Wolfgang Muthspiel - Tokyo

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - Wolfgang Muthspiel: acoustic and electric guitars; Scott Colley: double bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Austrian guitarist and composer Wolfgang Muthspiel returns with his finely tuned trio—bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade—for their third ECM studio album. Tokyo features eight Muthspiel originals alongside covers of Keith Jarrett and Paul Motian, both presented with a redefined aura.

These covers bookend the album. Jarrett’s “Lisbon Stomp”, culled from the pianist’s 1967 debut Life Between the Exit Signs, opens with shades of bop, American blues, and gospel. Recast with modern bluesy chops, colorful intervals, and harmonic reinvention, it soon finds a swinging direction. Motian’s “Abacus” closes the set, loosely painted as an agile rumination steeped in lyrical abstraction.

Both renditions are emotionally honest and musically inspired, yet the real treasures lie in Muthspiel’s writing. “Paradela” glows in the dark as a resplendent rubato meditation, folding jazz and classical elements into a clear song form. Similarly, “Flight”—a piece in seven that layers arpeggiated passages, quick-witted chordal sequences, and smoky electric guitar lines—displays the guitarist’s emotive reach and the trio’s remarkable synergy. Colley’s breathing cadences and Blade’s enveloping cymbals add luminous depth. 

The rhythm section provides both stability and suppleness, allowing Muthspiel to pursue an acoustic, chamber-like aesthetic free of unnecessary ornament. “Diminished and Augmented” feels like a complex, modern étude, its shifting passages and odd meter opening into improvisation, while “Weill You Wait”, a bittersweet waltz with ‘singing’ bass lines, reflects his admiration for Kurt Weill. Blade’s brushwork here radiates subtlety and refinement. 

Unexpected turns also surface: “Roll” fuses rock ’n’ roll with bluegrass, while “Strumming” is a propulsive pop/rock-tinged jaunt in six, marked by gritty arco bass, bluesy bends, and resolute drive. 
Tokyo finds Muthspiel, Colley, and Blade in top form—an elegant, deeply rewarding listen for the attentive and the casual ear alike.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Paradela ► 06 - Diminished Augmented ► 08 - Strumming ► 09 - Weill You Wait

Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons - Live in Philadelphia

Label: Otherly Love Records, 2025

Personnel - Marshall Allen: alto saxophone, EVI, synth, vocals;  

Now 101 years old, the incredible maestro Marshall Allen — who joined the Sun Ra Arkestra in 1957 and has led it since 1995 — releases a new live record with his Ghost Horizons group, curated by Arkestra guitarist David Middleton (aka D.M. Hotep), who appears on every track. Recorded in Philadelphia, the album brings Allen together with a younger generation of artists including saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins, James Brandon Lewis, and Elliott Levin; bassists Luke Stewart, Eric Revis, and William Parker; keyboardist Brian Marsella; drummer Chad Taylor; and others.

Sun Ra’s “Seductive Fantasy”, first recorded in 1979 for On Jupiter, opens the album in a quintet setting, with Allen’s raspy growls paired against trombonist Dave Davis. Hotep jags and slices through on guitar, eventually breaking into river-runs over Stewart and Taylor’s lithe rhythm. The same unit delivers “Tachyons Flux From the Cosmic Blueprints”, a more restrained, cyclic blues march.

Sun Ra’s presence resurfaces again on “We’ll Wait For You/Hit That Jive, Jack”, though the album also ventures into unexpected rock territories. “Back To You”, featuring the experimental duo Wolf Eyes, channels the shadowy corners of Joy Division with stratospheric electronics and serrated drones. “Square the Circle” rides a rock-steeped backbeat and straightforward bass lines, courtesy of Charlie Hall (The War On Drugs) and James McNew (Yo La Tengo). It arrives interlaced in guitars.

Levin contributes a feverish solo to “Stay Lifted”, a worthwhile astral excursion, and also appears on “Space Ghosts”, where shifting grooves gradually dissolve into fade-out. “Cosmic Dreamers, Ode to Elegua” folds in Eastern touches, a trio of batá drums, ritualistic chants from Joseph Toledo, and Allen’s indomitable alto fire. Yet one of the standout moments is “Slip Stream”, an ambient-funk voyage elevated by Wilkins’ soulful avant-garde flourishes, Marsella’s luminous comping, and Taylor’s perfectly attuned drumming.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Seductive Fantasy ► 05 - Stay Lifted ► 14 - Slip Stream

Nick Finzer - The Jazz Orchestra Vol. 1

Label: Outside in Music, 2025

Personnel - Saxophones: Michael Thomas (alto); Jordan Pettay (alto); Lucas Pino (tenor); Evan Harris (tenor); Tony Lustig (baritone); Trumpets: Augie Haas, Anthony Hervey, Nadje Noordhuis, Chloe Rowlands; Trombones: Nick Finzer, Rob Edwards, James Burton III, Sara Jacovino, Altin Sencalar;  Rhythm Section: Alex Wintz (guitar), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Dave Baron (bass), Jimmy Macbride (drums).

Nick Finzer is a creative trombonist and composer with refined taste and sinuous melodic instincts. Captured in a single-day session, The Jazz Orchestra Vol. 1 breathes new life into four of his most emblematic, previously recorded compositions alongside fresh reinventions of two J.J. Johnson classics. Inspired by the late trombonist and the big band legacies of Duke Ellington, Finzer assembled an 18-piece ensemble that includes his working sextet—the full rhythm section plus tenorist Lucas Pino. The album pays sincere tribute to the rich history of the jazz orchestra. 

Bursting with ardent hardbop devotion, Johnson’s “Say When” thrives on Finzer’s powerful declamation, his trombone lines cutting with melodic instinct and authority. Playful horn staccatos punch through neatly arranged hooks, while a buoyant swing underpins Jordan Pettay’s spirited alto solo. Johnson first recorded this piece with his big band in 1966.

Also by Johnson, “Lament” unfolds as a lyrical, expansive ballad of epic dimension that recalls Gil Evans’ orchestral maneuvers, one of Finzer’s touchstones. Those spectacular Evans-like timbres reappear in “The Guru”, originally heard on Cast of Characters (2020). With its rhythmic and harmonic brilliance, the piece weaves a mysterious mood through probing collisions and lush tapestries, highlighted by solos from trumpeter Anthony Hervey and Finzer himself. The colorful harmonic tapestries are offered by guitarist Alex Wintz and pianist Glenn Zaleski, respectively.

Another highlight is “We The People”, the dynamic opener from Hear & Now (2017), here reimagined by Jack Courtwright, Finzer’s notable graduate student at the University of North Texas. Freedom and collective consciousness permeate the music, magnified by inventive solos from trumpeter Chloe Rowlands, Pino, Wintz, and drummer Jimmy Macbride. That conversational fluidity of the improvisers continues on the closer, “Just Passed the Horizon”, where Wintz leads into Tony Lustig’s exuberant baritone statement and an invigorating collective jam that bursts with tonal color.  

The Jazz Orchestra Vol. 1 is a beautifully crafted album that brings Finzer’s A-game to the big band format. His dedication yields fresh surprises at every turn, and we never get tired of this unflagging ‘in the pocket’ drive, always carried out with a modern sensibility.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Say When ► 02 - The Guru ► 04 - We The People

Donny McCaslin - Lullaby For The Lost

Label: Edition Records, 2025

Personnel - Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Jason Lindner: synth, piano, electric piano (except #7,8); Ben Monder: guitar (#1,3,4,7,9); Ryan Dahle: electric guitar (#4); Tim Lefebvre: electric bass, synth, electric guitar (except #3); Jonathan Maron: electric bass (#3); Nate Wood: drums (#2,3,6); Zach Danziger: drums (#1,4,5,7,9); Mark Guiliana: drums (#8).

Eclectic as ever, saxophonist and composer Donny McCaslin showcases the breadth of his talent on Lullaby For the Lost, his second release on Edition Records. Lushly produced, the album steps away from his usual electronics-heavy, groove-driven style to embrace a more rock-oriented approach. McCaslin is joined by longtime collaborators Jason Lindner on keyboards and Tim Lefebvre on electric bass, and reunites with guitarist Ben Monder, whose singular brilliance lit up earlier albums like Soar (2006) and In Pursuit (2007). As in Blow (2018), three drummers take turns behind the kit: Nate Wood, Zach Danziger, and Mark Guiliana.

The album begins with “Wasteland,” a darkly elegiac piece steeped in atmospheric guitars and sustained chords. Danziger lays down a polyrhythm-inducing pattern, while McCaslin’s saxophone moans with sorrow and erupts with indignation. The track eventually mutates into a storm of alternative rock and metal, Monder’s guitar seizing the spotlight before volume swells, flickers, and arrhythmic jolts lead it into disorientation. Rage Against the Machine comes to mind.

“Solace” surprises in an optimistic R&B vein, its radiant melody counterbalanced by reflective ambient backdrops. McCaslin delivers a memorable, soulful improvisation, while Wood drives the groove into funk-rock territory with effusive drumming. The vamp at the end recalls Red Hot Chili Peppers. Wood also anchors “Tokyo Game Show”, a contemporary fusion full of sharp turns, influenced by electronica, funk, hip-hop, and rock. Here, we find the bandleader sprinting gleefully into the altissimo register. “Stately”, meanwhile, is a tender ballad introduced by Jonathan Maron’s expressive bass double-stops. 

The energy spikes on “Blond Crush”, a punk-tinged anthem recalling Green Day, with Monder, Lefebvre, and Ryan Dahle’s guitars charging ahead and Lindner’s synth erupting in brief bursts. The title track, initially inspired by Neil Young’s Le Noise (2010), unfolds as a powerhouse ballad built on calm chromatic moves. “KID”, a trio performance with Lefebvre and Guiliana, feels like a hybrid of New Wave and alternative electronic music, growing brawnier as it surges forward.

Invigorated by a distinctly modern sensibility, Lullaby For the Lost is a bold, exploratory, and deeply satisfying work—another testament to McCaslin’s restless creativity.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Wasteland ► 02 - Solace ► 06 - Tokyo Game Show ► 07 - Lullaby For the Lost

Henry Threadgill - Listen Ship

Label: Pi Recordings, 2025

Personnel - Henry Threadgill: composition, conduction; Bill Frisell: acoustic guitar; Miles Okazaki: acoustic guitar; Gregg Belisle-Chi: acoustic guitar; Brandon Ross: acoustic soprano guitar; Jerome Harris: acoustic bass guitar; Stomu Takeishi: acoustic bass guitar; Maya Keren: piano; Rahul Carlberg: piano.

On Listen Ship, the one-and-only American saxophonist and composer Henry Threadgill continues to write for ensembles he conducts without featuring him as a soloist. Enlisting a striking lineup, he ventures into bold chamber instrumentation—four acoustic guitars, two acoustic basses, and two pianos— revisiting the knotted intervallic system first explored in 1994 with Song Out of My Trees. To satisfy his needs for a crisp acoustic guitar section, he turned to Bill Frisell, Miles Okazaki, Gregg Belisle-Chi, and Brandon Ross, who provide both precision and enigmatic tones.

The longer pieces prove more captivating. “H” carries a Latin, tango-like undercurrent that feels both exotic and astonishing. “L” begins with contemplative harmonics before yielding to a guitar solo—breathable yet complex—that seems in constructive disagreement with the lyrical fabric woven earlier. “R” takes the group through unconventional routes, wandering across heaven and earth with flexible intent. 

Strings drive much of the album. “B” bursts with animated riffs and counterpoint between guitars and basses, while “F” spirals through abstraction in a restless rhythmic flux. “D” finds the guitars in a quirky, slightly dissonant folk communion, supported by bass plucks that double as percussion. By contrast, “E” is dramatic and suspenseful, showcasing the pianists in cooperative dialogue.

Threadgill’s signature balance of intricate composition and intuitive improvisation challenges his players, who respond with tonal color and different shades. At 81, he remains undeterred in expanding his already monumental legacy.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - B ► 08 - H ► 10 - L

Trio of Bloom - Trio of Bloom

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2025

Personnel - Craig Taborn: keyboards; Nels Cline: 6-string and 12-string guitars, lap steel guitar, bass; Marcus Gilmore: drums.

The extraordinary artistry of keyboardist Craig Taborn, guitarist Nels Cline, and drummer Marcus Gilmore bears fruit in their new project Trio of Bloom, which also marks their debut recording together. The idea for the group came from producer David Breskin, who envisioned echoes of The Power Tools, the one-off late-’80s trio of Bill Frisell, Melvin Gibbs, and Ronald Shannon Jackson.

Appropriately, the album opens with a piece by Jackson, “Nightwhistlers”. In their freestyle approach, Gilmore unleashes kinetic, arrhythmic throbs; Cline layers firm ostinatos, distorted harmonies, and sharp trills; while Taborn grounds it with plodding synth bass, electronic flourishes, and flickering drones. The piece closes with Cline and Taborn echoing the same chant. 

Taborn contributes two striking originals. “Unreal Light” begins in an ethereal haze before shifting into an African-inspired texture, his synth emulating xylophone timbres. “Why Canada” is spiky and avant-garde, driven by persistent motifs and sinuous rhythmic patterns. Gilmore’s “Breath” emerges as an atmospheric ballad that later gains momentum through his crisp snare and cymbal work, while the shape-shifting “Bloomers”—a free improvisation influenced by electronic music—moves from playful beats to prog-rock intensity.

Cline leaves his stamp with pieces tinged by alternative rock and funk. “Queen King” finds him doubling on bass, laying a funk foundation that ignites once his guitar takes center stage. “Eye Shadow Eye” begins as a spacious ballad with solos from Taborn and Cline, the latter channeling a 1970s blues-rock vibe reminiscent of Cream. “Forge”, an ambient-rock 3/4 excursion pushed forward by Gilmore’s ebullient drumming, grows darker and denser before segueing into “Bend It”, Terje Rypdal’s 1974 piece, which Cline funkifies on bass guitar.

Thinking outside the box, Trio of Bloom binds grooves, atmospherics, and inventive improvisation into a vibrant new sonic whole. Their intersections feel urgent and luminous, defying genre preconceptions with boldness and imagination.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Nightwhistlers ► 07 - Eye Shadow Eye ► 08 - Why Canada ► 09 - Forge

Carmen Staaf - Sounding Line

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2025

Personnel - Carmen Staaf: piano; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Ben Goldberg: clarinets; Darren Johnston: trumpet; Dillon Vado: vibraphone; John Santos: percussion; Hamir Atwal: drums.

In her latest album, Sounding Line, pianist and composer Carmen Staaf probes different lineups and approaches, reimagining the music of pianists Mary Lou Williams and Thelonious Monk as intimate ‘conversations’. Inspired by their friendship and shared musical sensibilities, Staaf revisits two Monk pieces and three Williams gems—respectful but never slavish—while adding two of her own.

Duets with the incomparable trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire bookend the album. Williams’ “Scorpio” is stripped down to a six-beat piano bass figure over which Akinmusire unfurls his rich lyricism and unmistakable tone before the duo slides seamlessly into a 4/4 blues. The closer, Staaf’s “The Water Wheel” conjures magic. There’s nowhere to hide in a piano/trumpet duet and yet their introspective, dreamlike aura feels so natural and captivating—a rare convergence of aural bliss. Akinmusire devastates with his lyrical intensity before the texture swells toward an emotional climax.

A delightful lightness pervades Williams’s “Libra”, whose mix of poignancy and radiance is reinforced by clarinetist Ben Goldberg. The thoughtful piano comping and well-coordinated passages help rising the emotional levels. Goldberg is even more prominent on “Koolbonga”, an exotic Williams blues where he makes the bass clarinet groove with an agitated simmer. Presented in a quintet format, it brings trumpeter Darren Johnston and vibist Dillon Vado—here on tambourine—into tight coordination with Staaf and drummer Hamir Atwal.

The Monk selections are equally inspired. “Bye-Ya” features percussionist John Santos in a groovy dance designed with a peculiar lilt, harmonic sophistication, and quirky intervallic melodicism. “Monk’s Mood”, atmospherically rendered in rubato mode, has its theme built with Vado’s airy vibes.

Staaf’s “Boiling Point”, inspired by Monk’s “Shuffle Boil”, toys with tempo shifts, featuring solos from Johnston, who employs slick jazzy lines, and Staaf, who ventures fearlessly across Goldberg’s clarinet foundation and Atwal’s flickering brushwork.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Scorpio ► 03 - Libra ► 07 - The Water Wheel

Nadav Remez - Summit

Label: Outside In Music, 2025

Personnel - Nadav Remez: guitar; Gregory Tardy: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Guy Moskovich: piano; Ben Tiberio: bass; David Sirkis: drums.

It’s not uncommon for a musician’s most personal to also become an artistic triumph, driven sincerity, effort, and honesty. That’s the case with Israeli guitarist and composer Nada Remez, whose sophomore album, Summit, places him in the company of American saxophonist Greg Tardy, pianist Guy Moskovich, bassist Ben Tiberio, and drummer David Sirkis. The program features eight Remez originals, written over the pat two decades, alongside three covers.

With a clean tone and resolute attack, Remez opens with “The Awakening”, a mature, layered piece that causes frisson at every turn. A solo piano prelude yields to a bass melody, the drums fortify the atmosphere, and the saxophone guides sumptuous melodic paths with the aid of the guitar. It’s as if John Abercrombie’s magic guitarism met a modal slice of Jewish folk, briefly disrupted by contemporary effects.

The quintet reimagines Yedidia Admon’s “Shedemati”, a century-old agricultural song, with sharp focus and modal enchantment. Entrancing bass lines launch solos from Remez, who colors under a swinging backdrop; Tardy, whose phrases weave in and out without losing narrative articulation; and Moskovich, who, catching Tardy’s solo tail, develops from there his own ideas.

Marked by epic expansiveness and exploratory drive, “Hephaestus” unfolds as an odd-metered contemporary klezmer before Tardy’s blazing solo. On Noam Sheriff’s “Hinach Yaffa Raayati”, harmony and rhythm are laid down with a modern feel, with the luminous main melody fronting a well-developed theme. The group shows cohesiveness, riding sequences of 16-beat cycles with joy and purpose. 

Remez’s compositions demand both skill and sensitivity, qualities the group embodies fully on “Beyond!”, with its asymmetric form and the bandleader’s hypnotic, patiently built solo. Remez trades ideas with Tardy on the title track, while the saxophonist also shines on the closer, “Adon Olam”, a traditional Jewish prayer lifted into spiritual resonance. 

Authentic and deeply personal, Remez’s style radiates integrity. Summit not only showcases his voice but also the remarkable chemistry and talent of his quintet.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Awakening ► 02 - Shedemati ► 04 - Hephaestrus ► 09 - Beyond!

Johnathan Blake - My Life Matters

Label: Blue Note Records, 2025

Personnel - Dayna Stephens: tenor and soprano saxophone, EWI; Jalen Baker: vibraphone; Fabian Almazan: piano, electronics; Dezron Douglas: upright and electric bass; DJ Jahi Sundane: turntables (#1,9); Bilal: vocals (#4,14); Johna Blake: additional electric bass (#13); Muna Blake: spoken word (#6); Johnathan Blake: drums, cymbals.

In his third album for Blue Note Records, drummer/composer Johnathan Blake—long regarded as a rhythm architect and prominent figure in the scene—delivers an adventurous and deeply personal musical statement that addresses racial injustice. Leading a core quintet with saxophonist Dayna Stephens, vibraphonist Jalen Baker, pianist Fabian Almazan, and bassist Dezron Douglas, Blake presents a 14-track suite comprising six expansive compositions and eight interludes that serve as canvases for solo or duo explorations.

“Broken Drum Circle For the Forsaken” opens with DJ Jahi Sundance’s turntables and samples entwined with Blake’s vivid, wide-ranging drumming, which also commands the solo piece “Can You Hear Me?”, a clattering, booming outcry of skins and cymbals.

“Last Breath”—a tribute to Eric Garner, murdered by chokehold—moves in 5/4, beautifully delineated by Baker’s vibes for an airy, intimate feel. There’s a high-flying solo by Stephens on EWI, followed by a 4/4 swinging motion that accommodates Baker’s solo, before returning to its original current for Almazan’s persuasive discourse. Longer works such as “My Life Matters” and “Can Tomorrow Be Brighter” highlight Blake’s sharp compositional intellect alongside the quintet’s formidable execution. The former—a warhorse professed with affirmation, energy, and plenty of groovy fantasy—is lifted by Stephens and Baker’s soulfully improvised exchanges as well as Almazan’s versatile pianism within a subtly Latinized passage rich in harmonic counterpoint; the latter piece, delivered in five and propelled by an urgent bass groove and excellent percussion work, climaxes with Stephens, who leaves orbit with a delightful tenor statement.

Almazan introduces the ballad “Requiem For Dreams Shattered” with a solo piano oratorio and electronics, later opting for a string of catchy riffs in his testimony. Guest vocalist Bilal deepens the impact, while Stephens adds an emotionally charged soprano saxophone solo.

The interlude “I Still Have a Dream” pairs Douglas’ bass pizzicato with Muna Blake’s spoken word—the poem is by her mother, Rio Sakairi. “That Which Kills Us Makes Us What?” is a haunting EWI eulogy that makes an impression. In turn, “We’ll Never Know” is a fulfilling waltz rooted in soul and gospel, channeling echoes of Ray Charles and Billy Joel while keeping hope alive.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Last Breath ► 07 - My Life Matters ► 11 - Can Tomorrow Be Brighter

Ariel Bart - After Silence

Label: Self released, 2025

Personnel - Ariel Bart: harmonica; Talia Erdal: cello; Arseny Rykov: piano.

After two albums under her belt, Berlin-based harmonica player Ariel Bart debuts an unusual bass-less, drum-less trio—active for the past three years—with cellist Talia Erdal and pianist Arseny Rykov, narrating heartfelt stories with uncanny musical empathy. In After Silence, she invites us to explore what lies beneath the surface, urging attention to detail and to what’s often hidden.

The title track, “After Silence”, sets the tone as a melancholy opening statement. “Wind From the North” leans on tastefully supportive piano anchored in a relentless odd-metered pulse, with Bart’s solo radiating emotional resonance at every turn. The whole piece carries a mesmerizing poignancy.

Cello and harmonica share parts of the melody on the captivating “Oath”, whose relaxing sonorities flow seamlessly into “Behind Windows”. The latter offers a fine piano solo and mellifluous cello-harmonica unisons. Lyricism abounds here, tinged with gentle romanticism and spiritual significance.

Erdal’s cello cries adorn “Seeds of Change”, in another profound reflection. And by listening to Bart’s solo on “One Warrior”, one can attest she’s a worthy voice in the chromatic harmonica lineage of Toots Thielemans and Gregoire Maret. She plays with striking fluency, supported by Rykov’s elegant comping. “Don’t Forget Us When the War is Over” follows as a plaintive chamber piece delivered with poise and command. 

The Ariel Bart Trio crafts a unified sound and mood that extends across the album with intimacy and coherence. Meditative in nature yet rich in feeling, the music resonates with sheer emotion.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Wind From the North ► 03 - Oath ► 05 - One Warrior

Freedom Art Quartet - First Dance

Label: Freedom Art Records, 2025

Personnel - Alfredo Colón: tenor saxophone; Omar Kabir: trumpet; Adam Lane: bass; Lloyd Haber: drums.

Freedom Art Quartet returns more than two decades after debuting with Spirits Awake. The collective, formed in 1991 by drummer Lloyd Haber—who pens all compositions—and trumpeter Omar Kabir, delivers its latest eight-track album, First Dance. It’s a myriad of influences—from Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, and Art Ensemble of Chicago to Freddie Hubbard, Mingus, and Miles—brimming with rhythmic intensity and improvisational acumen within an explosive freebop context. Joining the founders for the first time are seasoned bassist Adam Lane and rising saxophonist Alfredo Colón, replacing Jaribu Shahid and Abraham Burton, respectively.

“Counterbalance” opens with swinging eloquence, tenacious ostinatos delivered with fierce counterpoint, and rhythmic shifts. Colón blows with enthusiastic devotion and crisp articulation while Kabir backfires with unexpected lines and tones. “Stop Watch”, another exciting piece, thrives on a terrific bass figure, blending freebop and funk with dramatic improvisational turns from the horns.

“U.S. Blues Inc.” is an asymmetrical blues that closes with heavy arco bass musings. The bluesy spirit lingers on “Interpretation”, where Haber’s tappy snare clatter colors rather than drives, as groovy nuances thread the polyrhythmic piece.

Stretching nearly 13 minutes, “Song For the Old Ones” shows the group in effortless communication within a more melodic vernacular. Lane shapes a fluid bass discourse before joining Haber in the unpretentious Latin tinge of the closing theme. The title cut, “First Dance”, wraps the album as it began—with dazzling rhythms giving Lane and Haber a rigorous workout, bursts of horn energy, and pockets of deconstruction that shift the dynamics.

First Dance locks into deep-pocket grooves, hurtling into bright themes and cathartic releases with a sound that feels both familiar and new.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Counterbalance ► 02 - Stop Watch ► 08 - First Dance

Tomas Fujiwara - Dream Up

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2025

Personnel- Tomas Fujiwara: drums, composition; Patricia Brennan: vibraphopne; Tim Keiper: ngoni, calabash, temple blocks, timbale, djembe, castanets, balafon, found objects; Kaoru Watanabe: o-jimedaiko, uchiwadaiko, shimedaiko, shinobue.

Drummer and composer Tomas Fujiwara leads a powerful experimental quartet of kindred spirits, capable of propulsive rhythms and stunning textures. His Percussion Quartet features other three virtuosos: the widely praised vibraphonist Patricia Brennan and percussionists Tim Keiper and Kaoru Watanabe. Keiper also plays the African string instrument ngoni, while Watanabe brings the shinobue, a Japanese transversal bamboo flute. Fujiwara—who spent five years with the percussion collective Stomp—composed all the contagiously forward-reaching pieces, bridging drummer Max Roach’s percussion ensemble M’Boom with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s exquisite Blue Note gems of the ’60s and ’70s. Still, the music here extends far beyond those influences.

The title track, “Dream Up”, opens with a 12-beat ngoni cycle that sets a mysterious tone. Assured vibraphone runs and shifting textures introduce harmonic movement and melodic reflection, while intricate percussion injects depth and fantasy. “Mobilize” follows with march-like determination, combining odd meter, a martial stance, and epic spirit. The added cymbals in its final section give extra punch to a piece so rhythmically tight it moves like a single organism, in a fluid, synchronized dance of motion and sound.

“Komorebi”, evokes the gentle reflection of sunlight through shinobue’s whooshing tones and Japanese drums. The group explores abstract terrain, tension mounting through Fujiwara’s tom-driven pulse while Brennan’s probing vibes bring moments of calm discovery. “Recollection of a Dance” kicks off with an exhilarating 4/4 rhythm before shifting in key and tempo into 7/4. Watanabe’s soaring flute elevates the celebratory mood in a piece that blends avant-garde intensity with nu-jazz fluidity, surging to a climactic finish.

“Columns of Leaning Paint” displays polyrhythm stamina, while “Tapestry” highlights deep communication among the four musicians, shifting in tone, tempo, and posture, with Brennan pushing and pulling throughout the firm tides of the percussionists. Her crystalline thematic statement at the end lingers well beyond the track. The album closes with “You Don’t Have to Try”, initially featuring vibraphone and calabash perfectly in sync before adding ngoni and cymbals for a more intense flavor. This piece reaches further spiritual meaning by displaying balladic, lullaby-ish effects in its melodic tract and instrumentation.

Fully in command of his vision, Fujiwara thrives on rhythmic intelligence, dazzling virtuosity, and fearless imagination. With this ensemble, he shows one foot planted in folk tradition and the other firmly in 21st-century innovation.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Mobilize ► 05 - Recollection of a Dance ► 08 - Tapestry

Nils Petter Molvaer - Khmer Live in Bergen

Label: Edition Records, 2025

Personnel - Nils Petter Molvær: trumpet; Eivind Aarset: guitar, electronics; Jan Bang: live sampling; Pål «Strangefruit» Nyhus: DJ, MPC programming; Audun Erlien: bass; Per Lindvall: drums; Rune Arnesen: drums, percussion.

Serious-minded Norwegian trumpeter and composer Nils Petter Molvær has long stood at the vanguard of eclectic, experimental music, defying preconceptions through immersive, genre-bending soundscapes with a heavy emphasis on groove and ambiance. His new album with his revitalized band Khmer is a modernist reinvention of older works—most drawn from the group’s landmark debut Khmer (ECM, 1997)—performed live in Bergen.

“Song of Sand” floods the speakers with a hip-hop beat and sampling. A trance-like bass groove supports Molvær’s relaxed trumpet lines, modulated with synth effects, before guitarist Eivind Aarset steps forward, weaving moody textures, exploratory lines, and noise-rock ambiances. “Platonic Years” opens with rhythmic ebb and flow, evolving into a Beastie Boys–like beat that undergirds haunting atmospherics. The trumpet rises above melodic bass figures until a key change pivots the piece from ambient drift to fusion fire. At this point, Aarset’s wah guitar delivers irresistible funky chops.

The reflective “Kakonita” unfolds as a spiritual sonic canvas, balancing shadows and light, while “Ligotage” takes the form of an ambient dub exercise that thickens with time. “Vilderness” also channels dub through Audun Erlien’s fat bass lines, but its danceable quality stems from a New Wave energy, anchored by a propulsive Krautrock backbeat.

Equally dance-inclined, “Solid Ether” feels like a Pat Metheny crossover voyage, yet with funkier, more electronic inflections that push it into acid-rock psychedelia. The penultimate track, “Tløn”, traverses shifting gradients of density and abstraction, sculpted with experimental EDM designs.

Varied yet coherent, this music highlights the progressive vision of a band whose aural chiaroscuro remains impactful. Nothing here is dull—Molvær continues to spin wondrous, multilayered soundscapes for a modern, creative nu-jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Song Of Sand ► 02 - Platonic Years ► 05 - Vilderness ► 06 - Solid Ether

Fieldwork - Thereupon

Label: Pi Recordings, 2025

Personnel - Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Vijay Iyer: piano, Fender Rhodes; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Fieldwork, a hard-charging contemporary jazz trio of ingenious, top-tier musicians, improvisers, and bandleaders, returns with its fourth album. Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman dazzles with tidal attacks that shift in and out of focus; pianist Vijay Iyer sculpts into the open field with vaulting textures and patterns in his deep-focus comping; and drummer Tyshawn Sorey powers the music forward like a rhythmic engine, keeping everything on the edge.

Iyer’s “Propaganda” opens with raw inspiration, driven by the tart angularity of fragmented saxophone lines and propelled by intricate, accelerated drum work. The piano’s agility shines across registers. Also penned by Iyer, “Evening Rite” thrives with buoyant gaiety and a magnetic pulse, while “Fire City” brims with feral lyricism and saturated sound, its bittersweet dissonances ultimately resolving into melodic consonance. 

Each piece rivets, with the trio pouring sweat-filled, bruising passion into music that disrupts traditional jazz forms. Perplexing mathematical tangles surface in Lehman’s “Embracing Difference”, where the saxist works closely with Iyer while Sorey grooves with rampant impulsivity. Odd meters and hectic lines create a sound at once pugilistic and balletic. “Domain” follows enigmatic paths of cinematic grandeur, with Lehman soaring into the upper register with laser-like precision over fertile, odd-metered terrain.

Iyer adds Rhodes on two selections: Lehman’s “Fantóme”, which tests the trio’s improvisational powers, and his own “The Night Before”, a rare reprieve from cathartic intensity—melodic, harmonically radiant, and ballad-adjacent. Between them sits the high-wire “Thereupon”, where shifting meters and speed variations play a central role. 

Fieldwork’s advanced musical language continues to carve out a singular path of boundless creativity. Probing the enigmatic edges of groove, their inventive oddities reward close listening, where febrile detail emerges at every turn. Like its predecessors, Thereupon is a must-have.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Propaganda ► 02 - Embracing Difference ► 05 - Domain

Aruán Ortiz - Créole Renaissance

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Aruán Ortiz: piano.

Cuban pianist Aruán Ortiz, who thrives on the avant-garde side of the jazz spectrum, brings a cocktail of influences into his new solo album, Créole Renaissance. Equally at ease with contemporary classical music, free/experimental jazz, and his Afro-Cuban roots, Ortiz operates in his natural mode of abstract lyricism, filled with genre-defying undercurrents and elusive pulses. Yet, this album doesn’t quite reach the heights of his previous solo outing, Cub(an)ism (Intakt, 2017).

“L’Etudiant Noir”—a reference to the Paris-based journal that signaled the awakening of racial consciousness—opens with stark timbral contrasts, blending upper and lower registers in striking counterpoint. Fragmentation is key to the narrative, coming to the fore on “The Haberdasher”, where stylistic pointillism is delivered with a laid-back informality.

Based on Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady”, “Seven Aprils in Paris” unfolds within a murky, mysterious sonic radius, built on constructive ambiguity. It lingers melancholically until finally opening up harmonically in its closing section. More compelling is “Lo Que Yo Quiero Es Chan Chan”, inspired by Cuban trovador Compay Segundo’s classic. Its riffs, subtly shaped yet unmistakable, ebb and flow with hushed sensitivity.

“The Great Camouflage” dwells in silences and suspended slow motions, while “Legitimate Defense” thrives on agitation and rising motifs. Meanwhile, “Deuxieme Miniature”, stands out with its catchy figures, rhythmically underpinned by robust chordal sequences.

Never abandoning the fragile impressionism that defines Créole Renaissance, Ortiz leaves the listener in a state of contemplative stillness. Still, a greater infusion of energized passages and momentum-driven thrusts would have provided a stronger balance to the prevailing reflective quietness.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - L’Etudiant Noir ► 07 - Deuxieme Miniature ► 10 - Lo Que Yo Quiero Es Chan Chan

Jacob Garchik - Ye Olde 2: At The End of Time

Label: Yestereve Records, 2025

Personnel - Jacob Garchik; trombone; Brandon Seabrook: guitar; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Jonathan Goldberger: guitar, baritone guitar; Vinnie Sperrazza: drums + Ava Mendoza: guitar; Sean Moran: guitar; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Josh Dion: drums.

Trombonist and composer Jacob Garchik returns with his eccentrically futuristic, hard-nosed collective Ye Olde, a guitar-centric sci-fi jazz act featuring two quartets - Ye Olde and Simulacrus (the resurrected version of the former) - inspired by the Omega Point, Spinal Tap, fascinating concepts in science and sci-fi, and Hungarian contemporary classical composer György Ligeti. Ye Olde 2: At The End of Time arrives a decade after the release of Ye Olde (Yestereve, 2015), prompting a smile of wonderment as it channels a distinctive compositional style that feels entirely unique.

“One Can Only Go Up” opens the album in scalar form, with a rising two-octave scale played on on Barndon Seabrook’s 12-string electric guitar. Multiple layers accumulate with both power and logic, and Mary Halvorson solos over a rock-driven backbeat. This is fusion in the truest sense—drawing on Mahavishnu Orchestra, contemporary classical, and avant-garde jazz. Garchik closes the piece with an abrasive improvisation. A similar concept drives “Omega Point”, only this time the scale moves downward. This singable, euphoric 8-beat sequence later stretches by an extra beat, following scorching solos from Miles Okazaki and Ava Mendoza over two contrasting textures.

The masterful harmonic turns of “Transcending Time” take shape through the pointillistic regularity of Seabrook’s acoustic guitar and Garchik’s delayed trombone tremolos. It unfolds as a 10-beat cycle, a medieval folk-rock meditation that recalls King Crimson and Jethro Tull, but heavier. It reaches a climax in heavy-metal fashion, with Jonathan Goldberger’s baritone guitar executed with unswerving tenacity. “Exo Microbiology” boasts a punk-like theme that is both complex and danceable. Seabrook and Goldberger improvise, the former with energetic atonality, the latter with jagged, shredding force.

Embracing a glorious chill-out transformation, “Dyson Spheres” is anchored by Vinnie Sperrazza’s syncopated, downtempo rhythm, with Halvorson’s sparse chords layered above. The delivers a solo that proves it’s not only about technique and effects but also about emotion. Before the funk-rock vibes of the Zappa-esque “Ye Olde vs Simulacrus”, where the two quartets interact in battle, there is still room for 16th-century Italian composer Giorgio Mainerio’s “Caro Ortolano”, a stubby church music piece reimagined here as a rock fanfare.

Forging experimental and transformative paths in modern music, Garchik takes risks and wins, achieving new heights of both virtuosity and imagination. Ye Olde 2: At The End of Time is a revolutionary album that lifts us out of this world and into an adventurous future realm.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - One Can Only Go Up ► 02 - Transcending Time ► 05 - Dyson Spheres ► 07 - Omega Point

Dan Rosenboom - Coordinates

Label: Orenda Records, 2025

Personnel - Dan Rosenboom: trumpet, piccolo, flugelhorn; Jake Vossler: guitar; Jerry Watts Jr.: electric bass; Caleb Dolister: drums; Katisse Buckingham: flutes (# 5); Gavin Templeton: alto and baritone saxophone (#2,6,7); Nicole McCabe: alto saxophone (#3); Brian Walsh: contralto clarinet (#3,8); Jon Stehney: bassoon (#4, 8); Laura Brenes: horn (#5,9) Katie Faraudo: horn (#5,9) Ryan Dragon: trombone (#3,5,9) Steve Suminski: trombone (#5,9) Steve Trapani: bass trombone (#5,9) Doug Tornquist: tuba (#5,9); Wade Culbreath: vibraphone, marimba (#3,5,7,9); Gloria Cheng: piano; Jeff Babko: Fender Rhodes (#2); Joshua White: piano (#7); Petri Korpela: percussion; Jacquline Kerrod: harp (#4); Lauren Elizabeth Baba: viola (#6); Miguel Atwood-Ferguson: 5-string electric violin (#7); Michael Valerio: contrabass (#4) + The Lyris Quartet; strings (#4,9).

Following the quintet album Polarity, a contemporary masterpiece released in 2023, Coordinates marks another remarkable outing from trumpeter and composer Dan Rosenboom whose commitment to breaking boundaries in jazz expands here through a powerful and cohesive aggregation of 28 players drawn from the LA jazz scene and Hollywood film recording studios. Taking four years to write and produce, the album—shaped by numerology—ventures across multiple genres and meter signatures. 

Over the course of “Coordinate 1: Many Worlds, Many Dances”, the ensemble dives into funk territory, allowing an enthralling groove to unfold orgamnically. Horn consonance gives way to a trumpet solo that feels both conversational and expansive, framed by coordinated passages and buoyed by incisive drumming. “Coordinate 2: Apophis” opens with Brian Walsh’s resonant contralto clarinet and Jake Vossler’s protean guitar, building toward rhythmic agitation against a defiant metal backdrop that shifts with each soloist.

“Coordinate 3: Syzygy” highlights Katisse Buckingham’s flute in the foreground. It’s a rock-driven piece delivered with muscular punch, epic scope, and fierce resolve. Rosenboom responds with an obliquely thoughtful solo over a dense, hard-bitten texture. The band’s carefully coded sound turns darker on “Coordinate 5: Hyperion”, a moody chamber spell whose structural dynamism is etched with strings courtesy of The Lyris Quartet.

Alongside the five ‘coordinate’ works, four additional compositions broaden the palette. Standouts include “Josephine’s Dream”, a delicate waltz featuring gracefully arpeggiated harp and strings, and “Oracles”, a funk-rock excursion powered by pianist Joshua White’s outside playing over an odd-metered prog-rock foundation.

Rosenboom’s return brims with fresh-start urgency, charting a course through environments alive with rhythmic jabs and stabs. Through open platforms—sharply informed by funk, rock, jazz, and metal—he unveils a host of new tricks up his sleeve. 

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Coordinate 1: Many Worlds, Many Dances ► 03 - Coordinate 2: Apophis ► 07 - Oracles

Jim Black & The Shrimps - Better You Don't

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Asger Nissen: alto saxophone; Julius Gawlik: tenor saxophone; Felix Henkelhausen: bass; Jim Black: drums.

Highly influenced by alternative rock, avant-garde jazz, and electronic music, American drummer Jim Black has explored countless group configurations alongside a wide range of artists. His 12th recording of original songs, Better You Don’t, is his second with The Shrimps—a sharp, eruptive Berlin-based trio featuring Danish altoist Asger Nissen and German musicians Julius Gawlik on tenor saxophone and Felix Henkelhausen on bass.

The buoyant “The Sheila” captures Black’s subversive knack for rock-inflected textures, channeling raw energy and spontaneity. These qualities come alive through a motorik-like rhythm that heightens kineticism, a sturdy, funky bass groove, and loose, creative saxophone lines that may align briefly before splitting apart to interact freely. “Better You Don’t” and “Backtracks” follow a similar path—indie rock-leaning tracks powered by muscular drumming and energetic solos that never lose sight of melody.

“OK Yrself’ is an expressive, communicative ballad shaded by cymbal restraint. Black extends that sophistication across the kit, crafting a chamber jazz mood steeped in mournful tones before opening toward hope in the final saxophone improvisation. “Cane Di Male”, introduced by dark bass-and-drum contours, arrives with plenty of saxophone obliqueness, evolving into a punk-rock demeanor marked by sturdy bass lines, nimble drum fills, and occasional kick-drum surges.

While “Stone Placid” unfolds conversationally within an open framework— its ending enlivened by phenomenal percussion under sustained horn drones— “Actually Probably Matters” thrives on jostling horn interplay, with the saxophonists soaring in playful upper-register zigzags. Occasional multiphonics emerge before Nissen and Gawlik consolidate the melody over a robust swinging rhythm.

Always thought-provoking and firmly contemporary, Jim Black and his Shrimps show how their rapport has deepened through mutual dedication to the music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Sheila ► 04 - OK Yrself ► 06 - Cane Di Male ► 09 - Actually Probably Matters

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (Exit) Knarr - Drops

Label: Sonic Transmissions Records, 2025

Personnel - Karl Hjalmar Nyberg: tenor saxophone, electronics; Amalie Dahl: alto saxophone; Marta Warelis: piano, electronics; Jonathan F. Horne: guitar; Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: bass; Olaf Olsen: drums; Mette Rasmussen: alto saxophone (#1); Veslemøy Nervesen: drums (#1).

Free-spirited Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten returns with his remarkable (Exit) Knarr project, whose lineup has shifted multiple times since its 2022 debut. On the group’s third studio album, Drops, the now-stable sextet sees a few changes from Breezy (2024), with altoist Amalie Dahl and pianist Marta Warelis replacing Mette Rasmussen and Oscar Grönberg, respectively. He has also removed trumpet from the instrumentation, incorporating heavier doses of electronics to achieve an overwhelming realization of his experimental, post-modern jazz vision. Graphic scores—an unconventional notation learned from Mats Gustafsson and Anthony Braxton—were also introduced.

The opene, a thought-provoking deconstruction of Wayne Shorter’s “Deluge”, expands the group to an octet with the return of former members Rasmussen and drummer Veslemøy Nervesen. The piece brims with the methodical, slashing guitar chords of Jonathan F. Horne, who layers jarring harmonies over a vibrant rhythmic mesh of bass and drums. Coiled saxophone extemporizations fill the spaces left from the main idea, leading to a tense, abstract passage marked by chromatic bass motion and daring piano gestures. Buzzing swarms of sound, squeaking and growling reeds, and primal drumming emerge, with electronics lending a stratospheric dimension that lingers until the fade-out. 

If that rendition surprises, the closer, “Austin Vibes” (Håker Flaten has been based in Austin, Texas, since 2009), is a quirky yet catchy fusion of electro-avant-jazz tweaked by tenorist and electronic artist Karl Hjalmar Nyberg. Together with Dahl, he fires scorching blasts before the piece concludes with the swagger of a triumphant march. In contrast, the title track, “Drops”, feels like slow-mo chamber music, subtly stirred by Warelis’ fleet-footed piano notes falling in the background.

The richly textured “Kanón”, written for drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, opens with percussion turned persistent snare ruffs and long sax notes reworked with flickering motions. A central figure emerges from bass and guitar, while drummer Olaf Olsen answers the call with equal precision. Nyberg’s saxophone improvisation is both acrobatic and forceful, though the mood softens into moments of serenity underscored by walking bass and understated drumming. At this juncture, Horne and Dahl are free to explore while Warelis drifts in and out, releasing stylish cascades of notes. The swing intensifies, shifting into an odd-metered vamp before the final electro-punk rave that closes out the piece.

Håker Flaten orchestrates with a singular touch, displaying an exquisite sense of form. Drops is one of those albums better absorbed than analyzed—yet unquestionably essential for adventurous jazz listeners.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Deluge ► 03 - Kanon

Linda May Han Oh - Strange Heavens

Label: Biophilia Records, 2025

Personnel - Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

The power of the jazz trio is strongly felt on Strange Heavens, the new outing from acclaimed bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh. This 12-track recording finds the bassist teaming up with drummer Tyshawn Sorey, her rhythmic partner in the Vijay Iyer Trio, and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, an exceptional narrative builder who also appeared on her debut trio album Entry (2009).

With each track reflecting Oh’s distinct personality, the album opens with “Portal”, inspired by the stress-inducing nature of today’s social media. A driving bass figure sets the journey in motion, soon joined by delicate trumpet lines and crisp drumming, advancing with rhythmic nuance and melodic breath. The melancholic and moody title track, “Strange Heavens”, stands in contrast to “Living Proof”, which—drawn from her mother’s life story—comes with a rougher attitude, blending punk rock pugnacity with the iridescent hues of modern jazz.

Each members plays with overt virtuosity, crafting a flexible framework where dynamic interplay and solo statements are open to exploration. “The Sweetest Water” is one such piece, hitting hard with limpid trumpet melodicism over astute bass work and tireless drum buoyancy. Other examples include “Home” and “Paperbirds”, two of four compositions inspired by Australian author Shaun Tan’s graphic novel The Arrival. The former—infectious, complex, and ever-shifting—ventures into avant-garde and free territory, while the latter sustains a sense of flow and spontaneity regardless of the unusual time signatures.

“Noise Machinery” is a deliciously groovy number infused with funk, rock, and R&B elements, underscoring the trio’s shared wavelength. Their gift for abstraction shines, and the rendition of late pianist Geri Allen’s “Skin” reaches an exceptional polyrhythmic level with thoughtful push-pull undercurrents. In turn, trombonist Melba Liston’s “Just Waiting”, a softly brushed lullaby, closes the album with the soulful elegance of a timeless jazz standard.

By the time the album draws to a close, listeners are caught in an inescapable musical web, drawn by a creative triangulation rooted in raw, honest interplay. This marks a brilliant return for Oh to the trio format.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Portal ► 03 - Living Proof ► 06 - Noise Machinery ► 11 - Skin