Mats Gustafsson / Ken Vandermark / Tomeka Reid / Chad Taylor - Pivot

Label: Silkheart Records, 2025

Personnel - Mats Gustafsson: baritone and tenor saxophones, flute; Ken Vandermark: tenor saxophone, Bb and bass clarinets; Tomeka Reid: cello; Chad Taylor: drums.

This mighty exploratory quartet—featuring a dazzling frontline with saxophonists Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark, and the rhythm section of cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Chad Taylor adding both drive and nuance—will leave avant-gardists and free jazz enthusiasts in heaven with their control of structure and unrestricted freedom. The session was recorded in Chicago in late 2024 and comprises four compositions each by Gustafsson and Vandermark, along with six freely improvised duos featuring every possible pairing within the lineup.

“The Sensation of Sliding” begins with cello pizzicato joining the horns in a quiet unison theme. Yet suddenly, it veers into a ferocious burst of energy with cacophonous saxophone layers, slashing cello, and sturdy drumming. A groovy 12-beat cycle then kicks in, evoking the Black American music tradition with its anthemic melody. Jaw-dropping solos—from Vandermark on bass clarinet and Gustafsson on baritone sax—are darkly hued and substantively muscular. Like the former track, “Drops of Sorrow, Accelerating” is a Gustafsson composition inspired by the writings of Danish poet and novelist Inger Christensen. Here, the group adopts an ancient, Sun Ra-like feel that channels his modal Nubian journeys. Gustafsson’s intense outcries contrast with the melodic contours of Vandermark’s phrasing.

The remaining two Gustafsson narratives are “Unmeasured Mile”, a cinematic, dramatic piece with standout work from Reid and Taylor, who gets heavy on toms; and “Popular Music Theory”, which concludes the album in furious avant-garde delirium.

The Vandermark-penned pieces are equally striking, especially “Blowing Out From Chicago”, a supple display of timbral and textural imagination. Rusty, serrated cello underpins the ecstatic theme statement, with Reid building added tension through chromaticism and staccato attacks, complementing Gustafsson’s fiery tenor improvisation. Though Gustafsson blows from deep within, Vandermark is equally fervent in his tribute to the city he loves, delivering an authoritative tenor solo. His “Epistemological Slide” highlights Taylor’s rhythmic prowess, while “I Am Aware, Standing in Snow” reveals eclecticism through cello lines evoking Eastern chants, as gospel tradition fuses with radiant jazz fanfare. The two horn players close the piece unaccompanied, gently restating the theme in unison after previously leading the off-the-hip explorations with focus and intensity.

Flexible pulses, melodic incisiveness, and distinctive timbral qualities - all blend beautifully at the hands of a reference quartet we can only hope records together more often.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Sensation of Sliding ► 02 - Blowing Out From Chicago ► 04 - Drops of Sorrow, Accelerating

Three-Layer Cake - Sounds the Color of Grounds

Label: Otherly Love Records, 2025

Personnel - Brandon Seabrook: guitars, banjos, tapes; Mike Watt: electric bass, vocals; Mike Pride: drumset, marimba, glockenspiel, dumbeks, bongos, organ; Jonathan Moritz: tenor saxophone (#8).

Sounds the Color of Grounds, the sophomore album by the progressive trio Three-Layer Cake, is full of surprises, oozing a rebellious sense of freedom and energy that is unmistakably the group’s own. The trio consists of adventurous guitarist/banjoist Brandon Seabrook, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer Mike Pride. The group made its debut in 2021 with Stove Top (RareNoise), recorded remotely as an incendiary response to the pandemic. This new album follows the same approach—with the curious detail that Watt, who lives in California, has never met Seabrook or Pride in person. They plan to get together soon at Pride’s studio in Chester, NY, to record their upcoming third album.

“Deliverdance” channels the punk rock spirit of Minutemen—Watt’s former band—but adds complex banjo ornamentation atop the muscular bass and drum texture. Watt’s spoken word here and on a couple other tracks were written for visual artist Raymond Pettibon, designer of the punk band Black Flag’s logo. “From Couplets to Crepuscles” unfolds with altered jazzy guitar chords, loose bass lines turned methodical, steady rhythmic steps, and effervescent drumming.

Pride drums with jaunty mischief on “The Hasta Cloth”, a piece firmly grounded in a bass groove, featuring bold guitar incursions and tinged with funk-rock and New Wave influences. Another lever fusion of funk, rock, and reggae is on display in “Tchotchkes”, where Seabrook adds unexpected crunch to the rhythmic architecture. The sound evokes Marc Ribot and The Lounge Lizards.

In an album that embodies the passion and fire of creative rockers, there’s space for a brushed, groovy jazz piece - and yet “Occluded Ostracized and Onanistic” is delightfully warped by eccentric melodies. “What Was Cut From the Negative Space” begins as a downtempo journey—thanks to Pride’s irresistible rhythm— before evolving into noise-rock territory with fusion hints, having Seabrook’s banjo attacks and distorted guitar simultaneously woven into cathartic ferocity. Studio overdubs were handled by Pride, whose inexorable tom-tom rumbling on “Lickspittle Spatter” perfectly accommodates the Oriental flavors emanated from Seabrook’s bowed banjo. There’s also funk and electronic music influence here.

Moving through pitches and timbres with passionate drive, Three-Layer Cake has crafted an uplifting, hooky-filled album that forges a distinctive style by distilling the best of its eclectic influences.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - From Couplets to Corpuscles ► 04 - What Was Cut From the Negative Space ► 07 - Tchotchkes

Alchemy Sound Project - Under the Surface

Label: Artists Recording Collective, 2025

Personnel - Sumi Tonooka: piano; Gregg August; bass; Johnathan Blake: drums; Erica Lindsay: tenor saxophone; Salim Washington: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Samantha Boshnack: trumpet; Michael Ventoso: trombone.

Alchemy Sound Project invites bassist Gregg August and drummer Johnathan Blake to join them in their third album, Under the Surface, which comprises seven formidable compositions by Philadelphian pianist Sumi Tonooka, an adept of both angularity and lyrical melodicism. 

Inspired by the roots of trees and how they function as interconnected underground systems, the album begins with a texturally open-minded piano trio number, “Points of Departure”, showcasing a drum solo at the outset before a great riffing groove forged by the pianist—alongside funkified bass lines—come to prominence. Tonooka’s harmonic voicings and cascading phrasings feel remarkably fresh, her musicality resonating in her fierce, compelling delivery. “Savour”, a meditation on mindfulness, features trombonist Michael Ventoso, who nods to Bubber Miley and Ellingtonian tradition with his muted wah-wah technique. The arrangement holds some surprising twists. Tonooka’s piano work is imaginative, and tenorist Erica Lindsay’s improvisation, rich with melodic inspiration, is fantastically supported by Blake’s vibrant drumming.

Bookended by excellent bowed bass, “Interval Haiku” is fed by a collateral riff that leads to Samantha Boshnack’s trumpet solo over an intense bass-and-drums flux and sparse piano comping. Multi-reedist Salim Washington delivers a bright tenor solo, gliding atop a slightly Latinized rhythmic tapestry. He also takes center stage at one point on the title track, “Under the Surface”, which closes the album with a mantra-like piano figure and horns soaring above it with expressive freedom.

One can’t deny there’s something special in Tonooka’s compositions. The contrast between “Mother Tongue” and “For Stanley” confirms her versatility. The former, full of sophistication and set in a bright septuple meter, features flute, sax, and trumpet in melodic consonance, as well as striking counterpoint; the latter, written for Tonooka’s mentor—the brilliant pianist Stanley Cowell— leans toward a more traditional jazz sculpting, delivered in trio format with rhythmic nuance, intimacy, and control.

There’s nothing pretentious about the way these musicians play. What comes to the fore is their ability to remain loose for a while and then return to form in a natural, effortless way.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Points of Departure ► 02 - Savour ► 05 - Mother Tongue

Scheen Jazzorkester & Fredrik Ljungkvist - Framat!

Label: Grong, 2025

Personnel - Fredrik Ljungkvist: tenor saxophone, clarinet, composition;  André Kassen: tenor and soprano saxophones; Guttorm Guttormsen: alto saxophone, flute; Jon Øystein Rosland: tenor saxophone; Line Bjørnør Rosland: clarinet, bass clarinet; Finn Arne Dahl Hanssen: trumpet; Thomas Johansson: trumpet; Mats Äleklint: trombone; Frøydis Aslesen: trombone; Åsgeir Grong: bass trombone; Mathias Ståhl: vibraphone; Jan Olav Renvåg: acoustic bass; Audun Kleive: drums.

Scheen Jazzorkester, a deliciously progressive Norwegian big band whose works often feature guests, invited Swedish saxophonist Fredrik Ljungkvist to compose for and perform with them. Ljungkvist’s eight compositions form a sumptuous suite crafted with a broad palette of sounds, fascinating dynamics, and creative nuance. Framåt!—meaning ‘going forward’—is dedicated to the composer’s father, who passed away in 2023, and is formidably executed by a fine roster of like-minded players, including two fellow Swedes: trombonist Mats Äleklint and vibraphonist Mathias Ståhl.

Initially immersed in dark tones, “Mörk” creates a mysterious soundscape that gradually dissolves through chromatic tonal shifts, leading to Thomas Johansson’s trumpet solo over harmonic vibraphone textures, resolute pizzicato bass, and gently brushed drums. Intensity ebbs and flows until the final theme reemerges. More restrained yet relying on well-defined melodic trajectories in unison, “Bågarna Och Rörelserna” features the rich woodiness of Ljungkvist and Line Bjørnør Rosland’s clarinets. 

The fresh orchestral vitality of “Framåt!” And “No Time to Loose” is on full display. The former, propelled by a beseeching force in five, shifts from elegant melodic contours into a wild sonic eruption driven by a dense horn concentration. Ljungkvist enjoys an unaccompanied exchange with Äleklint in a section that moves seamlessly from tense to tranquil. The latter piece, impeccably arranged and luxuriantly open, begins with flute over a droning backbone, and is elevated by Ståhl’s sophisticated improvisation and Ljungkvist’s explosive saxophone bursts.

While “Glassolalia”—translated as ‘speaking in tongues’—swings with a playful, uncompromising energy, “Leif Håkon” is a ballad of the impressionistic kind. The album closes with two dedications: “En Hyllning till Kerstin”, for writer Kerstin Ekman, and “Keijsers Dans”, for Ljungqvist’s former teacher, saxophonist Roland Keijser. The former, launched by saxophone over drums, emits classical essences in a chamber jazz setting; the latter exudes an infectious, feel-good rock vibe in waltz time, further animated by puissant saxophone exchanges.

With the band showcasing remarkable chemistry, Ljungkvist’s magnetic presence and compositional adroitness are felt throughout. This is serious big band work, where every musician contributes meaningfully to strike that sweet spot between individual improvisation and collective cohesion.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mörk ► 03 - Framåt! ► 04 - No Time to Loose ► 08 - Keijsers Dans

Mary Halvorson - About Ghosts

Label: Nonesuch Records, 2025

Personnel - Mary Halvorson: guitar, pocket piano (#1,2,3,8); Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone (1,2,4,5); Brian Settles: tenor saxophone (#1,2,5,8); Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; Jacob Garchik: trombone; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Nick Dunston: bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

Produced by Deerhoof’s John Dieterich, About Ghosts allows another worthy journey into the musical imagination of one of contemporary jazz’s most creative minds. Groundbreaking guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson presents eight originals, impeccably arranged for her widely praised Amaryllis sextet, plus two guest saxophonists: Immanuel Wilkins on alto and Brian Settles on tenor. Her remarkable talent is on full display throughout the album, where she also plays pocket piano on four tracks.

“Full of Neon” exhibits an exquisite, route-defining navigational pulse, across which unison melodies traverse unflaggingly. Jacob Garchik’s adventurous trombone solo sparks spontaneous reactions from Halvorson, while Settles’ tenor excursion unfolds over a distinct, snare-charged drum flow crafted by Tomas Fujiwara. “Carved From” opens and closes in a chamber jazz mode—horns up front—before entering a rich, uptempo waltz over which Halvorson’s atonal, provocative solo captures the ear and imagination. This is followed by Wilkins’ magnetic discourse.

“Eventual”, a somber ballad infused with mournful solemnity, spotlights vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, while the title track, “About Ghosts”, evokes an Ellingtonian movement reimagined with a 21st-century vision. Still, “Polyhedral”, with its angular, snappy theme delivered at a dazzling tempo, makes an even stronger impact. It’s a two-minute collective effort rather than a showcase for individual soloing.

Wilkins offers another improvisational blast on “Absinthian”, weaving long and fragmented phrases. This highly inventive piece, which blurs boundaries between indie electronic, alternative rock, and avant-garde jazz, stands out through its driving propulsion and fascinating counterpoint. Trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, in his eloquent yet sharply discerning style, also reveals outstanding melodic sensibility. The album concludes with “Endmost”, a 4/4 sonic mission featuring Settles and closing with Fujiwara’s drum solo over synth.

The material is unmistakably Halvorson’s. She and her constellation of superstars explore vast sonic territories without compromising accessibility, constructing intricate textures and bridging sections with both logic and audacity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Full of Neon ► 02 - Carved From ► 04 - Absinthian

Mark Solborg - Tungemal: Confluencia

Label: ILK Music, 2025

Personnel - Mark Solborg: guitar, electronics; Susana Santos Silva: trumpet; Simon Toldam: piano, keys; Ingar Zach: percussion, vibrating membranes.

Danish-Argentine guitarist and composer Mark Solborg offers nine aesthetically compelling avant-garde chamber pieces that leave a bold imprint due to their originality. While the written sections are well-considered, the improvisation unfolds confidently from the fabric of each composition, insidiously performed by his Tungemal quartet, featuring Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva, Danish pianist Simon Toldam, and Norwegian percussionist Ingar Zach.

Emitting melancholic and dark sounds, “Spoke” feels like a meditation on loss and grief. It’s layered with dismal piano chords, lachrymose trumpet lines sculpted with emotional fragility and enchanting effects, and understated guitar coloring. “Southern Swag” thrives on an offbeat prepared piano pulse which, accompanied by precise percussion, forms the bed over which Solborg and Silva deliver reassuring melodies in parallel. The guitar solo is alluring, marked by unanticipated note choices.

The group keeps listeners hooked with “The Wires”, in which Solborg’s meditative acoustic guitar stands out against the moody background. There’s a simultaneous embrace of anguish and tranquility here, yet “Cantamos” brings more optimistic tones without ever feeling cathartic. Its 4/4 arpeggiated riff is supported by sizzling percussion and extra bass notes that provide a cushioning foundation. “Planes” returns to a spatial, rubato desolation that immerses the listener in an imperturbable state of languidness. 

“Janus - Og Sidste Ord”, the longest track on the record at nearly 11 minutes, opens with metallic percussion, introspective guitar fingerpicking, and synth consistency, passing through a buzz-soaked stillness suddenly populated with clear piano raindrops. It all ends in atmospheric haze with Zach’s vibrating membranes and subtle key changes. The album winds up with “Pitches & Peace”, a softly mantric act co-composed by Solborg, Toldam, and Silva. The latter, employing extended techniques and pixelating her own ideas with varying degrees of timbre and pitch, steps into the foreground.

Tungemal, which means idiom or tongue, is deeply connected to communication and diversity. For all its risk-taking approach and keen sense of atmospherics, Solborg’s neatly-organized yet intriguing project deserves attention.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Southern Swag ► 03 - The Wires ► 04 - Cantamos

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp String Trio - Armageddon Flower

Label: Tao Forms, 2025

Personnel - Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano; Mat Maneri: viola; William Parker: double bass.

The association of saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp spans three decades and continues to yield fresh results. On their latest effort, Armageddon Flower, the two industrious artists match wits with expert string players: violist Mat Maneri and bassist William Parker. The quartet takes full advantage of their instruments' range and timbres, embracing nonlinear structures that make the music feel both through-composed and spontaneously conceived. 

Their free styling remains compelling, emotionally stirring, and artistically inspired—enough to keep listeners’ ears wide open throughout a session that opens with dark textures, despite the uplifting title “Pillar of Light”. It's difficult to discern whether Perelman's saxophone is weeping in agony or rejoicing in ecstasy. Yet a sense of desperation—and at times resignation—emerges from the saxophone-viola interactions, which are filled with magnetic motivic strategies and strident cries, all layered over the cerebrally paced harmonic flow generated by Shipp’s nimble fingers. A variety of ideas are unleashed in this eruptive blend of modern classical, chamber jazz, and free improvisation.

“Tree of Life” is another study in contrasts. The sax-viola introduction is backed by steady piano steps, which gradually ascend heavy slopes into tonally low-pitched motion with an accelerated heartbeat. Vigorous bass plucks, swirling piano pulses, and saxophone squeals move together in agitated bursts, and the volatile atmosphere shifts again later from accessible harmonies—delivered with broad elasticity—to dense sonic walls, smeared by the abrasive staccatos of saxophone and viola. The piece concludes in a restive mode. 

Perelman compares this music to reading the Book of Revelations in the Bible, and the title cut, “Armageddon Flower”, indeed exudes a sense of transcendence, thanks to Shipp’s inventive pianism and Parker’s freedom to soar. Some rhythmic patterns feel deeply tribal—in the sense of pure African origins—while others are distinctly contemporary, resonating with the complexities of 21st-century free jazz. “Restoration” closes the session with Shipp in command, beginning with thunderous blows in the piano’s lower register before gently resolving into a moment of absolute melodic reverie. Midway through, we’re treated to resonant mutual bowing from bass and viola. Aiming high, Perelman and Shipp break new ground with this configuration. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Pillar of Light ► 03 - Armageddon Flower

Matthieu Mazué Trio + Michael Attias - Monoliths and Screens for Quartet

Label: Self produced, 2025

Personnel - Michael Attias: alto saxophone; Matthieu Mazué: piano; Xaver Rüegg: double bass; Michael Cina: drums.

Explorative Swiss-based French pianist Matthieu Mazué anchors his trio—with Xaver Rüegg on double bass and Michael Cina on drums—in a collaborative project with razor-edged alto saxophonist Michael Attias, who has already captured avant-garde hearts with albums like Nerve Dance and LuMiSong. Monoliths and Screens For Quartet features eighth pieces that, blending composed sections and improvisation, carve out a personal dimension of musical expression.

“Monolith: Twelve Stones” unfolds with dark, mystifying piano chords and the angular lines of Attias, whose sardonic tone and rhythmic phrasing—combined with the piano—evoke the productive synergy between Eric Dolphy and Misha Mengelberg. Tenacious piano and expressive drums interact with convulsive intensity, and there’s a marked irreverence in both Mazué and Attias’ solos. In a similar vein, “Screen: Screams” flows with fluid piano ideas over a cyclic, colorful backdrop that, without warning, begins to swing with intent. And Attias generates all manner of tension through his inventive phrasing.

Rüegg and Attias found agreeable consonance in “Mrmnnmnts”, supported by understated piano smears. The saxophonist, sublime in both language and tone, improvises with heart, followed in turn by Mazué and Rüegg over a steady rhythmic base. “Monolith: á Propos de la Matiére” is delivered as a somber and abstract rubato, while “Le Regard Dans Le Vide” becomes a melancholy ballad skillfully introduced by piano.

The band engages in staccato interplay on “Screen: My Ghosts Are Underground”, whose theme is marked by a dominant and expressive type of language. Chaos emerges as the ensemble stirs agitation, but the mood shifts along the way—from meditative to darkly suspenseful to forcefully turbulent. By contrast, “Monolith: Stoned” feels like a spinning vertigo, with Attias channeling Monk in his exuberant riffing. The quartet then descends into a mournful state, with elongated alto sax notes and bowed bass contributing to a tearful solemnity, closing with saxophone multiphonics.

Overall, this is a fruitful alliance rich in textured soundscapes and intriguing tonal qualities, marked by structural complexity, unmistakable rhythmic drive, and captivating improvisation. It’s a strong choice for those in search of the pleasures found in well-measured modern jazz with a progressive, creative spirit.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Monolith: Twelve Stones ► 04 - Screen: My Ghosts Are Underground ► 06 - Screen: Screams

Hanging Hearts - Where's Your Head At

Label: Ropeadope, 2025

Personnel - Chris Weller: tenor and bass saxophones; Cole DeGenova: keys, synth, synth bass; Quin Kirchner: drums, percussion.

Hanging Hearts is a powerhouse bass-less trio from Chicago led by saxophonist Chris Weller and featuring Cole DeGenova on keys and synths, with Quin Kirchner replacing Devin Drobka on drums. They’re technically outstanding, but it’s their soulfulness and energy that make their music feel fresh and instantly likable. Where’s Your Head At is the unit’s third album.

The stunning opener, “Rise”, kicks off with strident determination, propelled by a powerful synth riff and engagingly misplaced drum accents. It quickly shifts into a section in seven, where Weller’s saxophone lines turn incisively witty. The vitality of punk rock fused with the carefree spirit of free jazz creates a raw musical energy, yet the trio crafts a different finale with Coltranean sax etchings over cymbal-toms textures and spacious synth embellishments. This track is the album’s only group composition.

Weller’s “Shégara” and “Horizon” offer different flavors. The former soars as a playful, animated fusion of African and Caribbean rhythms, while the latter, initially ambient and atmospheric, gradually unfolds into a tangible song structure. Their intensity, however, is rivaled by DeGenova’s “In the Garden”, a dynamic blend of electronic music and avant-garde jazz set to a ternary pulse. As Kirchner and DeGenova unleash battering drums and rippling synth waves, respectively, Weller keeps the melodic thread intact, occasionally bursting into gusty growls and rapid trills.

Weller proves to be a versatile composer whose ideas cohere within an aesthetic that embraces odd meters, rock-inflected grooves, and electrifying jazz. His “Strong & Wong” begins with literal on-the-beat steps before shifting into complex tempos, subtly infused with R&B and pop aromas—it could have made a great ABBA song. “Fight Song” is a U2-meets-Coltrane experiment, with a B section reminiscent of Pavement, showcasing formidable sax improvisation and synth psychedelia. That psychedelia—echoing Pink Floyd’s golden era—also floods “It’s Aliens”, a track built around a catchy riff and seamless transitions between 4/4 and 5/4.

These rhythmic shifts and nuanced changes in direction keep the music vibrant and unpredictable. The trio’s progressive approach yields fascinating results, making Where’s Your Head At a memorable album and a standout in Hanging Hearts’ still small yet impressive discography.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Rise ► 05 - In the Garden ► 08 - Fight Song ► 09 - It’s Aliens

Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quintet - Sound Remains

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2025

Personnel - Rez Abbasi: acoustic guitar; Bill Ware: vibraphone; Stephan Crump: bass; Eric McPherson: drums; Hasan Bakr: percussion.

Known for bringing a fresh and edgy vibe to any ensemble he commands or joins, Pakistan-born American jazz guitarist and composer Rez Abbasi—here playing exclusively acoustic with a dry, warm tone—releases his third album with his working quartet. The group features vibraphonist Bill Ware, who adds additional harmonic color, and a core rhythm team who know each other well as the pillars of Borderlands Trio, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Eric McPherson. For the guitarist’s 17th recording, Sound Remains, the quartet expands into a quintet with the addition of percussionist Hasan Bakr. The album is dedicated to Abbasi’s mother, who succumbed to kidney disease two years ago.

Postmodern sensibilities and fusion stylings emerge immediately in “Presence”, where a 12/8 groove, initiated by Abbasi and matched by Crump, leads to rhythmic mutations and adaptable vamping sequences that unify the piece. Ware and Abbasi deliver pulsating solos, and the piece concludes with a brief 7/4 section. The majestic “You Are” opens with a 12-beat cycle vamp that feels intuitive and unforced, eventually landing on a consistent 3/4 tempo subtly propelled by McPherson and Bakr. This melodically engaging piece also features a fine bass solo.

The harmonious guitar/vibes duet “Folk Song” takes the form of an impressionistic poem and is dedicated to Abbasi’s mother, while the gospel-tinged “Purity” closes the album with a compelling backbeat and a sense of hope. Crisp melodicism and open space arrive result from Ware and Abbasi’s intercalated confab as well as Crump’s thoughtful statement. Guitarist and vibraphonist also exchange ideas on “Spin Dream”, another Abbasi original steeped in polyrhythmic stimulation, exalting in rhythmic accents and lilting movements seasoned with touches of Latin and Eastern influences.

Covers of Keith Jarrett’s “Questar”, which blends folk and jazz elements with a fresh perspective, and John Coltrane’s “Lonnie’s Lament”, a poignant minor-mode ballad performed on fretless guitar, reflect Abbasi’s attentive arranging skills. While he remains a boundary-pushing presence in contemporary jazz, his new compositions reflect exploration of presence, mindfulness, and the dissolution of ego-driven attachment.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Presence ► 02 - You Are ► 05 - Spin Dream

Dan Weiss Quartet - Unclassified Affections

Label: Pi Recordings, 2025

Personnel - Peter Evans: trumpet; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Dan Weiss: drums.

Dan Weiss, a versatile drummer of unhinged creativity, gathers an ensemble of first-tier New York-based players—vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, guitarist Miles Okazaki, and trumpeter Peter Evans—and releases an eight-track album of intelligently composed music specifically envisioned with these brilliant artists in mind. Unclassified Affections follows the equally striking Even Odds (Cygnus Recordings, 2024), with its title drawn from Virginia Woolf’s novel.

Following a simple form, the title track opens with delightful vibraphone melodies that outline a perceptible chord progression. This texture is gradually enriched with acoustic guitar plucks and ethereal voicings, tear-streaked yet pulsating trumpet phrases, and ride cymbal swells, ultimately pared down by a snare-driven arrhythmia. In contrast, “Holotype” erupts with complex, viscerally vibrant rhythmic interplay as staccato phrases dart across a ceaseless cymbal gallop. Evans and Brennan engage in a dazzling parallel motion, held aloft with the precision of a gravity-defying juggler. The thrilling avant-garde aesthetic gives way to a solo drum passage that highlights Weiss’s rhythmic ingenuity before the piece returns conversationally to its hypnotic head.

“Perfection Loneliness” unfolds slowly in 5/4, imbued with a balladic quality following an enchanting vibraphone intro. The largely through-composed “Existence Ticket” delves into contemporary experimentalism, evoking a 21st-century take on Miles Davis fusion.

“Mansion of Madness” suggests a rock foundation through Okazaki’s distorted guitar but quickly evolves into something fractured, almost manic. The piece tapers into reflective abstraction, exuding boldness without fully igniting. Evans shines with pressure-cooked phrasing in a segment that flirts with electronica, and the piece closes with a heavy metal-like propulsion. “Consoled Without Consolation” offers polyphony and polyrhythmic insight with a formidable, occasionally syncopated drum beat running in the back, getting darker and denser during Evans and Okazaki’s conjoint crusade, and then quite poetic during Brennan’s solo statement. 

Weiss’ greatness and versatility are categorically displayed in tracks like “Plusgood”, a vibrant excursion into African rhythms subtly tinged with Brazilian flavor—Evans even seems to mimic a cuíca—and the closer, “Dead Wail Revelry”, an astutely structured journey through shifting grooves and moods, steeped in the breath and depth of modern jazz language.

The closer you listen, the more exquisite detail emerges from the quartet’s interaction. Viewed in the context of his entire body of work, it’s clear that Weiss stands among the most compelling drummer-composers on the contemporary scene. Unclassified Affections is here to prove it.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Unclassified Affections ► 02 - Holotype ► 04 - Mansion of Madness ► 07 - Plusgood

Joe Morris / Elliott Sharp - Realism

Label: ESP-Disk, 2025

Personnel - Joe Morris: guitars, effects; Elliott Sharp: guitars, electronics.

This revolutionary collaboration between two creative minds, guitarists Joe Morris and Elliott Sharp, offers a vivid snapshot of their deep-seated commitment to free improvisation and disruptive innovation. Drawing from indecipherable yet hypnotic idioms, they construct and deconstruct in pursuit of musical evolution, making Realism a scrabbling provocation where their playing is often pushed to the very edge.

“Shapes Mentioned” emerges with a heady mix of dissonance, drones, percussive strikes, cleverly deployed electronics, and deceptively undemanding guitar noodling that immediately commands attention. The duo—whose artistic temperaments mesh seamlessly—venture into uncharted sonic realms, yielding compelling results. “Neither Odd Nor Even” is exquisitely layered, as Morris and Sharp manipulate their strings in a search for singular timbres, crafting a pointillistic randomness that evolves into a flurry of buzzing and humming tones shifting in pitch. The space, surrounded by harmonic bubbles inflated by unexpectedly potent effects, brings the essence of the blues—or a raw, country-blues pummel—woven into the core of their sound, apparent even when navigating its darker undercurrents. 

Strident, euphorically compulsive scrapes and robotic wha-wha utterances flood “Light Asking”, which extends beyond clattering electronics into a cryptic dialogue of frequencies. “Soft Version” floats with eerie drones braided into intriguing acoustic chords and shifting textures—an eternal puzzle resisting resolution. It proceeds through dual staccato motifs that steadily intensify. In contrast, “Arrokoth” radiates avant-garde and electro-rock vigor, balancing intensities, noises, and timbres while sonically picturing the outer space.

Morris and Sharp embrace experimentation fearlessly, often creating spiraling movements with intricately layered textures and enigmatic moods. Realism is an unrealistically original work, a bold mirror of the adventurous spirit that defines its creators.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Shapes Mentioned ► 02 - Neither Odd Nor Even ► 05 - Soft Version 

James Brandon Lewis Quartet - Abstraction is Deliverance

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone; Aruán Ortiz: piano; Brad Jones: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

James Brandon Lewis, a disorienting, self-possessed tenorist who has garnered a great deal of attention through his various projects and collaborations, returns with his fifth quartet album, Abstraction is Deliverance, featuring eight of his own compositions and a modal post-bop cover. Rejoining him are pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist Brad Jones, and drummer Chad Taylor. Their rapport and musicianship are more compelling than ever, and their ability to transcend and marvel with spiritual consciousness, a mix of traditional and modernist idioms, and rich timbres is truly remarkable.

The album opens in a modal mode with “Ware”, a tribute to the much-missed saxophonist David S. Ware, radiating Coltranean overtones throughout. Resonant bowed bass, cymbal splashes, soulful saxophone lines, and a dynamic yet fully breathable piano accompaniment set the tone. A soothing bass groove then paves the ground for Lewis’ improvisation, followed by Ortiz’s combination of nimble single-note runs and grandiose harmonic gestures.

On “Per 7”, the group forges a rare symbiotic connection in a piece commanded by Lewis and further shaped through slow rubato movements. There’s ample space for his relaxed blues-inflected chops, often answered thoughtfully by Ortiz. The reflective “Even the Sparrow” recalls Alice Coltrane’s Eastern-inspired musings, feeling openly mantric while flowing steadily under Taylor’s masterful mallet and hi-hat pulse.

“Remember Rosalind” palpitates with odd meter, unfolding in the spirit of Charles Lloyd through a polyrhythmic blend of spiritual jazz with Eastern and Latin tinges. The title cut, “Abstraction is Deliverance”, opens with a theme rich in classical influence, recycling it at every 20-beat cycle before expanding through Lewis’ authoritative, fiery saxophone—brimming energy and wisdom. If “Mr. Click”—beginning with sax over drums and featuring a vivid bass solo against exquisite harmonic constructions—evokes the sonic world of Sonny Rollins, then “Left Alone”—a luminous 3/4 modal reflection co-written by Mal Waldron and Billie Holiday in the late 50’s—elevates the album to transcendental brilliance with its delicate yet profound arrangement.

This jaw-dropping recording, both technically immaculate and artistically impressive, mesmerizes from beginning to end, inviting the listener to soar in spirit and thought. With this release, Lewis’s acclaimed quartet brushes against celestial perfection.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Per 7 ► 04 - Remember Rosalind ► 05 - Abstraction is Deliverance ► 08 - Left Alone

Marty Ehrlich Exaltation Trio - This Time

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2025

Personnel - Marty Ehrlich: alto and tenor (#8) saxophones; John Hébert: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Multi-reedist Marty Ehrlich has led several remarkable sax-bass-drums trios since his 1984 debut recording The Welcome, which featured bassist Anthony Cox and drummer Pheeroan AkLaff. His latest effort, Trio Exaltation—featuring longtime collaborators bassist John Hébert and drummer Nasheet Waits—returns seven years after its debut with seriously good stuff. This Time presents six original Ehrlich compositions alongside two interpretations of pieces by the late, great pianist Andrew Hill, with whom Ehrlich collaborated for four or five years. The album is dedicated to Hill’s widow, Joanne Robinson Hill.

Ehrlich’s “Sometimes This Time” opens with sizzling cymbal work that soon extends across the drum kit, underpinned by a round, grooving bass line that anchors and tempers Ehrlich’s kinetic, zigzagging improvisations. Waits contributes a thrilling drum solo before the theme returns to close the piece. “Twelve For Black Arthur”, a blues-infused burner with post-bop flair, is a tribute to altoist Arthur Blythe. The trio intensifies beyond the theme, with Ehrlich incorporating several of Blythe’s characteristic approaches to melody and improvisation.

“Conversation I” and “Conversation II” are two sax-and-drums duets in which Ehrlich and Waits showcase explosive chemistry and euphoric avant-garde expansiveness. “As It Is” unfolds through a shuffling rhythmic undercurrent from bass and drums, creating a rubato ebb-and-flow over which Ehrlich’s poised saxophone explorations escalate into quick-strike phrases—built on motifs, wild trills, and shifting patterns.

Ehrlich’s burnished tone lends warmth to the romanticism of Andrew Hill’s ballad “Images of Time”, tinged subtly with Spanish inflections. Hébert’s solo here is erudite, elegant, and sequentially coherent. On Hill’s “Dusk”, the bassist employs luminous harmonics, paired with the shimmer of Waits’ cymbals. The rhythm section dances with passion and precision, conjuring a twilight aura. Ehrlich’s commanding alto brims with ideas, flowing dynamically through warped contours and revealing the deep connection among these musicians—all former members of the Andrew Hill Sextet—whose years of collaboration bear exceptional fruit.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Sometimes This Time ► 02 - Dusk ► 09 - Conversation II

Henry Plotnick - Tributaries

Label: Tide Bloom Records, 2025

Personnel - Henry Plotnick: piano; Adam Cordero: alto and tenor saxophones, clarinet; Kal Ferretti: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jasper Grigsby-Schulte: bass; Gary Jones III: drums; Emmanuel Michael: guitar (#1,4,8); Noa Chait: vocals (#9); Samantha Kochis: flute (#9).

Likely you’ve never heard of Henry Plotnick, a San Francisco-born Brooklyn-based pianist and composer with an extraordinary talent for combining melodies and harmonies in a pleasing, effective manner. Throughout his debut album, Tributaries, an unbridled creativity bubbles to the surface as Plotnick—a young prodigy who played Satie at the age of six—takes center stage, presenting nine engaging originals.

The album kicks off with the title track, a sleek, impeccably arranged post-bop adventure that shows he and his group are intent on moving forward with rhythmically complex accents, quick-moving melodies, vibrant harmonic energy, and a tight sense of unity. Plotnick spices up his well-balanced solo with precision, while guest guitarist Emmanuel Michael glides nimbly across the fretboard, crafting fluid phrases and searing patterns. They’re followed by saxophonist Adam Cordero, who plays with astonishing vitality, and drummer Gary Jones III, who stretches his chops with elastic flair before the band returns to the swirling magic of the main theme.

Since Plotnick and his crew approach the themes with clear passion, melody becomes central to the album’s identity. Both “If You’d Just”, a breezy piece featuring thrilling solos from bass, guitar and saxophone, and “Silobos”, where Cordero—firing off staccato-laden lines—and the bandleader deliver their musical statements with character, reinforce this impression.

“Waverling”, with its gleaming textures softened by clarinet and elevated by Kal Ferretti’s triplet-laced trumpet solo, and the sumptuous waltz “Turn of the Sea”, which sports a rock-inflected vamp and a guitar-led outro, radiate a sense of harmony with their sonic surroundings. And while “Proper Motion” is a hard-bop-tinged burner, “Bonesetter” opens as a bass feature, later developing into a swinging 12-beat groove sure to hook many listeners. Plotnick shines here, exploring the full range of the keyboard. The album ends on an emotional note with “Only This”, featuring guest vocalist Noa Chait and flutist Samantha Kochis.

Everyone seems elated to be playing these compositions, which they navigate with care and verve. Together, this band sparks a bright light, and Plotnick makes a strong case for himself as a serious composer, improviser, and bandleader.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tributaries ► 03 - Bonesetter ► 04 - If You’d Just ► 07 - Silobos

Berlin Art Quartet - Live at MIM

Label: UniSono Records, 2025

Personnel - Matthias Schubert: tenor saxophone; Matthias Müller: trombone; Matthias Bauer: double bass; Reinhard Brüggemann: drums.

Berlin Art Quartet was formed in 2013 to flesh out and invigorate the improvisational range of its creative members, drawing inspiration from 1960s recordings by the New York Art Quartet under the direction of Danish free jazz saxophonist John Tchicai. Founded by drummer Reinhard Brüggemann, the group features saxophonist Matthias Schubert, trombonist Matthias Müller, and bassist Matthias Bauer. Live at MIM consolidates the quartet’s shared passion for free jazz and improvisation, exploring carefully sculpted timbres, unpredictable jolts, and raw intersections that feel completely in-the-moment.

“Up-Crash” unfolds as mosaic-like tangle, with Bauer and Brüggemann—using arco and textural nuance—laying an open-ended harmonic bed for the melodic exchanges of Schubert and Müller. The frontline players interact with a dynamic mindset, engaging in a dialogue of questions and answers, sometimes insisting, and then departing from an idea to another with nimble reflexes. They conclude the piece soaring in tandem.

“Motion in Silence” is shaded with muted trombone, regular if sparse bass nodes, understated percussion gradually swelling with the present of cymbals, and extended techniques on tenor sax. These elements coalesce into a form of modernist abstraction. In contrast, “Gang of Four” erupts into a staggering improvisational sprint, full of unexpected turns and sonic collisions, while “Hymn” reorganizes the chaos with cerebral droning ominousness and pitching-contrast melodic fustigaton, feeling less processional or ritualistic than initially implied.

In “Mutuality”, the album’s longest track at 15:18, the quartet navigates a series of kinetic shifts and subtleties. Incisive saxophone paths intersect with agile bass noodling before a cohesive motion takes shape. These antic, form-blurring impulses are carried by the trombone and tenor, whose interplay always leaves space for development or counteraction. Bauer’s bowed bass lines deepen the mystery with brooding resonance, and the number concludes with brisk dynamics, in an amplification of sound that doesn’t really require aural adjustment.

Berlin Art Quartet can throw flames in one minute and showcase a more ruminative behavior in the next. Regardless of the mood, it consistently champions open terrain to be explored without constraint.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Up-Crash ► 04 - Gang of Four

Jonathan Reisin - Too Good X Unreality

Label: Boomslang Records, 2025

Personnel - Jonathan Reisin: tenor and soprano saxophone; Shinya Lin: piano, prepared piano; Jarred Chase: drums.

With his fourth album as a leader/co-leader, Too Good X Unreality, Israeli-born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist Jonathan Reisin reaffirms the strong impression left by his debut, Option B (Habitable Reords, 2022), as well as by Earthquake (577 Records, 2023), which featured him alongside his mentor, the creative Cuban drummer Francisco Mela. As a firm representative of a young generation of contemporary avant-gardists, Reisin tackles compositions that require sharp improvisational insight. For this recording, he spearheads a bass-less trio featuring pianist Shinya Lin and drummer Jarred Chase, centering on the connection between complexity and simplicity in music.

“Walk and Talk” proceeds at a casual pace yet crackles with excitement. A brittle soprano saxophone, steeped in microtonalities and angular phrase work, shapes landscapes guided by ostinatos. A dark 3/4 vamping section, evoking a sense of danger, pushes Chase into unaccompanied stretches. “Through the Glass” incorporates counterpoint and parallel motion, shifting between ensemble calmness and bursts of sound. Designed for sight-reading, the piece uncovers dynamic nuances and leads to fresh musical terrain.

Taking more abstract paths and sinister tonalities, “Too Good X Unreality Pt.1” explores with strange noises and off-beat gestures. Long saxophone notes oppose to sudden single-note flurries and cycles of circular breathing, producing somewhat heavy, whirling resonances. “Too Good X Unreality Pt.2” follows a similar trajectory—exploring pulses and repetition while unfolding with tuned percussion, gong-like prepared piano timbres, air saxophone techniques that evolve into wide-ranging tones, and mysterious droning textures complemented by coruscating cymbal work.

“Offertorium”, inspired by Soviet composer Sofia Gubaidulina, unfolds deliberately with a laidback swagger, entering an intricate rhythmic flux that lurches in precise lockstep. Mischievous pianism—grounded in low-end resonance and prepared key textures—and a communicative saxophone solo call to mind the pervasive Perelman/Shipp alliance or the escapist fantasy of Matt Mitchell’s musical universe. “Prelude” closes the journey with recurrent ideas that expand and dissolve, with Reisin on soprano and Lin’s piano as it leaps through bold intervallic shapes.

Reisin, who developed his concept and compositions over two years, confirms himself of a saxist of penetrating focus. This new work should deservedly elevate his musical profile.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Walk and Talk ► 02 - Through the Glass ► 05 - Offertorium

Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari - Arcanum

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - Arve Henriksen: trumpet, electronics; Trygve Seim: soprano and tenor saxophone; Anders Jormin: double bass; Markku Ounaskari: drums, percussion.

The idea to form the notably talented Nordic quartet Arcanum emerged when saxophonist Trygve Seim, bassist Anders Jormin, and drummer Markku Ounaskari were working with Finnish vocalist and kantele player Sinikka Langeland. Seim then suggested that trumpeter Arve Henriksen join him in the frontline, an artist he knew well and had also worked with Langeland.

The music, often delicate and gentle, is strongly expressive, and Seim’s opening track “Nokitpyrt” is a testament to their fluidity and musical character. Reading backwards, the title means “Triptycon”, a clear reference to the iconic trio album by Jan Garbarek, Arild Andersen, and Edward Vesala, released in 1973. The well-delineated melody doesn’t hinder the musicians from diving further into free creation.

“Armon Lapset” is a Finnish traditional song where Jormin’s immersive sound absolutely stuns. His gorgeous melodic conduction invites the horn players into contemplation, in a cadenced folk-like mantra underpinned with abandon by Ousnakri, who knows exactly how and when to play with brittle restraint, and by Jormin himself. The experienced bassist—one of the pillars of pianist Bobo Stenson and saxophonist Charles Lloyd for several years—contributes two numbers: “Koto”, a tranquil piece showcasing his love for Japanese music, and “Elegy”, a cyclic, grief-stricken reflection written on the first day of the war in Ukraine. It features Seim and Henriksen delivering the melody side by side.

“Folkesong” hints at being a ‘song of the forest’, with Seim’s soprano sax cutting through every 12-beat cycle, moving in and out of scope with narrative purpose. Henriksen’s use of electronics is extremely tasteful and organic, enhancing the tunes. Just like the previously described track, “Lost in Van Lose” is a collective improvisation but incorporates a wee bit more of abstraction without losing any of its grace. Other improvised standouts are “Old Dreams”, where piercing trumpet wails cross the rhythmic mesh created by bass and drums, and “Fata Morgana”, whose dark undercurrent conveys more than just enigmatic quiescence. 

Another Seim contribution, “Trofast”, is a 3/4 balm that transports us to heavenly prairies. Here, the saxophonist and the trumpeter take turns, guided by a suave harmonic progression, while the quartet’s rendition of Ornette Coleman’s “What Reason Could I Give” touches on balladic erudition.

As fresh and full of promise as a spring morning, Arcanum sweeps across the smoothly explorative spectrum in a reflective mood. Fertile imagination never needed pyrotechnics, and there’s way in for casual listeners.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Nokitpyrt ► 03 - Armon Lapset ► 04 - Folkesong ► 07 - Old Dreams

Dennis Egberth - The Dennis Egberth Dynasty

Label: 577 Records, 2025

Personnel - Fredrik Ljungkvist: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Niklas Barnö: trumpet; Alex Zethson: Wurlitzer; Linus Hillborg: electronics; Joe Williamson: double bass; Dennis Egberth: drums.

Swedish drummer and composer Dennis Egberth blends rhythm and melody with space and groove in a sextet album inspired by the evolution of electronics in the 1960s and 70s. Over the course of five Egberth originals, fully developed ideas coexist with innate improvisatory instincts, courtesy of Fire! Orchestra members such as saxophonist/clarinetist Fredrik Ljungkvist, trumpeter Niklas Barnö, and keyboardist Alex Zethson. The group is rounded out by Canadian-born double bassist Joe Williamson and electronic artist Linus Hillborg.

“PanGu Part 1: Earth” offers a soaring, atmospheric intro with trumpet, saxophone, and Wurlitzer before digging into a well-balanced bass groove and propulsive drum work that grounds the listener. Explorative individual narratives follow the horn-saturated unison lines that define the theme. “PanGu Part 2: Heaven” is marked by stillness and tranquility, underpinned by a droning bowed bass and tastefully brushed cymbals. Hillborg’s electronics reinforce the ethereal vibe, while Zethson arpeggiates in circular 3/4 movements, with the horns chanting harmoniously in perfect accord.

“Chichen Itza” presents a chill-out, hypnotic effort that feels deeply cinematic, following a perpetual bass groove in seven and having a crisp drumming routinely marking each cycle with snappy fills. “Bogey” struts powerfully with a blend of punk-ish rock ’n’ roll fervor and electro-funk tenacity. Its buoyant tones, energy, and rhythm contribute to the album’s varied tonal palette. The record closes with “Eternal Garden”, which leaves a particularly strong impression with its gorgeous melody—Ljungkvist takes the spotlight here, later expanding outside the norms—soaring over the soulful harmonic richness provided by the rhythm section.

With each track channeling into a cohesive musical narrative, The Dennis Egbert Dynasty contributes to the drummer’s artistic evolution, positioning him as an interesting figure within the creative European music scene.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - PanGu Part 1: Earth ► 04 - Bogey ► 05 - Eternal Garden

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