Billy Mohler - Covell

Label: Contagious Music, 2026

Personnel - Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Billy Mohler: acoustic bass; Joe LaBarbera: drums.

Bassist and composer Billy Mohler has always had a knack for infectious grooves and for putting together small groups that work wonders. He does it again on Covell, an extraordinary collection of six original compositions and an exciting rendition of an Ornette Coleman tune, all marked by structural clarity and engrossing melodic development. Touching on themes like mortality, loss, betrayal, Native American roots, and family, Mohler couldn’t have chosen better collaborators: saxophonist Mark Turner and drummer Joe LaBarbera are excellent, sculpting a flexible repertory that hits hard with formidable teamwork, powerful soloing, and impactful emotional arc.

With an indie-rock stance, “The Reckoning” alternates tempos, going from a straight-eight feel to a septuple-metered passage, without ever letting the groove dwindle. Turner rides those rhythmic waves with inspiring confidence and contemporary taste. This piece was inspired by the death of Mohler’s father, with whom he had a distant relationship.

Ornette Coleman’s “Round Trip” (originally recorded on his 1968 album New York Is Now!) swings with fierce determination, highlighted by a bopish bass-and-tenor-sax melody delivered in tandem. Turner’s beautiful tone, especially in the lower register, is a delight to hear, while LaBarbera creates spontaneously and unaccompanied. This is followed by “Pertuda,” a stunning ballad filled with sentiment and a keen sense of melody.

“Ceremony”, whose main melody Mohler wrote while attending the Native American funeral of his uncle in Oklahoma, boasts one of those mighty grooves in 3/4 that make us want to jump. As usual, the bassist and drummer are hand in glove, synced in dialogue, and focused on how to serve the tune from its different angles. The trio enters rubato mode for a bass cogitation before resuming the rhythmic impetus.

“Rituals” is another propulsive piece, recalling Joe Henderson in his Power to the People phase. Turner brings his A-game, finding balance in perfectly tempered runs marked by clever chromaticism and inside/outside exploration. The art of the trio surprises and enchants, and Mohler’s tribute to his ancestors, “Slowdive”, showcases a mystical, somber brilliance in the bass sound, suddenly turning into light and becoming another steady vehicle for Turner’s marvelous, imaginative storytelling.

Mohler has established an enviable reputation over the years as an inveterate groover whose irresistible blend of jazz and rock withstands the test of time. Sparks fly in this feisty, grooving new chapter of his career. We definitely need more music from these three!

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Reckoning ► 04 - Ceremony ► 06 - Rituals ► 07 - Slowdive

Exhaust - All The Beauties And Disasters

Label: Intakt Records, 2026

Personnel - Camila Nebbia: tenor saxophone; Kit Downes: piano, cello, Hammond organ; Andrew Lisle: drums.

Exhaust, the trio of adventurous saxophonist Camila Nebbia, inventive keyboardist Kit Downes, and responsive drummer Andrew Lisle, is a product of the fertile, contemporary Berlin jazz scene. These improvisers work from a pure free-jazz angle, showcasing an instinctual kinship that may lead you to unexpected places.

“Complicated Matters of Presence” kicks off with delicate and ruminative interplay, each member layering with confidence as they introduce valid ideas with possibilities for development. Crescendos, climaxes, and sweeping vortexes of sound are constantly carried out with tension and an underlying energy that refuses to dissipate.

“Three Heads in One” feels like a warped song, but its narrative is intact. Lisle’s drumming is effusive, contrasting with Downes’ dreamy runs and Nebbia’s volatile melodicism. The saxophonist sparks things off whenever exploring in the lower register. “Crawl Into the Light” goes from a smoothly explorative state to a raucously agitated one. The title might suggest a struggle to get rid of an imposing darkness, but the trio’s playing sort of contradicts this idea by operating vibrantly in the brightest tonal and energetic sides of the spectrum.

Hauntingly atmospheric, “Skoda Allstars” features Downes playing cello, both bowed and pizzicato, contributing to a nebulous cloud complemented by cymbal screams and tenor overtones. “Procedural Moralism” highlights intervallic expression as the trio creates an incessant, free-flowing stream that only stops when soaring saxophone multiphonics conclude the proceedings.

The title track, “All the Beauties and Disasters”, whose name was suggested by avant-jazz enthusiast Heino Lüth, ends the session loudly, an experiment in counterpoint where Nebbia and Downes take on, respectively, repetitive figures within conversational lines and harmonic tension complemented by nimble melodic segments. The final moments dissolve into a soft, dreamlike haze.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Complicated Matters of Presence ► 02 - Three Heads in One ► 08 - All the Beauties and Disasters

Fumi Tomita - Yokai: Songs of the Japanese Supernatural

Label: OA2 Records, 2026

Personnel - Carl Clements: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Jason Ennis: guitars; Fumi Tomita: bass; Gary Fieldman: drums.

On his fifth release as a leader, New York-born Asian-American bassist and composer Fumi Tomita offers nine compositions centered on the theme of yokai and the Japanese supernatural. With an open, eclectic approach, Tomita shapes his modern jazz with several folkloric Japanese artworks, represented as woodblock prints, in mind.

He and his supple quartet, with saxophonist Carl Clements, guitarist Jason Ennis, and drummer Gary Fieldman, create an atmosphere of wondrous excitement on “Daija (Monster Snake)”. This majestic opener is cemented with a darting groove at the bottom and a progressive-leaning attack that reflects in each soloist’s playing.

Both “Kitsune (The Fox)” and “Kiyomori” unfold in a quintuple meter. The former hides a certain mystery within the harmonic guards put up by Ennis, with Tomita in charge of the main melody and Fieldman brushing the kit in a glowing way, while the latter is buoyed by persuasive soprano sax and dramatic peaks over urgent harmonic punctuation.

Showcasing a more typical jazz sound, “Betobetosan” swings like a feel-good Art Blakey tune, having Clements bringing a blast of vigor to the fore while riding lilting post-bop waves. In the same vein, “Raiju (Thunder Beast)” features Tomita in a rich solo emphasizing triplets before embarking on four-bar exchanges with Fieldman.

Ennis’ pristine acoustic guitar radically changes tone and texture on both “Amabiko (Sea Lad)”, where a soaring flute gives it a rounded smoothness akin to a bossa nova tune, and “Okiku”, a fable of lyrical, waltzing poignancy. The quartet brings the session to a close with “Hyakki Yagyo (Night Parade of 100 Demons)”, a piece in seven with enough flights of fancy to keep us amused.

This unique, conceptual work, plotted with several stylistic changes along the way, still connects the dots of each composition, accentuating empathy and energy. Tomita has the ability to shift musical gears while employing slippery rhythmic undercurrents and narrative pulse. There is more under the hood of Yokai! than it lets on.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Daija ► 02 - Kitsune ► 03 - Betobetosan ► 06 - Amabiko

Twin Talk - Delights

Label: Shifting Paradigm Records, 2026

Personnel - Dustin Laurenzi: tenor saxophone; Katie Ernst: bass, voice; Andrew Green: drums, percussion.

Twin Talk, the Chicago-based saxophone-bass-drums trio of Dustin Laurenzi, Kate Ernst, and Andrew Green, delves into a charismatic musical exploration that is not too soft and not too aggressive on their fourth album, Delights, the second on the Minneapolis-based, modern jazz-focused label Shifting Paradigm. The album comprises ten stylish compositions, with Laurenzi assuming most of the compositional duties.

Penned by the saxophonist, “Red Cent” offers bursts of jagged tenor and thunderous drums. The harmonic carpet, initially texturized by a pulsating arco bass and immersive drumming, makes a detour into a sort of punk-metal vibe dipped in a nervy backbone. Also by Laurenzi, “Heavy Nice” sinks into abundant confidence, denoting rhythmic acuity and melodic canniness. As a volatile, shape-shifting trickster, the trio navigates staccato-driven avenues and generates a sort of Afro-centric dance propelled by an irregular, festive groove.

Ernst’s “Northwest” slowly burns with passion in a 4/4 progression that is periodically interrupted by a compelling 17-beat cycle passage. As on that piece, the bassist uses her voice on her “Shadow Kid”, a spiritual, mantric shout, and makes her instrument sing on Laurenzi’s “Super Official”, which almost acquires a steady reggae feel.

The energy doesn’t wane on pieces like “Both And”, engraved with a dynamic tenor solo (Laurenzi’s chops sharpened over the rhythm section’s harmonic bed) and alternating tempos with nuance and effortless grace. It ends with a certain playfulness.

While “Teel” takes the form of a beautiful meditation, “Fifths” explores synchronism, counterpoint, and groove with fluency and refinement.

Taking inspiration from various artistic corners, Twin Talk tightly balances dynamics in a way that is deceptively simple. It’s a non-stiff, good-sounding, and full-bodied saxophone trio with broad ideas.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Red Cent ► 02 - Heavy Nice ► 10 - Shadow Kid

Marc Ribot Quartet - Hurry Red Telephone

Label: Pi Recordings, 2026

Personnel - Marc Ribot: guitar; James Brandon lewis: tenor saxophone (#1,6); Brian Settles: tenor saxophone (#3); Briggan Krauss: alto saxophone (#2,4,5); Hilliard Greene: bass (#1,3,6); Sebastian Steinberg: bass (#2,4,5); Chad Taylor: drums, percussion.

Three years after the excellent Connection, created with his premier trio Ceramic Dog, and on the heels of last year’s vocal-centered album Map of a Blue City, guitarist and composer Marc Ribot returns with a new iteration of his acclaimed quartet Spiritual Unity (mainly dedicated to the music of Albert Ayler), which featured the peculiar bassist Henry Grimes, the unchained trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr., and the powerhouse drummer Chad Taylor. The former two have passed away, but the latter still holds the rhythm chair of a mutable quartet that alternates saxophonists and bassists across two different sections. The album title, Hurry Red Telephone, was taken from Richard Siken’s autobiographical poem “Several Tremendous”, which described his efforts to rebuild his ability to write and speak while recovering from a stroke.

“New Monsters” is a 15-minute odyssey featuring the compulsive bagpipe sounds of David Watson in a Scottish-style avant-jazz foray complemented by electric guitar, Hilliard Greene’s droning arco bass, and Taylor’s quick, toms-focused drum runs with cymbal color. Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis brings a joyously raucous jamboree over a bass groove that uncorks a series of funky guitar chops. Another bass groove in seven is laid down for Ribot’s solo within a deeper rock context, and a sax-guitar figure in five is spotted by the end.

“Faucets of Terrible” is layered with cross-rhythm currents as Ribot exposes a central odd-metered riff, with the band progressively taking it to a chaotic climax where altoist Briggan Krauss intensifies the texture with unruly passion. “Ghost of Sleeping” showcases a more lyrical side, acquiring the poignancy of a Cuban song, a fact that doesn’t stop Ribot and Krauss from amping it up before Taylor and bassist Sebastian Steinberg return to sultry, melancholic tones.

“Gnat” is a visceral, high-intensity avant-garde experiment that brings to mind Sonny Sharrock’s scorching riffery. Greene’s powerful bass activity, together with Taylor’s modern swinging style, invites tenorist Brian Settles to explore rough edges in his soloing time.

The album widens its views with beautiful renditions of two songs by Haitian classical guitarist Frantz Casséus, with whom Ribot studied as a teenager in New York City: “Nan Guinan” is a classical hymn turned spiritual avant-garde exultation at the hands of Lewis, while “Rara” relies on an exuberant rhythm typical of African-derived Caribbean folk music.

Ribot’s eclecticism and rebelliousness have been treasured by a devoted legion of fans who embrace the crossroads of styles, influences, and pointed political shouts with enthusiasm. They will certainly be delighted with the principle of spontaneity that governs these performances.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - New Monster ► 03 - Gnat ► 05 - Nan Guinan

BFA Trio - Hurtling Between

Label: Fundacja Sluchaj Records, 2026

Personnel - Sam Bardfeld: violin; Joe Fonda: bass, flute (#4); Barry Altschul: drums.

Setting the searing violin lines of Sam Bardfeld against the special rhythm carpets woven by bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Barry Altschul, the BFA Trio follows the same explorative imagination of FAB Trio and The 3Dom Factor, which feature the seasoned rhythm team with violinist Billy Bang and saxophonist Jon Irabagon, respectively. Alternating between free playing and swing, this fluid, constantly interesting avant-jazz connects composers and improvisers from three generations across seven compositions that, honoring Altschul, include originals from the three members of the band and two covers.

Altschul’s “Martin’s Stew”, a tribute to the late American drummer Stu Martin, boasts a fantastic theme, kicking off with tangled bass pizzicato before entering a train-like-motion groove in support of angular violin flights marked by tasteful melodic patterns rich in risings and decays. Altschul’s accompaniment and solo are contagiously energetic, while Fonda opts for a well-rooted arco statement.

The bassist’s droning underpinning is key to the emphatic rendition of Carla Bley’s “Ida Lupino”, where Altschul, offering vivid percussive commentary with brushes, stands behind Bardfeld’s sensitive, folksy melody. Like the piece I just described, Julius Hemphill’s blues “C” is a nod to Altschul, delivered at a brisk pace with an irrepressible swinging verve.

Bardfeld’s personal homage to the drummer and his free/swinging style, “Hurtling Between”, also works as an analogy for the tense current times. Fonda does great work here, creating an exquisite pulse based on just an interval. He also contributes one composition of his own, “GS #2”, a tribute to drummer George Schuller, whose meditative quality gradually evolves into a fearless quintuple-metered groove.

Freely improvised by the trio, “Hippie Sh*t Could Set Us Free” features Fonda on flute, pairing up with Bardfeld over Altschul’s tidal drums. The album comes to a close with Altschul’s classic “B Out School”, another free tune filled with excellent stop-and-go motion.

Bardfeld’s sinewy runs and zippy figures create a vortex of power over the well-oiled rhythm machine of Fonda and Altschul. Enthusiasts of firmly textured avant-garde jazz will find immense gratification in Hurtling Between.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Martin’s Stew ► 02 - Ida Lupino ► 05 - Hurtling Between

Anna Webber - It's Easier To Imagine the End of the World...

Label: Intakt Records, 2026

Personnel - Anna Webber: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor and soprano saxophones; Ryan Easter; trumpet; Yuma Uesaka: clarinet, contrabass clarinet, soprano saxophone; Mary Halvorson: guitar; David Virelles: piano; DoYeon Kim: 25-string gayageum; Chris Tordini: bass; Ches Smith: drums, chimes.

Anna Webber, a magnificent composer, saxophonist, flautist, and bandleader, makes her most political statement to date with her new album, It’s Easier to Imagine the End of the World…, for which she assembled a responsive nonet composed of some of the finest and most daring New York improvisers. Juggling progressive ideas with logic and purpose, Webber found inspiration in her beliefs as well as in a number of books about late capitalism and its effects. The track titles reproduce quotes from those books, and the album’s sequence was organized from the darkness of the present moment to the light and hope that will surface from a future direction.

The band navigates her compositional courses with remarkable unity, injecting fragments and sensibilities that sometimes clash and sometimes are happily wed. The title track, named after Fredric Jameson, opens with solo saxophone until a multiphonic smear signals the ensuing accumulation of layers, often droning and jarring, as it leads to a massively conjoint ostinato that can be interpreted as deadly serious or cartoonishly playful. Emergent gayageum player DoYeon Kim disperses notes over an insistent buzzing murmur before a more palpable harmonic tapestry runs under her feet. The horn players are heard over a nonuple-metered flow before reaching a point where Ingrid Laubrock’s freewheeling tenor solo stands out from the rest of the band flickering behind.

“Corporate Tax as a Percentage of Total Federal Revenue in the US” kicks off as an imaginative account of sax, piano, guitar, and drums. Flute is incorporated into the tapestry, and pianist David Virelles takes the spotlight with momentous phrasing while complementing it with suitable chordal context. The piece becomes excitable and danceable, propelled by Ches Smith’s invigorating backbeat, with the horn players engaged in counterpoint before Webber’s rapturous, curling flute lines end it big.

Chilling at first, “Agitation as the Goal” gets crispier and more explorative as Chris Tordini’s bass pulse, well backed by Smith’s polished brushwork, leads to enthusiastic exchanges between soprano saxophones while bewildering accentuation occurs underneath. “Momentary Compensatory Solidities of Imagined Contact With an Imagined Real”, titled after Anna Kornbluh, finds a solid foundation in woozy, syncopated drums guided by scintillating ride cymbal. There’s a turbulent tenor statement, followed by Ryan Easter’s pure-toned trumpet over meditative piano, resulting in a gentle 4/4 harmonic progression that is later disrupted by cross-rhythm variations and a drum solo that peaks in a collective crescendo.

Titled after Kohei Saito, “X (Fourth Future)” relies on odd meter to surprise and on duple-time throbs whose vital energy brings about an alternative-rock swagger. Tordini and guitarist Mary Halvorson are featured, with the latter going from ambient, dreamy states to acerbically electrified routes.

Webber’s fiery post-modern incantations are everything but conventional. Though complex, her music delivers exceptional results, confirming her as an ingenious composer.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - It’s Easy to Imagine the End of the World… ► 02 - Corporate Tax as a Percentage of Total Federal Revenue in the US ► 05 - X (Fourth Future)

Brandon Seabrook - Utility Modern

Label: Out Of Your Head Records, 2026

Personnel - Brandon Seabrook: electric and acoustic guitars, banjo; Bill Frisell: electric and acoustic guitars; Rashaan Carter: bass; Marcus Gilmore: drums.

Shapeshifting guitarist, banjoist, and composer Brandon Seabrook makes a deeply personal homage to the guitar and to the guitarists whose music shaped his artistic voice on his latest album, Utility Modern. According to the bandleader, who collaborates here with one of his heroes and major influences, guitarist Bill Frisell, the music for this album was conceived like composing for four hands on a single guitar. The result is phenomenal, as the palette of colors continues to expand with novelty and nuance. Rounding out the quartet and anchoring the rhythmic foundation are bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Marcus Gilmore. This is the kind of group that can easily push the edges of a composition with uniqueness and modernism.

“Crater for Ascending Angels” is bookended by cascading acoustic guitars before morphing into a chilled-out vibe orchestrated with a percolating rhythm, funky bass lines, and electric guitar passion. Another transition follows before the outro, with the band luxuriating in alternative-rock passages with distortion, elastic bass whims, and a motorik-like throb in support of angular guitar expressionism.

Bringing to mind King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer in a way, “The Serial Fabulist” first centers on an ostinato and odd-meter cadence that is occasionally interrupted by surprising, enthusiastic acoustic strums. Awesome chiming tones fly from Seabrook’s guitar during his staccato pinprick attacks.

“Star-Crossed Phantasms” is rhythmically focused, a magnetic and progressive contemporary fusion that contains repetitive figures, creative bass splashes, and an off-kilter solo by Seabrook. Gilmore’s impeccable rhythmic motion is key throughout.

While “Once Upon a Time in the Quest” is a 3/4 troubadour song that accelerates and intensifies, “Document and Tapestry” is a brushed downtempo piece with strong emotional resonance. In turn, “Membrane Soundtable” offers folksy banjo over a fabulously funky flip, whereas “The Guitar Is a Weather Event” has many aspects to discover, fueled by an entrancing urgency, productive dialogue, and a deep desire to reach a guitar-centric audience.

The inspired and symbiotic relationship between the two guitarists can be felt throughout, with Seabrook offering tension and jaggedness in opposition to Frisell, who opts for more polished surfaces via his well-known, enchanting Americana instincts. With a totally new perspective and inventive arrangements that make each musician feel significant and quite complete, Utility Modern is a creative achievement.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Crater For Ascending Angels ► 02 - The Serial Fabulist ► 03 - Star-Crossed Phantasms ► 07 - The Guitar Is a Weather Event

James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily - Calling Antonin

Label: TAO Forms, 2026

Personnel - James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone, voice (#6); Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Melanie Dyer: viola; Tomeka Reid: cello; Joshua Abrams: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

Saxophone phenom James Brandon Lewis returns with his Red Lily project, whose albums are homages to or celebrations of historical figures who have been major inspirations. Red Lily’s third album, Calling Antonin, is a tribute to the often folk-inspired Czech composer Antonín Dvorak and a dedication to trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr., following up on the indispensable Jesup Wagon (2021) and For Mahalia, With Love (2023). On this one, the quintet is augmented to a sextet and some alterations to the original lineup are noticeable: violist Melanie Dyer extends the color palette, while cellist Tomeka Reid and bassist Joshua Abrams replace Christopher Hoffmann and William Parker, respectively. Firm in their chairs are cornetist Kirk Knuffke and drummer Chad Taylor.

Based on a spiritual, “Spirit of the Living God”—a dedication to Lewis’ preacher father—displays a solemn, chamber-like quality in its aperture, with as much reverence as humility. Knuffke’s range reaches the sky; Dyer’s mellow tones enchant, and Lewis’ intonation and dynamic expression are remarkable. Another piece based on a spiritual is “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me”, delivered in freestyle mode with a disarmingly honest fervor.

Dvorak’s influence appears in a few compositions. “Lento” borrows a quote from the composer’s String Quartet No. 12, known as the “American” quartet, showcasing a forward-looking groove and bright ensemble sound over which a moving thematic melody is followed by Lewis’ agile inside/outside moves and intervallic expertise. Knuffke and Dyer join him on the final vamp. “Dilemma of Hearts”, which was inspired by Dvorak’s relationship with his wife’s sister and influenced by James Brown, waltzes under the pulsating hi-hat of Taylor, who is more than up to the task. His crisp snare pairs up with Abrams’ propulsive bass groove on “Going Home”, an elated tune that incorporates Dvorak’s famous theme from “Largo”.

While the improvisation-less “O’ Rebicku” is based on a Czech folk song, “Ode to P.L.D.” thrives on layered vocals before growing conversational with Knuffke and Lewis exchanging ideas. This one is a dedication to poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and includes a fragment of his poem “The Colored Soldiers”.

Though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the previous two albums, this stylized set still has plenty to offer, with Lewis blending challenging improvisation and layered, accessible sounds in a voice that is entirely his own.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Lento ► 03 - Dilemma Of The Hearts ► 07 - I Want Jesus to Walk With Me

Jochen Baldes - Basho

Label: Unit Records, 2026

Personnel - Jochen Baldes: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Christoph Irniger: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Raphael Walser: bass; Lukas Mantel: drums; Sonoe Kato: voice.

Swiss saxophonist and composer Jochen Baldes draws inspiration from 17th-century haiku master Matsuo Basho on his new outing, a dynamic chordless quartet opus that deftly blends Japanese-inflected melodies and jazz improvisation.

This new chapter in Baldes’ musical career is directly related to his talents as a painter and sculptor who loves Japanese art, and “Aki No Kure”, the album’s opening track, is a prime illustration of that. Baldes shows a close creative bond with saxophonist Christopher Irniger. They carry interesting intervallic tensions in their unisons and can easily anticipate each other’s ideas even when heading into unusual places, searching and discovering new landscapes with melodic insight.

Both “Sakura Kana”, a lively piece introduced by bass clarinets where the saxophonists throw in a flurry of shimmering notes, and “Kimi Hi O Take”, whose shifting tempos go from rubato to waltzing and then to a quintuple feel grazed with a hint of Latin for the first saxophone solo, feature bassist Raphael Walser.

The celebratory “Natsugoromo” has drummer Lukas Mantel claiming the spotlight for a while via metallic rattles incorporated into his well-judged drumming style. The saxophonists eventually take center stage with adroit improvisations, a scenario that repeats on “Sazaregani”, a celebrated 1687 summer haiku turned into a swinging freebop ride, with the muscular horns giving it an irresistible vibe. The album closes with “Meigetsu”, which includes passages in seven and six.

Baldes doesn’t attempt to sound radical or create off-kilter environments, but rather makes his music flow with rhythmic consistency and keenly articulated melodies. The moods and textures don’t change much, but Basho is a successful experiment in the art of the explorer.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Aki No Kure ► 08 - Natsugoromo ► 06 - Kimi Hi O Take ► 12 - Sazaregani

Kris Davis Trio - Lost in Geneva

Label: 4166 Records, 2026

Personnel - Kris Davis: piano; Robert Hurst: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

The otherworldly trio of Grammy-winning pianist and composer Kris Davis—featuring bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake—is back with more maturity and refinement in the process, after maintaining a consistent touring schedule over the past few years. Imbued with a rare, infectious group spirit, Lost in Geneva showcases the sinewy rhythmic thrust and harmonic venturesomeness that characterize the trio.

On the opener, Davis' "The Subtext”, the trio navigates complex and investigative musical waters with a compromise between lyrical and angular. As Hurst and Blake become completely immersed in the rhythmic mesh, Davis enchants, showcasing a stunning independence of hands. The piece grooves and swings with distinction, while vamping sections and flowing currents provide ample room for the threesome to stretch out. Also by Davis, "Congestion Pricing" locks in a ternary cadence, stacked over lovely drumming and precise cymbal design. Let yourself go in dreamy piano textures involving single-note phrasing and rich harmonic progression, as well as Hurst's groove-centered solo. I love the modern classical-inspired coda too.

The freely improvised "Mourning Dove”, underpinned by gongs and percussion, serves as an intro to Hurst's "The Bluesy Bird in Bob's Backyard”, whose soothing effect at the core contrasts with bursting tension and release in the melodic ideas. The rendition of Morton Feldman's "Nature Piece 5" is funkified with clever counterpoint and intervallic expanse, proving Davis to be a brilliant arranger, while Blake's “Clues", which first appeared on his debut album The Eleventh Hour (Sunnyside, 2012), spins out a hectic tale with solo drums at the outset and punchy staccatos in the accompaniment.

"Where Does That Tunnel Go?" and "The Deer Fly" are Davis compositions—while the former is an ostinato-driven and grooving piece thriving on the collective energy of the trio, the latter is a buoyant avant-garde portrait of a vampire insect delivered with an underlying quintuple feel.

It's impossible to ignore the affinity, spontaneity, and tuned mechanisms of the Kris Davis Trio. More than their previous album, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic, 2024), Lost in Geneva is absolutely powerful—an indispensable sophomore record that you certainly don't want to miss.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Subtext ► 02 - Congestion Pricing ► 04 - Where Does That Tunnel Go? ► 09 - Clues

Stephen Byth - Growth in Stasis

Label: Earshift Music, 2026

Personnel - Stephen Byth: tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute, bass clarinet; Yessaï Karapetian: piano, synth; Simón Willson: upright bass; Angus Mason: drums; Alexandra Ridout: trumpet (#4,6,8,9); Alfredo Colón: alto saxophone (#4,6,8,9); Caleb Smith: trombone (#4,6,8,9); John Ellis: bass clarinet (#4,6,8,9).

Australian multi-reedist and composer Stephen Byth, now based in New York, releases his sophomore album as a leader, Growth in Stasis, in the company of pianist Yessaï Karapetian, bassist Simón Willson, and drummer Angus Mason. Guest horn players allow for an extended frontline on specific pieces, playing a central role by delivering their own statements in addition to coloring the main themes. The album, a set of ten original compositions influenced by modern jazz, classical music, film scoring, and subtle electronics, took shape from a conversation during a workshop with Wayne Shorter, who responded to Byth’s question, “How do you turn poison into medicine through your music?”, with “The poison is the medicine”.

The concise yet powerful “Speed of Thought” sets for a captivating opening where we feel the urgency of the piano trio, later turned sumptuous by Byth’s burnished saxophone arrival. “All Is Not Lost” offers a delicate texture within thoughtful storytelling, without dispensing with interesting accentuations and a fine rhythmic balance. Also evoking airy balladry, “The Light Is Everything” brings to mind Billy Strayhorn’s tunes before entering a Coltrane-and-Tyner-esque modal mode. The bandleader layers the tapestry with flute and clarinets.

Post-bop with a cinematic flair results from “Cutting Ties”, featuring generous impressions by trumpeter Alexandra Ridout and bass clarinetist John Ellis, while the title track puts a warm spotlight on altoist Alfredo Colón before plunging into counterpoint and juxtaposition. “Freedom” is laid down with confidence and taste, embracing a tango-ish cadenza, and “Time Is Now” offers a punchy, hopeful head with notable solos by trombonist Caleb Smith and Byth on tenor.

Declaratively Shorter-esque, “New Eyes” assumes a charmingly relaxed vibe, culminating in a memorable finale, while “Illusions” becomes classically sweetened yet streaked with some notes of poignancy.

Capable of both introspective and outgoing moments, and finding a raison d’être between space and tight interaction, Byth nods to Shorter but keeps his own composed instincts alive.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Cutting Ties ► 08 - Time Is Now ► 09 - Growth In Stasis

Enrico Rava Fearless Five with Joe Lovano - Corners

Label: ECM Records, 2026

Personnel - Enrico Rava: trumpet; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone, tarogato; Matteo Paggi: trombone; Francesco Diodati: guitar; Francesco Ponticelli: bass; Evita Pollidoro: drums, vocals.

Illustrious Italian trumpeter and composer Enrico Rava, a longtime force on the European jazz scene, returns with his Fearless Five ensemble, welcoming guest saxophonist Joe Lovano, a powerhouse improviser who had collaborated with the bandleader on the live recording Roma (ECM, 2019). All members of the quintet contribute compositions, trusting the bandleader's candidly investigative approach that opposes rigid perceptions.

Rava's "Certi Angoli Segreti", an exceptionally beautiful tune first recorded in 1998, gracefully materializes with beautiful color shades. Francesco Diodati's guitar gives it a particular touch, later soloing with motivic ability and acerbic distortion; Francesco Ponticelli's dynamic bass builds a solid foundation with drummer Evita Polidoro; Lovano's storytelling comes with delightful details; trombonist Matteo Paggi's expressions are grounded and exploratory; and Rava excels in his improvisational fluctuations—sometimes angular and outside, other times hypnotically flowing and distinctively melodic.

Rava brings two other previously recorded pieces: "Hitchcock at the Beach", whose balladic feeling and original beauty are preserved despite emerging here most as a collaborative voice-trumpet meditation; and the exciting "Bowery Dance", which evokes Rava's New York years with an electrified intro, authoritative bass double-stops, and a crisp backbeat. Lovano and Rava improvise with fire, rejoicing in unison lines in support of their declarations.

Lovano is credited with a couple of distinct compositions. The open-ended "Sun Rava" is full of possibilities, incorporating sharp staccato blows, buoyant swing impulses, and clever pedal points, also featuring improvised dialogues between Rava and Paggi, and then Diodati and Lovano, before the saxophonist rambles freely over the bass-and-drums bedrock. "Tone, Shape, and Colours", a free improvisation based on a riff by Lovano, brings the horn players together in lively conversation.

If the rhythm section kicks into high gear on Lovano's pieces, it eases into the softer lyrical flow of Diodati's "Sin Peso", a burnished ballad suggesting a bolero feel, and Polidoro's "Le Mie Gambe", which, unfolding in 3/4, features the drummer as a vocalist of surprising intensity.

Since the early '70s, Rava—who turned 87 in August—has led a series of highly rewarding albums, and Corners is no exception.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Certi Angoli Segreti ► 06 - Tune, Shape, and Colours ► 08 - Bowery Dance

Stephan Crump - Passerine

Label: Out Of Your Head Records, 2026

Personnel - David Léon: saxophone, flute; Kenny Warren: trumpet; Stephan Crump: bass; Ches Smith: drums.

Bassist and composer Stephan Crump, a musician of extraordinary passion and lyricism, put together a crisp, bright new ensemble for his latest outing, Passerine, a work of originals inspired by the various nesting techniques of birds. Relying on a frontline composed of Cuban-American saxophonist and flutist David Léon and trumpeter Kenny Warren, and pairing up beautifully with the resourceful drummer Ches Smith, Crump has something fresh to say.

"Stuck" firstly evolves in a 3/4 time signature, displaying a big, round bass sound that shelters sharp unison melody. Léon narrates a story over an arco bass ostinato, while Smith explores toms and cymbal sounds with sagacity. There's a change of pace and texture for Warren's expressive solo, and the interplay between the rhythm team becomes more defiant, leading to a swinging passage before returning to the initial waltzing breeze.

"Glide" is executed with a compelling rhythmic quality underneath—Crump incorporating effortless bass pedals, pizzicato routes, and cool grooves that find consistent support in Smith's nicely brushed skins. On flute, Léon stands out, drawing from melodic and harmonic minor modes in his improvisation. "Weavers" and "Twenty-Five" are warm meditative exercises where all members leave flowery scents in the air while rowing in the same direction. The former piece rests on a relaxed bass harmonic conduction that breathes at a challenging tempo, having charismatic, pure-toned unisons running atop. The latter is a shape-shifter that initiates with a sparse bass figure, understated drumming, a pellucid flute whose gentle dance emulates the chirp of birds, and introspective trumpet.

Warren and Léon always take maximum advantage of their instruments to create dual melodic lines that feel luminous and often varied in shape. That's the case on "Fly", a well-balanced 3/4 canvas painted with a certain wry melancholia. Breathable bass and brush work create space and smooth out the environment, culminating in a pulsating bass pedal point at the center of the outro vamp.

With sensitive collaborative input from the musicians enlisted, Passerine is a point of departure and an embrace of transformation for Crump. It's also detailed with rigor without abandoning the freedom of creating spontaneously. The composer's sophisticated sound and gracious storytelling are filtered into the album's sequence.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Stuck ► 02 - Glide ► 03 - Weavers

Jeremy Cunningham - Passing Fires

Label: Northern Spy Records, 2026

Personnel - Jeremy Cunningham: drumset, percussion, piano, Rhodes, organ, vibes, electronics; Jeff Parker: guitar; Josh Johnson: alto saxophone, electronics; Dustin Laurenzi: guitar, synth, programming, tenor saxophone; Matt Gold: guitar, bass, pandeiro; Greg Uhlmann; guitar, electronics; Will Miller: Rhodes, electronics; Sen Morimoto: vocals; Lia Kohl; cello; Paul Bryan: bass, electronics; Lane Beckstrom: bass; Makaya McCraven: drumset, vibes.

Jeremy Cunningham is an alert and versatile multi-instrumentalist based in Chicago since 2009. I was very well impressed with his previous outing, A Better Ghost (2022), featuring a few members who reappear on Passing Fires, namely saxophonists Dustin Laurenzi and Josh Johnson, bassist Paul Bryan, and trumpeter-turned-keyboardist Will Miller. Other illustrious guests here include guitarists Jeff Parker and Matt Gold, and sophisticated drummer Makaya McCraven. Instead of fixed formats, Cunningham favors a rotation of musicians who have an ear for careful sonic detail.

The album has a very personal feel to it, evolving as a meditation on love, loss, memory, and change. Two of the strongest pieces are "To The Sky" and "Kobi Shobi". While the former holds a wonderful collective bossa groove, featuring the multi-faceted Matt Gold on guitar, bass, and pandeiro, Cunningham on Rhodes, McCraven's soulful drumming, and Japanese-American Sen Morimoto's ethereal, wordless vocal work, the latter is unexpectedly edgy, bolstered by funk throbs and a jazzy hip-hop vibe that takes us to A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. Johnson's snaky alto solo boosts the energy over the syncopated guitar comping offered by Parker.

Also filled with joy and aplomb, "Union Pier" is a compelling 3/4 duo piece that pairs Cunningham on drum set and percussion with Laurenzi, who, besides tenor—on which he offers a fluid improvisation—also injects guitar, synth, and percussion. "Beyond the Veil" is a 4/4 pop/rock piece with rounded harmonic contours and a graceful melody, featuring McCraven on vibes, and Parker, who claims the spotlight while injecting deep feeling into his impromptu statement. He also appears on the pop-meets-R&B "Some Days”.

Bryan's six-beat funky groove stretches into asymmetry and a different figure on "Galloway Street", which welcomes guitarist Greg Uhlmann and shines a spotlight on Johnson's effect-drenched alto solo. The album closes in a Sade-like sophisti-pop style with "Somewhere To Be", featuring Morimoto's smooth styling.

Cunningham's compositions have a strong emotional arc, and that quality rings true in the music. Melding jazz-imbued improvisation into different stylistic frameworks, Passing Fires works as an escape from traditional jazz moves.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - To The Sky ► 06 - Kobi Shobi ► 10 - Galloway Street

Slow Tiger - Slow Tiger

Label: Endectomorph Records, 2026

Personnel - Kenny Warren: trumpet; Adam Schneit: alto saxophone, clarinet; JP Schlegelmilch: organ; Andrew Dow: electric bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

Slow Tiger—the jazz quintet of trumpeter Kenny Warren, saxophonist and clarinetist Adam Schneit, organist JP Schlegelmilch, electric bassist Andrew Dow, and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell—releases its debut album, pointing in many directions with an impeccable flow and assured tones. All its members, with the exception of Ellman-Bell, contribute compositions, filtering influences through the lens of this cohesive collective ensemble. Melodies stick on the ear as the band, whose prior successful collaborations led to the album, leans toward a pop/rock style that easily accommodates jazz-leaning improvisation.

Warren's "Powerpuff Backpack" is a tribute to late trumpeter Ron Miles, revealing traces of folk and funk woven into the framework of pop and psychedelic rock infusions. Occasionally, bands like Inspiral Carpets and Jethro Tull come to mind, and Schneit's clarinet explores with effortless inside/outside agility, followed by Warren, who also brings in "Eleven Six”. Its title comes from the fact that Ellman-Bell plays a cymbal pulsation in eleven while Dow shapes an upbeat six-beat bass figure that provides solid ground for the horn players to interact. They exchange ideas with grip and avant-garde stance, while Schlegelmilch makes the piece soar via hypnotic organ waves and ostinato-leaning textures that add dimension to the music.

Schneit, who was born in Portland, Maine, named "Wharf Street" after the street where he grew up. This is a pop tune permeated with a strong 60's vibe, with the composer and Warren intersecting phrases with insouciant power, precision, but also freedom. They also bring this strategy to Schlegelmilch's time-shifting "Maritime Studies”, which is buttressed by a sluggish beat and cautiously measured unisons. The organist's response to the pandemic's forced pause comes with "Mending the Nets”, a gentle waltzing ballad moved by sizzling brushes, melancholic melody, and church-like organ sustains.

The quintet aligns in relaxed sounds on the title track, "Slow Tiger", a soulful, melodically seductive piece romanticized by warm R&B colors. It contrasts with Dow's "Funhouse", whose groove in nine defines the tempo. With the organ illuminating the scenario with crested ripples of sound, the piece morphs into openly avant-garde territory as the horns criss-cross atop the rhythmic net laced by bass and drums. 

Slow Tiger shows potential, and its debut is a tantalizing promise of more albums to come.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Maritime Studies ► 05 - Eleven in Six ► 07 - Funhouse ► 09 - Slow Tiger

Wadada Leo Smith - Constellations And Hemispheres

Label: Burning Ambulance Records, 2026

Personnel - Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet; Sylvie Courvoisier: piano (#1,3); Marcus Gilmore: drums (#1,3); Bobby Naughton: vibraphone (#2-5); Lamar Smith: electric guitar (#2,3,5); Bill Laswell: electric bass (#3,4); Melvin Gibbs: electric bass (#3,4); Mauro Refosco: percussion (#2,3,5); Brian Jawara Gray: percussion (#2,3,5); Pheeroan akLaff: drums (#2-5).

Trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith assembled various ensembles for his new album, Constellations and Hemispheres, rooted in harmonic intensity, open structures, and modal depth. The project was sparked by quantum physics, parallel universes, and shifting dimensions, in a no-nonsense approach that explores timbre and atmosphere with serious intentions and exceptional versatility.

The album kicks off in trio format, with Smith joining forces with the quick-witted pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and adaptable drummer Marcus Gilmore on “Dark Energy”. Cymbal activity is paired with sparse piano texture, while Smith's declamations extend from sharply piercing to dolefully lugubrious. This mournful reflection swells and intensifies via Courvoisier's phenomenal work, expanding and contracting by way of intricately coiling patterns that work as a perfect foil for Smith's obscure idioms. Gilmore is granted a brief unaccompanied passage.

"Lake Tanganyika" emerged from a sextet session with trumpet, vibraphone, guitar, percussion, and drums. Ancient, water-surrounded landscapes are evoked via the emotionally powerful lyricism brought by Smith over Bobby Naughton's gossamer vibes and Pheeroan AkLaff's gloriously relentless drum flow. The seasoned drummer also gets our attention on the closer, "Meditation on Love", a cosmic, open-ended manifesto of peace and hope.

Smith traces a spiritual and artistic connection with the Rastafari—associated with the reggae music of Jamaica—but I'm unable to spot that influence here. Yet the music is able to knife through the speakers like a lightning bolt. "Dark Matters, Particles of Light, Mirror of the Unseen" is a full-length workout clocking in at 22 minutes. Powerful and moody, the piece is bookended by the same trio that had shaped the opening track, expanding in its middle part into an octet featuring two distinguished electric bassists, Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs, who contribute to the dismal, apocalyptic scenario with authority. A lighter, tactile percussive quality appears by the end, relieving the pressure.

The two bassists are also prominent on "Deep Canyons on Mars", diffusing ominous vibes through gravelly distorted sounds. The heavy, nightmarish tones are pacified when vibraphone and trumpet step forward, yet obscurity still lives here when the bass returns with wah-wah bluesy sounds drowned in electronics.

Though the result of multiple sessions, Constellations and Hemispheres feels like a unified experiment—mostly stripped down of gloss but still with haunting and transcendent moments to reflect upon.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dark Energy ► 02 - Lake Tanganyika ► 03 - Dark Matters, Particles of Light, Mirror of the Unseen

Mark Guiliana - Beat Music 2.0

Label: Edition Records, 2026

Personnel - Mark Guiliana: drums, percussion, electronics, keyboards, guitar, vocals; Nicholas Semrad: keyboards; Stu Brooks: electric bass (#3), electronics (#2,4,7,8); Tim Lefebvre: electric bass (#2,4,6); Gretchen Parlato: vocals (#4,5); Marley Guiliana: vocals (#5).

Mixed feelings arose from listening to Beat Music 2.0, the synth-infused follow-up to Mark Guiliana’s Grammy-nominated album Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music! (Motéma, 2019). Retro and futuristic waves emerge from Guiliana’s compositions, which draw inspiration from early gaming culture and electronic music. Still, the focus here is on human connection and collaboration, as he enlists keyboardist Nicholas Semrad, bassist Tim Lefebvre, vocalist Gretchen Parlato, and Stu Brooks on electronics.

The opener, “B.ANG”, excavates retro electronic music through glitchy synth ostinatos that march alongside the harmonic progression, along with a mix of ambient undercurrents and Gary Numan-style electro-rock energy. Although it tests the elasticity of the song’s edges, this piece failed to leave a strong impression on me. “B.ORN” and “W.EST” are also nothing special, while “D.RUM”, with its industrial stomp generating controlled trepidation and Parlato’s vocals highlighting the contrasting ambient-leaning passages, has a little more flair.

I did feel a spark on numbers like “P.LAY”, whose actively propulsive drumming, together with Lefebvre’s brawny bass fluxes and pedals, is nothing short of gravity-defying, and “B.EAT”, whose grooving dub atmosphere morphs into club-dance territory for a while. Brooks, who infuses relevant, to-the-point electronics into the former, switches to electric bass on the latter. Also worth mentioning is “M.OVE”, whose danceable techno patterns reminded me of 808 State. Cross-rhythmic tides and dramatic shifts make this one a standout.

Guiliana’s passion for what he does is undeniable, yet the prevailing virtues of Beat Music 2.0 come to the fore when the layers adopt a less explicit old-school electronic vibe in favor of more modernistic experimentation.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - P.LAY ► 03 - B.EAT ► 07 - M.OVE

Cameron Brown and Dannie's Calypso - Remembrance

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2026

Personnel - Jason Rigby: tenor and soprano saxophones; Lisa Parrott: alto, soprano, and baritone saxophones; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Cameron Brown: bass; Tony Jefferson: drums.

Bassist and composer Cameron Brown has always felt comfortable in both traditional and avant-garde settings, and was an important element in the rhythm sections behind Archie Shepp, Don Pullen, George Adams, George Russell, Dewey Redman, and Don Cherry. Here, he leads a chordless quintet, paying tribute to Cherry as well as his mentor Dannie Richmond, best known for his extensive work with the one-and-only bassist, composer, and bandleader Charles Mingus. This ensemble started as a quartet featuring saxophonist Jason Rigby, trumpeter Russ Johnson, and drummer Tony Jefferson. Saxophonist Lisa Parrott joins them here for a dense, unfiltered session recorded live in concert in 2011. Raw and dense, it often sounds like a jam.

The uptempo “Sheila, It’s You!”—written for the late jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan—has the three-horn frontline blowing with hard-bop intensity over the hard-charging swing provided by the rhythm section. They alternate solos before intersecting their searing lines with purpose. Conversely, “Lullaby For George, Don, and Donnie” is a 3/4 ballad gently propelled by brushes.

“Baby Suite” is a through-composed response to Cherry’s “cocktail suite” concept. Brown’s three-minute bass monologue—featuring double-stops and thoughtful melodic development—right after the contrapuntal theme leads into faster bass circularity, with Jefferson free to embellish while the horns float above. A spontaneous avant-garde freedom reminiscent of Mingus’ excursions can be felt in the coda that precedes the theme. “Cocktail Suite”, which clocks in at 21 minutes and includes Cherry’s “Remembrance” and “OC/DC”, Jobim’s “Portrait in Black and White”, and Redman’s “Mushi Mushi”, features some awkward passages and elongated solos with the horns left to roam freely. 

Incessant walking lines populate the recording, creating an inescapable sense of anticipation. Brown’s “Rylie’s Bounce” blooms with a bass solo at the outset and explosive drumming by Jefferson, who throws in some barbed percussive sounds on Richmond’s “Soft Seas”, an amusing calypso dance served with humor and panache. Parrott causes some frisson on baritone, while Rigby explores the opposite end of the spectrum on soprano. This piece is put together much more effectively, with a keen sense of time and a divergence from conventional swing.

With the interplay controlled at all times and the recording sounding like a classic (I don’t go crazy for the sound here), Remembrance sometimes rings a bit meandering, yet never disjointed.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Baby Suite ► 03 - Soft Seas ► 07 - Cocktail Suite

Emile Parisien - Floating

Label: ACT, 2026

Personnel - Emile Parisien: soprano saxophone; Yaron Herman: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Prabhu Edouard: tabla, percussion, voice.

French soprano saxophonist and composer Emile Parisien is an eclectic jazz practitioner with inestimable musical gifts that allow him to explore a whole universe of sound. Parisien brings a glowing selection of tunes composed by himself, pianist and longtime collaborator Yaron Herman, and proficient bassist Linda May Han Oh, alongside two covers. Rounding out the quartet is tabla player and vocalist Prabhu Edouard, who helps establish an organically integrated framework for the leader’s world-fusion aesthetics. This group was formed after a memorable first performance in Paris.

Floating opens with Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann’s “Asian Songs & Rhythms, No. 40”, a peaceful, spiritual tune that, combining Eastern modal traditions with Western classical sensibilities, slowly unfolds with a ternary feel. Parisien employs his intervallic expertise in vibrant phrasing, while Herman evokes distant, serene landscapes. The other cover on the album is Anouar Brahem’s “Badhra”—the fantastic opening track of his trio album Thimar—which scintillates with sophistication and enchantment.

In the latter, Herman’s clarity of speech and objectivity pair well with the in-and-out lyricism of Parisien, while the duo’s co-written piece, “Portal”, keeps the rhythmic momentum going after a dynamic introduction centered on Edouard, who doubles on tabla and voice. Herman’ piano solo on this one is pure delight. On the other hand, Parisien’s “Bonbon” is filled with excitement and aligned with Middle Eastern traditions.

Herman contributes five compositions of his own: the waltzing ballads “Olive Branch” and “Ruth”, with the latter acquiring a jazzier, Keith Jarrett-esque vibe before morphing into a more percussive passage over which Parisien’s soprano glides effortlessly; the playful and bluesy “Nusrat”; and the stop-and-go flow of “El Toro”, a showcase for Oh’s rhythmic adroitness. Sandwiched between the latter two tracks is the bassist’s “As It Comes And As It Goes”, a moment of reflection and an opportunity to hear her unaccompanied.

According to the bandleader, this is music about peace, poetry, and love, and listeners should be able to feel its emotional appeal as well as the group’s ability to communicate through whatever musical language they choose to mix in. This forward-looking diversity is key, and Parisien’s fusion is not without an airily contemporary touch.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Asian Songs & Rhythms, No 40 ► 04 - Badhra ► 08 - Nusrat