Thomas Morgan - Around You Is A Forest

Label: Loveland Music, 2025

Personnel - Thomas Morgan: The Woods, bass (#1); Dan Weiss: tabla (#2); Craig Taborn: keys (#3); Gerald Cleaver: drums (#4); Henry Threadgill: flutes (#5); Ambrose akinmusire: trumpet (#6); Bill Frisell: electric and acoustic guitar (#7); Immanuel Wilkins; alto saxophone (#8); Gary Sneyder: voice (#9).

The open-minded, in-demand bassist Thomas Morgan takes an unforeseen and ambitious path in his highly conceptual debut as a leader, Around You is a Forest. At once intimate and spellbinding, the album features one solo performance and eight duets with a distinguished lineup of guests. What makes this project so remarkable is Morgan’s invention of The Woods—a programmed virtual string instrument that fuses characteristics of West African lute-harps, Asian zithers, cimbalom, and marimba. He pioneers this technique with sophistication and restraint, providing exotic yet organic foundations that inspire his collaborators to become co-narrators in sound.

The title track opens the album with Morgan alone, offering a breathtaking bass meditation that leads us into a vividly imagined forest. His resonant tone paints an enchanted landscape from which one has no desire to return. “Eddies”, featuring drummer Dan Weiss on tabla, is a rhythmic delight evoking Afrobeat and electronic music; its circular motion mirrors the flow of water around rocks in a stream.

“Dream Sequence”, with keyboardist Craig Taborn, unfolds like an experimental film score, layered in eerie dual-synth polyphony. “In the Dark” welcomes composer Henry Threadgill into a noir-ish soundscape of restless mystery, his flute and bass flute intertwining with Morgan’s textures. The 16-minute “Through the Trees”, with the resourceful drummer Gerald Cleaver adding color and vibration behind the drum kit, explores shifting loops and hazy atmospherics, building from enigmatic reverie to thunderous intensity. On “Murmuration”, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins floats in and out of focus through eight layered lines above a ngoni-like texture. This is the closest to jazz you can get—even if sometimes it sounds like an off-beat chorale of sorts.

Among the album’s highlights are “Assembly of Beings” and “Rising From the West”. The former, featuring trumpet master Ambrose Akinmusire, enchants with beautifully intoned notes, terse staccatos, and poignant outbursts over a drone-inflected steel-string zither tapestry. The latter, a luminous collaboration with guitarist Bill Frisell, takes us to another dimension within its spacious atmosphere. Melodious guitar fillings are discreetly shaken by electric distortion at some point, in a genuine communion between New York-based musicians who grew up in the West Coast. The album closes gracefully with “Here”, a poetic coda featuring Gary Snyder reciting his own verse in a calm, transfixing voice.

Still absorbing its many layers, I have no doubt Around You is a Forest is the work of a visionary—distinct, immersive, and profoundly original. Each piece feels self-contained yet essential to the whole. Traditionalists may balk, but this may well be the year’s most imaginative and best debut.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Around You is a Forest ► 04 - Through The Trees ► 06 - Assembly of All Beings ► 07 - Rising From the West

Webber / Morris Big Band - Unseparate

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2025

Personnel - Angela Morris: tenor saxophone, flute, conduction; Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flute, conduction; Jay Rattman: alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute; Charlotte Greve: alto saxophone, flute, clarinet; Adam Schneit: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Lisa Parrott: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Nolan Tsang: trumpet; Ryan Easter: trumpet; Jake Henry: trumpet; Kenny Warren; trumpet; Tim Vaughn: trombone; Zekkereya El-magharbel: trombone; Jen Baker: trombone; Reginald Chapman: trombone; Yuhan Su: vibraphone; Dustin Carlson: guitar; Marta Sánchez: piano; Adam Hopkins: bass; Jeff Davis: drums.

Tenorists, flutists, and composers Anna Webber and Angela Morris return with their co-led 19-piece big band, taking listeners on an imaginative journey through their creative lens. Unseparate, their second album in five years, showcases a viscerally contemporary sonic palette that reaffirms their adventurous yet cohesive orchestral brilliance. Building on the promise of their debut Both Are True, this new outing is even more assured—filled with bright ideas, expressive tonal textures, and rich harmonic depth that epitomize their progressive aesthetic.

The album opens with Webber’s four-part Just Intonation suite for big band. “Unseparate 1” casts long, deep wavelengths into perceptual focus; “Pulse” bursts forth with kinetic energy, its counterpoint and electronic music-inspired pulse framing a trumpet duel between Brian Easter and Nolan Tsang, as well as vibraphonist Yuhan Su’s graceful melodic touch. “Timbre” sets the leaders’ saxophones in motion, with Morris stepping into the spotlight over a carefully woven tapestry that grows ever more radiant. “Metaphor” follows with a blend of yearning and resolution, highlighted by Tim Vaughan’s magnetic trombone solo and deft trumpet interjections. The piece escalates into delicious cacophony before Su ushers in a glowing, timbrally rich new cycle.

Morris’ “Mist/Missed” begins broodingly, with drones, counterpoint, and striking rhythmic accentuations that culminate in a bustling conclusion. Webber’s “Unseparate 3” takes a more direct path—melodically and harmonically accessible, yet full of vivid color, particularly in Charlotte Greve’s luminous alto improvisation. Morris’ “Microchimera”, inspired by parent-child connections, soothes the soul through an enveloping sound bubble that breathes deeply. Its nuanced rhythmic design, ingenious horn writing, and innovative spirit stand out, evolving through dynamic sections that feature guitar and vibraphone together, and then flute (a stunning turn from Webber) and piano. This is followed by deep drone infusion and rigorous counterpoint.

The thrills don’t stop here, and both Morris’ inventive “Habitual”—featuring Marta Sanchez on piano and Lisa Parrott on baritone sax—and Webber’s punchy, starkly contrapuntal “Spur 7: Metamorphosis”—with solos from bassist Adam Hopkins, altoist Jay Rattman, and guitarist Dustin Carlson—takes us to radical joy.

Unconventional, gripping, and consistently inspired, Unseparate surpasses the duo’s previous big band outing, pushing boundaries while deepening the success of their remarkable collaboration.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Pulse ► 04 - Metaphor ► 05 - Mist/Missed ► 07 - Microchimera

Otherlands Trio - Star Mountain

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Stephan Crump: bass; Eric McPherson: drums; Darius Jones: alto saxophone.

Bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Eric McPherson, two of jazz’s most forward-thinking rhythmists, form the core of the Borderlands Trio alongside pianist Kris Davis. After three acclaimed albums with that group, the pair decided to continue their collaboration, this time summoning powerhouse alto saxophonist Darius Jones—a central figure in New York’s avant-garde scene known for fusing modern expressiveness with old-school improvisational spirit. Together, they form Otherlands Trio, an improvisation-centered ensemble whose elliptical and sectional journeys yield revelatory musical discoveries. Star Mountain, their debut, features five tracks—two expansive (of approximately 15 minutes) and three concise explorations.

“Metamorpheme” opens with a spiritual, modal energy—you can call it whatever you want: prayer, lament, supplication, or invocation—that immediately reaches the heart and uplifts the spirit. Crump’s commanding arco and pizzicato work resonates with depth, unfolding in double-stops, pedal points, and supple grooves. McPherson, deeply attuned to the music’s pulse, crafts a flowing tapestry of rhythmic dialogue, while Jones emerges as an instinctive explorer, often shaping tension in the form of motivic discussions. The trio’s rhythmic shifts captivate throughout, and the piece concludes in a dance-inflected flourish.

McPherson’s deft cross-stick work animates both “Lateral Line” and “Diadromous”. The former concludes in with multiphonic mode complemented with bass bites and pitched saxophone squeaks for an abstract atmosphere; the latter pulses with athletic bass funkiness, propelling Jones into high-flying solos that, by turns, channel Coltrane, Fred Anderson, and Dewey Redman.

On the shorter “Instared”, Jones tests the upper limits of his horn while Crump anchors the sound with earthy resonance and McPherson envelops it all in hypnotic percussion. “Imago” glows with the trio’s spontaneous chemistry—martial snare attacks, impeccably harmonized bass fluxes, and the saxophone climbing and descending mountainous phrases with an authoritative sequence of notes. The trio engages in an accelerando, creating a wonderful sense of displacement before returning to the modal avant-garde context. It ends with rippling bass oscillations and loping drums.

Each member of Otherlands Trio brings a fully realized musical identity to the group, united in a collective pursuit of freedom that transforms raw improvisation into vivid, finely textured sonic canvases.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Metamorpheme ► 03 - Diadromous ► 05 - Imago

Anne Mette Iversen's Ternion Q Expanded - Marbles

Label: BJU Records, 2025

Personnel - Silke Eberhard: alto saxophone; Julius Gawlik: clarinet, tenor saxophone; Percy Pursglove: trumpet, flugelhorn; Geoffroy De Masure: trombone; Morris Kliphuis: french horn; Anne Mette Iversen: bass; Roland Schneider: drums.

Danish bassist and composer Anne Mette Iversen began her musical career in New York City before relocating to Berlin in 2012. Her acclaimed Ternion Quartet—with altoist Silke Eberhard, trombonist Geoffroy De Masure, and drummer Roland Schneider—has now evolved into a pliable septet capable of handling, with aplomb, both the discipline and freedom that her matured compositions demand. The music on Marbles, which evokes systems in motion, emerged from a lengthy creative process and serves as an ideal showcase for Iversen’s intricate yet ravishing juxtapositions and cohesive group sound. The expanded lineup features rising clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Julius Gawlik, trumpeter Percy Pursglove, and French horn player Morris Kliphuis. 

Iversen’s compositional prowess is evident from the outset. “Double Arches” begins as a mournful dirge pierced by cacophonous horns before leaping into a swing pace that inspires quick-witted improvisations from De Masure and Eberhard. “TBQE (To Be Questioned Eventually)” initially thrives on chamber-like classical finesse—thanks to Gawlik’s velvety clarinet—before bass and drums inject a lively polyrhythmic feel. The group ultimately coalesces into a funk strut in a musically rich piece that highlights both multi-directionality and commitment.

“Square Root of a Dream” unfolds over a thoughtful seven-beat bass pulse before waltzing freely in its middle section. Pursglove’s agile trumpet work stands out, later joining a horn-only chamber passage of striking poise. His melodic flair also colors “Tenacious Mind”, a relaxed, gently brushed piece stirred by subtle cross-rhythms toward its conclusion.

“Marble for Minor” moves boldly in 11/8, spotlighting a conversational exchange between Gawlik’s clarinet and De Masure’s trombone, while the latter also shines on the crisp 3/4 tune “Threefold”, delivering an irresistibly soulful statement. “Inverted Structures” opens tentatively before launching into Gawlik’s vigorous tenor stroll over bass and drums, later probing darker hues as sculptural layers accumulate with confidence. The album closes with “Two Twisted Spires”, where post-bop hooks infused with avant-garde flair provide a final surge of energy—a feast for the horns.

Iversen continues to carve out a distinctive place among Europe’s foremost modern jazz composers. Marbles glistens with imagination and balance, bridging contemporary exploration with deep reverence for the past and a clear eye toward the future.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Double Arches ► 02 - TBQE ► 05 - Marble For Minor ► 06 - Threefold

Patricia Brennan - Of The Near And Far

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2025

Personnel - Patricia Brennan: vibraphone with electronics, marimba; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Kim Cass: bass; John Hollenbeck: drums, percussion; Arktureye: electronics; Modney: violin; Pala Garcia: violin; Kyle Armbrust: viola; Michael Nicolas: cello.

Patricia Brennan, a rare and vibrant force behind the vibraphone, returns with a multi-layered experimental work involving both a jazz quintet and a string quartet, following her 2024 triumph Breaking Stretch, arguably the best album of that year. Inspired by possible symmetries in constellations and how these might be translated musically, Brennan created a map to explore new relationships between pitches, chords, and key signatures through the circle of fifths. Of The Near and Far comprises seven tracks—five named after constellations—drawing influences from contemporary classical music, twisted jazz traditions, and modern experimental soundscapes.

“Antlia” opens the record with a mechanical precision, evoking the air pump it’s named after. Persistent rhythmic patterns, agile string movements, John Hollenbeck’s fractured drumming, and Miles Okazaki’s expedient guitar lines all combine into a restless, gear-like motion. Afrobeat and EDM rhythmic fluxes underlie the structure, keeping it constantly shifting. “Aquarius” takes a more fluid direction, exploring the textural qualities of water through Brennan’s and Okazaki’s interwoven melodies, anchored by a gentle pulse in five.

“Andromeda” is light-footed yet percussive, with bass and drums playing a central role. It into veers to alternative rock territory, pushing sound and form beyond the expected as several undercurrents seem to point out simultaneous directions. The jazzier “Lyra” opens with free-floating guitar and strings, soon turning darker through Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier’s harmonic coloring and then brighter through Brennan’s radiant vibraphone improvisation, which searches for light. Its complex 8+5 opening meter eventually settles into a chamber-like 3/4 passage of lyrical counterpoint and melodic consensus before resolving in 4/4. 

On “Aquila”, the final constellation, Brennan and Okazaki engage in enigmatic, kinetic interplay before the string quartet joins with buoyant cadence and exuberance. The two remaining pieces—“Citlalli”, an abstract electroacoustic sound collage derived from graphic scores, and “When You Stare Into the Abyss”, steeped in Kubrick-like electronic tension—expand the album’s cinematic reach. 

Though not as stunning as Breaking Stretch, Of The Near and Far thrives on curiosity, courage, and invention. Its mathematical approaches and spontaneous developments take time to absorb, revealing a music of pure risk and imagination—fearless, unguarded, and free from convention.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Antlia ► 03 - Andromeda ► 05 - Lyra

Jason Rigby - Mayhem

Label: Endectomorph Music, 2025

Personnel - Jason Rigby: woodwinds, keyboards, percussion; Mark Guiliana: drums, cymbals, percussion, keyboards; Pete Min: signal processing, mixing, mastering.

American saxophonist and composer Jason Rigby returns after nearly a decade without recording as a leader. With Mayhem, he makes a vivid statement, expanding musical horizons through pieces that oscillate between serene reflection and volcanic eruption. He is joined by drummer Mark Guiliana, a long-time collaborator of 15 years. Rigby envisioned the project as a reimagining of Interstellar Space—but infused with synths, woodwinds, gongs, and electronics, the latter handled by recording engineer Pete Min.

The album opens with “Siorai” built on a reverb-drenched keyboard figure in seven, understated percussion, and a soft, airy saxophone line. “Fifths” follows with glitch-like harmonies and martial snare patterns, over which Rigby unfurls clean, precise phrases.

Half the material is composed, while the rest is fully improvised. Among the former, “Sevensixfive” pulses with shifting meters, jazzy synth textures, Guiliana’s ferocious drive, and Rigby’s risk-taking saxophone explorations. In contrast, the improvised “Terra Firma” unfolds like a ritual dance: rippling wet percussion, rock-infused synth smears that twist the serenity of the rhythm, bass clarinet effects, and Rigby’s agile in-and-out contortions.

“Yeah Boiii” and “Mark” strip things down to sax-and-drums improvisations where Rigby and Guiliana take off with angular phraseology and a stunning array of elastic rhythms, respectively. The latter piece thrives on stop–start combustibility, shifting into more exotic terrain at a later phase.

“Chimera”, inspired by the sonic atmosphere of Manfred Eichner’s ECM recordings, acquires an Eastern hue with spiritual discipline and tasteful timbral qualities. The duo dials it down to a low modal rumble, employing a soaring flute, harmonic warmth, and high-pitched metallic pings. There’s also a nod to saxophonist Tim Berne on “Burn”, with sax and drums talking the same idiom.

Showcasing Rigby and Guiliana’s powerful musical abilities, Mayhem captivates with its blend of textural surprise, fearless improvisation, and contemporary artistry.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Sevensixfive ► 05 - Terra Firma ► 07 - Yeah Boiii ► 09 - Mark

Sylvie Courvoisier / Wadada Leo Smith - Angel Falls

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet.

Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and American trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith—two genuinely inventive improvisers and composers—have collaborated before (notably on Courvoisier’s sextet album Chimaera), but Angel Falls marks their first duo recording. Smith, long devoted to this intimate format, brings his singular lyricism, while Courvoisier thrives on spontaneity and discovery. The album, titled after Venezuela’s towering waterfall, was recorded in the precise order presented, with no edits.

“Olo’ Upnea and Lightning” opens with Courvoisier’s wide-interval explorations on prepared piano, interwoven with luminous tonal chords. Smith responds with prayer-like intensity, his trumpet voice feverish yet finely crafted. Shifts from darkness to light define the piece, with both musicians embracing unrestrained expression. “Naomi Peak” follows in a whirlwind of centrifugal force—staccato trumpet bursts meet dizzying piano flutters, interrupted briefly by fragility before bluesy inflections ground the conclusion. 

“Whispering Images” floats in a spectral haze of altered piano strings, drones, and muted trumpet, suspended between galaxies and propelled by near-waltzing cadences. By contrast, “Vireo Bellii”—named for a songbird—is playful and brisk, its sparse piano motifs forming oddly constellated patterns against Smith’s oscillation between penetrating cries and mournful restraint.

The title cut, “Angel Falls”, is another example of the duo’s constant communication and sophisticated interaction. Intense and dramatic, the piece probes darker tonalities with a suspenseful cinematic weight. Despite feeling intrinsically cerebral, its abstractions resist predictability. 

Angel Falls confirms Courvoisier and Smith’s magnetic rapport. It may feel bulky at times, but their fearless interplay, rooted in both lyricism and texture, cements their place among the most compelling improvisers of our time.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Olo’ Upnea and Lightning ► 02 - Naomi Peak ► 06 - Angel Falls

Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons - Live in Philadelphia

Label: Otherly Love Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Henry Threadgill - Listen Ship

Label: Pi Recordings, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trio of Bloom - Trio of Bloom

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom Art Quartet - First Dance

Label: Freedom Art Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomas Fujiwara - Dream Up

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fieldwork - Thereupon

Label: Pi Recordings, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aruán Ortiz - Créole Renaissance

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Aruán Ortiz: piano.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Label: Yestereve Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dan Rosenboom - Coordinates

Label: Orenda Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Black & The Shrimps - Better You Don't

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (Exit) Knarr - Drops

Label: Sonic Transmissions Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Deluge ► 03 - Kanon

Linda May Han Oh - Strange Heavens

Label: Biophilia Records, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silke Eberhard Trio - Being-A-Ning

Label: Intakt Records, 2025

Personnel - Silke Eberhard: alto saxophone; Jan Roder: bass; Kay Lübke: drums.

German saxophonist and composer Silke Eberhard reunites with her simpatico Berlin-based trio—featuring Jan Roder on bass and Kay Lübke on drums—to deliver ten melodically intricate trialogues built on agile rhythmic ideas. Formed in 2006, the trio navigates lucid structures with both precision and intuition, each member deeply attuned to their instrument while keeping an ear open to the others. Being-A-Ning is her fifth album with the trio.

The trio’s rigor and quick-reacting interplay are evident on the frisky, intricate opener, “What’s in Your Bag”, fruit of countless hours playing together at a virtuosic level. Lübke’s shuffling drums bears a hand to the exclamatory statements jointly unleashed by Eberhard and Roder. A four-note saxophone riff initially underpins the drum solo, while a tensile bass figure shifts the momentum toward the close. With its distinctive tone, “Sao” offers a feast of staccato delineation over exotic rhythms and gentle rattles, evoking the atmosphere of a  near-tribal African ceremony.

The sole piece not penned by Eberhard is “Hans im Glück”, a Lübke’s composition whose motivic transparency and well-crafted metric framework unfold with rich intuition. “New Dance” pulses with frantic enthusiasm, an electro-funk oddity featuring a dazzling Eberhard improvisation, intriguing effects, and a measured drumbeat.

Swinging with eloquence, “Being-A-Ning” nods to Thelonious Monk not only in its title but also in its sound, while also carrying shades of Steve Lacy and Ornette Coleman. It includes an invigorating bass solo and trades with the drummer, who also shines on “Lake”, a freebop-inflected piece that makes us think of Oliver Lake, intentionally or otherwise. “Rubber Boots”, another dance-like number crafted with a firmly established groove and plenty of outside venture, brings the album to a close.

Technically capable and ever in search of fresh possibilities, Eberhard infuses Being-A-Ning with masterful collective articulations and improvisatory flights that celebrate the free spirit.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - What’s in Your Bag ► 05 - New Dance ► 07 - Being-A-Ning