic loops all around. Shabaka (for the first time) adds rap on two songs. "Go Astray", a lazy meditative cosmic piece, in contrast to music, contains Shabaka's lyrics on colonialism, capitalism, etc - the themes, much more usual for his early works. The other song with vocals - the closer "Eyes Lowered" lasts only a little longer than one minute and contains probably the album's concept idea: "Keep firm your spirit - They desire your soul...".

Musically, the album varies from obvious new age (the opener "A Future Untold" is a great example) to dub ("Those Of The Sky" or "Step Lightly") to knotty African rhythm scented jazz-electronica ("Dance In Praise"). Shabaka himself mentioned that one of the inspirations was Flying Lotus music.

The great thing is that Shabaka is with no doubt talented visionary, everything he does is way above the average. Still, "Of The Earth" contains very different music from his earlier works. To appreciate it or not is a listener's choice.

Review by arcane-beautiful — Distracted by Thundercat has some good moments, showing off his great bass and vocal talents, but it doesn't have the impact of his previous work, like what he accomplished on his album Drunk. It is enjoyable for what it is but there is alot more that he is able to show off because of his vast talent. Some of the guest collaborations are enjoyable but it isn't the best work that they've been part of either. But it is far from a bad album. I'd give this a mid to high 6 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is What Is Left To Say.

Review by js — There are several bands these days playing 1920s to early 30s jazz music, a time period that is often called classic jazz or hot jazz, it’s the music that came after jazz’s start in New Orleans, and before the advent of the big band swing era. Of these bands, one that really stands out is The Joymakers out of Austin Texas. Whereas other bands may be too scholarly or formal in their approach, The Joymakers remember that this was originally wild party music for gangsters, and they play with the requisite abandon teetering on chaos that makes this music really come alive. They are very knowledgeable about the music and respectful of the traditions, but they can also rock the house with an infectious energy that sets them apart. The band is lead by multi-instrumentalist, Colin Hancock, who is a walking encyclopedia of early jazz, but to hear him tear into his various horns, all you hear is the joy and abandon that comes from playing ‘hot’, high energy music.

Their latest album is called “A Texas-Sized Band”, because they have added a few more members, making the band a ten piece and adding just that much more instrumental voices to push the cacophony. The new album contains a variety of vocal numbers, usually with lyrics about boy/girt issues, plus several instrumentals as well. It’s the fast tempo instrumentals called ‘stomps’, that really stand out. Stomp was the name for the characteristic country flavored rhythm that was a favorite for regional bands that played from San Antonio to Kansas City in the late 20s. Often played at tempos that could rival a hardcore punk band, these stomps probably kick up quite a storm at Austin nightclubs. One of the best is, “The Pay Off”, whose high energy flight makes for great driving music, turn it up loud and watch that speedometer climb. The highlight in this number comes when Hancock kicks in with a ferocious baritone sax that swings and stomps and conveys a sheer joy about being alive and kicking. Not everything is pure adrenaline on here, there are some blues and other more medium tempo fare, but it’s those stomps where The Joymakers live up to their name. The album comes with a very informative booklet that goes into great detail about the Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas City regional bands of the hot jazz era.

Review by arcane-beautiful — Kammerkonzert by Squarepusher is one of the most diverse projects he has released, abandoning his electronic mixing for live orchestral instruments, blending 21st century classical with jazz fusion and eclectic progressive rock. Very much akin to the orchestral music Frank Zappa worked on in his later years, it shows off his great talent at taking complex melodies and rhythms but making them stand out with a more organic feel than his previous material. His usual obsession with the bass guitar is still there, but more focused on double bass. While this style has been done before by other artists, it is interesting to hear Squarepusher's take on it. I'd give this a mid to high 7 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is K10 Terminus.

Review by Carmel — Jasper Høiby operates as a scholar-practitioner of the bass, a figure whose lineage stretches from the high-octane energy of Phronesis into the more contemplative, structural inquiries of his recent trio work. With “Conversations of Hope,” his third album as leader of the 3Elements project, Høiby presents a trio album of contemporary consciousness. This ten-track album is a synthesis of the heritage of European jazz and 21st-century modern jazz evolution.

The trio is completed by Xavi Torres on piano and Naíma Acuña on drums. Their chemistry is apparent in the manner in which they communicate. The production is clean and uncluttered. The transients are crisp, and the midrange is articulate, allowing the trio's interplay to naturally live within the sonic space.  

The album’s opening, "Consider the Balance," establishes the trio's contrapuntal language immediately. With shifting time feels, layers combine, creating a poly-rhythmic flow. The main melody is lyrical and distinctly European. The trio freely pivots into the transition to "Grøn."

"Grøn" is the trio abandoning form and interacting in a full improvisational manner. Starting in ambient, exotic colors, the energy builds until Høiby’s bass line executes a pivot, shifting the feel into a contemporary third-stream funk groove. Torres and Acuña follow this trajectory instantly. The trio uses this as a transition from free improvisation back into a structured, driving foundation. This moves the music and sets the stage for "High Sky." It is a practical and symbolic tie that connects two compositions, updated with modern in-the-moment shading.

The chemistry of 3Elements in "High Sky" builds in layers. The music flows with bass and piano double lines and textured drumming. Torres’s right hand weaves single notes or chords that present the melody, while Acuña’s drumming creates an additional layer, accenting the counterpoint and melody.

Torres leads a developing piano solo for the track's climax. The trio interactions respond with unified accents, demonstrating a collective ability to build a musical conversation with a defined shape. This non-hierarchical approach defines the title track, "Conversations of Hope," where musical material is exchanged and reshaped collectively. This approach creates a context of dynamic dialogues.

The album engages with a distinct sonic lens that blends modern improvisation with traditional roots. "The Sound Air Makes" is an example of the trio approaching European Folk Jazz. In this piece, Høiby’s bass solo reflects his tone, time, and melodic shaping. But it is the interaction that truly defines the track's physical presence. Torres and Acuña actively shape the dynamics around the resonance of the bass.

The album's dynamic range is a unifying feature. The short interludes between compositions connect the overall flow and musical settings. "Rød" serves as a sonic variation that feels futuristic as the trio explores percussive sounds. Freely improvising over a futuristic robotic texture. The intensity flows, arcs, and releases in a way that feels mechanical and organic.

What makes this moment engaging is how it connects to the surrounding tracks. While "The Sound Air Makes" offers a relaxed contrast, the trio subtly carries over fragments from "Rød," like a specific piano voicing, a bass rhythm, or a snare drum pattern. This creates a natural, subconscious link between the high-intensity interlude and the more spacious composition. This attention to detail contributes to the album's cohesive narrative.  

The album concludes with "Blå" and "Alight with Fire," leaving the listener with a sense of forward momentum. "Alight with Fire" gathers the album's accumulated energy into a focused final gesture, characterized by rhythmic variety, interesting folk jazz melodies, and distinct European jazz harmonic patterns.

“Conversations of Hope” is a continuation of the creative European modern jazz tradition that Høiby has helped define. “Conversations of Hope” is a record that moves from poly-rhythmic to funk grooves, from robotic textures to folk melodies. It is filled with the dialogue of three musicians listening deeply as they play.

Review by Carmel — Enrique Haneine’s “Conceivable Directions” starts from the drum set and builds outward. In this chordless quintet, time feel is what moves underneath the music to shape it. Harmony doesn’t arrive in blocks or voicings; it forms through moving lines, shifting registers, and the way phrases overlap and respond to each other. You hear composition and improvisation happening at the same time, coming from the same timed logic. 

Haneine, born in Mexico City with Lebanese roots and now working out of New York, brings a rhythmic language that directional and expressive. It leans into swing, then pulls toward something closer to clave, but never locks the music into either. What stands out is how the time feels grounded and conversational. The pulse is there, clearly, but its constantly having rhythmic figures being stretched, nudged, and reshaped around it by the ensemble. 

The group is Thomas Heberer on trumpet, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Christof Knoche on bass clarinet, Jay Anderson on bass, and Haneine on drums. The ensemble works without a chordal instrument, but it never feels empty. Instead, the harmony is carried in linear motion. Knoche’s bass clarinet sits right in the middle of everything, often linking what the bass is doing to what the horns are implying above. Heberer and Knuffke move between unified brass lines and more independent phrasing that opens the texture up. Anderson anchors the time. His lines also shift to conversational interactions, answering lines, and sometimes pushing them in a new direction. 

You can really hear that in how the ensemble handles space as nothing stays fixed for long, and roles aren’t locked in. 

At the center of it all is Haneine. His drumming drives the music forward, sometimes subtly, sometimes more directly. Snare accents land with thematic and conversational feel. Cymbal color changes the weight of a phrase. And during solos, he’s right there with the player, responding, catching ideas, feeding them back into the flow. It’s conversational, but also structural. 

The writing leans on the movement of motives. Ideas show up, move between players, then return slightly altered,  sometimes close to the original, sometimes barely recognizable. Entrances and exits matter. A line dropping out can shift the entire harmonic perception. The groove comes out of that interaction; it’s not something laid down first and built on top of. 

“Inconceivable Truth” makes lets you hear this right away. The opening tutti locks in low reed, brass, and bass all hitting the same rhythmic figures while the drums connect the pulse underneath. It feels solid, but not heavy. As things open up, the horns start to separate, each taking its own path. Haneine’s snare work stays close to the soloists, placing accents that keep everything centered without flattening the motion. 

“New Notion” goes further into the drum-as-composer idea. It opens with bass clarinet and drums in unison, establishing the shape of the line and the rhythmic feel at once. You can hear Haneine tracing that line across the kit, snare to toms, to cymbal, making it a compositional anchor as the horns come in. The texture builds, but not all at once, it opens in layers. By the time Heberer and Knuffke are improvising together, it doesn’t feel like a shift away from the composition. It feels like the same idea continuing in another form, another aspect of the same conversation. 

“Four Ahead” brings more linear movement. Multiple lines are happening at once, sometimes crossing, sometimes locking together. There’s forward motion, but it’s not driven by hierarchy as its connection comes from alignment. The drums play a big role here, especially in how small accent shifts redirect the energy without interrupting it. 

“Unique Array of Swirls” slows everything down and opens the space. The horns move in longer, circling lines, often close in interval, while the bass clarinet holds the center. Without chords filling things in, you start to hear the sounds of line interaction more clearly. The blend, the sustain, the way notes fade into each other. It’s less about where it’s going and more about being inside the texture. 

“Never Stranded” starts with solo drums that build gradually. First isolated accents, then patterns that begin to interlock. Kick, snare, cymbal, each carrying their own thread. At a certain point, you realize the groove is already there before the band even enters. When they do, it feels like they’re stepping into something already in motion. The horn lines align with that framework, creating harmonic movement through rhythm. There’s a clear sense of clave in the phrasing, but it never settles into a fixed Afro-Cuban pattern. Haneine’s solo continues that layering, building layers without losing direction.  

“Without a Single Word” shifts the energy inward. Muted trumpet, cornet, and upper-register bass clarinet create a soft, blended sound, and there’s no chordal cushion underneath. Notes stretch longer here, and the space between them becomes part of the music. You hear decay, breath, and timing in a different way. It’s restrained, but it carries weight. 

“Nuances of Intuition” is the closing track that synthesizes the album’s core ideas. Counterpoint, rhythmic interplay, and ensemble interdependence converge into a unified statement that sounds natural. Awareness of rhythm and lines as harmonies provides an intuitive listening experience throughout the process. 

Haneine’s drumming is what ties all of this together. Across the record, cymbal color, snare and tom articulation, and layered phrasing details that connect elements of conversation and composition. Whether he’s initiating a section, shaping a transition, or responding mid-phrase, his playing consistently defines how the music unfolds. 

“Conceivable Directions” functions as a compelling statement in contemporary jazz composition and performance. The album draws on the jazz tradition while asserting a distinct, forward-thinking voice. It rewards close listening, delighting through the subtle, uninterrupted evolution of its internal logic.

Review by js — Jimbo Ross is that rarity in the professional music world, a violist who can play a wide variety of music including jazz, blues, RnB, zydeco, rock and Latin music. His versatility has led him to work with an incredible number of top stars including; Ray Charles, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Herbie Hancock, Pete Townsend and so many more a-list performers. Despite his many years playing with other jazz artists, “So Do It”, is only Jimbo’s second jazz album as a leader, with his first one coming just a couple years ago. Jimbo plays a unique five string instrument that is part viola and part violin. As he puts it, “With my 5 strings, I can go down to those lower viola notes, play the lovely mid-range that resonates so beautifully on the viola, and soar high in the violin register all in one phrase. I really love the range of the viola because it’s more in the gutsy human voice range that is appealing to the ear”. So true, too much high end violin can get fatiguing on the ear. Ross’s viola gets more in that tenor sax range.

The music on “So Do It” falls mostly in a medium up tempo hard bop groove. This is that good times jazz that even non-jazz fans can latch onto, it has perfect summer music festival vibes. On “Canadian Sunset” and “On My Mind”, Ross and the band get into a Latin feel, and on Ellington’s “Sherman Shuffle” the band digs into an older swing style. The mostly concise and melodic solos get passed around by the band with guitarist Joe Gaeta and pianist Stuart Elster getting almost as much flight time as Jimbo. Ross’s music is honest and unpretentious and the countryish sound of that viola is bound to help anyone relax, unwind and have a good ole time.

Review by snobb — Andrea Morelli, a reed player from the beautiful Mediterranean island of Sardinia, started his musical career in 1983 playing with local bands. Later, he became an active member of the island's musical community, playing with local big bands and collaborating with many artists. Andrea has been releasing his jazz albums as a leader since 2011, but it still doesn't happen too often. His last work (dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington and Erik Satie), "Diffrazione"(2020), was recorded with pianist Silvia Belfiore and is a true gem.

Andrea's just released new work,"Entangled", is recorded in duo format with his regular collaborator, bassist Massimo Maso Spano. It contains four Morelli originals, plus one come from Massimo, and the closer, "Entangled," is their collaborative song. Besides that, the album contains three standards: Mongo Santamaria’s "Afro Blue", John Carisi's "Israel", and Sam Rivers' "Beatrice".

Stylistically, Andrea covers many genres from avant-garde to straight-ahead bop, and his music choice often depends on the line-up. Spano played with Morelli a decade ago in their boppish Hard Up trio/quartet; here on "Entangled," he is responsible for the straight, groovy anchoring beat. In moments, the new album's atmosphere recalls Steve Lacy's minimalist free-bop, just moved a few decades ahead. Still, Andrea's reed’s tone is always more lyrical and chamber.

The opener, "Oasi", an Andrea original composition, sounds like timeless "Caravan", with a straight, oriental-influenced melody and dancing acoustic bass. In contrast, "Afro Blue,” Mongo Santamaria's classic, sounds modern and deconstructed. Very percussive and liquid, it contains electronic effects and freer more emotive sax soloing from Andrea. "Un Giorno DI Vento", is a cinematic, melancholic song with a Latin touch.

John Carisi's "Israel" is a bop piece with straightforward bass and vibrato-less sax. Andrea's "Pulse", offers a catchy melody, with an almost chamber sound at the beginning, which develops into freer Andrea soloing later plus great duo interplay. "Astor", a jazz-tango, is Andrea's dedication to Astor Piazolla. Sam Rivers' "Beatrice", combines Massimo boppish marching bass and Andrea's more modern improvisation, while still opening the space for bass soling in the second half of the piece.

"Biddanoa" is a tuneful song with more knotty bass and an optimistic vibe. The closer returns the listener to a more modern sound of the electric bass and free sax soloing, full of the tension and drama of today's world.

As always, every Morelli album offers a very special atmosphere. His music sounds as if it comes from a parallel world, mixing the past and the present in its own way. I doubt that life in Andrea's home island of Sardinia is less stressful and more isolated from the troubles of the crazy world we live in today, but his music lets me dream that it is a very special place, just like this.

Review by js — “On My Own Time” is pianist Darren Litzie’s second album as a leader and it features the same rhythm section as his first album, Chris Deangelis on bass and John Riley on drums. Between the three of them, John carries the heaviest credentials having played with Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield and many more. Darren’s piano playing is a contemporary mix of post bop and art pop placing him in a similar league as Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett and Alan Pasqua. He cites a diverse set of influences including Thelonious Monk, Brazilian jazz and the Beatles. Most of his new album is made up of originals plus three covers.

The title track opens the album with a killer piano riff that needs to be sampled and looped by somebody. The song is based on a Baiao rhythm that is popular in Northeast Brazil. “Just After Three” is a post bop waltz ‘with plenty of space for the trio to fill’. “If Only I Could Forget” sounds like a classic country heart break ballad and is played in 12/8 time in the typical meter for country heartbreak songs. On “Busy Work”, Darren starts with a typical blues progression, but then keeps modulating the changes until he has taken us through all twelve keys. This may sound technical, but the average listener will just feel he’s enjoying another funky soul jazz blues.

Throughout the album, Chris is given room for several bass solos, and unlike many jazz arrangements that save the bass solo for the end as some sort of afterthought, Chris’ solos often come near the front or middle of the solos section. On Monk’s “In Walked Bud”, the trio changes up the usual swing rhythm so that it features a groove in seven plus some modulations that turn this well known standard inside out. All through “On My Own Time”, Darren and his crew present contemporary jazz that is easy for the casual listener to digest, but they also include clever changeups that will catch the ear of musicians and the always on patrol ‘jazz police’.

Review by snobb — Pianist Cecil Taylor was a key figure in early avant-garde jazz since the late 1950s, probably the most significant piano player in the genre for decades to come. Classically trained, he was renowned for his own high-energy percussive piano playing, which was often compared to a sound attack. Cecil's music didn't change much over time, and although he didn’t leave many studio albums, his live legacy is well-evidenced.

"Words And Music - The Last Bandstand", live album was recorded in 2016 with Cecil's new band, which he called "New Unit." Cecil's previous Unit(s) (with the first one started as far back as 1962) were usually powerful collectives responsible for his significant projects. Initially a trio, and later sometimes enlarged into a bigger combo, the Unit consisted of such renowned artists as Sonny Murray, Andrew Cyrille, Ronald Shannon Jackson (drummers), Jimmy Lyons, David S. Ware (sax players), Sirone, William Parker, Alan Silva (bassists), Leroy Jenkins (violinist), among some others.

Taylor's "New Unit" is a cross-generation band. British veteran drummer Tony Oxley played with Cecil regularly from the late 80s and is featured on many of Cecil's recordings coming from the New Millennium. In a "New Unit", Oxley (who was unable to play drums) plays electronics solely, and the other artist is responsible for the drum kit - American Jackson Krall, who occasionally collaborated with Taylor during the late 90s. Mid-generation Finnish reed player, Harri Sjöström, played with Taylor during the 90s. Fifth New Unit's member, Korean cellist of the younger generation, Okkyung Lee, is a star in her own right, renowned among industrial/noise/free improv fans partially by a series of albums for John Zorn's Tzadik label and her collaboration with Norwegian noise/experimental sound artist and producer Lasse Marhaug.

The album contains material recorded on April 23 2016, at the Whitney Museum, NY, during the new band's concert organized by Jay Sanders. After the concert, Cecil (then at the age of 87) announced that it was time to return to the legendary formula, and the New Unit was born. Unfortunately, they never played together again. Taylor passed away two years later, and this recorded concert is his last ever recorded.

Musically, the album contains the usual Cecil's percussive piano attack, without even a trace of nostalgia or slowing down. Fantastically, Taylor plays like all his life depends on this gig, fast and explosive. In moments, Lee's cello jumps to the front, but as it has always been for the decades, it's Cecil who dominates. As on almost every one of Taylor's recordings, the band is talented accompanists, with Cecil stealing the show. Somewhere about the 25 minute mark, the music flow slows down, and there comes a dozen lyrical minutes, not really usual for Taylor's music. Then, Taylor began to speak, with an ageing man's voice, discussing the life stories, everything. His accompanying voice fills the second half of the recorded concert, till the end, and explosive applause. The sound quality of the recording isn't excellent, but it is really good for such a type of archival release.

Both recording parts - excellent first musical and more documentary-like second, perfectly compliment each other on this unique historical evidence for one exceptional jazz Giant.

Review by js — Melvin Gibbs first made his name as an active member of many bands that came from NYC's abrasive post-punk eclectic fusion scene. He has worked with top names in that scene including Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid, Joe Bowie, Sonny Sharrock and many others. Since those heady days he has gone on to play a wide variety of music from Latin jazz to outsider hip-hop. “Amasia: Anamibia Sessions 2” is his fifth album as a leader and finds him playing that same dark dissonant NYC fusion that started his career. This album is made up of two different recording sessions, one from 2006, and one from 2025. The experimental psychedelic fusion of Miles’ 72-75 band is a big influence, which is furthered by the presence of avant-garde psych guitarist supreme, Pete Cosey. Some other well known musicians featured on here include Onaje Allan Gumbs, J.T. Lewis, John Medeski and several others.

The music on here sounds like jam sessions that were edited and refined with over dubs into solid pieces of electronic psych fusion. Miles himself often worked this way with his mid 70s band. There are solos here and there, but this is not your cliché fusion shred session, instead, heavy electronic ambience, layered percussion and dark sound clusters are the main theme. One of the best tracks is “Luigi Takes a Walk”, on which trumpeter Chris Williams opens with a solo over a fast drumnbass beat. Next saxophonist Casey Benjamin enters with one of the more jazz oriented solos of the set. This track ends with a slowed down beat topped with furious guitarisms from Cosey. Pete also shines on “Gullah Jack Style”, on which he opens things with killer funk riffing which leads to another one of his cosmic solos. There are four more tracks, all worth checking out as Gibbs and his crew create a NYC style electronic tone poem occasionally topped with echoed trumpets and growling bass clarinet.

Review by snobb — Veteran sax player Gary Bartz made his name in the late 60s-early 70s on a series of spiritual jazz, RnB and even funk-jazz albums for the Milestone and Prestige labels. He played with such giants as Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders, and other renowned artists of the time such as Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver, among many others. Gary never retired from music and in the new Millennium released four studio albums to date (with two more announced).

On "The Eternal Tenure of Sound - Damage Control" - the first one in a series of possible three - Gary returns to the music of his youth. The album opens with "Fantasy", an Earth, Wind & Fire hit, and continues with soul and RnB songs of the past, including songs by Curtis Mayfield, Quincy Jones, Anita Baker, etc. The other veteran, guitarist Nile Rodgers, plays on McCoy Tyner's "In Search of My Heart / Love Surrounds Us Everywhere". Still, the staff is mostly of the younger generation, including such contemporary stars as tenor Kamasi Washington and drummer Kassa Overall, plus three guest vocalists - Daniel Merriweather, Rita Satch & Shelly FKA DRAM - and Bartz sings as well on two tracks.

The album's music fits best under the "smooth jazz" tag. The atmosphere is very intimate, and may remind some of a close friends’ party somewhere back in the 70s. Since the album musically doesn't open new horizons, its main attraction lies in a quite rare opportunity to listen to today's high-class artists together with a few veterans playing smooth jazz and RnB hits of the 70s.

Review by js — Dave Slonaker is a very busy and successful Hollywood arranger and orchestrator. Some of his better known work appears in films such as “Spiderman”, Men in Black” and “Air Force One”, and TV shows such as “Star Trek” and “Murder She Wrote”. Occasionally Dave finds the time to release an album of original big band music, and his latest, “Shifty Paradigms”, is his third album as a leader. Dave’s music strikes a good balance between modern and traditional. His harmonies and arrangements are modern cutting edge, but the way his band swings hard is in the best big band tradition. Hollywood arrangers need to be able to work with a wide variety of styles and this is apparent in Dave’s work as he pulls from Latin rhythms, RnB, fusion, hard bop and more. Dave names some of his influences including Pat Metheny and the Yellowjackets, but most obvious to modern big band fans is Thad Jones, a man from which much modern big band styles originate from. Slonaker’s assembled multitude on here features some of the top names in Hollywood session players, but probably the most familiar name to jazz fans is drummer Pete Erskine.

You can tell Dave is a soundtrack composer, his fast paced music often paints pictures of action and movement. His modern approach often leads to constant changes in rhythm, tempo and mood, you need to pay close attention to grasp it all. Album opener, “Dash Cam”, seeks to illustrate driving in LA, and Dave’s quick change approach feels like a roller coaster. The one cover tune, “Bye Bye Blues”, is thoroughly modernized to fit with the Slonaker sound. On “Comin Home”, the band gets into some funky fusion, an approach that is furthered with an electric guitar solo. There is some relief from the constant action with the more laid back “Blue Windows” and “Cathedrals”, and the title track gets into some steady hard bop grooves for the soloists. For fans of modern big band music that is still rooted in classic big band traditions, “Shifty Paradigms” fits the bill.

Review by snobb — "Som-hi!" is an album of spontaneous improvisational jazz, recorded in one take by a multinational quartet, led by probably the most renowned Catalonian free jazz pianist, Agustí Fernández.

In fact, the new Augusti's collective fits perfectly between two of his previous projects - "Liquid Trio", active for more than 13 years, and "Liquid Quintet", which released their only album in 2019. "Liquid Trio" is the all-Spanish collective, containing pianist Agusti Fernandez, sax player Albert Cirera, and drummer Ramon Prats. "Liquid Quintet" is actually the same "Liquid Trio", improved with two Poles - trumpeter Artur Majewski and bassist Rafal Mazur. This current "Som-hi!" album is recorded by the Trio with Artur Majewski only (or Liquid Quintet without Rafal Mazur - you choose). Anyway, the "Liquid Quartet" could be a logical name for the collective, I believe.

Musically, similar to all the above-mentioned projects/recordings the new collective plays fresh spontaneous music on the borderline between free jazz and free improvisation. Three Spaniards, who were a regular working band for years, play high-energy intuitive music with excellent interplay. Artur Majewski, who plays cornet here in this new project, is familiar with Trio's music and fits perfectly.

Ten compositions (simply numbered as Part One to Ten) are unpredictable, quite elegant, and demonstrate excellent communication between the quartet's members. Part 2 has a lot of space between cold and spacey sound bursts, Part 7 is slow-flowing, almost viscous-like free improv. Part 9 combines piano tuneful snippets with electronic noises; most of the other Parts are faster, more twisted, and energetic.

As often with music of such character, there is no reason for searching for developmental logic or any concept. The main attraction is a moment of spontaneous creativity, evidenced once that can never be repeated.

Review by arcane-beautiful — So Many Words by Alan Morse is a great showcase of his talent outside of Spock's Beard, not just in songwriting but also his multi instrumental ability. His vocals aren't the strongest, but they do remind me of Mark Lanegan's at times, and when his brother Neal accompanies him on certain tracks they do harmonies pretty well. Great instrumentals and great guest musical guests, including from his Spock's Beard band mates. If you enjoyed the stuff Alan co wrote in Spock's Beard, then you should enjoy this album. I'd give this a mid 7 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is Bass Solo.

Review by js — Dave Wilson is a veteran saxophonist who has been performing up and down the US east coast for many years in various combos and big bands while performing a wide variety of styles. In his big band work he has played alongside folks like Wynton Marsalis, Tom Harrell, Lou Soloff and Gary Smulyan. “When Even Goes East” is his seventh album and has him working with his usual quartet plus Lenny Castro on percussion for many of the tracks. The album features four Wilson originals and six covers of pop tunes from the 60s and 70s. The originals carry a Wayne Shorter influence which is furthered by pianist Jesse Green’s Herbie Hancock influenced piano work. On the melodic pop tunes, similarities to the current work of Charles Lloyd and Joshua Redman can be found.

The album opens with the best track. “Let’s Go” is up-tempo post bop that teeters on the verge of free jazz. Green turns in an intense solo on the keys with some unorthodox slam bang that may remind some of Jaki Byard or Mal Waldron. “Slow Freeze” is a haunting ballad that bears a resemblance to Ellington’s “Chelsea Bridge”. Dave is deep in his ethereal Shorter mode on this one. The title track is funky soul jazz rock and “Intergalactic Sunset” is in a Latin groove.

The remaining pop covers are all played tastefully, Wilson and the band provide thoughtful variations but mostly keep the main melodies intact and easily recognizable. The added percussion goes a long ways toward giving these songs some needed rhythmic momentum. One cover is the odd one out, and that’s Jimi’s “Fire”. After the opening melody, this one is barely recognizable as it is not a tune that would lend itself to a jazz treatment too easily. Instead, the band turns it into a Les McCann style soul jazz workout and once again, Green tears up the keys. “When Even Goes East” is a good solid contemporary jazz album, especially if you like melodic covers. As already mentioned, this album could resonate well with those who like Charles Lloyd’s recent outings. For the hardcore jazz fans though, more tracks like “Let’s Go” would fit the bill. One final takeaway for this album, Jesse Green is a talent worthy of more recognition.

Review by Straight11travis — With The Legends of Otranto, bassist and composer Ferdinando Romano further consolidates his position as one of the most compelling voices in the current Italian and European jazz scene. This album, conceived as a suite in multiple movements, draws inspiration from the legends of the ancient city of Otranto, transforming historical and mythical imagery into a carefully articulated musical narrative.

Romano’s presence as a bassist is central and deeply expressive. His bass lines, clear and thematically driven, function as narrative threads, while his arco work adds an atmospheric dimension that ranges effortlessly from raw, potent gestures to the most delicate and restrained touches. The bass is not merely a foundation, but a true storytelling voice, shaping both form and emotional direction.

As a composer, Romano operates firmly on the avant-garde side of contemporary jazz, with a pronounced sensitivity to rhythmic layering, temporal elasticity, and colouristic differentiation. These elements unfold both within individual movements and across the entire suite, giving the music a sense of organic continuity and long-form coherence. The absence of fixed tonal anchors further enhances the feeling of suspended narration, where tension and release are guided by texture, rhythm, and dynamic contrast rather than conventional harmonic resolution.

The quartet—Kirke Karja on piano, Veli Kujala on accordion, and Ermanno Baron on drums—forms a finely balanced and highly responsive ensemble. Kujala’s accordion expands the timbral spectrum with remarkable subtlety, Karja’s piano navigates between structure and abstraction, and Baron provides a rhythmic drive that is at once powerful and flexible. Each musician contributes to a sound world that feels meticulously shaped yet open to spontaneous interaction.

The Legends of Otranto is music that demands focused listening. Assertive, emotionally charged, and rich in symbolic resonance, it resists easy categorization and rewards repeated encounters. More than a collection of compositions, it is a narrative construction, confirming Romano as a mature artist with a distinctive voice—capable of merging compositional rigor, instrumental mastery, and imaginative depth into a unified artistic statement. Certainly among the strongest albums heard in 2025.

Review by js — ‘Shredding’, that’s what guitar aficionados call it when a guitarist, who can combine hard rock aggression with jazz virtuosity, plays a technically difficult solo. On the internet, guitarists will compare and discuss their favorite ‘shredders’, Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Buckethead and Al Dimeola come up often and there are more. One artist who comes up now and again should be getting a stronger rep based on his latest album, and that is Vernon Reid and his new opus, “Hoodoo Telemetry”. The shredding aspect is there, and no doubt, you can tell Vernon set out to let the world know that he can certainly hang with the best of them, but Vernon also knows that guitar technique alone can not make an album great, there needs to be excellent song writing and production, and “Hoodoo Telemetry” has all of that and more. Reid is known for his eclectic versatility and this album does not disappoint as he touches on metal, rap, jazz fusion, drumnbass and melodic pop.

Unfortunately, four tracks on the digital version of the album do not appear on the vinyl version. Possibly Reid should have gone for a double album because the four missing tracks are quite good. In fact all of these tracks are good, probably it was very difficult deciding what would get cut. One good one that got cut from the vinyl version is “Bronx Paradox” on which hip-hop beats and chopped up scratched vocals are topped by JS William's trumpet solo followed by Vernon’s guitar. Digital album closer, “Brave New World”, features a political speech on psychological manipulation building to exotica styled synthesizer orchestrations.

Still, there are plenty of great cuts that did make the vinyl version. “The Haunting” is a funky art pop song with shades of Prince and MonoNeon and features a vocal by Kevin Webb. The lyrics deal with those regretful actions we have taken in the past that can ‘haunt’ us. A cover of “Freedom Jazz Dance” is given a fast drumnbass beat and some vocals too. “Black Fathom Five” features furiously fast raps over chopped up metal riffs, one of the most intense tracks on the album. Overall, the song writing and production on Hoodoo Telemetry are outstanding, and then of course there is Vernon’s incredible guitar work which never gets overused or tiresome. It also helps that the lyric content on the album is also intense and very socially conscious.

Review by snobb — The growth of jazz popularity around the UK and, to some extent, Europe over the last decade or so has led to a significant number of archival jazz recordings being released, flooding the market. Some of them contain really rare and interesting music, but predominantly, they are just a marketing ploy, seeking an extra euro.

There is no need to introduce the reed giant Pharoah Sanders, who made his name playing on some of the most revolutionary John Coltrane albums, continuing later as a free jazz solo star and in successful collaborations with Alice Coltrane. During Pharoah's long lasting career, there were a lot of ups and downs and direction changes. In general, his musical legacy is numerous and well-documented. Then, with each new album of his archival recordings, there is a question: Does the world need another Pharoah Sanders album?

"Love Is Here" is the most recent among them. It was just released nearly half a year ago and partially contains material that was already presented (six songs have been previously released on a French release "Live In Paris (1975) (Lost ORTF Recordings)" six years ago). This time, the new album contains the broadcast, recorded in a French Radio studio during a live concert, in full. The program contains "Ferrell's Tune", unheard before this concert, "Love Is Here" in three parts (against two parts on the 2020 release), plus three of Sanders most popular tunes ever - "I Want to Talk About You", "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and "Love Is Everywhere". Comparing with the above-mentioned 2020 release, here on this new one are added two more songs - "Moment's Notice" and "Lazy Bird", plus Piano Medley Into Pharoah's Blues and a really interesting opener, "Improvisation with Pipe Organ".

Stylistically, Sanders had finished his collaboration with Impulse! and is obviously in transition from his early explosive "angry" free jazz of the late 60s towards r'n'b influenced fusion, which is coming very soon. The closest genre tag for the album's music is probably "spiritual jazz", influenced by Pharoah's work with Alice Coltrane.

For my ears, the album's music sounds pretty much like many similar Sanders' recordings from the time (and partially - from the decades to come). There are a lot of tunes, plenty of improvisations, more than a few freer sax solos, and even (questionable) Sanders' singing on "Love Is Everywhere" - everything that his fans know and like. The main problem is that there is hardly any news that could attract the listener other than a Pharoah's collector.

For me, the most interesting moment on the whole album is the opener. Never heard anywhere else with Sanders, pianist Danny Mixon plays pipe organ as if he's playing a Bach fugue, with Sanders sax coming soon and soloing over it. It sounds impressive and unusual. There is some more Danny Mixon organ soloing and some piano on the album as well.

The album's sound quality is better than average (for such a sort of recording), in a stereo mode. In fact, there is not much "Love Is Here" can offer to the listener who is familiar with Pharoah's main works, still, it can be an attractive release for the artist's completists.

Review by snobb — On the album, "Sharp Illusion", a trio of some of the most respected free improvisers in Britain offer a live album of four pieces recorded in the Polish town of Lublin. Reedist John Butcher, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Mark Sanders have played with each other in different configurations for years, but it's within the group called, Last Dream of the Morning, where they all play together for the very first time.

Living in the UK, mostly in mid-size towns, not London, a quarter of a century ago, I evidenced that very "British" atmosphere of small hotels, or just "rooms", with a tiny bars, looking exactly as if they come right from the 60s or 70s (some looked like they came from the end of 19 century though). Local community members spend evenings there, listening to live music (and drinking a lot of beer). Regular program includes local rock or tribute bands, with rare exceptions for jazz or folk. In all cases, there is usually a very intimate atmosphere, few lights, and the feeling that you're missing in time.

"Sharp Illusion" sounds exactly that way - relaxed, a bit dry (ie very "English"), free and ... timeless. This highest class improvisers trio plays spontaneous music, something between free jazz and free improvisation, filled with voice-like or bird call-like Butcher sax soloing and the rhythm section, which is everything but the trad rhythm section. Both the bassist and the drummer play very complicated music of their own, which communicates perfectly with the saxophone's solos.

Predominantly mid-tempo, the music which was born before dedicated listeners’ eyes, sounds a sort of storytelling, with some tuneful moments, some sax explosions, and overall, a clever and mature flow.

As always, the best way to appreciate free improvisations is to be there when they play at the same time, then, in the case of success, the dedicated listener can witness the small miracle. Still, for those who, like myself, visiting Britain nowadays means a long flight plus some (happily still small) border crossing formalities, and even if I really like Lublin for its Old Town, to visit the concert there means at least eight hours in a car one way, such a recording is a very nice compromise.

Especially when the concert is such a great one with excellent interplay between the artists, and is well recorded, too.

Review by js — Since the story in the Nutcracker Ballet takes place on Christmas eve, the music has been somewhat relegated to the role of ‘holiday music’, which is unfair as this Tchaikovsky composition is a far cry from “Jingle Bells” or “Frosty the Snowman”, it is a stunning composition that should be enjoyed at any time throughout the year. There have been many jazz arrangements of the Nutcracker over the years, and one of the most famous was composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn which is well worth checking out. About four years ago, The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra began performing their own version and in December of 2024 they made a recording to be released to the public in 2025. Fully aware of the Ellington version, the CCJO pay tribute to the Duke’s version by opening the overture in a style very similar to the Duke before launching into their more revved up modern version.

The goal here is to present Tchaikovsky’s themes in a myriad of international jazz styles from samba to hip-hop, jazz-rock, New Orleans jazz and more. The opening overture shows what the band is capable of as they tear into complicated charts with themes re-arranged among shifting time signatures topped with blazing solos. “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” is high speed bebop with a chopped up syncopated theme. “Russian Dance” is barely recognizable with it’s rhythmically complex Latin jazz treatment. “Chinese Dance” lends itself well to a New Orleans treatment with it’s call and response melodies that fit well in the New Orleans tradition. “Dance of the Reed Flutes” eventually develops into an aggressive rock groove topped with a blistering trumpet solo. Elsewhere on the album, some pieces such as “Arabian Dance” and “Waltz of the Flowers” sound classically familiar.

There is a reason why jazz arrangers like the Nutcracker, very few composers in the history of music have possessed the gift for melody that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky had, the Nutcracker just has these amazing melodic themes to work with and since it is a dance composition, the separate pieces have propulsive rhythms that adapt well to a jazz treatment. This CCJO CD does close with a couple of sophisticated RnB Christmas songs featuring vocalist Mandy Gaines as they were aiming for a Christmas theme overall, but really, the Nutcracker is good enough to play anytime of the year.

Review by snobb — Remedy + Aki Takase, a multi-cultural cross-generation quartet, just released their first album - a multilayered musical journey, deeply rooted in the avant-garde jazz of the last quarter of the past century, but with a touch of modernity.

This collective of the highest-class artists consists of Remedy - a New York-based trio: bassist Joe Fonda anchors the rhythm section, trumpeter Thomas Heberer shapes the melodic lines, and drummer Joe Hertenstein drives the ensemble's pulse. Plus (+), they are joined by veteran piano player Aki Takase, whose harmonic and textural contributions enrich the quartet's sound.

Seasoned bassist Fonda is better known for the Fonda-Stevens Band and his collaborations with Anthony Braxton on two dozen albums. Trumpeter Thomas Heberer, who studied in Cologne under Manfred Schoof (and whose influence is still present in Heberer's music), was a member of the renowned ICP Orchestra and the Alexander von Schlippenbach Orchestra for years, and has also released albums as a leader. Drummer Joe Hertenstein, the youngest member of the collective, has played with Matthew Shipp and Ivo Perelman and leads the Hnh trio with Heberer and bassist Pascal Niggenkemper.

Founded during the Corona Pandemic, the Fonda-Heberer-Hertenstein trio, Remedy, has already released three studio albums (all on the Polish Fundacja Sluchaj! label), two of which were voted among the Albums of the Year by the New York City Jazz Record. On their fourth studio album, Remedy is improved with another jazz scene veteran - Japanese-born Berlin-based pianist Aki Takase, probably the most respected Japanese piano player (both female and male), residing in Europe.

Aki studied classical piano when in Tokyo, but switched to jazz. Living in Berlin from 1988, she played and recorded with many leading European jazz artists, partially with German piano grand (and Aki's husband) Alexander von Schlippenbach. Aki's playing is formed under the influence of European chamber, academic avant-garde, and free jazz, being fearless and well-framed and organized at the same time. Takase has been playing with Heberer on some projects a few years ago, but generally the quartet sounds as if they are a long-lasting working collective.

Initially, Remedy trio invited Aki as a composer, but then she played with them on some gigs too. The album is a result of the above mentioned collaboration.

The quartet’s debut album's music is busy, complicated, but usually sounds quite accessible. Two songs come from Takase, plus three from the combined quartet members. Also, one is credited to Thomas Heberer, and one more to Hertenstein. Each song has a strong compositional ground, still there is a lot of improvisation from each member.

Fonda provides his signature physical bass. Together with non-conventional Hertenstein rhythm constructions, they ensure the jazziest part of the complicated musical structure. Heberer's trumpet is flying over the rhythmic labyrinths, sometimes screaming and noisy, but more often, coming with prolonged solos filled with tuneful snippets. Aki's piano sounds a bit dry and academic, but then it explodes with free and dissonant flashes again and again.

There are multiple changes of rhythms and themes in each of the album's songs. Predominantly mid-tempo, the music is deep and loaded with ideas that even multiple listenings open only a small part of it. With every new spin, it shows a different side and face.

The seriously non-nonsensical album for repetitive listening. Well done!

Review by js — We all like our modern cutting edge jazz, it’s fascinating watching the jazz world morph and grow in many directions and advance against previous boundaries, but it is also worthwhile to explore the past and get a feel for how we got to where we are today. This is particularly rewarding when an artist such as Loren Schoenberg does such a particularly thorough and respectful job as he did on his latest album, “So Many Memories". Schoenberg is a big fan of arranger Eddie Sauter, who was one of the top arrangers in the swing era, some of Sauter’s other fans have included greats such as Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra. Apparently Schoenberg recently got his hands on some previously unavailable arrangements that Sauter had written for bandleader and vibraphonist Red Norvo. Red was a top band leader and performer during the swing era and his band also featured his wife, Mildred Bailey, on vocals. The two were known as ‘Mr and Mrs Swing’. Unfortunately, Sauter’s arrangements for Red were never recorded, so this project aims to right that wrong. To get the right musicians to pull off this recreation, Loren recruited his young students at Julliard, plus modern xylophonist supreme, Warren Wolf to cover Red's parts.

Although Loren is usually somewhat loose in his visits to older music, letting his musicians insert modern elements in their solos and interpretations, this time out, great effort was made to make the music sound as it would have in 1937, which was when the arrangements were written. As Loren explains, “the phrasing, the intonation, the blend of the horns and the use of vibrato and dynamics”, were to represent how people played in 1937. Even the recording technique reflected the times with far less microphones used, and the sound of this album is a welcome change from today‘s over-produced digital plastic. The end result; you can hear what Sauter’s music would have sounded like had it been recorded back then.

The music is lively and innovative, Sauter’s arrangements were ahead of their time and still sound modern today. Vocalist Kate Kortum fills in for Mildred Bailey and her voice is so seductively appealing. No scatting or high note histrionics, instead, Kate blends with the band while she delivers the witty lyrics with a sly wink. There are also some outright blowing sessions for the musicians to go off on, and Warren is given plenty of room for his superb xylophone excursions. No, jazz does not belong in a museum and hopefully musicians will continue to explore and break boundaries, but there is also a place for a supreme labor of love and an effort to re-create the past as Schoenberg has done here. This album is pure magic. Another bonus, the CD comes with a very informative little booklet.

Review by Straight11travis — Source marks the second full-length release from Italian pianist and composer Lorenzo Bellini. A graduate of Berklee College of Music (Boston, 2021), Bellini forged a strong musical chemistry with his quartet while still in the United States. Guitarist Luca De Toni, bassist Matteo Padoin, and drummer Andrea Dionisi — all Berklee alumni — return here as a cohesive unit, bringing clarity, fire and nuance to Bellini’s writing. After Berklee, Bellini continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, broadening his scope and founding a parallel ensemble, the London-based Cloudy Peaks. Source represents the work of the Italian quartet, distilled and focused.

The album appears under GleAM Records, a label that in recent years has steadily built a strong identity in the international jazz landscape through a mixture of contemporary releases and historically significant archival projects. Its growing catalogue has positioned it among the more vital independent voices in today’s scene, and Source fits perfectly within this trajectory: adventurous, personal, and carefully crafted.

The album opens with “Fragile Spirit,” a compelling introduction to the group’s aesthetic. Bellini’s insistent piano motif acts as a steady gravitational center, while the band’s intricate dialogue drives the music in constantly shifting directions. De Toni’s guitar climbs above a maze of rhythmic turns, sketching soaring lines that feel both carefully shaped and spontaneously discovered.

The title track, “Source,” occupies a special place in Bellini’s catalogue: it won first prize for composition at Italy’s Music4TheNextGeneration Contest (2023). The piece draws inspiration from the Andante Cantabile of Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11, but rather than replicating the Romantic sweep of the original, Bellini reimagines its emotional journey. Where Tchaikovsky’s movement travels from sorrow to brightness, Bellini moderates the contrasts, channeling them toward ideas of renewal, circular motion, and emergence. The quartet’s interpretation balances classical lyricism with contemporary jazz phrasing in a way that feels organic and unforced.

Lighter in mood, “Auntie Lu” moves with relaxed swing, giving both piano and guitar ample space to converse. Its breeziness stands in marked contrast to the more electric “Out of the Blue,” an energetic piece driven by quick tempos, shifting meters and layered melodic fragments. Bellini sounds particularly inspired here, while Padoin and Dionisi provide subtleties of color and momentum.

A more exploratory dimension appears in “Odruis,” where the quartet embraces free improvisation. The loosened form allows the musicians to react instantly to one another, creating an intuitive exchange before the music settles into a final, contemplative atmosphere.

The recording closes with “Offering,” a gentle, hymn-like ballad where piano and guitar weave long, singing lines, landing the album on a reflective, quietly luminous note.

Beyond craftsmanship, Source operates as a sonic statement, a declaration of purpose in which music becomes a vehicle for awareness, depth of perception, and spiritual tension. Bellini avoids easy consensus and refuses stylistic shortcuts: even when he embraces bold ideas, his language never collapses into self-referential display or mannerism. This is music built on substantive courage and poetic coherence, and for that reason Source feels like the kind of album that will continue to unfold over time — working in silence, leaving traces in the listener the way true alchemical processes do.

Compact yet complete, Source strikes a fine balance between design and freedom. The compositions lead in unexpected directions, yet always with clarity of intent, offering an experience that is both thoughtful and rewarding — the confident next step of an artist with an increasingly distinctive voice.

Review by Straight11travis — Shai Maestro first caught the jazz world’s attention as a sensational 19-year-old when he joined Avishai Cohen’s trio. His contribution to four outstanding albums revealed not only a brilliant technician, but an artist with imagination, sensitivity and an unmistakable voice. In 2010 he stepped out as a leader, forming his own trio and releasing several acclaimed albums before signing with ECM Records, where The Dream Thief (2018) and Human (2021) cemented his reputation as one of the most influential pianists of his generation. Along the way he has collaborated with artists such as Oded Tzur, Theo Bleckmann and Ben Wendel, building an artistic network as versatile as it is adventurous.

Now Maestro opens a new chapter with his first solo piano recording,Solo: Miniatures & Tales. This is not simply a detour, but the beginning of a series he intends to pursue: “This album marks the beginning of a series of solo recordings that I plan to keep making and releasing for as long as I can play.” The statement sounds both confident and intimate, and the music fully lives up to it.

The ten pieces on the album refine two complementary attitudes: short, sudden improvisations—the Miniatures—and longer, more developed narratives—the Tales. It is a dual construction that mirrors Maestro’s own artistic journey: improvisation emerging more and more as the true center of his musical identity, while composition becomes a point of departure rather than a destination. Alone at the piano, with no rhythmic safety net and no harmonic partners, Maestro embraces the blank canvas with exhilarating freedom.

The album opens with “3 Colors”, a dazzling introduction where the pianist’s fleet, rhythmic patterns unfold with clarity and urgency. Instantly, the listener is drawn into a world where sound seems to move like breath. He then turns to Jerome Kern’s “All The Things You Are”, reimagining one of the most recorded jazz standards with fresh lightness: the melodic lines remain clear, yet the harmonic exploration feels inventive and effortlessly lyrical.

The longer works reveal another aspect of Maestro’s personality. “Gloria”, dedicated to his partner, is eloquent and deeply felt, shaped by classical poise and emotional transparency. The theme of family reappears in the quiet reflections of “An Old Family Photo” and the darker, rumbling gestures of “Aba” (Hebrew for Father). These pieces feel like private pages from a diary: tender, restless, and full of memory.

Elsewhere, Maestro revisits earlier material. “From One Soul To Another”, originally from his trio album The Stone Skipper, here appears stripped of bass and drums. The extra space allows the melody to bloom: it grows from simplicity into motion, fuller and faster, before sinking back into quietness. “Monkey Mind”, by contrast, is introspective and searching: its mournful improvisation invites the listener to wander through shadows where beauty and complexity intertwine.

There is another cover: “For All We Know”, a standard interpreted memorably by Brad Mehldau on Art of the Trio, Vol. 3 and by Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden on their classic Jasmine. Maestro’s version stands within that lineage without imitation—an homage in spirit rather than in shape—yet listeners familiar with those recordings will enjoy tracing affinities in touch, pacing, and tone. These are pianists who have clearly shaped Maestro’s sensibility, and the comparison is instructive.

Classical lineage surfaces again in “Dakini”, which gradually accelerates, opening pathways as if in a dance of discovery. The closing track, “Mystery and Illusions”, overflows with ideas: it begins with restless curiosity, then shifts mid-way into a luminous cycle, building intensity through the repetition and transformation of a short motif, ending in something buoyant, liberated.

Part of the album’s allure is its sound. It feels unvarnished, radically honest, almost like a single-take document. There is no studio sheen, no polishing away of human trace. What remains is intuition, immediacy, breath. Maestro explores contrasts everywhere: expansion and compression, darkness and light, stillness and motion. Long pieces unfold like narratives; the miniatures, often two or three minutes, feel like sudden flashes of thought, crystallised before they dissolve.

The result is an album that is both intimate and expansive: a personal statement that does not retreat into solitude but radiates outward. Technically assured, emotionally generous, Solo: Miniatures & Tales captures an artist at a moment of transformation, playing not to impress, but to reveal.

A milestone, and the opening of a new road.

Review by Straight11travis — Now on his second album as a leader, Israeli guitarist Ron Magril consolidates his research within the postbop language by putting together an organ trio with young musicians who express an uncommon maturity, Yonatan Riklis on hammond organ and Ofri Nehemya on drums. The album features 8 original compositions which celebrates the legacy of guitar greats Wes Montgomery and Grant Green but which within the improvisations demonstrates a trio's search to find their own sound and to build the improvisations looking for their own way. What is most striking when listening to songs like 'Playing For Wes', 'Twist and Turns' or ‘Another One For Wes’ is the rhythmic cohesion and the relentless drive of Ofri Nehemya on which the leader builds his energetic and eloquent improvisations and which sees Yonatan Riklis alternate his swingin’ comping alongwith the drummer and volcanic improvisations. And what about the elegance and maturity that these young jazz lions express in ballads such as 'Neri', 'Cool Breeze' and 'Friday'. What is striking is their ability to express all the dynamics, implying in the phrasing a power that is somehow restrained but that sometimes comes out without ever betraying the meaning of the songs. In several places there are quotations of themes taken from the tradition of standards, such as "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" by Ellington, "Embraceable You" by Gershwin, ‘If I Should Lose You’ di Ralph Rainger, which appear by free associations in the musical discourse of Ron Magril and Yonatan Riklis. Another equally interesting and necessary face of this session is the one offered by songs like 'Minor Blues' and 'Africa' in which we can appreciate a light modal color rich in bluesy and bop inflections of the leader and embellished by the captivating drumming of Ofri Nehemya who alternates swing with an afro beat in 12/8. Inspired is an authentic expression of three young musicians who fully embrace the sound they love and return us a swinging sound and full of joy as few in the current jazz music scene.

Review by js — Back in 2015, Eshaan Sood was a young man working towards a future as a graphic artist, but a car wreck while in route to a festival in Puducherry India almost killed him and left him blind. After recovering from his injuries and dealing with his emotional trauma, Eshaan decided he would devote himself full time to playing the guitar, something he had already taken up as a hobby. He eventually ended up at the Eastman School of Music where he met the young people who joined him for the making of his first album, “Dream River”. This is a perfect title for Sood’s music as it is often flowing in a dream-like fashion. Although you could not call his music ‘Indo-fusion’ as such, those who are familiar with the Indo-fusion sound will hear some subtle influences, particularly in some of Eshaan’s note bends that carry a slight kiranic influence.

Album opener, “Mountain Muse”, is an energetic fusion jam that has all of the musicians soloing together as the song builds. This idea of having more than one soloist at a time is one of the more attractive features of this album, and is a reminder that this is how jazz musicians played during the early days of jazz’s development. “Miss Lightning” is a playful number with a catchy melody that was composed in memory of a departed pet. “Plea for Forgiveness” is dark and tense as Sood deals with negative karma and regrets. “On Here for a Good Time” is another high energy fusion number that uses complex chord changes derived from a John Coltrane composition.

“Hexes and Spells’ is dedicated to a favorite jazz guitarist, Gilad Hekselman, and uses the classical Indian raga, “Bhairav”. The album closes with, “Sailing Through Dream River”, which supports a lengthy unison melody that snakes and winds through ever shifting chord changes. There are more tracks besides these, and everything is very melodic and tastefully delivered with rather compact solos and song structures. This album marks a great beginning for Sood, he has an excellent gift for melody and arrangement.

Review by snobb — This album of duets, ("Hidden River"), from probably the most significant of still active Japanese reedists from the 70s free jazz era, Akira Sakata, and young Norwegian pianist Isach Skeidsvoll, was recorded in spring 2023 when Sakata toured Europe with his trio Arashi. Bergen-based pianist Isach Skeidsvoll, who plays in Arashi drummer Nilssen-Love’s Sun & Steel quartet, used the opportunity to record a three-track album with Sakata.

"Hidden River", the opener, presents typical Sakata high-intensity free-form improv with a full blast of alto sax soloing along with percussive, droning and often atonal Skeidsvoll piano contributions. Still, there are many tuneful snippets, and the piece ends with lyrical coloring in Sakata's playing.

Mid-piece, "Kaigara-Bushi"("Shell Tune"), is an old Japanese fishermen's song. It opens with piano drones and Sakata's ecstatic singing; he soon switches to (very tuneful) alto soloing. And while the music continues to be free and partially atonal, Sakata's singing somehow brings a very archaic ethno atmosphere, making the song almost ritual.

The final (and the album's longest) composition, "The Silver Bell", leaves more space for piano improvisation and demonstrates an interesting interplay between Skeidsvoll and Sakata (who switches to clarinet here). It develops into a lyrical, tuneful ending as well.

Akira Sakata is already in his eighties, but over the last years he has been surprisingly active playing and recording new music. "Hidden River" probably doesn't open new horizons, but it is a strong album (as almost everything that Sakata has recorded during the last few decades), and with no doubt, it is worth Sakata's music fans attention.

Review by js — Hammond B3 soul jazz can be seen as the working man’s jazz, or ‘blue collar’ jazz if you will. With it’s mix of hard bop, swing, blues, gospel and RnB, it’s the jazz for regular folks who don’t have a degree in jazz theory. It was very popular in the 60s and has been making a comeback in the current century. Soul jazz has always been particularly popular in the north Midwest of the US, the so called rust belt, which is a stronghold for the blue collar mindset. Columbus, Ohio is a large mid-western city in which a succession of B3 organists have ruled the scene with the latest kingpin being Linda Dachtyl. Linda’s new album, “Full Steam Ahead”, shows her in fine form as she is joined by her usual band mates, her husband, Cary Dachtyl on drums and Don Hales on guitar. Mark Donavan plays woodwinds on about half the tracks and the album opener even includes trumpet and percussion.

First track, “Illumination” opens things with some swingin hard bop followed by “The Outsider” which carries traces of Linda’s youthful interest in prog rock. “Roxy Strut” moves in more of an RnB direction and “Wildflowers” has us back in swing mode. The album title track mixes hard bop with train rhythms which leads us to, “Lava Lamp Suite”, which is mostly based on the lounge classic, “A Man and a Woman”. Even if you don’t recognize the title, you have probably heard this one somewhere before.

The preceding tracks are worthy, but Linda saves the best for last. We have all heard “Caravan” many times, but Donavan’s clarinet improv really brings out the Middle Eastern flavor. Two Monk tracks follow and the band accents the blues imbedded in these tunes. “Round Midnight” is another one that gets played a lot, but Linda’s almost funeral parlor organ spookiness brings out a unique flavor. The album closes with “April in Paris”, which the band, once again, almost converts this well known standard into a blues jam.

Review by snobb — Johnathan Blake is an established drummer renowned for his collaborations with Kenny Barron and Tom Harrell, among many others. "My Life Matters", is his third album as a leader on the Blue Note label, and his fifth studio album as a leader overall.

From the very first sounds of the album's opener, "Broken Drum Circle for the Forsaken", the listener can expect that this is a drummer's album first of all. Massive drummer's solo is mixed with turntables' loops and occasional recorded speeches here.

Still, the album as a whole structurally is constructed as a suite of sorts, with six main compositions and eight short interludes in between. Musically, there are not many relations with classics, though - the quintet, led by the drummer/composer, and with bassist (Dezron Douglas), vibist (Jalen Baker), pianist (Fabian Almazan), and the sax player, who uses EWI (Dayna Stephens), with turntablist DJ Jahi Sundane, two vocalists and additional bassist on support, sounds extremely percussive.

Different from some of his previous solo works, on "My Life Matters", Johnathan Blake covers a wider area of modern jazz. Still very much rooted in post-bop, separate compositions represent fusion ("Last Breath" and "My Life Matters" - with massive use of EWI), jazz-electronica with voices and noises ("Always the Wrong Color"), electro-acoustic ballad ("Requiem for Dreams Shattered", with Bilal's R&B vocals) or even a waltz (vibes and sax-dominated "We'll Never Know"), among others.

An ambitious work, where variety sometimes turns to chaos, and not everything works well together.

Review by Carmel — Shawn Purcell’s "Oblivity" is an album of guitar modernism. His long, continuous lines shaped by motivic insistence and impeccable contour sounds unmistakably like 2025, but come from the heritage of the titans of jazz guitar. Purcell is a scholar-practitioner who’s literally published on Martino’s devices (notably the role of repetitive motives in shaping forward motion), and he even performs on a Benedetto Pat Martino Signature model, which is a practical and symbolic tie to the lineage. Purcell has absorbed the through-line and refracts it with present-tense tone craft (distortion, delay, guitar synth colors) and rigorous ensemble architecture. He has been documenting this connection since his earlier "180" was widely read as tipping the hat to Martino alongside Montgomery and Grant Green, so "Oblivity" reads like the next chapter.

Across the album’s ten originals, Purcell writes with a command of form and a bandleader’s feel for chemistry. The frontline with Walt Weiskopf on saxophone is conversational; Darden Purcell’s vocal colors broaden the palette without softening the edges on select tracks; and the rhythm team (Chris Ziemba on piano, Jeff Reed on bass, Steve Fidyk on drums) moves with adaptable precision. Production choices come from Tonal Park tracking and Dave Darlington’s mix/master, keep transients crisp and the midrange articulate, which matters when guitar/sax unisons need to read like calligraphy.

“Oblivity,” the opener, is a small seminar on continuity. Purcell deploys various guitar tones to add interest. He leans on distortion, reverb, delay, and a touch of chorus for his solo. The result is a tone clean enough to preserve articulation yet warm enough to carry body. His picking and slurring combinations keep the eighth-note lines swinging, maintaining rhythmic authenticity and forward drive. It’s Martino’s sense of eight note propulsion updated with modern timbral shading. Showing that effects don’t have to flatten swing.

“Verdigris” is nearly ten minutes of patient architecture that lets the music breathe in long phrases. Purcell’s solo is the clear peak of motivic repetition as forward motion: dark but clean tone, reverb and delay only for body, pick attack crisp but never harsh. His Martino lineage shows in the way long lines connect harmonic goal posts using minor conversion colors, punctuated by chordal stabs that provide emphasis amid single-note flow. The effect is structural and emotive, expanded with Purcell’s own harmonic daring.

In “Meu Amor” Purcell dials in his Benedetto box to a warm, sweet voice. The melody begins tutti with saxophone and guitar, and when Darden Purcell enters, her relaxed phrasing softens and complements Shawn’s timbre. Shawn and Darden share that supple, expressive time feel that sits perfectly in the clave-inflected sway. In his solo, Shawn swings his sixteenth-note lines into a double-time push, shaping the tune’s climax before returning gracefully to the melody. This is where Martino’s rhythmic lineage shines. It’s Martino’s rhythmic insistence meeting Brazilian inflection, alive in modern hands.

“Flow” features the guitar synth, here unmistakably closer to a compressed, overdriven guitar envelope colored with a lead-synth timbre. It’s an overdriven sustain with a tone profile that provides lift and sheen, swinging with surprising buoyancy. This timbre lets Purcell shape his lines differently, integrating them into the continuity of pulse, letting modern technology extend tradition.

In the longer view, "Oblivity" advances a familiar jazz-history pattern of Montgomery to Martino to post-Martino modernists. The stylistic language is consistently delightful to hear. Purcell’s pedagogy on Martino gives him a deep level connection to the guitar, synthesizing the continuous melodic line and the motivic drive that defines this style. He then pushes the music forward with modern color, employing distortion, synth textures, and savvy compositions. Contemporary and disciplined enough to satisfy any jazz fan. This is Purcell carrying the flame forward, reshaping it for the times.

Review by arcane-beautiful — False Truth by Anika Nilles & Nevelle is a great mix of jazz fusion with symphonic prog. Nilles is a drum prodigy who recently has been announced as Rush's current live drummer, and her talent and ability as band leader is on full force, having great ability to show off while also being a strong spine for the ensemble. While there is great talent on display, creating more accessible and hookier material would bode them well. But when it comes to instrumental music, it's great for what it is. I'd give this a high 6 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is Fiji.

Review by js — When it comes to those jazz artists who displayed a mastery of their instrument well beyond almost anyone else, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Eric Dolphy are often listed, but there are two more who could join this heady company, Anthony Braxton and Cecil Taylor. Since this review is all about Cecil’s, “Flashing Spirits”, we’ll have to have a discussion about Anthony some other time as we check out Taylor’s amazing duet with drummer Tony Oxley. “Flashing Spirits” was recorded live in 1988 at the Outside In Festival in Crowley. It’s hard to tell why this was not previously released because the recording quality is pretty good, and the performance from both artists is quite amazing.

Although Taylor is often grouped with the ‘free jazz’ crowd, mainly because his music is mostly atonal and to most ears may seem arrhythmic, the label is a misnomer for Taylor as his sonic barrages seem to convey a certain structure and direction. Oxley, quite wisely, does not try to steer the music, instead, he just joins the dialog that Cecil establishes and does a good job of just hanging in there with one of the most intense pianists in the history of the instrument. Their interaction does not seem like communication as much as it sounds like two people on the same wavelength. Cecil knows only one way to play music, his way, and any artists joining him better jump on board or get out of the way.

The title track, clocking in at a little under 40 minutes, is the main event. Things start slowly with short statements from both artists slowly building into a steady onslaught of sounds and instantaneous compositional ideas. Cecil’s flow is similar to looking out a subway window as things flash by at a barely comprehensible pace. Towards the end of the piece, the two return to more sparse activity. The first encore is about a five minute mini version of the main piece’s structure, and the second encore is very short and even has Taylor playing some rather pretty little figures.

Review by arcane-beautiful — Memories, Dreams, And Reflections by John Zorn & Dave Lombardo is a great mix of Avant garde jazz with the powerful metal drumming of Lombardo. Having played with Fantômas & Mike Patton, Lombardo is no stranger to more experimental music, and John Zorn's very abrasive style of jazz fits well together. Zorn has a brilliant ability to make very unique sounds from his saxophone, almost as if he's trying to break the instrument. While some of it can be repetitive, it's by far not boring with some interesting musical moments throughout. I'd give this a mid to high 6 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is A Dangerous Requiem.

Review by snobb — One of the most respectable duos in contemporary creative jazz - AACM veteran trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and a younger generation American pianist, Vijay Iyer, return after almost a decade with their second album, "Defiant Life". The duo's debut album, "A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke", was a significant event at the time of release.

"Defiant Life", if instrumentally similar to its predecessor (with Wadada Leo Smith playing trumpet and Vijay Iyer on piano, Fender Rhodes, and Electronics), differs in its mood and atmosphere. Always socially and politically active, Wadada, with no doubt, reacts to the recent years' political events around the world.

There is a song, "Floating River Requiem (for Patrice Lumumba)", which is for Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader, assassinated in 1961. The other one, coming from Iyer, "Kite (for Refaat Alareer)", is for Refaat Alareer, the Palestinian poet who was killed during an Israeli airstrike. "Sumud", the album's longest composition, in Arabic means “steadfastness” or “steadfast perseverance”, a common term used to describe Palestinian nonviolent everyday resistance against Israel's occupation (from Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question). There are no lyrics, but the music says it all.

Leaving politics aside, it is a meditative album about the world around us. Wadada, who concentrates on more monumental compositional works in the last years, can be heard here on his emotionally colored, very recognizable trumpet, soloing meditatively over Iyer's ascetic piano and Rhodes licks. The music is minimalistic, but tuneful and far from formal. Compared with the duo's previous work, which is very much about space, "Defiant Life" is about the Earth. It sounds like a great soundtrack to some of last year's TV news collage. With bombs falling, destroyed buildings, and killed people. Not from a historical movie, but from the daily news nowadays.

There is a tension in the generally restrained trumpet and keys sound, the sadness, the pain, and the hope as well. A strong thing is that the music is not overdramatic; it's simple, realistic, with true emotions and hope, too. The power here is not in complexity or virtuosity, but in depth, naturalness, and ... expectancy of a better future.

Recorded in Lugano in the summer month of July, it comes from one of the most beautiful parts of the Southern Swiss Ticino canton, renowned for its Mediterranean climate and vibe. The crystal clear ECM sound is softer and warmer than that of their traditional Norwegian-made recordings. The material is mostly "live composed", and it sounds quite a lot like pre-composed most of the time. The closer, "Procession: Defiant Life", is a gorgeous piece itself, summarizing the album's spirit.

Wadada Leo Smith is touring Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and the UK next month, which is announced as his last European tour; you still can catch him here.

Review by js — If you are in a hurry, a review of “George Coleman with Strings” could be summed up as an absolutely gorgeous album delivered by one of the best tenor players in the history of jazz. At 90 years young, George is still in top form and shows no sign of age in his tone and playing. The ‘jazzman with strings’ is a sort of rite of passage for top players, with Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins and many others setting a precedent before Coleman put out his entry. On this somewhat short CD, we get five beautiful ballads, plus alternate versions of two songs with extended string intros.

Coleman’s band on here has been with him awhile, with John Webber on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and David Hazeltine on piano, replacing Harold Mabern who passed away just a couple years before this 2022 recording. Café Da Silva supplies percussion on a few tracks and Bill Dobbins handles the string arrangements. Silva’s contributions were an afterthought but they bring a nice flavor that sometimes recalls Miles’ underrated “Quiet Nights” album. Dobbins string arrangements supply just the right amount of interplay without ever sounding heavy handed are ‘un-jazzy’. On the two tracks with an extended intro, he shows off his neo-classical chops with shades of Stravinsky and Poulenc.

George handles most of the melodic material and his sound is deep and soulful along the lines of Coleman Hawkins or Ben Webster. On “Stella by Starlight”, he does not state the melody outright, but instead provides variations based on the chord changes. Hazeltine gets a few short spots and introduces the melody on “Moment to Moment”. Overall, this album is near perfect, there are no unnecessary elements and everything just fits. Easily one of the better albums this year, especially in the ballad genre.