Joe Lovano - Homage

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone, tarogato, gongs; Marcin Wasilewski: piano; Slawomir Kurkiewicz: bass; Michal Miskiewicz: drums.

Homage marks the sophomore recording collaboration between leading American saxophonist Joe Lovano and the exceptionally notable Polish trio led by pianist Marcin Wasilewski—featuring the ultra-melodic Slawomir Kurkiewicz on bass and Michal Miskiewicz on drums. The four have cultivated a formidable sound and easygoing simpatico, layering harmonies and effortless rhythmic pulses that shape their deeply personal storytelling.

The program includes five Lovano compositions—including two improvised miniatures (one featuring solo saxophone and the other, gongs and percussion)—alongside a rendition of the ballad “Love in the Garden” by Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert. The quartet opens with this piece, a rubato effort steeped in sophistication and delicacy, as velvety saxophone glides over introspective piano comping. One can sense a blend of Keith Jarrett, Charles Lloyd, and John Abercrombie in a dazzling musical dialogue that radiates talent and musicianship. 

The standout moments are two strikingly beautiful long-form compositions where ideas are shaped and refined with natural grace. The modal meditation “Golden Horn” begins with rattling percussion—eventually expanding into sparkling cymbals—as bass and piano embark on a shared journey. A simple groove recalling the metric feel of Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme Part I: Acknowledgement” is laid down, and Lovano, ducking in and out of the form with crispness and agility, slowly cooks a great solo with enough spice to put water in our mouths. Following Wasilewski’s fluid storytelling, Lovano switches to tarogato, his lines skittering and dancing to create a hypnotic, Eastern-tinged atmosphere. “This Side-Catville” finds the ensemble in polyrhythmic communion from the outset, playing with contrasting textures and intensities. Graceful chord progressions support an authoritative tenor statement that spreads like wind and warms like sunlight. The tune culminates in an enchanting, almost mystical aura that gently settles into a measured final theme.

“Homage”, Lovano’s dedication to ECM founder and record producer Manfred Eicher, leans into flexible avant-garde expression, promoting improvisational freedom across key shifts. In fact, Homage, the album, is a tribute to all those who inspired Lovano to embrace his true self without reservation: his wife Judi Silvano, his 100-year-old father, Tony ‘Big T’ Lovano, and the above-mentioned Eicher are some of them. Emotional connection and musical brilliance are in abundant supply.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Love in the Garden ► 02 - Golden Horn ► 05 - This Side-Catville

Marilyn Crispell / Thommy Andersson / Michala Ostergaard-Nielsen - The Cave

Label: ILK Music, 2025

Personnel - Michala Ostergaard-Nielsen: drums; Marilyn Crispell: piano; Thommy Andersson: bass.

Danish drummer and composer Michala Ostergaard-Nielsen anchors her trio— formed in 2022—with Swedish bassist Thommy Andersson and American pianist Marilyn Crispell. Her vision and compositional approach are evident throughout eight original compositions, which alternate between simple motifs and more through-composed material. In both cases, the trio strikes a refined balance between sophisticated craftsmanship and free improvisation.

The introspective title track, “The Cave”, is marked by Crispell’s spacious melodicism, later joined by delicate bass underpinning and softly brushed drums. After the halfway mark, the trio converges in a glowing, unified radiance. “My Spirit Heart” is a multifaceted, all-acoustic number that incorporates the strumming and plucking of piano strings to produce an alternative sonic texture.  Metallic timbres from percussion and cymbals, along with loose, woody bass plucks complete a soundscape that feels uniquely adventurous. The group’s sound converges into something relaxingly prayerful in the spiritual line of Alice Coltrane, and the theme carries intricate lyricism beneath the trio’s artful chamber-improv stylings.

The amphibious and contemplative “T.B.A.” launches with ringing tones and evolves into percussive effervescence and cymbal scratches, while “Into the Light” feels extravagantly ethereal, centered around a bass pedal continuum and a careful blend of grand and toy piano sounds.

Both “Nine Tone Story” and “A Smile of a Butterfly” stand out as highlights. The former—steeped in angularity and packed with explosive energy—features fragmented bass articulations, irregular drum patterns, and spontaneous piano fluctuations. The latter achieves a mantric trance through resonating gongs and piano in consonance, gradually expanding into harmonic territory with a curved, balladic sensibility.

There’s still room for two improvised pieces: “Improv #1” presents Andersson in a solo bass soliloquy, while “Improv #2” builds layers of percussion that crinkle, crackle, rattle, and shimmer. These three kindred, freethinking spirits can harmonize with a beautiful melody in one moment and paint boldly outside the lines in the next. They do both with equal confidence and passion.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - My Spirit Heart ► 05 - Nine Tone Story ► 08 - A Smile of a Butterfly

Larry Ochs / Joe Morris / Charles Downs - Every Day - All the Way

Label: ESP-Disk, 2025

Personnel - Larry Ochs: tenor and sopranino saxophone; Joe Morris: bass; Charles Downs: drums.

Saxophonist Larry Ochs teams up with Flow Trio’s rhythm section—bassist Joe Morris and drummer Charles Downs—for this fully improvised session. Despite the trio never having played together before, they generate moments of noisy frisson, though not enough to make the material truly memorable. 

From the outset, they push toward the ‘outer’ limits, frequently skirting the aggressive edge of sound in a freewheeling display of musical camaraderie. The opening track, “Yay-Hidee-Yonk-Yoh”, is high-caliber, shifting from a layered blend of bowed bass, sweeping sopranino phrases, and fluid drumming into a more grounded interplay of bass pizzicato, low-pitched tenor, and awkwardly marching drum patterns. The second track, “Yonk-Hidee-Yo-Yay-Yay”, begins with bass and drums bleeding into each other, creating a homogenous tapestry over which Ochs delivers an expressive vocabulary filled with pungent tenor growls and infectious aplomb.

“Hiddee-Yay-Yoh-Yonk-Yohhh” continues the pattern of playfully odd titles but is brimming with wry gestures that spread tension throughout. Jarring saxophone bursts punctuate the frantic free playing, while the rhythm section maintains a solid comping presence. However, the album tends to feel dense and somewhat repetitive, lacking standout moments. That said, the tangled title cut, “Every Day-All the Way”, introduces early sopranino flights and serrated arco bass textures before attempting a fresh build midway, evolving from a soft mutter into an unstructured sonic mesh. 

Unpolished and raw, this date grows somewhat tiresome by the second track, leaving an impression of potential left unrealized. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Yay-Hidee-Yonk-Yoh ► 05- Every Day-All the Way

Eunhye Jeong / Michael Bisio Duo - Morning Bells Whistle Bright

Label: ESP-Disk, 2025

Personnel - Eunhye Jeong: piano; Michael Bisio: bass; Joe McPhee: tenor saxophone; Jay Rosen: drums.

Bassist Michael Bisio, a cornerstone of the Matthew Shipp Trio, expressed interest in collaborating with Korean pianist Eunhye Jeong after hearing her solo album Nolda (ESP-Disk, 2021). Jeong, in turn, found a true kindred spirit in Bisio, who brought in two distinguished guests—saxophonist Joe McPhee and drummer Jay Rosen—to join them on select tracks. Drawn to dynamic tension, the musicians craft a richly layered and collectively improvised set of music.

The duo effort “Point Expands the World” unfolds with immense timbral beauty and refined interplay. Jeong and Bisio share a contrapuntal ingenuity, their symbiotic connection evident in the blues-infused pianistic intricacies and occasional arpeggiated grace, matched by Bisio’s entrancing, nuanced bass work. They frequently return to a point (a single repeated note) from which their improvisations expand and evolve. 

The duo’s remarkable, uncanny fluency is extended to dark canvas such as “And Then She Was There”, an off-kilter piece marked by a mix of arco expressionism and impressionistic abstraction, and enigmatic piano chords. “Dusts Into Substantiality” strays from jazz orthodoxy, embracing percussive volatility before plunging into agitated avant-garde corners with swift, invigorating gestures. Both musicians revel in the moment, and communicate it.

“Drinking Galactic Waters” introduces Rosen’s soft brushwork and McPhee’s reflective tenor saxophone in a very jazzy setting with plenty of room to create. Gradually, the saxophonist takes over, steering his bandmates into turbulent waters, though the final section softens into melodic introspection. The full quartet comes together again for “Morning Bells Whistle Bright”, which opens with percussive textures, continuous bass whistling, and sparse piano accents. After four minutes, McPhee enters in dialogue with the bowed bass, before Bisio locks into a seven-beat groove, weaving a compelling tapestry for improvisation. McPhee shines here, channeling elements of Coltrane, Ayler, and Ornette Coleman with fertile imagination.

The album’s duets extend beyond piano and bass. “Jaybird” pairs Jeong and Rosen, in an exchange of meaningful silences, sudden bursts, and stealthy movements. Meanwhile, “Superpreternatural” is a bass-and-drums breakdown brimming with perpetual tension, shaped by Bisio’s menacing bowed bass and Rosen’s incisive drum attacks. 

A record of engrossing ideas, Morning Bells Whistle Bright, thrives on uncertainty and exploratory textures. The musicians’ strong personalities elevate it above the multitude of fully improvised albums recently released.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Point Expands the World ► 05 - Drinking Galactic Waters ► 06 - Morning Bells Whistle Bright

Ingrid Laubrock - Purposing the Air

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2025

Personnel - Ingrid Laubrock: composition, conduction; Fay Victor: voice; Mariel Roberts: cello; Sara Serpa: voice; Matt Mitchell: piano; Rachel Calloway: voice; Ari Streisfeld: violin.

Ingrid Laubrock is an extraordinary German-born saxophonist and composer whose work has left a distinct mark on the modern creative scene. Whether performing in a duo with drummer Tom Rainey or pianist Kris Davis, leading a highly unusual septet in Serpentines (2016), or expanding her vision into a chamber orchestra in Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt (2018), her music consistently exudes quality, complexity, and dedication. Yet, a Laubrock record without her playing feels undeniably different, as is the case with her latest work, Purposing the Air—a double album featuring four different duos and 60 vocalized pieces.

Laubrock initially considered participating as a duet partner herself or expanding some duos into trios, but she ultimately didn’t hear saxophone in her angular miniature compositions, which focus on just one or two core ideas. A passionate admirer of poetry and literature, she found inspiration in Erica Hunt’s poem ‘Mood Librarian-a poem in koan’.

Disc one opens with vocalist Fay Victor—renowned for bridging rootsy and experimental styles—paired with cellist Mariel Roberts, a member of the sought-after Mivos Quartet. Though they had never played together before, their chemistry is remarkable, shifting from eerie and downcast—marked by droning textures and poignant melodies (track 1)—to playful provocations (track 2), and jazzy swoops into avant-garde jazz-inflected flights (track 6). Other highlights include low-pitched cello attacks set against prismatic vocal circularity (track 10) and suspended, postmodern soundscapes that invite reflection (track 14). 

The remaining 15 pieces feature Portuguese vocalist Sara Serpa and American pianist Matt Mitchell, two disciplined musicians known for their textural sensitivity. Together, they navigate ethereal yet densely paced trajectories (track 16), blend dreamy timbres with whimsical intervallic movement (track 18), contrast looping vocals against two-handed pianistic creativity (track 21), and explore minimalistic gestures with intermittently combed piano strings (track 29). 

Disc two, featuring longtime collaborators and expert colorists Theo Bleckmann (voice) and Ben Monder (guitar), presents 15 strikingly evocative pieces, where imaginative ideas emerge from versatile arrangements. Listeners are drawn into reverb-drenched reveries (track 1), canvases of fierce guitar distortion paired with repetitive vocal riffs (track 3), expansive harmonic washes and guitar swells (track 5), exquisite fingerpicking beneath unexpected vocal lines (tracks 8 and 10), and churning, forebodingly dark narratives (track 9). Closing the album is Duo Cortona, comprised of mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway and her husband, violinist Ari Streisfeld, whose lyrical modern-classical waves of abstraction strike with varying intensities. 

Co-produced by Laubrock and David Breskin, Purposing the Air is a challenging listen—complex and conceptual, it does not always unfold in an immediately accessible way. Yet, Laubrock’s compositional prowess is on full display, affirming her distinctive voice in contemporary music. 

Favorite Tracks: 
Disc One - 06 - Koan 11 ► 10 - Koan 38 ► 21 - Koan 42 // Disc Two: 01 - Koan 23 ► 03 - Koan 24 ► 10 - Koan 59 ► 21 - Koan 57 

Vijay Iyer / Wadada Leo Smith - Defiant Life

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - Vijay Iyer: piano, Fender Rhodes, electronics; Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet.

With their latest collaboration, Defiant Life, pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith reunite for a second time, driven by their deep 'aural attunement’—a creative blend of inspiration, reflection, and healing. Composed over two days, the album channels their sorrow and outrage over the world's cruelties while maintaining faith in human possibility. They convey this through freewheeling avant-jazz atmospheres that lean into ambient textures. 

“Prelude: Survival” unfolds with menacing low-pitched piano drones intertwined with piercingly ethereal auras generated by the grievous trumpet. “Sunud” feels somewhat restrained, despite its disorienting electronics and delicate piano drops. Smith’s muted trumpet playing exudes determination—his first five notes subtly recalling Strauss’ “The Blue Danube Waltz”—yet the piece remains in a suspended, embryonic state until the eighth minute, when Iyer injects more expressiveness on the Rhodes, while still preserving the composition’s atmospheric foundation.

“Elegy: The Pilgrimage” is hazy in the background but clear and spiritually resonant in its foreground. Iyer handles piano and electronics with finesse, gradually infusing harmonic movement and painting the horizon with transcendent blue-toned lines. In turn, “Procession: Defiant Life” dives into an experimental abstract limbo.

While the duo imbues each collaboration with a touch of grace, their individual compositions—one from each—stand out. Smith’s “Floating River Requiem” dedicated to Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1961, unfolds with mournful intonations and fluid rhythmic freedom. Iyer’s darkly bluesy comping provides a majestic backdrop for Smith’s piercingly emotive melodies. In turn, Iyer’s “Kite”, written for the late Palestinian writer and poet Rafael Alareer, highlights the duo’s remarkable synergy in a piece that is both plaintive and luminous. Here, Smith’s trumpet emits bouts of light.

Iyer and Smith follow a more contemplative philosophy weaving deep lyrical contours with a sense of spontaneity. They prove that there’s no need to be bound by rules. They simply need their freedom.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Floating River Requiem (for Patrice Lumumba) ► 04 - Elegy: The Pilgrimage ► 05 - Kite (for Rafael Alareer)

Myra Melford - Splash

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Myra Medford: piano; Michael Formanek: bass; Ches Smith: drums, vibraphone.

Pianist and composer Myra Melford leads a new boundary-pushing trio—a format she usually invests in with Trio M (featuring bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson)—characterized by its serious yet passionate approach to music. Splash thrives on complex frameworks designed with locked-in aesthetics and imaginative improvisation. As in previous outings, Melford draws inspiration from American post-abstract expressionist Cy Twombly, using his art as a catalyst for her and her bandmates—bassist Michael Formanek and drummer/vibraphonist Ches Smith—to explore their deep harmonic and rhythmic sensibilities.

In “Drift”, the core rhythm section sets a vigorous motion over which Melford unfurls sinewy lines, weaving an endless strain of lyrical invention and frayed expression without ever breaking in tone. A striking unaccompanied bass solo, driven by stamina and precision, is later joined by vamping vibraphone and piano, and Smith improvises freely on both vibes and drums over a 13-beat cycle piano vamp.

Like the opening track, “The Wayward Line” previously appeared on Tomorrowland by Lux Quartet, an ensemble co-led by Melford and drummer Allison Miller. Here, it unfolds experimentally, beginning with controlled abstract frenzy, passing through introspective tones, and culminating in an investigative piano passage over a dense, rhythmic continuum.

“Freewheeler” surges forward with anxious, restless energy, only to soften in its final quarter, where Smith’s fluttering vibraphone delicacy replaces the drums, creating a dreamy atmosphere. The through-composed “Streaming” brings further surprises, kicking off with skittish drumming and slippery stabs of funky double bass, while slaloming piano melodies dance above. The dynamic sequence of timbres and moods is accentuated by bowed bass and interwoven vibraphone-piano statements.

“A Line With a Mind of its Own” stands out, featuring bass and piano in parallel while Smith embraces a liberated approach on drums, filling every gap with fervor and precision. The supple piano improvisation leads into a main melodic line that is both disembodied and intellectually grounded, culminating in pure avant-garde intensity. “Chalk” brings a poetic close to the album, imbued with a contemporary classical feel and a touch of modal spirituality. Before that, three ‘Interludes’—each spotlighting one musician—seamlessly weave powerful emotions into the album’s rich tapestry.

Melford gives her exemplary trio the freedom they claim, and the three artists show their seriously expansive sonic palettes in a cohesive whole that is as probing and expressionistic as Twombly’s art.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Drift ► 06 - Streaming ► 07 - A Line With a Mind of Its Own ► 10 - Chalk

Adam O'Farrill - For These Streets

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2025

Personnel - Adam O’Farrill: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kevin Sun: tenor saxophone, clarinet; David Léon: alto saxophone, flute; Kalun Leung: trombone, euphonium; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Tyrone Allen: double bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

Brooklyn trumpeter and composer Adam O’Farrill reaches new heights of passion, drama, and urgency with his latest album, For These Streets, a tribute to the literature, film, and music of the 1930s, drawing inspiration from Henry Miller, Virginia Woolf, Stravinsky, and Otavio Paz. Leading an all-star octet, O’Farrill crafts inventive musical arrangements with skewed angles, supported by rising saxophonists Kevin Sun and David Léon, trombonist Kalun Leung, acclaimed guitarist Mary Halvorson, recently lauded vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, bassist Tyrone Allen, and notable drummer Tomas Fujiwara. The ensemble is conducted by Eli Greenhoe.

The album’s opener, “Swimmers”, absolutely stuns, unfolding fluidly through dynamic passages. It begins in rubato mode with sparse guitar chords and bass pointillism before seamlessly transitioning into agile trumpet phrasing and propulsive drumming. Brennan and Halvorson—sought-after accompanists and improvisers appearing in numerous projects—provide harmonically rich counterpoint, a contrast-colored technique that recurs throughout the album. Jarringly catchy vamps and intricate collective movements are laid over odd-metered rhythms, enhancing the music’s unpredictability.

“Nocturno, 1932” moves with a mournful, waltzing cadence, its velvety flute and chamber texture infusing an airy spaciousness before the horns engage in contrapuntal brilliance in quintuple time. Also packed with counterpoint in support of O’Farrill’s wailing trumpet is “Speeding Blots of Ink”, but not before Halvorson shines with labyrinthine melodic trails, staccato harmonies, and mesmerizing effects. A subtle funk underpins the rhythm, culminating in a woolly saxophone-driven passage marked by an elegant, romantic touch.

“Migration” is soulfully intoned yet layered with solemnity and necessary gravitas, most of them coming from Allen's bowed bass. Brennan, marking every 10-beat cycle, meanders freely before a final woodwind-infused chamber passage concludes the piece. In “And So On”, the horns swoop and soar above a smoky 3/4 rhythmic tapestry, chewing up the scenery with gritty delight, while “Late June” radiates optimism with key changes, expert textural nuance, and a soothing saxophone statement.

“Streets”, an inebriating duet between O’Farrill and Halvorson, merges the balladic lyricism of Enrico Rava with the expressive depth of Ambrose Akinmusire, setting poignant trumpet lines against warped guitar trajectories. Meanwhile, “Rose” has the instruments counterbalancing one another, also exploring sections of cathartic avant-garde and rock-infused energy.

O’Farrill’s angular drive never forsakes melodic intent, making his music feel simultaneously exploratory, airy, disciplined, and often gently expressive. Designing charts with intricate cross-hatched lines, he stands at the peak of his compositional prowess.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Swimmers ► 05 - Speeding Blots of Ink ► 06 - Streets ► 10 - Late June

Nels Cline - Consentrik Quartet

Label: Blue Note Records, 2025

Personnel - Nels Cline: guitar; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Chris Lightcap: bass; Tom Rainey: drums.

In his latest album, Nels Cline—an astoundingly skilled guitarist and composer— leads a formidable new quartet featuring saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, bassist Chris Lightcap, and drummer Tom Rainey. Consentrik Quartet, their self-titled release, is a testament to the strength of each musician’s abilities, and includes original compositions inspired both by the pandemic and the exciting improvisational Brooklyn music scene. 

The vanguard side of Cline’s compositions blossoms into new vistas. “The Returning Angel” unfolds in a rubato form, layering enigmatic guitar arpeggios, brushed snare textures, scintillating cymbal work, and poised saxophone melodies. At a key moment, the bass locks in with the guitar, shifting into a slow 6/4 time feel before segueing into “The 23”, a fantastic amalgamation of rich tones and deftly chosen notes. Lightcap’s addictive bass groove casts a spell, Laubrock weaves through inventive trajectories, and Cline infuses mesmerizing harmonic colors, embracing jazz, rock, and blues with openness and fluency. 

“Surplus” begins with sax and guitar in seamless communion before transitioning into odd-metered passages brimming with rhythmic intent. Cline’s phenomenal chordal sequence hints at a bluesy funk inclination, enhanced by a smeary overdrive effect. He repeats the feat on “Satomi”, written for bassist/singer Satomi Matsuzaki of the band Deerhoof, in a playful yet provocative avant-jazz-meets-post-rock setting that culminates in a less impetuous, chamber-like passage tinged with mournful tones.

“Slipping Into Something” hits all the right pleasure nodes, beginning with a hypnotic intro before settling into an unfaltering 15-beat cycle groove. Over this foundation, Cline and Laubrock exchange rapid-fire notes in a gripping dialogue, all laced with a sturdy rock feel that seamlessly carries over to “The Bag”. Written for Rainey, this piece showcases his drumming mastery—whether delivering intricate conversational textures, charging forward with a swinging drive, or providing sole support for Laubrock’s quick-witted improvisation. Eventually, Cline’s nimble guitar phrasing and Lightcap’s assertive bass conduction join the mix, reinforcing the piece’s momentum.

“Allende” suspends itself in an ethereal space, sprinkled with shimmering sonic particles, while “House of Steam” navigates an array of exciting meter signatures and rhythms. “Question of Mark” boils with plenty of noise, and “Time of No Sirens” offers a soothing counterpoint, imbued with emotional depth. No Matter the source of inspiration, Cline and his ensemble infuse the music with a fearless sense of perspective.

Consentrik Quartet is a truly collaborative ensemble, approaching music from unexpected angles and delivering an exhilarating listening experience. This album is a gem that should not be missed.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The 23 ► 03 - Surplus ► 04 - Slipping Into Something ► 09 - The Bag

Sylvie Courvoisier / Mary Halvorson - Bone Bells

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2025

Personnel - Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Mary Halvorson: guitar.

Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and American guitarist Mary Halvorson are known for their distinctive and unconventional style—in the best sense of the word. As expected, their music is rooted in strong improvisational ideas, yet their compositional skills are evident in each piece. Bone Bells marks their third duo album, following Crop Circles (2017) and Searching For the Disappeared Hour (2021).

The title track opens the album with dark, warped, and beautifully constructed storytelling, evoking the book Trust by Hernan Diaz, the inspiration for its name. The two musicians sound completely integrated, sharing a vision that is at once mournful and enchanting. Courvoisier’s “Esmeralda”, named after a sculpture by Dutch artist Cornelis Zitman, is rhythmically defiant, showcasing a dynamic flow with a stippled, fluttery sense of motion. Before culminating in feverish agitation, it shifts into a more introspective mood, embracing a rounder sense of harmony with the pianist at the helm.

Halvorson’s “Folded Secret” layers forward-moving prepared piano with intrepid guitar work, generating an oddly propulsive flow. These seemingly effortless interactions emerge with striking detail and coordination. “Beclouded” fuses classical and avant-jazz elements, intertwining arpeggiated piano lines with spiky guitar sprints—except when the duo navigates the intricate melodic line in fleet unison.

“Nags Head Waltz” flows lightly and sinuously, embracing an open sense of pace, while “Silly Walk” feels almost cartoonish in its rhythmic accentuations and experimental determination. Inspired by Monty Python sketches as well as sculptures by Swiss artist Sophie Bouvier Ausländer, this piece takes on a darker mood without losing its sense of humor. The album closes with Courvoisier’s “Cristellina e Lontano”, where a 10-beat cycle featuring an eight-note vamping piano phrase collides with the sly triple-meter feel established by the guitar. This texturally elegant piece begins with rapid-fire lines played in unison and evolves into compelling improvisations.

Courvoisier and Halvorson embrace a sense of risk that is magnified into fields of harmonic possibility. They are brave enough to explore outside the lines and exceptionally skilled to make their music sound thrilling.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Esmeralda ► 03 - Folded Secret ► 08 - Cristellina e Lontano

Billy Mohler - The Eternal

Label: Contagious Music, 2025

Personnel - Devin Daniels: alto saxophone; Jeff Parker: guitar; Billy Mohler: bass; Damion Reid: drums.

On his latest album, The Eternal, LA bassist and composer Billy Mohler applies his signature groovy formulas with a firm grip in the rock music, delivering another striking album of originals alongside a new quartet of influential LA-based musicians. After three albums featuring reedist Chris Speed, trumpeter Shane Endsley, and drummer Nate Wood, his lineup now includes saxophonist Devin Daniels, guitarist Jeff Parker, and drummer Damion Reid.

The album opener, “Those Who Know”, was written for Reid, who stuns with a rock-infused feel in the beat. Mohler sets everything in motion with a dynamic groove, over which sax and guitar flow effortlessly in parallel. Parker’s harmonic support and liquid tremolos stand out, as does his work on “Hawk Wind”, another piece built around a mesmerizing bass figure, and where he employs volume swells to create a warm ambiance. He then solos through a spellbinding sequence, adding elegant tension to his phrasing with half-tone shifts. The rhythm section remains finely attuned to the soloists, with Reid simultaneously delivering a hi-hat pulse and mallet-driven eloquence in support of Daniels’ beautifully crafted improvisation.

For blues enthusiasts, this band offers two distinct takes on the genre: “Adaptation” is an intrepid, jittery excursion in six, brimming with restless drum work and a whimsical guitar improvisation, while “Sooner”, inspired by Mohler’s late uncle Doug—a member of the Chippewa tribe—emerges as a full-figured 4/4 blues. Additionally, the album features five ‘Eternal’ pieces—short solo bass stories, exquisitely expressed through thick, resonant tones and a refined pizzicato technique.

“Reflection” is a sophisticated ballad, elegantly balanced with harmonic and melodic tunefulness, whereas “Destroyer” is a formidable powerhouse, an energetic rock-infused foray that culminates in an unexpected resolution. On “Tsunami”, Mohler ignites the groove with an intense yet controlled heat, achieving a fine equilibrium between tension and release. Despite its foreboding title, the piece radiates a thoughtful optimism, shaped by tempo shifts and soulful statements from Parker and Daniels.

Mohler unquestionably knows how to throw down a groove, providing a fertile foundation for his bandmates to explore freely. His approach—firmly rooted in the contemporary post-bop school—frequently arrives with rock-like muscularity. The Eternal, a brew of heady, spirited groovy magnitude and boldly creative hybridity, ensures that no listener remains static.

Favorite Tracks:

01 - Those Who Know ► 04 - Hawk Wind ► 07 - Destroyer ► 12 - Tsunami

Yuto Mitomi - Epicycle

Label: Self released, 2025

Personnel - Yuto Mitomi: tenor and soprano saxophone; Takahiro Izumikawa: piano, keyboards; Moto Fukushima: six-string bass; Keita Ogawa: drums, percussion.

New York-based Japanese saxophonist and composer Yuto Mitomi presents Epicycle, his fourth album as a leader/co-leader. Joined by a proficient quartet, Mitomi and his peers move organically, maintaining a constant focus on shaping a style that is both crystalline and opaque. The title Epicycle refers to a geometric concept applied to astronomy, mirroring the album’s intricate musical explorations.

Ambiguity plays a strong role throughout the album, which opens with “Morning Haze”, a free improvisation unfolding as a fluid, shapeless dialogue. Mitomi’s profound saxophone meditations intertwine with Keita Ogawa’s steady cymbal splashes, Takahiro Izumikawa’s diligent piano phrasing, and Moto Fukushima’s ruminative electric bass. These striking avant-garde landscapes resurface in two other free improvisations—“Grappling Cats” and “Moony Night”. The former highlights the ensemble’s adventurous spirit and exploratory nature, while the latter is graced by a cool beat and lavishly jazzy piano harmonies.

Ogawa’s splendid drumming propels “Spline”, a title referencing mathematical curves and mirroring the piece’s fluid, undulating movement. Infused with an acid jazz flavor, the track thrives on fusion-leaning keyboard attacks, over which Mitomi’s soaring soprano lines take flight. Even the composed pieces exude an open quality— “Dew”, for instance, bathes the listener in soft, prismatic colors and a cohesive texture, carried by a relaxed 7/4 groove. Assertive solos from Izumikawa and Mitomi gradually build in emotion, framed by a serene yet compelling rhythmic foundation.

The four instruments overlap picturesquely on “Epicycle”, a composition divided into two distinct yet persuasive parts—the first, poetic and restraint; the second, groovier yet amiable in tone, invigorated by a few rhythmic variations. Various genres inform Mitomi’s predominantly jazz idiom, and Epicycle is an empathetic, curiously textured album where listeners may appreciate the quartet’s genuine musical sensibilities.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Epicycle II ► 05 - Grappling Cats ► 07 - Spline

Steve Lehman Trio with Mark Turner - The Music of Anthony Braxton

Label: Pi Recordings

Personnel - Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Matt Brewer: bass; Damion Reid: drums.

For his 17th album as a leader, alto saxophonist and composer Steve Lehman joins forces with tenorist Mark Turner in the frontline of a dynamic quartet, propelled by a formidable rhythm section featuring bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid. This album, a tribute to Lehman’s early mentor Anthony Braxton in celebration of his 80th birthday, features eight tracks—five by Braxton, two by Lehman, and one by Monk—recorded live at ETA in Los Angeles.

Braxton’s “34a” launches the album with a furious vibe. A feverish, frenetic riff takes center stage, driven by an assertive rhythmic thrust, with the two saxophonists delivering sharp, angular unisons. Turner demonstrates his versatility, equally at home in avant-garde settings as in post-bop, while Lehman showcases his signature fractal style with dazzling speed and intervallic acrobatics. “40b” begins with Brewer’s reflective yet elegantly dancing bass lines, before an infectious Latin groove emerges. The saxophonists improvise with vision and vigor, their interplay baked with motifs and bright ideas.

Other standout Braxton pieces include “23c”, where precision licks are crisply articulated by Lehman, Brewer, and Reid, with knotty, turn-on-a-dime shifts in the rhythm department, and “23b+23g”, where regimented marching steps evolve into a swinging foray. The horn players toss out absorbing free-bop melodies while the rhythm section continues to skitter, clatter, and zing beneath them. Turner is on fire here, Reid comes into view from behind the kit with stunning details and syncopation, and Lehman delivers a gusty speech with a remarkable flow of articulation and accentuation. 

Lehman penned “L.A. Genes” and “Unbroken and Unspoken”, each revealing different facets of his compositional voice. The former is a vibrant conversation of shifting polytonal interactions, full of exciting tangents and personalized remarks. The latter embraces both lyricism and complexity, opting for a more fluid and rounded approach while still infused with intricate rhythmic nuances that create an energetic, swinging tension. 
The album concludes with a thrilling rendition of Monk’s “Trinkle Tinkle”, which unfolds after an adventurous two-minute saxophone duologue, leading to trading eights with the drummer.

A rigorous conceptual thinker, Lehman dives into complex compositional forms, conducting his trio-plus-one unit to stardom. The music is infectious, fervent, and bouncy, and the enjoyment brimful of exciting places to discover.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - 34a ► 02 - L.A. Genes ► 03 - 40b ► 05 - 23c

Jon Irabagon - Server Farm

Label: Irabbagast Records

Personnel - Jon Irabagon: tenor and sopranino saxophones, effects; Mazz Swift: violin, voice; Peter Evans: trumpet, flugelhorn; Matt Mitchell: piano, Fender Rhodes, Prophet-6; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Wendy Eisenberg: guitar; Michael Formanek: acoustic bass; Chris Lightcap: electric bass; Dan Weiss: drums; Levy Lorenzo: kulintang, laptop, electronics, vibraphone.

Saxophonist/composer Jon Irabagon stands as a pivotal figure in the contemporary jazz universe, with a catalog of starkly expressive albums that exemplify excellence in creative, improvised music. This year, he presents Server Farm, an electrifying work that explores the threats and promises of A.I. To realize this vision, he leads a super electro-acoustic ensemble with an unconventional instrumentation. 

New sonic avenues are constantly emerging in this cutting-edge experience, beginning with “Colocation”, brilliantly introduced by Levy Lorenzo’s kulintang (a system of gongs). Acid vibes bubble up, infused with sensibilities of free funk and avant-garde jazz. Chris Lightcap on electric bass and drummer Dan Weiss thrive in a rhythmic symbiosis, while Matt Mitchell delivers a clamant keyboard solo. The guitar noise of Miles Okazaki and Wendy Eisenberg collides with Mazz Swift’s violin and the boisterous horn entanglements of Irabagon and trumpeter Peter Evans. A calm chamber passage provides a momentary contrast before a violent orchestral flux paves the way for a wonderfully explorative solo from Evans. A methodical pulsation, led by vibraphone and interwoven horn lines, builds toward a revolutionary, chaotic ending.

“Routers” carries a sumptuous Latin drive shaped by opposing rhythms and offbeat phrasing. Added after the initial recording, Irabagon’s tenor sax solo stands out, and the piece concludes like an ethnic dance, enriched by wafting violin. “Singularities” unfolds with hyper-fluency, shifting from a lavish avant-jazz symphony—marked by resounding unisons—to guitarists carving out individual space with their outside-the-box inflections, before settling into a jazzy R&B passage that emotionally resonates with the listener. It traverses a mantra-like, rock-fueled ambiance before culminating in a fantastic 3/4 extravaganza, a bold display of rhythmic audacity.

“Graceful Exit” opens with the earthy, assertive bowed bass of Michael Formanek. Electronics, piano, and drums gradually layer in before the ensemble momentarily pauses the wild excitement for a lyrical Ellingtonian section, evoking the charm of a classic jazz standard. The album’s offbeat conclusion comes with “Spy”, an entrancing, penetrating, and intricately layered piece featuring a pandemic-era poem written by Irabagon, bass pedals, vibing chimes, and agitated buzzing sounds.

Irabagon thrives in progressive musical landscapes, forging a new identity with Server Farm. His collaborators, all deeply invested in conveying his message, contribute to yet another game-changing epiphany—one where there’s always more than just the sum of the parts.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Colocation ► 03 - Singularities ► 04 - Graceful Exit

Tom Teasley featuring Dave Ballou - Lunch Break

Label: Self released, 2025

Personnel - Tom Teasley: all drums and percussion; Dave Ballou: trumpet.

Lunch Break is a creative drums-trumpet album where positive energy is felt throughout, offering a unique and harmonious confluence of sounds and timbres. The orchestrators are world-music-leaning percussionist Tom Teasley, who composed all tracks, and avant-garde jazz trumpeter Dave Ballou, whose distinctive, organic phraseology floats atop eclectic rhythmic tapestries. Having previously collaborated in a band led by drummer Jeff Cosgrove, the duo displays undeniable technical proficiency and refined musical choices throughout.

Teasley, a Virginia native, initiates much of the music. In “Tips in Baghdad” he transitions from a Mesopotamian frame drum to a drumset, drawing on memories of a tour in Iraq and a 1980s gig in New Orleans. The groove carries mysticism and certitude, while Ballou showcases remarkable clarity, moving from pristine sustained notes and ambiguous melodic phrases to incisive motivic sequences.

“Four On Six” offers mercurial groundwork, with a cyclic bembé pattern in six dissolving into a 4/4 groove, over which Ballou’s buoyant trumpet dances with joy. The duo’s strong chemistry continues to shine as various grooves unfold. “When The Wind Cries” is a tearful rubato ballad, entrancingly harmonized by the Rav Vast drum and colored by shimmering cymbals, contrasting with the poignancy of the trumpet. A similar orchestration graces “Prayer For The Ancestors”, where a deep spiritual aura results from the duo’s insightful musical input. 

“For Max”, a solo percussion effort blending resonant drum timbres and metallic sparks, and “Mop Shake and Roll”, marked by foreign tinges and imaginative rhythmic verve, pay homage to legendary jazz drummer Max Roach. The duo demonstrates exceptional responsiveness in the dynamic “Rush Hour”, reacting to every intriguing stimulus. Sometimes they march, sometimes soar, and sometimes swing, navigating an avant-garde jazz direction with skill and vision. Meanwhile, “Jongo” emanates a joyful vibe, seeking light while avoiding darker corners. Teasley’s masterful percussion clears the way for Ballou’s agile, idiosyncratic trumpet explorations.

On the sprightly “Riqq Talk”, Middle Eastern flavors blend with South Indian Carnatic music. Teasley plays the Egyptian riqq (tambourine) and incorporates his voice, while Ballou interjects with muted trumpet responses. This exceptionally pleasant fusion album showcases Teasley and Ballou's deep musical connection, as their sophisticated interplay transports listeners to distant, intriguing places.

Favorite Tracks:
01- Tips in Baghdad ► 05 - Rush Hour ► 07 - Jongo

Ambrose Akinmusire - Honey From a Winter Stone

Label: Nonesuch Records

Personnel - Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Kokayi: vocals; Sam Harris: piano; Chiquitamagic: synths; Dustin Brown: drums + Mivos Quartet.

The inimitable trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire stands among the most creative and ambitious musicians of his generation. His new outing, Honey From a Winter Stone, is a visionary collection of originals inspired by the work of composer Julius Eastman. Here, Akinmusire channels the fears and struggles of Black men, striving to deepen emotional expression while adhering to well-constructed frameworks.

The album’s five original compositions are vivid and powerful, fusing elements of jazz, classical, and hip-hop to forge an authentic style where ethos and cohesion take center stage. “Muffled Screams” evokes a near-death experience Akinmusire survived, beginning with Sam Harris' plaintive piano lines, supported by Justin Brown’s cymbal colorations and tom-tom eruptions. Akinmusire balances texture and color, crafting a shimmering lyricism whose elongated tones intensify both melancholy and primal cries.

“Bloomed” opens with the Mivos Quartet fully commanding a modern classical exploration, eventually morphing into a groovy, hip-hop-infused jazz atmosphere that highlights Akinmusire’s expressive phrases. “MYanx” features fleet, intricate drumming, ominous synths by Chiquitamagic, Kokayi’s commanding spoken word, and rhythmic, motivic string gestures. These elements converge with sharp, piercing trumpet lines that amplify and expand the tonal landscape.

A fat, rounded bass synth and an entrancing hip-hop beat permeate “Owled”, one of the album’s most captivating pieces. The Mivos Quartet and Kokayi shine here, delivering their grippiest performance, but there’s also an ambient middle section with soaring vocals before the piece concludes with piano, strings and cymbals finding common ground. 

Headed in an intriguing direction, “s-/Kinfolks” is a 29-minute odyssey traversing avant-garde ambient textures, free funk downtempo, and outlandish free jazz improvisation with the same penchant for experimentation. Akinmusire plays with élan and explores extended techniques. His performance becomes more melodic during a delicate passage softened by introspective piano and crestfallen strings. A hip-hop groove underpins Kokayi’s authoritative rap before culminating in two captivating duologues: trumpet over strings and piano over drums.

This engaging, honest session reveals Akinmusire’s musical versatility and essential message, offering a remarkable showcase of his exceptional artistry.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bloomed ► 04 - Owled ► 05 - s-/Kinfolks

Tim Berne - Yikes Too

Label: Screwgun Records / Out of Your Head Records

Personnel - Tim Berne: alto saxophone; Greg Belisle-Chi: guitar; Tom Rainey: drums.

The influential saxophonist Tim Berne leads a new explorative trio called Capotosta, taking listeners on a sonic journey filled with hidden treasures. Berne enjoys the inventive support of two other creative visionaries: guitarist Greg Belisle-Chi, a recent yet highly compatible collaborator, and drummer Tom Rainey, a longtime associate who played an important role in Berne’s acclaimed avant-jazz trios Big Satan and Hardcell.

Yikes Too is a double album with two distinct parts. The first disc features ten studio tracks recorded at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, while the second captures a live concert performance in Seattle. The album’s mixing and mastering are handled by guitarist and producer David Torn, Berne’s collaborator in the Sun of Goldfinger and Sunny Five projects.

The trio’s telepathy and responsive cohesion has been honed through weekly gigs at Brooklyn’s Lowlands. This synergy is evident from the opening track, “Oddly Enough”, which showcases their like-mindedness, Berne’s creative genius, and Rainey’s vibrant drumming that balances angular unisons. The shifting rhythmic patterns create space for Belisle-Chi’s abstract guitar explorations, which Berne joins with soaring alto sax lines over contorted noise guitar textures and charged drum activity.

In a nearly 10-minute odyssey “Guitar Star”, Belisle-Chi’s distorted introduction evokes dark shadows, oscillating between eerie Celtic underworld sounds and radiant bursts of light piercing through opaque textures. “Yikes” blends alternative rock with avant-garde jazz as Berne delivers expressive melodies brimming with twists and tangles.

Rainey’s drumset mastery shines on “Yikes 2”, flanked by robust, deliberately imperfect sax-guitar unisons, and “Julius Hemphill”, a reflective tribute to Berne’s mentor and hero. Operating on the same wavelength, the musicians offer beautiful, emotionally stricken moments, and the piece evolves into a foreign dance propelled by intricate rhythmic patterns.

“Bat Channel” offers a compelling framework of engrossing chordal accompaniment, eloquent sax lines, and comfortable chatting drums. “Trauma”, on the other hand, feels chantingly motivic with its cohesive ideas and nonconformist pulse, driven by an articulate 12-beat cycle riff that makes us feel the ground under our feet. The first disc closes with “Sorry Variations”, a sometimes-free, sometimes-mathematical excursion of spontaneous linguistic expression that embodies the album’s overarching mood.

Berne continues to carve out a unique niche as both a visionary artist and fierce improviser. His collaborators also deserve significant credit for the album's dynamic success.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Oddly Enough ► 03 - Yikes ► 06 - Julius Hemphill ► 08 - Trauma

Jeong Lim Yang - Synchronicity

Label: Sunnyside Records

Personnel - Jeong Lim Yang: bass; Mat Maneri: viola; Jacob Sacks: piano; Randy Peterson: drums.

Korean-born, Brooklyn-based bassist and composer Jeong Lim Yang has brought together an adventurous crew of seasoned, forward-thinking musicians and mentors to shape her third album, Synchronicity. The collection of seven original compositions explores a wide range of sounds and moods, weaving narrative through both improvisation and composition, and skillfully balancing tension and release.

The title track, “Synchronicity”, opens the album with a minimal structure and polyrhythmic texture, featuring Jacob Sacks’ freely flowing piano lines in a whimsical exploration with tempo variations. The piece is layered with Mat Maneri’s poignant viola wails, Yang’s fluid and loose-limbed bass, and Randy Peterson’s understated drum playing. “Ordinary Waltz” defies its name, placing a captivating melodic riff at its center, while obliterating any obvious 3/4 time feel through a dizzying fusion of folk, blues, and avant-chamber-jazz nuances. 

“Morning Glory”, inspired by Rodgers/Hammerstein’s show tune “Edelweiss” from the film The Sound of Music, plunges into ambiguity with its woozy and unpredictable arrangement. Meanwhile, “Body Nor Soul”, a contrafact of the ballad standard “Body And Soul”. With melodic nuance and strobing incantations, each musician—excluding the drummer—takes their time to deliver beautifully improvised passages. The hard-swinging “Salad For Lunch”, composed by Sacks, showcases his solo, which bridges traditional and progressive ideas. Yang follows with a groove that is both clear and expressive, while Peterson extends the rhythmic flow with exquisite drum swells.

“Weeping Dream” radiates a haunting beauty, reflecting the sorrowful emotions inspired by a Covid-related dream. Wintry piano arpeggios, vivid bass descriptions, and often dissonant viola cries combine to create a muted, somber scenario. “Stimmung” begins with Yang’s expressive bends, slides and plucks, paired with Peterson’s crackling, fireworks-like sounds, before transitioning into a more harmonically defined section that supports a folk-inspired confluence of distinct melodies. 

Yang and her ensemble make the material sound simultaneously lucid and open-ended. With its thoughtful execution, Synchronicity has the potential to elevate Yang’s visibility in the jazz world.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Ordinary Waltz ► 04 - Salad For Lunch ► 05 - Weeping Dream

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

Thollem McDonas - Infinite-Sum Game

Label: ESP-Disk

Personnel - Thollem McDonas: piano.

British pianist and composer Thollem McDonas, renowned for his rhythmically inventive and genre-defying style, reaches new heights of eloquence in Infinite-Sum Game, a solo album recorded live in Italy. This meticulously calibrated outing feels like McDonas is cracking his own code, offering a deeply engaging experience.

“When Only Knows” offers a modern stride piano imbued with crosscurrents and intricate parallelism. “All the Creatures” broadens the spectrum with range, ending quietly after a tempestuous climax. “From Why We Came” presents a perceptible melodic narrative with hypnotic pulses and bluesy wallops. 

The prepared piano textures of “Gathering Gatherers” overflow with world folk melodies, while “Sunset Nomad” fiercely deconstructs classical themes with McDonas’ signature agility. “Symbi Oasis”, a title hinting at ‘symbiosis’, whimsically integrates classical, Spanish, blues, jazz, and rock ’n’ roll elements into a cohesive and efficient tapestry. The album’s darker tones emerge in the minimalistic pungency of “Every Key Every Door”, while “Feel a Drop of Rain For a While” balances delicate sweetness with enigmatic poignancy. 

McDonas’ iconoclastic tendencies shine throughout the album, yet they are tempered with warmth, mystery, and a profound sense of intimacy. Infinite-Sum Game deserves to be discovered.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - When Only Knows ► 03 - From Why We Came ► 09 - Feel a Drop of Rain For a While