Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns - Bitches Blues

Label: Runne Grammofon, 2026

Personnel - Hedvig Mollestad: guitar; Ståle Storløkken: organ, synth; Ole Mofjell: drums.

With Bitches Blues—a clear nod to Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew—powerhouse Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad explores terrain that is noticeably less abrasive than on her previous releases. Her working trio has earned deserved recognition through both electrifying live performances and consistently balanced albums. Here, she leads her Weejuns trio with drummer Ole Mofjell and Elephant9 keyboardist Ståle Storløkken. Yet this second outing—a follow-up to Weejuns (2023)—doesn’t quite match the vitality of its predecessor, often feeling emotionally distant and strangely restrained. 

The title track, “Bitches Blues”, opens the album with a disciplined combination of funk, metal, and blues incisions. It is followed by “Compete Blir”, which lowers the temperature considerably, settling into a subdued psychedelic mood shaped by a steady slow-beat pulse, synth whispers, and anguished guitar cries.

“For a Moment I Thought I Could Hear You” drifts through an asymmetric, free-floating stream, while the rubato “Limite” unfolds patiently through bleak, depressive textures sculpted by organ, guitar, and drums, sketching faint melodic contours in the shadows. “Dynamax” injects more urgency into the record—a psychedelic power-metal excursion driven by a cyclical 5/4 groove. Mollestad unleashes a screeching guitar solo against expansive organ swells, while Mofjell’s prog-rock-informed drumming machinery propels the piece from below.

“Recollection of Sorrow” closes the album in an abstract ballad mode, featuring clean guitar tones and cymbal effervescence that, despite their translucence, push thin lyrical thread. Technically accomplished yet rarely exhilarating, Bitches Blues leaves the impression of an album that could have dug deeper emotionally and texturally in order to achieve a more compelling result.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Bitches Blues ► 05 - Dynamax

Jo Berger Myhre - Penta

Label: Rare Noise Records, 2026

Personnel - Jo Berger Myhre: double bass, 8-string bass guitar, drum machine, additional synths; Morten Qvenild:  hyper(sonal), grand piano, synthesizers; Kaveh Mahmudiyan: tombak, daf, bandır; Jo David Meyer Lysne: guitars, una corda piano, electromagnets; Synnøve Sætre Hveem: vocals.

Norwegian bassist and composer Jo Berger Myhre approaches patterns, drones, and general ideas with curiosity on Penta, his third release for Rare Noise Records. The album, where cultures and disciplines intersect with remarkable fluidity, reunites the core quartet from Live Maneuvers (2023). Myhre specifically composed this music with keyboardist Morten Qvenild, percussionist Kaveh Mahmudiyan, and guitarist Jo David Meyer Lysne in mind, and their contributions become essential to the album’s immersive arc. Guest vocalist Synnøve Sætre Hveem appears on two tracks, adding further textural depth.

“Theme and Variations” opens by weaving emotional tapestries through piano, understated percussion, and bass, all suspended against a grainy white-noise backdrop. The piece feels like a meeting point between Olivier Messiaen and Philip Glass. “Abyss in B-flat Minor”, a tribute to Norwegian shoegaze band Serena Maneesh, unfolds like a meditation steeped in longing, while “Solo Improvisation”, with Myhre stepping fully into the foreground, provides one of the album’s finest moments—deeply grounded, introspective, and rich in tonal nuance.

Myhre, who alternates between acoustic bass—often played arco—and a vintage Hagström eight-string bass guitar, uses chordal textures and dexterous fingerpicking to broaden the music’s sonic possibilities. “Augmentation in G-flat” moves through a 5/8 pulse, combining radiant guitar currents, counterintuitive piano splashes, and astral synth effects while Hveem’s ethereal vocals occasionally merge with the keyboard’s lower register. Its fusion of jazz, ambient textures, and world-music inflections gradually dissolves into a floating atmosphere.

“Ancohemitonic Turn of Events” feels simultaneously ritualistic and spontaneous, incorporating syncopated drum machines, resonant bowed bass, and acidic synth bursts into a globally inflected electronic soundscape enriched by rhythmic noodling and whistled melodies. The album closes with “Ending on a Low Note”, whose title aptly reflects its poignant and mournful character. Small percussive eruptions and subtly Eastern melodic contours shape a lament of quiet emotional power.

Myhre’s music pulses with a vital, searching energy, exploring the fragile spaces between breath and sound. His patterned imprints, often reinforced by adapt post-production, casts an occasional spell.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Augmentation in G flat ► 03 - Abyss in B-flat minor ► 05 - Solo Improvisation

Alexander Hawkins - No Nation But Imagination

Label: Intakt Records, 2026

Personnel - Alexander Hawkins: piano, synthesizer, sampler; Rhodri Davies: harp; Hamid Drake: drums; Nicole Mitchell: flute; Matthew Wright: turntables, live sampling.

With No Nation But Imagination, British pianist and composer Alexander Hawkins delivers a radical and fascinatingly complex work that may leave listeners wondering how its intertwining layers of piano, synths, harp, flute, drums, turntables, and samples fit together so naturally. Yet Hawkins—already proven capable of leading large ensembles (Togetherness Music) and engaging in adventurous duos with cellist Tomeka Reid, saxophonist Evan Parker, and vocalist Sofia Jernberg—continues to push boundaries, reshaping the language of modern improvised music through another ambitious and experimental undertaking.

“Solo Way Far Gone” opens the album in a restrained glide, its slightly distorted synth waves evoking obscure Sun Ra recordings. The real enchantment begins with “Resolution Each and Every”, a hypnotic Afro-jazz-rock excursion driven by a tight backbeat, magnetic groove, and chant-like flute lines. Drummer Hamid Drake constantly reshapes the rhythmic terrain, at times merging hip-hop-inflected pulses with echoes of global musical traditions.

“Mirror No Border” thrives on incisive abstraction and staccato-driven attacks. Expansive in its instrumental convergences, the piece gradually intensifies into an electrifying sonic buzz. In complete contrast, “Circles in the Celestial Garden” unfolds as a serene meditation on beauty and spirituality, pairing Rhodri Davies’ harp with Nicole Mitchell’s airy yet resonant flute.

“Lullaby Much Further” layers eerie humming drones, piercing synth textures, resonant toms and cymbals, and dreamlike flute passages into a haunting soundscape. Similarly flamboyant in its balance of restraint and excess, “Hocket Fierce Peaceful” rests upon celestial drones before shifting into a fanfare-like mode, carrying the listener through a dizzying carousel of hallucinatory sounds where spectral keyboards and propulsive drumming eventually give way to an exuberant march.

On “Joy Beyond Blazing”, Davies’ harp takes on the ferocity of an electric guitar against a backdrop of vigorous piano harmonies and tireless flute flights. “Open Sea Boat’s Land” returns to a hip-hop-driven boom-bap groove with funk undertones, incorporating Matthew Wright’s live electronics—including a muffled electric bass effect—alongside Hawkins’ sweeping piano gestures. The album closes with “Coda Over the Fence”, a soulful, gospel-inflected finale radiating the spiritual warmth of Abdullah Ibrahim’s South African-inspired chants.

No Nation But Imagination sounds unlike anything else—an avant-garde manifesto steeped in postmodern experimentation, unusual melodic logic, singular textures, and meticulous post-production detail. Hawkins, one of the most imaginative keyboardists in contemporary jazz, once again demonstrates how advanced technique and fearless creativity can yield music that is both intellectually challenging and deeply substantive.

Favorite Tracks: 
02 - Resolution Each and Every ► 04 - Circles in the Celestial Garden ► 06 - Hocket Fierce Peaceful ► 08 - Open Sea Boat’s Land

Olivier Le Goas Ensemble Pulse - The Chaining Loops

Label: Double Moon Records, 2026

Personnel - Frédéric Borey: saxophones; Médéric Collignon; cornet, voice; Gueorgui Kornazov: trombone; Michael Felberbaum: guitar; David Patrois: vibraphone; Yoni Zelnik: double bass; Olivier Le Goas: drums.

Intrepid French drummer Olivier Le Goas reunites his Ensemble Pulse—a high-spirited septet formed during a creative residency in 2021—to perform five new original compositions. A devoted explorer of odd meters, animated rhythmic patterns, and kinetic grooves, Le Goas delivers exactly that on The Chaining Loops.

His compositional strengths become evident from the outset in the expansive, constantly shifting title track. Vibraphonist David Patrois introduces the piece with an enchanting prelude before an asymmetrical pulse emerges, opening space for trombonist Gueorgui Kornazov’s improvisation. Chamber-like guitar-sax passages soon give way to another sharply accented odd-meter section, this time supporting a nervy cornet solo from Médéric Collignon, followed by a more cerebral soprano saxophone statement from Frédéric Borey. The orchestration continuously evolves, and the ensemble remains tightly unified in both melody and rhythm before settling briefly into a slower 4/4 passage over which guitarist Michael Felberbaum stretches out. The piece ultimately circles back to its origins, once again centering the vibraphone.

Played with uncanny intensity, “Direction” rests initially on a stern bass pedal point and unfolds in septuple meter, at times recalling the warm, expansive feel of the Dave Holland Quintet. Each musician fits seamlessly within the framework, and the track offers especially compelling guitar and saxophone improvisations over a rich chain of harmonies.

The polyrhythmic “Friction” thrives on curious juxtapositions and shifting tonal centers, while “Fifteen Miles” maintains the album’s rhythm-driven spirit even if it initially appears more restrained. Gradually, the ensemble reignites the momentum through a sequence of nine-beat cycles and an accelerated section that highlights Collignon’s expressive scat singing.

“Light in the Sky” closes the album on an uplifting note. Jazz fusion allusions emerge through vigorous drumming and an excellent vibraphone solo, while a soulful, catchy melody bridges into the cornet improvisation before rock and jazz merge once again with infectious vitality. The piece reaches ecstatic heights during its final coda, only to dissolve through Le Goas’ playful decrescendo.

Le Goas is the kind of musician who is constantly shifting gears rhythmically and texturally. His hyperactive pulse not only supports the soloists but also fuels consistently engaging interplay. In perpetual transformation across layered rhythmic cells, The Chaining Loops may feel dense and flamboyant at times, yet it remains a stimulating album to explore.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Chaining Loops ► 02 - Direction ► 05 - Light in the Sky

Harry Skoler - Echoes

Label: Red Brick Hill, 2026

Personnel - Harry Skoler: clarinet; Bill Frisell: guitar; Dezron Douglas: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

With a voice unmistakably his own, clarinetist and composer Harry Skoler traverses a variety of open-ended atmospheres, displaying an instinctive ability to merge traditional jazz language with contemporary sensibilities in ways that continue to shape his artistic identity. On his seventh album as a leader, Echoes—a tribute to his jazz heroes—Skoler is joined by guitar visionary Bill Frisell and reunited with the rhythm section from Red Brick Hill (Sunnyside, 2024): bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Johnathan Blake. Produced once again by saxophonist Walter Smith III, the album draws from familiar ingredients while embracing a welcome sense of risk through occasional ventures into avant-garde territory.

“Evocation” and “Allusion”, two irresistibly poignant clarinet-guitar duets, open and close the album with understated beauty. Short atmospheric interludes appear throughout, but “Study in Orange”—dedicated to pianist Bill Evans—marks the first rhythmically compelling moment, propelled by the superb interplay of Douglas and Blake, who know precisely when to intensify and when to simply sustain the flow. Frisell settles into an introspective, cinematic mood, while Skoler’s clarinet lines evoke dreamlike imagery and quiet fantasy.

“JW, Michelangelo & 40 Cent Burger”—a tribute to pianist James Williams—features Douglas’ bass dancing gracefully over a lilting waltz pulse. The bassist initiates the improvisational sequence before Frisell contributes a highly methodical and texturally rich solo, followed by Skoler, who makes a vivid impression by pushing beyond conventional boundaries with passionate phrasing.

“Marian”, dedicated to pianist Marian McPartland, possesses the softness and elegance of velvet, while “Thank You”—for Teddy Wilson—may appear elusive in direction yet reveals intriguing rhythmic dynamics and groove interplay. “Waiting Patiently”, honoring clarinetist Benny Goodman, is stirred effervescently in a vamping 3/4 flux marked by a sturdy groove.

“Pow!”—a salute to vibraphone master Lionel Hampton—takes shape as a whimsical avant-garde excursion, centered on riff-based volleys against a slower harmonic backdrop and Blake’s restless percussive agitation. It also includes an unaccompanied drum passage. The quartet’s gift for expanding minimal material into richly textured interaction is equally evident on “Never Played in Syracuse”, dedicated to Miles Davis, a cyclical funk-infused pop-rock piece where Skoler improvises fervently over distorted guitar harmonies.

The quartet has developed a genuine musical empathy that radiates throughout the recording, making Echoes an album that rewards repeated listening.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Study in Orange ► 03 - JW, Michelangelo & the 40 Cent Burger ► 11 - Pow!

Chris Potter - Alive With Ghosts Today

Label: Edition Records, 2026

Personnel - Chris Potter: tenor and soprano saxophone; Bill Frisell: guitar; Burniss Travis: electric bass; Nate Smith: drums; Rane Moore: clarinet; Zekkereya El-magharbel: trombone; Sara Caswell: violin. 

Chris Potter, a top-tier saxophonist and composer with a brilliant 35-year career in contemporary jazz, unveils a compelling new suite inspired by abolitionist John Brown’s Raid of 1859. The music addresses the complexities and contradictions of America within an encouraging, deeply expressive framework, where Potter’s full-bodied tenor sound emerges through surging solos marked by clarity, emotion, and conviction.

For this septet project, Potter assembles a remarkable group of musicians who share his fearless creative vision, many of them interpreting his compositions for the first time—among them guitarist Bill Frisell, clarinetist Rane Moore, trombonist Zekkereya El-Magharbel, violinist Sara Caswell, and bassist Burniss Travis, whose grounded presence anchors the music. The sole returning collaborator is drummer Nate Smith, who previously appeared on Underground (2006) and Imaginary Cities (2015) albums.

The album is framed by the two-part title track, “Alive With Ghosts Today”. The opening section offers a luminous, atmospheric canvas where composed lines unfold with rich color and resonance. Its concluding counterpart, imbued with a Coltrane-like spirit, draws on blues-inflected phrasing and American folk sensibilities.

“Osawatomie Brown”, a highlight, is a buoyant, multi-meter composition shaped by intricate form. Its refined jazz-funk character, with crossover appeal, rests on Travis’ five-note bass groove in 4/4, seamlessly interlocked with Smith’s supple drumming. Potter’s solo is particularly captivating, enriched by purposeful horn interjections, while Frisell contributes a distinctive voice within a subtly off-kilter, blues-based framework.

Activated by Travis’ introductory statement, “The Heavens in Scarlet” begins as a ballad before evolving into a gently grooving, almost reggae-like feel, enhanced by Caswell and El-Magharbel’s textural support. Frisell’s warm, Americana-tinged voicings permeate the piece, which pairs naturally with “This Earth Would Have No Charms for Me”, a chamber jazz waltz introduced by wistful guitar.

“Sister Annie”, named after Brown’s daughter, reintroduces a sleek, funk-inflected pulse with a hopeful, R&B-tinged atmosphere and bright harmonic shading. Meanwhile, “Into Africa” stands out for its dynamic time shifts, opening with a saxophone-led groove quickly taken up by the rhythm section, with Frisell’s exceptional comping underpinning Potter’s forward-looking improvisation. Equally striking, “Mine Eyes” unfolds like a modal work song, gradually building into a mesmerizing, tour-de-force saxophone solo. Its layered polytonal counterpoint—featuring trombone, clarinet, and violin—subtly draws from the melody of the marching song “John Brown’s Body”.

Advocating freedom and peace for everyone, Potter plays his absolute truth with harmonic rigor and wholehearted improvisation. For its message and artistry alike, Alive With Ghosts Today is a precious offering.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Osawatomie Brown ► 06 - Into Africa ► 07 - Mine Eyes  

John Hollenbeck's George - Looking For Consonance

Label: Out Of Your Head Records, 2026

Personnel - Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flute; Sarah Rossy: synth, voice; Chiquita Magic: synth, voice; John Hollenbeck: drums, glockenspiel, composition.

Claudia Quintet’s founder, John Hollenbeck, a fierce, focused, and highly innovative drummer and composer who often seems a step ahead of jazz’s vanguard, returns with his second album from the ensemble George—named after George Floyd—Looking For Consonance. The electro-acoustic group features synth players and vocalists Sarah Rossy and Chiquita Magic, alongside the exceptional saxophonist and flutist Anna Webber.

Difficult to categorize, the music traverses a postmodern landscape shaped by elements of synth-pop, electronica, idiosyncratic rhythmic designs, and open improvisation. “Bounce” is a striking ride that lands somewhere between eerie prog-metal and hallucinatory rave textures. Synchronized vocal lines, Hollenbeck’s explosive rhythmic foundation, and Webber’s menacing multiphonics and driving melodic force converge before dissolving into an extended, sustained drone.

The mercurial “Lewis”—dedicated to trombonist George Lewis—embraces shifting meters, incorporating synth-pop-rock passages in five, nimble septuple meter dances, and other intricate rhythmic cycles where the flute takes a central role. In contrast, “Nassam Alayna-Lhawa”, a composition by the Lebanese Rahbani Brothers, offers a gentle, diasporic expression of peace, delivered with clarity and warmth through Rossy’s Arabic vocals.

The ensemble’s revolutionary spirit peaks with “Norma”, a dark experimental piece built on saxophone–voice unisons and assertive rhythmic accents, and “George and Dee”, where strands of alternative synth-pop, new wave, and electronica-inspired experimentation evoke the legacy of artists like Gary Numan and Kraftwerk.

Hollenbeck infuses the album with layered rhythmic complexity throughout. Check out his work on “Porter”, where he lays down treacherous, counterintuitive undercurrents while ethereal vocal chants stay afloat. “Johnson”—a tribute to George F. Johnson—radiates a buoyant, groove-oriented energy, offering a more accessible nu-jazz moment, while “Wayne Phase”—a nod to Wayne Shorter—explores shifting intensities and stylistic breadth with a deep understanding of the honoree’s musical language and eclecticism.

Richly detailed, Looking For Consonance, may prove challenging for casual listen. Still, the group’s fluid command of odd meters and genre-crossing expression ultimately feels organic, inviting listeners to yield to its intricate rhythmic and improvisational allure.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Bounce ► 04 - George and Dee ► 07 - Norma

Rodrigo Amado's This Is Our Language Quartet - Wailers

Label: European Echoes, 2026

Personnel - Rodrigo Amado: tenor and alto saxophone, bird water whistle; Joe McPhee: tenor saxophone; Kent Kessler: bass; Chris Corsano: drums.

Wailers marks the fourth installment by Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado’s This Is Our Language Quartet, whose long-developed musical empathy is evident throughout. Joe McPhee, on tenor, forms a compelling frontline with Amado—both granted ample solo space—while the rhythm section is in capable hands, with Kent Kessler on bass and Chris Corsano on drums, merging their voices within a broad, unrestrained harmonic landscape.

The title track—named after a poem by Amiri Baraka—opens with explosive force, plunging the quartet into a delirious cacophony from the outset, driven by a powerful bass surge and frenetic drumming. With inventive interplay and striking energy, Amado and McPhee weave playful staccatos into fully articulated phrases, diverging, reconnecting, and ultimately converging in a shared language.

“Hot Folk” features Corsano’s vibrant work across toms and cymbals, while Kessler’s tense arco passages gradually give way to a fuller, rounded pizzicato. McPhee’s restless, knotty tenor lines intensify the piece before it unexpectedly settles into a lyrical, ballad-like passage—reminiscent of an improvised jazz standard—once Amado joins in. Together, they shape melodies over understated cymbals and sparse bass motion. On “Violet Souls”, meditative saxophone lines float above a dark, nearly thunderous rhythmic foundation built from taut arco textures and agitated drumming, culminating in a burst of avant-garde energy.

Amado opens “Theory of Mind II (for Joe)”—a trio tribute to McPhee—with bird water whistle before shifting to saxophone, developing a motif-rich and expressive narrative across its full range. “Subterranean Night Color” offers a compelling drum improvisation alongside chamber-like passages rendered with atmospheric, painterly gestures. They are complemented by forceful saxophone explorations and solo drums. The album closes with “Blue Blowers”, centered on a clearly defined motif, its narrative loose and free, with enough latitude for the most whimsical idea to emerge and sound natural over the swinging motions.

Amado and his peers often keep the listener on edge, their relentless searching continually uncovering moments of genuine discovery.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Wailers ► 02 - Hot Folk ► 03 - Violet Souls

Ben Wendel - BaRcoDe

Label: Edition Records, 2026

Personnel - Ben Wendel: tenor saxophone, EFX; Joel Ross: vibraphone, marimba; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone, EFX; Simon Moullier: vibraphone, chromatic balafon, EFX; Juan Diego Villalobos: vibraphone, mallet station, percussion, EFX.

In BaRcoDe, born from a commission by The Jazz Gallery, the accomplished and eclectic saxophonist Ben Wendel explores a bold instrumentation, assembling four mallet specialists—Joel Ross, Patricia Brennan, Simon Moullier, and Juan Diego Villalobos—to interpret five originals and one cover. Showcasing his confident tenor swagger, Wendel weaves together jazz, classical, and new music within an electroacoustic context.

“Clouds” opens the album as a lush homage to the minimalist aesthetic of percussion quartets, pairing ecstatic saxophone lines with uninterrupted streams of vibraphone. Its ternary feel enhances the tune’s exotic character, while the vibraphonists’ layered parts cohere with remarkable precision. “Mimo”, meaning ‘outside’ in Czech, finds Wendel navigating rhythmic dexterity in his soloing. Though the melody carries a strong folk inflection, its blues sensibility remains evident, supported by a percussion section that delivers groove across shifting meters.

For this project, Wendel drew inspiration from the Grammy-winning Sō Percussion ensemble, known for its collaborations with Vijay Iyer, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. “Repeat After Me”, also featured on Kneebody’s 2025 album Reach, foregrounds unison lines and percussive effusiveness, gradually settling into a gentle groove that takes on a subtle Latin tinge. The vibraphone–marimba combination yields a particularly rich blend of harmony and rhythmic motion.

The extended rendition of Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Olha Maria”, flowing with a delicate, undulating pulse, preserves the poignancy and reflective tone of the original within a finely crafted arrangement introduced by a memorable preamble. One of the vibraphonists states the main melody before Wendel joins, leading into a focused and emotive improvisation. In contrast, “Birds Ascend”, loosely inspired by British pianist Kit Downes and Scottish folk fiddler Aidan O’Rourke, is largely through-composed, showcasing virtuosic interplay centered on a quick-witted phrase that shifts in pitch.

The accompanists’ use of extended techniques, effects, and impeccable sense of time proves invaluable, reinforcing Wendel’s position at the forefront of expansive, 21st-century post-bop.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Clouds ► 03 - Olha Maria ► 04 - Repeat After Me

Eric St. Godard - New Beginnings

Label: Self released, 2026

Personnel - Eric St. Godard: piano; Niall Cade: saxophone; Ilya Osachuk: bass; Kieran Wallace: drums.

Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, pianist and composer Eric St. Godard leads a flexible quartet on his debut alum, New Beginnings. Across eight original compositions, the ensemble—featuring saxophonist Niall Cade, bassist Ilya Osachuk, and drummer Kieran Wallace—draws from a melting pot of influences, with jazz at its core.

“Lovely Rose” opens the album as a Wayne Shorter–esque 3/4 enchanter, favoring tranquility and lyricism over turbulence. The spacious atmosphere allows Godard, Cade, and Osachuk to stretch out with confidence. In a similar vein, “Home” stirs emotion with delicate nuance and subtle fragility, beginning in a rubato setting before settling into a gentle waltz for its improvisations.

Despite its hard-bop flair and lively theme, “Tippin’” bears no relation to Horace Silver’s tune of the same name, even if it shares a comparable spirit. Its energetic framework provides a platform for a cleanly articulated saxophone solo, initially unfolding over bass accompaniment alone. Meanwhile, “Changing Winds” offers a clear nod to Pat Metheny’s “Bright Size Life”, concluding with a reflective solo piano passage.

“Letter”, with its strong ballad character, crisp backbeat, and fusion-tinged expression, could easily be mistaken for a Metheny composition, showcasing well-developed phrasing rooted in diatonic harmony. The uplifting title track, “New Beginnings”, gets a separated, multi-rhythmic piano introduction, curiously longer than the piece itself, which opens with a chant-like saxophone line later matched by piano. It reveals a melody enriched by luminous harmonic color.

The album closes with “Chicken Strut”, which subtly evokes New Orleans jazz-funk through its direct melodic lines and splashy chordal accents, ending on an energetic note. The rhythm section swings assertively beneath Godard’s poised piano runs.

Though somewhat conservative in form and structure—occasionally feeling constrained—New Beginnings nonetheless introduces a promising new voice in jazz, one intent on blending styles and forging a personal path.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Tippin’ ► 05 - New Beginnings ► 08 - Chicken Strut

Sean Imboden Large Ensemble - Uncharted Realms

Label: Self released, 2026

Personnel - Sean Imboden: tenor and soprano saxophone, composer.

Last year, on Communal Heart, his debut album with a 17-piece large ensemble, shrewd Indiana-based composer and saxophonist Sean Imboden demonstrated impressive command as an orchestrator. Now he continues to explore expansive big-band writing with Uncharted Realms, which he describes as an invitation to envision better possibilities in our world—expressing a longing for connection, understanding, purpose, and safety.

The album opens with “Flowing Currents”, an anthemic, chamber-like piece layered with stimulating motifs that elevate the ensemble’s collective energy. Originally written for a smaller group, it features Imboden (on tenor) and rock-leaning guitarist Joel Tucker as soloists, both offering glimpses of their distinct voices within a gradual emotional crescendo. The pair also ride powerful waves of improvisation on “When You Look Beyond”, where the energy skyrockets via marching snare authority and an epic-ness that stems from remarkably coordinated contrapuntal passages, allowing contrasting timbres to emerge with clarity and intent.

Imboden gravitates toward rich, thoughtful jazz sonorities, avoiding cliché while crafting detailed and engaging soundscapes. “Balcony”, composed nearly a decade ago and continually refined, exemplifies this approach. Bassist Nick Tucker establishes a firm pedal point over which classically influenced gestures unfold. A seven-beat passage transitions into a sultry, tango-tinged section that frames the theme, opening space for expressive contributions from trombonist Zac Granger and Imboden on soprano. The closing track, “Follow the Kite”, offers a feel-good contrast, propelled by brushes, bass, and guitar in a relaxed flow, with bass clarinet subtly emerging from the texture. Despite its breezy surface, the piece tightens into punchy counterpoint, incorporating lush volleys within occasionally shifting meters.

“The Gentle Giant” revolves around a nuanced six-beat pattern that anchors the bass line. This adventurous piece—partly inspired by Philip Glass and Stravinsky—explores shifting dynamics and features flugelhornist John Raymond in a performance that is both serene and impassioned.

Imboden’s contemporary vision unfolds with clarity and creativity, reflecting a composer who understands how to draw the best from his ensemble. Uncharted Realms is another ambitious and cohesive musical statement.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Flowing Currents ► 03 - When You Look Beyond ► 05 - Follow the Kite

Jonny Wartel / Mathias Landæus / Georgia Wartel Collins / Henrik Wartel - Celebrating Live

Label: Brotz Records, 2026

Personnel - Jonny Wartel: saxophone; Mathias Landæus: piano; Georgia Wartel Collins: bass; Henrik Wartel: drums.

The Wartels—a Swedish family of devoted practitioners of adventurous jazz and free improvisation—appear here alongside pianist Mathias Landæus in a live session recorded at Blow Out Oslo in 2024. Saxophonist Jonny Wartel leads the frontline, supported by his brother Henrik on drums and his daughter Georgia, now based in New York, on bass.

Their musical conversation, rich in nuance and strikingly organic, begins with Landæus’ meditative and harmonically balanced piano playing. Occasionally stirred by brief whirlwinds, his pianistic language gains momentum as the bass’s exploratory figures, the drums’ dynamic activity, and the saxophone’s floating lines enter the fold. The layered atmosphere gradually intensifies, with the rhythm section driving a frenetic swing that provides direction for Landæus’ inquisitive intervallic narrative. He is followed by Jonny, whose left-leaning lyricism generates both heat and agitation while maintaining a thread of sincere melodicism.

In the aftermath of this surge, the quartet—formed in 2024—navigates calmer terrain: reflective piano, gently bowed bass creating drone-like textures, understated percussion, and clearly shaped saxophone lines that remain open to “outside” exploration. The ensemble steadily rebuilds tension, shifting gears instinctively, with no fixed structure—allowing the music to flow freely as the musicians respond to evolving dynamics and intensities.

The following section turns notably melodic, offering moments of quiet intimacy that arrive with disarming grace. As weightless piano chords unfold, these passages stand among the album’s most compelling, revealing the musicians’ deep sensitivity to sound and texture. The final section begins with slippery, rolling drum figures before expanding into a Coltrane-inspired A Love Supreme atmosphere, with piano at the center of a swinging framework. Fleeting hints of folk-like melody emerge, adding a playful dimension before the piece culminates in avant-garde exuberance. This is a confident effort by full-fledged free jazz explorers.

Elijah Shiffer and The Robber Crabs - Callithumpian

Label: Star Jelly, 2026

Personnel - Elijah Shiffer: alto saxophone; Christian Cail: guitar; Max Kutner: electric bass; Colin Hinton: drums; Maya Luz: vocals (#9,10).

Recorded live at three different New York venues (Brooklyn, Queens, and Rochester), Callithumpian marks the second release by vibrant saxophonist and composer Elijah Shiffer with his punk-infused jazz ensemble Robber Crabs. Delivered with earnestness and charged with passion, the album features a completely renewed lineup, with guitarist Christian Cail, bassist Max Kutner, and drummer Colin Hinton excelling across 11 tracks that highlight their expansive and adventurous musical stance.

The hyperactivity of Shiffer’s “Mustang Mascot”—with its barrage of accents, acerbic guitar chords, and locomotive-paced drumming—serves as an ideal vehicle for the quartet’s irreverence and empowering sound. Cail’s frantic, often disorienting solo evokes Brandon Seabrook’s psychedelic tantrums, while Shiffer navigates a hard-swinging framework delineated with a post-rock edge. Toward the end, its marching thematic parade gives way to unaccompanied drum exploration. By contrast, “The Socialite” feels comparatively more conventional, shifting between tempo and intensity while toggling from elegant trad jazz to abrasive punk rock.

“Swindler’s Dream” arrives at full throttle, its melody tinged with Eastern inflections and driven by spirited saxophone–guitar interplay, while the title track “Callithumpian” resembles a cabaret for the future, propelled by an animated strut, unexpected staccato figures, and a confident embrace of dissonant deconstruction.

Penned by Mexican composer Conlon Nancarrow, “Player Piano Study 3a” emerges as an irresistible hybrid of bluesy rock ’n’ roll, punk, and avant-garde jazz. The seemingly smoother textures of “Tentacle Mind, Part 1” soon thicken and intensify, culminating in tense multiphonics and an insistent rhythmic heat that favors turbulence over stability. As in other cases, the performance enhances rather than overshadows the composition.

Cail’s “Zero Pleasure Tolerance” bursts forth with a mix of motifs over a blistering, motorik-like pulse, while guest vocalist Maya Luz contributes two of her own pieces—the rhapsodic “Manicures and Mood Swings” and the pop-leaning ballad “My Thrill”. Though contrasting in mood, both integrate effectively within the album’s broader tonal palette.

Constantly on the edge, Robber Crabs’ music allows for freedom and discipline alike. Callithumpian transpires loud energy, playfulness, and character via hooky themes, blistering improvisation, and tight-knit interaction. All in all, fun material.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mustang Mascot ► 04 - Callithumpian ► 07 - Tentacle Mind, Part 1

Caleb Wheeler Curtis - Ritual

Label: Chill Tone Records, 2026

Personnel - Caleb Wheeler Curtis: stritch, soprano saxophone (#8), sopranino (#9), trumpet (#9); Hery Paz: tenor saxophone (#2,3,4,9), flute (#6,7); Orrin Evans: piano (#3,4,5,6); Emmanuel Michael: guitar; Vicente Archer: bass; Michael Sarin: drums.

Caleb Wheeler Curtis, the insightful saxophonist and composer who impressed with Heat Map (2022) and The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery (2024), returns with Ritual, a new album of originals performed with a strong collective spirit and pronounced individuality. Focusing primarily on the stritch—a straight alto saxophone associated with Rahsaan Roland Kirk—Curtis is joined by rising guitarist Emmanuel Michael, bassist Vicente Archer, and drummer Michael Sarin. Cuban saxophonist and flutist Hery Paz contributes compelling lines on six tracks, while pianist Orrin Evans appears on four.

The powerful emotional arc of “Fantasmas”, a searching invocation of ancestry, opens the album with an open-ended bass-and-drums flux, creating fertile ground for the lyrical melody shaped by Michael and Curtis. The guitarist balances inventive phrasing, volume swells, and harmonic color, while Curtis consistently finds the right tone and intensity for his focused yet exploratory narratives. “Bleakout”, conceived during a blackout in Madrid, shifts into modernistic funk with angular vision and rhythmic density, featuring Curtis and Paz in fluid dialogue, united by a shared conversational sensibility.

Slower but steadily purposeful, “Florence” introduces a chamber-like delicacy in a measured 4/4 tempo, enhanced by guitar harmonics and atmospheric piano minimalism. “You Just Can’t Keep the Music”, a duet with Evans, moves from a precise theme in (4+5) additive meter into a brisk 3/4 for its improvisational passages. Evans also features on “Black Box Extraction”, where counterpoint and an energized funk-rock feel—sparked by Sarin’s drumming—are layered with avant-garde intensity. Curtis remains relentless in his fluid ideas, while Paz injects a touch of Latin groove before expanding outward; Michael brings the piece to a close with unrestrained creativity.

“Tenastic” and “The End of Power” may be the most direct pieces on the album, yet they retain an element of surprise. The former’s dense, driving swing—topped by vigorous interplay between Curtis and Paz (on flute) as well as Michael’s tense lines and harmonies—contrasts with the latter’s dreamlike atmosphere where a refined, almost pop-like sensibility is anchored by Sarin’s nimble brushwork.

Curtis’ compositional voice is serious, often intricate, and deeply imaginative. Demonstrating a near-telepathic rapport with his ensemble, he achieves a striking balance between grounded structure and abstract exploration, resulting in music that is consistently engaging and thought-provoking.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fantasmas ► 02 - Bleakout ► 04 - Black Box Extraction

Nick Fraser - Areas

Label: Elastic Recordings, 2026

Personnel - Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophone; Kris Davis: piano; Nick Fraser: drums, piano harp; John Kameel Farah: electronics and sound processing (#1,4,7).

Toronto-based drummer and composer Nick Fraser reunites his exploratory trio for a third outing, Areas. There’s a remarkable synergy within this forward-looking, bass-less group, rounded out by two fearless musicians: pianist Kris Davis and saxophonist Tony Malaby. With Fraser’s unobtrusive yet ever-present rhythmic drive anchoring the foundation, Davis injects rich harmonic color and angular melodicism, while Malaby—a force to be reckoned with in contemporary jazz—consistently impresses with gruff, confident tenor attacks.

Three of the album’s six pieces are credited to Palestinian-Canadian pianist John Kameel Farah, who digitally processes duo improvisations by Fraser and Malaby. “In the Wreckage” opens the record in a dispersed, disorienting, and gloomy mode; “Howling Circuits” leans on drone-based processing, with Fraser on piano harp; and “Brood” sustains an eerie, incantatory languor within its sinister atmospherics.

“Mimic” is a highlight, unfolding with simultaneous intensity, shadow, and complexity. Ominous low-register percussive attacks—emerging from a clever blend of standard and prepared piano—alongside shimmering cymbal textures, invite Malaby to expand into a high-powered middle-register vortex, unleashing guttural multiphonics and cyclic sweeps with growling force.

Equally striking is “There Are Other Ways”, which brims with excitement. Malaby’s solo introduction finds contrapuntal support in Davis’ quasi-mechanical motion. As the saxophonist delves into brooding sonorities, emphasizing an earthy tone and impressive range, Davis locks into a woozy, spiraling, almost robotic march, with Fraser’s active drumming providing propulsion. The trio transports us into an uncharted, rambunctious sonic universe where textures are fragmented and reassembled with daring intent.

“Area” adopts a more ruminative stance. Initially, Malaby resists steering his expressive horn toward a fixed destination, while Fraser and Davis anchor an angular terrain with curiosity and tension. This unease soon erupts into a storm, marked by weighty, cacophonous saxophone interjections delivered with biting tone and piercing acuity. It ends calmly, though, melodically driven by soprano. Initially tense, the closer, “Sketch 57”, suggests a meditation, with gradually harmonized passages underpinned by rattling percussion and ample space for free interaction. The trio engages in a fluid sonic conversation whose sinuous paths lean into abstraction, with a brief but effective surge in intensity.

Fraser’s compositions foster a flowing improvisational language, allowing each musician to showcase distinctive timbres and dynamic interplay in service of the collective. Areas offers a compelling mix of surprise and atmosphere, striking a thoughtful balance between formlessness and structure.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Mimic ► 03 - Area ► 05 - There Are Other Ways

Miho Hazama - Frames

Label: Edition Records, 2026

Personnel - Miho Hazama: composer, conductor + Danish Radio Big Band.

New York-based Japanese composer Miho Hazama, who has garnered accolades with her contemporary large ensemble m_unit, displays a maturity far beyond her years. On Frames, the Grammy-nominated composer honors the legacy of the influential Danish Radio Big Band, crafting a new suite inspired by its musical directors, including Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones, Ray Pitts, Palle Mikkelborg, and the recently departed pianist Jim McNeely, to whom the album is dedicated.

The album opens with a sense of optimism and devotion to the music. “And The Door Unsealed” unveils cascading sonic layers in succession before settling into a mid-tempo, soulful flow. Driven by a warm swinging energy, the piece features improvisational contributions from guitarist Per Gade—supported by lush horn arrangements—and tenor saxophonist Peter Fuglsang, who extemporizes over an alternate backdrop. A vamp with vertiginous rhythmic accents closes the piece. “Rondo” unfolds with percussive delicacy, showcasing saxophone and muted trumpet in parallel over a gently waltzing cadence that subtly evolves.

“LuLu”, introduced with calm restraint by piano and trumpet, highlights bassist Kaspar Vadsholt in a beautifully integrated solo woven into a low-register texture. “Aura II”, imbued with a Brookmeyer-like sensibility, is framed by illuminating five-beat cycles, while its improvisations drift between rubato passages and a 3/4 pulse. The colorful post-bop of “The Pioneer’s Quest” presents its rich thematic material in dense unison layers, featuring exuberant piano and trumpet solos across lilting 4/4 measures and a contrasting 7/8 section, respectively. The album closes with “The First Notes”, maintaining constant motion in a playful, buoyant spirit.

With compositions rich in memorable themes and thoughtfully structured sections, Hazama sustains cohesion while continually propelling the music forward, demonstrating her refined voice as a modern jazz orchestrator.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - And The Door Unsealed ► 04 - The Pioneer’s Quest ► 05 - Aura II

Gregory Hutchinson - Kind of Now: The Pulse of Miles Davis

Label: Warner Music, 2026

Personnel - Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Ron Blake: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Gerald Clayton: piano; Jakob Bro: guitar; Emmanuel Michael: guitar; Joe Sanders: bass; Gregory Hutchinson: drums.

Drummer and composer Gregory Hutchinson, who consistently uses timbre and cymbal color to his advantage, embarks on an enjoyable and occasionally surprising program of tunes connected to and paying homage to the groundbreaking jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. Hutchinson—known for his collaborations with Roy Hargrove, Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Ray Brown, and Kurt Rosenwinkel—blends tradition and modernity in his approach, assembling a group of contemporary jazz players whose quality and flexibility fully serve his vision.

Charlie Parker’s hard-bop strut “Ah-Leu-Cha”—a brilliant contrafact of “Honeysuckle Rose” and “I Got Rhythm”—wastes no time drawing listeners in. The initial symbiotic interplay around the theme allows ample space for bassist Joe Sanders and Hutchinson to assert themselves. Not as uptempo as Miles’ version, the piece thrives through a strong, refined statement by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, followed by pianist Gerald Clayton’s candid phrasing and tenor saxophonist Ron Blake’s expansive reach.

Hutchinson and his group render three Miles compositions representing distinct phases in jazz history: “Fran-Dance” is delivered in a simpatico trio setting of piano, bass, and drums; “Bitches Brew” channels experimental curiosity, relying on the contrast between high-pitched trumpet and low bass clarinet before settling into an ostinato-driven funk infused with bluesy hues; and “Circle in the Round” features compelling work by up-and-coming guitarist Emmanuel Michael, who later joins Akinmusire and Blake for the final thematic statement.

Of the album’s 12 tracks, four come from the pen of Wayne Shorter: “Fall” and “Feio” are shaped by evocative guitar textures, as Jakob Bro interacts with Michael over Hutchinson’s inventive figures. “Orbits” and “Water Babies” similarly evoke the composer’s incantatory ambiguity.

Hutchinson’s take-no-prisoners mentality surfaces in Victor Feldman’s “Seven Steps to Heaven”, a nod to Miles’s second great quintet propelled at full swing, while Tony Williams’ “Black Comedy” includes slick lines and solo turns from Blake and Clayton. The album also features three solo drum tracks, each statement purposeful—one of them paying tribute to the drummers who played with Miles.

In an album that never defaults to strict convention, Hutchinson avoids the obvious, favoring nuanced shadings and tuneful rhythms that elevate the material’s overall impact.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ah-Leu-Cha ► 06 - Feio ► 09 - Bitches Brew

Immanuel Wilkins Quartet - Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 1

Label: Blue Note Records, 2026

Personnel - Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Micah Thomas: piano; Ryoma Takenaga: bass; Kweku Sumbry: drums.

Saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins has emerged as a leading voice in contemporary jazz, building a body of work that feels both tenacious and vital. His latest addition, Live at Village Vanguard Vol. 1, is his first live recording, featuring four extended tracks captured in 2025 at that iconic venue of legendary performances. For the occasion, Wilkins enlisted a tight, intuitive quartet of like-minded collaborators: pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Ryoma Takenaga, and drummer Kweku Sumbry.

“Warriors”, an energetic tour-de-force originally included on his debut album Omega (2020), appears here with extended soloing bravura from Wilkins and Thomas in a modern post-bop setting that showcases harmonic dexterity, melodic balance, and narrative depth. Shades of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman surface in multiple triplet-infused phrases that fuse technical command with joyful exuberance. Sumbry brings the piece to a close, stretching elastically on the kit within a vamping sequence.

“Composition II”, a lyrical, gently brushed, and narratively-driven 4/4 ballad modeled on J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, invites more reflective consideration and includes a fine bass solo steeped in melodic elegance. Yet, the record’s highlight is undoubtedly Alice Coltrane’s “Charanam”, whose modal spirituality resonates directly with the listener. Each musical gesture leaves a mark—from the piano’s introductory passage to the groove-oriented ritual of the rhythm section and the uplifting, free-flowing riffery maintained by Wilkins, who fills spaces with dazzling in-and-out incursions. The quartet is in top form, and the piece becomes deeply soulful, worming its way into your head.

“Eternal” concludes this first volume by introducing a serious post-bop statement with a perplexing sense of time and a clearly defined thematic melody, before settling into a continuous, measured 3/4 cycle.

Wilkins’ Live at Village Vanguard Vol. 1 offers moments of boundless creativity and deep commitment to the music, its interactive force drawing from diverse musical sources that shape his notably expressive vocabulary.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Warriors ► 03 - Charanam

Harriet Tubman & Georgia Anne Muldrow - Electrical Field of Love

Label: Pi Recordings, 2026

Personnel - Brandon Ross: electric guitar, banjo, soprano guitar; Melvin Gibbs: electric bass; JT Lewis: drums; Georgia Anne Muldrow; vocals, keyboard.

Harriet Tubman—named after the American abolitionist and social activist—is an idiosyncratic jazz-funk trio that crosses genres naturally with a non-clichéd aesthetic. Here, they place Black Music in a new light in the company of Grammy-nominated vocalist/producer Georgia Anne Muldrow.

Electrical Field of Love channels their passion into 12 concise tracks, demonstrating a magnificent command of mood and atmosphere. Full of strength, “Flowers” opens the proceedings with evocative, mysterious undercurrents. An entrancing hip-hop-inflected rhythm anchors the piece, soon joined by a rugged, distorted tapestry of guitar and bass. The trio continues to rock and funkify in a fevered experimental uproar, with Muldrow’s voice soaring above. Her contributions are even more striking on the ascending “Anatomical Fable of the Elements” and “Isom Dart Was”, which flows with contemporary crossover appeal as funk and R&B are shaped by the trio’s noir imagination.

“Insisting” feels at once vulnerable, volatile, and oppressive, featuring layered, spectral vocals, while “How You Rise” unfolds with transfiguring intensity, opening with Ross’ clamorous, wailing guitar and anchored by Gibbs’ robust 4/4 grooves.

Boasting a powerful sound, “Assata” builds and deconstructs over Lewis’ hypnotic rhythms. Its simple yet effective harmonic treatment gives way to the greater complexity of “Don’t Stand a Chance, After the Boom”, where an insistently cyclic and daringly polyrhythmic approach is enriched by clever electronics and vivid percussion.

“Up From the Gum” conjures a disquieting and perplexing mood, driven by urgent syncopation and a six-beat bass groove at its core. The group crafts immersive spaces that reveal their true musical identity. Similarly, Muldrow’s “A Black Song” unfolds as a self-expressive experiment in jazz fusion, featuring wavering keyboards and a strong rhythmic flow driven by Lewis’ inventive drum figures.

Messages and themes unfold within a narrative concept that often feels like reopening an old wound in order to better heal it. Awash with fresh, intense energy, this is a special collaborative album that establishes a deep-rooted connection to the history of Black Music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Flower ► 03 - Isom Dart Was ► 05 - When You Rise ► 08 - Assata

Shawn Lovato - Biotic

Label: Endectomorph Music, 2026

Personnel - Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Shawn Lovato: bass; Henry Mermer: drums.

Shawn Lovato is a New York-based bassist and composer with a daunting artistic perspective. Biotic marks an impressive trio debut alongside two other modern sculptors of sound, saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Henry Mermer.

Showcasing open-mindedness and an extraordinary capacity for communication, the trio kicks off with “Spling”, which seems to draw on the patterned dynamics of electronic music. With the rhythm section cleverly anchoring the piece through syncopation-infused motion, Laubrock delivers a slyly virtuosic discourse packed with invigorating impromptu tangents. “Frequent Flyer” serves as a rousing nod to punk music—one of Lovato’s early influences—moving with elastic vigor while bringing to mind the Chris Speed Trio. Lovato embarks on a supple bass solo without ever losing sight of the tune’s lively harmonic progression.

Both “One Step From Anything Easy” and the closer “Parachute Bloom” are saxophone–arco bass duets that explore contrasting dynamics with refinement and taste. While the former is freely improvised, the latter relies on stately unison lines.

The trio also displays precise, athletic unisons on “Patience and Hydration”, a piece imbued with a grounded sense of direction. Laubrock, Lovato, and Mermer read each other seamlessly, exchanging and consolidating ideas with vision and spontaneity. “Dirt Doesn’t Burn”—its title drawn from a magazine article—is set in motion by a compelling bass introduction, later injecting angularity and mesmerizing rhythmic accents. The group maintains an energized focus throughout, but it is Mermer who disperses his kit’s sounds like octopus tentacles in a striking, thematic drum dissertation.

At times rigorous, at others freely drifting, Lovato’s trio fuses the concrete and the abstract into a coherent postmodern aesthetic, revealing a deep collective connection and a shared affinity for exploration.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Spling ► 04 - Patience and Hydration ► 06 - Dirt Doesn’t Burn