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

Cody Steinmann - Confined Spaces

Label: self released

Personnel - Cody Steinmann: guitar; Chris Bates: bass; Abinnet Berhanu: drums.

Minneapolis-based guitarist and composer Cody Steinmann tales the isolation of the Covid-19 lockdown and themes of spiritual growth with crushing noise textures and streamlined melodies on his sophomore album, Confined Spaces. The guitarist works with bassist Chris Bates and drummer Abinnet Berhanu, expressing his stream-of-consciousness reactions within a rock-centric framework.

Bookending the album is “Abide With Me”, a homage to Thelonious Monk and a plea for resilience in today’s challenging world. The opening rubato version feels than the closing rendition. Supporting the distorted guitar itineraries and surprising harmonic colors are robust bowed bass foundations and cymbal legatos. 

The second track, “Not Sappy at All”, bursts forth as an energetic, exceptionally musical alternative rock song with infectious feel-good vibes, a seismic mass of sonic pollution, and rhythmic agility in a shredding, danceable exploration. Steinmann’s guitar shifts pitch via synth effects near the track’s end.

Without diminishing the compositional rigor, the abrasive “Ben” opens with a suggestive guitar introduction before leading us into a steady 4/4 rhythmic flux topped by inside/outside guitar inflections. Meanwhile, “Lust” makes its bed with a crisp bass figure, laying down an early groove that welcomes exploratory chording and melodic flourishes. The three-time feel becomes salient at a certain point, before a five-beat vamp settles in.

The album’s jazziest offering is “Dodo Birds Aren’t Dumb Humans Are”, featuring sinuous, chromatic lines performed with a free-bop posture. There’s also a country-tinged surprise in “Red River Valley”, where Steinmann delivers slippery lines as Berhanu gooses him with snappy brushwork. The title cut, “Confined Spaces”, explores a dense mesh in a boisterous arrangement that includes an articulate bass solo, extended heavy-breathing guitar reflections, and a drummer-led vamp.

On balance, Confined Spaces is deftly executed, often marked by rock potency and ruthless determination. Its intoxicating narratives are likely to resonate more with alternative rock enthusiasts than with jazz purists.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Not Sappy at All ► 03 - Ben ► 05 - Dodo Birds Aren’t Dumb Humans Are

Andre Santos - Vereda

Label: Timbuktu Records

Personnel - André Santos: guitar; José Soares: alto saxophone; Francisco Andrade: tenor saxophone; Diogo Alexandre: drums.

Portuguese guitarist and composer André Santos shows he’s not afraid to experiment and venture into new sonic territories, seamlessly navigating through contemporary jazz, Portuguese folk, alternative rock, and avant-garde styles. Vereda captures this adventurous spirit and features a dynamic ensemble of like-minded collaborators: saxophonists José Soares and Francisco Andrade, and drummer Diogo Alexandre.

The extended title track, “Vereda”, guides listeners through uncharted soundscapes brimming with beauty, wonder, and mystery—evoking the intricate forest paths of Madeira island, Santos’ birthplace. These sonic landscapes are vividly rendered with brushed drums, Tarantino-esque Western guitar chords (occasionally conjuring images of American prairies), and folk-inspired melodies delivered in harmonious unison by the saxophonists. Before trotting along the final section with more harmonic definition, the quartet presents darkly atmospheric passages characterized by enigmatic guitar work and brooding saxophone tones layered over spunky drumming. Bursts of agitated saxophone sets the bridge. 

“Corneta” fuses the raw energy of punk rock with the experimental edge of avant-garde jazz, topping it off with a resonant folk-inspired melody. Meanwhile, “O Nuno Está Todo Fu Doido” steps out as a reflective ballad, only to transform into predatory rock playfulness with the horns in ecstasy. Santos’ Vereda is a positive, fearless embrace of genre-defying experimentation. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Vereda ► 03 - O Nuno Está Todo Fu Doidos