Hyeonseon Baek - Longing

Label: You & Me Music, 2024

Personnel - Hyeonseon Baek: vocals; Lucas Pino: tenor saxophone (#1,4,6,10); Kevin Hays: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Jochen Rueckert: drums.

The up-and-coming Korean-born, New York-based jazz singer Hyenseon Baek makes his debut alongside high-caliber accompanists and improvisers, including pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Jochen Rueckert. The energetic tenorist Lucas Pino enriches four tracks of the program, which encompasses originals and covers.

Baek, who puts his heart on each of the songs, starts off with “Caravan”, tackling it with a smooth, soulful approach reinforced by dancing bass lines and an appealing percussive background. The main theme is beautifully sung, followed by galvanizing solos from Hays and Pino, who end up dialoguing with the vocalist by the end. Diving deep in jazz tradition while showing refined interpretative skills, Baek advances to Joe Henderson-penned “Black Narcissus” with confidence, rambling free with Oh’s bass lines in the first instance.

The vocal composure in the treatment of soft ballads is admirable, and Mingus’ “Duke Ellington’s Song of Love” comes with a coy sweetness, revealing some analogies with Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”, which feels just a tad too long here. Pianist Jimmy Rowles’ classic “A Timeless Place”, also known as “The Peacocks”, is interpreted with poignant pathos, with Baek giving the best expression to Norma Winstone’s impressive lyrics. 

If these slower pieces are explored with gentle moodiness, then “West 4th St.”, a Baek original inspired by the vibrant New York jazz scene, flows with hard-bop energy both in its Korean and English versions, where gorgeous melodic parallels between Baek and Pino deserve attention. Another original, “My Temptation”, carries a Latinized, bolero-ish feel that comes from the bouncing bass groove, featuring Pino as a soloist.

Baek is warm and lyrical throughout, his engaging music packed with the wisdom of these musicians’ hard-learned ears. It’s an auspicious debut, one that anticipates a promising career.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Caravan ► 02 - Black Narcissus ► 10 - West 4th St (English version)

Matt Pavolka - Disciplinary Architecture

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2024

Personnel - Ben Monder: electric guitar; Santiago Leibson: keyboards; Matt Pavolka: upright bass; Allan Mednard: drums.

Sturdy bassist Matt Pavolka plays in different settings with the same focus and reliability. At the helm of his flagship band, he explores adventurous sonic terrain with the help of guitarist Ben Monder, Argentinian keyboardist Santiago Leibson, and drummer Allan Mednard. The latter two, replacing former members Pete Rende and Ted Poor respectively, infuse new energy across nine originals that showcase Pavolka’s compositional prowess and appetite for brawny rock music.

The first track, “An Aged Flamingo in a Dried-up Pool”, begins quietly with cymbal glowing and droning rumination, before marking a steady pace via the regularity of the bass, over which atmospheric smears of guitar and keys are layered. Monder brings his rock game and energy to the fore before the group returns to the spaciousness where everything started.

A straightforward bass groove sets the foundation of “And Then We Towed new Zealand Out to Sea”, an enlivening blues featuring groovy soloing from Leibson and Monder. “Lighter-Complected Invaders From the North” is a spaced-out number with rippling keyboard currents, rock-tinged rhythmic fluxes, and glitchy electronic textures. The piece aims at Brooklyn gentrification.

No wonder “Ricin Beans” had its title culled from the crime drama television series Breaking Bad, because it would give a phenomenal rock soundtrack for a space-adventure comics-based movie. “Defeating the Purpoise” flows in seven, with Pavolka and Mednard ensuring everything is locked in on every front. Contrasting with the remaining pieces is the lush ballad “The Word For Moonlight is Moonlight”, which quiets down the proceedings and invites to meditation through ear-pleasing phrases that are also used to elevate Pavolka’s haunting solo.

The title cut, “Disciplinary Architecture”, introduces an 14-beat cycle bass underpinning, showing progressive vision and textural quality. The groove is maintained but decelerates under the muscular workout of Monder, a powerhouse guitarist versatile in both jazz and rock chops. “Vile, in the Sunshine Crawling” closes out the album on a punchy rock note, ending with dark, enigmatic tones magnified by Mednard’s restless cymbal and tom-tom patterns. This session marks another important chapter in Pavolka’s career.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - An Aged Flamingo in a Dried-up Pool ► 06 - Defeating the Purpoise ► 07 - The Word For Moonlight is Moonlight ► 08 - Disciplinary Architecture

Miles Okazaki - Miniature America

Label: Cygnus Recordings, 2024

Personnel - Miles Okazaki: guitars, composition; Matt Mitchell: piano; Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flute; Jon Irabagon: mezzo soprano, sopranino, slide sax; Caroline Davis: alto saxophone; Jacob Garchik: trombone; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Fay Victor: vocals; Ganavya: vocals; Jen Shyu: vocals.

First-rate NYC-based guitarist and composer Miles Okazaki is known for his fearless attitude and daring approach, usually blurring the line between notated music and improvisation with puzzling cells and powerful sequences within a proper and fluid structure. Escaping jazz conventions, his 12th album as a leader, Miniature America, features 10 wonderful improvisers, presenting a new concept that strings along with heavy-duty post-modern experimentalism. Here, little blocks of raw material were selected and then subjected to post-production for an optimum effect.

“The Cocktail Party” opens with juxtaposed voluble speech and deeply tender piano, leading to “The Funambulist”, which takes us off the beaten path with the rotational instrumentation creating intervallic surprise. Okazaki plays acoustic guitar on the latter, as well as on “Only Outer Space”, a duet with Fay Victor, who sings over his quirky accompaniment. The vocalist is also featured on “And the Deep River”, another duet anchored by plaintive fingerpicking on the electric guitar.

“The Funicular” embarks on an apparently out-of-phase conversation with pianist Matt Mitchell and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan before attaining a strange organic synergy with the arrival of guitar and saxophone, while “Open Road” has Jon Irabagon’s saxophone floating over a ghostly, atmospheric texture.

Quietly mystical in its searching path, “Promise Me” has the sounds of Okazaki and Mitchell seamlessly intertwined with each other, while “The Cavern” is an enjoyable duet between quarter-toned guitar and the melodious trombone of Jacob Garchik. In turn, “Venus Calling” offers a horn-infused classical dance with some irreverence coming from the swift and taut guitar work.

“The Firmament” is configured like an ethereal sacred hymn, while “Pulsation Station” is a tense exercise where Okazaki explores in unpredictable directions over a throbbing collective cadence. The bandleader slates “In the Fullness of Time” for six minutes, showcasing atmospheric layers in support of Ganavya’s dazzling Arabic chants, in one of the most enchanting pieces on the album.

Named after the artwork of American artist Ed Ruscha, Miniature America reveals an exquisite quality and contemporary taste, with the musicians directing their actions to polarities that never feel unfocused. It may not be Okazaki’s most immediate offering, but it’s certainly an opus that attentive fans of creative music will want to explore.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - The Funicular ► 06 - And the Deep River ► 08 - Open Road ► 11 - The Cavern ► 21 - In the Fullness of Time

Jason Robinson - Ancestral Numbers I

Label: Playscape Recordings, 2024

Personnel - Jason Robinson: tenor and soprano saxophone, alto flute; Michael Dessen: trombone; Joshua White: piano; Drew Gress: bass; Ches Smith: drums, glockenspiel.

Saxophonist, flutist, composer, and scholar Jason Robinson consistently infuses energy and emotion into the groups he leads. In his latest outing, Ancestral Numbers I, he spearheads a robust quintet featuring the same rhythmic builders from his previous album, Harmonic Constituent (Playscape, 2020): pianist Joshua White, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer/vibist Ches Smith. Longtime collaborator and trombonist Michael Dessen joins him on the frontline, rounding out the group.

The album, a heartfelt tribute to Robinson’s late maternal grandmother, consists of eight well-crafted originals, offering an interesting journey into creative spaces ripe for exploration. “Second House” opens the album powerfully with a groovy riff, agile counterpoint, crisp unisons, and vibrant solos from Robinson and Dessen. 

“Malachi”, a mercurial and impeccably tailored jazz piece, elevates the album’s intensity as it transitions from ice bath to high fever. It is put in motion as a solemn march with lamenting bowed bass, and later followed by a mix of dreamy and angular piano measurements, passing through an unaccompanied sax/trombone dialogue before settling into a groove in five that liberates Robinson’s circular verve and melodic sagacity. It culminates in an agreeably odd-metered dance flow.

“Potentiality” offers a passionately driven bop ride with hard-swinging sections and pronounced rhythmic accents, while “Remembering Water” is an effectively brushed ballad highlighted by a cerebral bass solo. “Wattensaw”, named after a town in Arkansas, brings a colorful funky stamp on it, showcasing affinities with pianist Andrew Hill’s music. This influence reaches its peak on “Vestibule”, a magnificent sonic canvas that imparts sly yet strong tension, seamlessly swaying between solid post-bop and crisp avant-garde currents.

Cohesively structured, Ancestral Numbers I is a satisfying record where no musician is overshadowed, each contributing excellent taste and noble professionalism.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Second House ► 02 - Malachi ► 07 - Vestibule

Giovanni Guidi - A New Day

Label: ECM Records, 2024

Personnel - Giovanni Guidi: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass; João Lobo: drums; James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone (#1,4,5, ).

Italian jazz pianist and composer Giovanni Guidi, who gained international prominence playing with legendary trumpeter Enrico Rava, has released his latest album, A New Day, the fifth on the ECM label. This album features him in trio and quartet settings with regular collaborators, American bassist Thomas Morgan and Portuguese drummer João Lobo, as well as a new musical partner, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, who blends his melodies terrifically with the group ethos. 

Defined by the leader as a journey of discovery, the program opens with “Cantos del Ocells”, a traditional Catalan lullaby popularized by Joan Baez in the ‘60s. Taking on the shape of a tearful, spacious ballad, the piece is texturized with breathable piano atmospherics, a serene bass foundation, and unobtrusive percussion, with pragmatic saxophone considerations hovering atop. Other album highlights delivered in quartet include the collectively improvised “Only Sometimes”, where Morgan creates a reliable atmosphere before turning into a modal mood over which Lewis produces stimulating Coltranean lines that grow fervently spiritual; and “Luigi (the Boy Who Lost His Name)”, a poignant lament showcasing a folk radiance in the melody and where Lobo’s brushwork occasionally plods against the harmonic flow with contrasting timbral elegance.

The album features mostly open, introspective numbers, and the trio works are no exception to the rule. “To a Young Student” embraces a pensive chamber minimalism with dark tones produced by bowed bass and piano; “Means For a Rescue” makes good use of silences and enhances enigmatic expressions, later stirred by Guidi’s animated chordal activity as the pulsing tension increases; whereas the delicate interpretation of the standard “My Funny Valentine” melts down into a light and loose approach that still makes it identifiable.

Guidi and his peers find freedom within open structures and rubato dramatization in a record replete with intimacy and restraint. Although not transcending at all times, Guidi proves to have a singular voice, being a legitimate representative of the European jazz sphere.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Cantos del Ocells ► 04 - Only Sometimes ► 05 - Luigi (the Boy Who Lost His Name)

Harry Skoler - Red Brick Hill

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2024

Personnel - Harry Skoler: clarinet; Joel Ross: vibraphone; Dezron Douglas: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums // Guests - Christian Sands: piano (#6); Marquis Hill: trumpet (#4); Grégoire Maret: harmonica (#13).

Clarinetist and composer Harry Skoler enlists the help of stellar musicians to enrich a set of 14 compositions that tells the sad, traumatic story of the loss of a friend in his teenage years. The core quartet comprises Skoler, vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Johnathan Blake. The album, Red Brick Hill, is infused with curiosity and invention, often surprising with an optimum balance between discipline and freedom.

Solo clarinet opens the proceedings, leading to the polyrhythmic “NanCee”, which is followed by “Ascent”, a sketchy, freely improvised duet between Skoler and Douglas. “Blue, Mostly” is a groovy vehicle where Skoler and guest trumpeter Marquis Hill pair up in unison and then exchange bars over a colorful vibing tapestry. “Apple Hands” is driven forth by a 5/4 bass figure that succeeds to a preliminary 3/4 undercurrent powered by vibraphone and drums, freeing Skoler to create melodically atop. “Beneath Bequeath” is a standout, building a free-flowing avant-garde bluesiness around a catchy riff. Somehow, the group’s sound here brought to my minds Don Byron’s 1999 album Romance with the Unseen.

The central piece of the album is the gorgeous ballad “Last Star, Last Night”, where Skoler and guest pianist Christian Sands express what’s in their souls through candid improvisation. The title cut, “Red Brick Hill”, explores a 5/4 groove for five minutes before shifting into rubato meditations, ideal for Douglas and Ross’ lyrical stimulus. The group concludes it calmly after a different bass groove in five is put in motion. In turn, “Still. Here” features the proficient harmonica playing of Swiss-born Grégoire Maret, who enjoys Skoler’s clear-cut lines on his side to achieve a sweet state of grace.

Well adapted to the current jazz zeitgeist, Skoler narrates his story earnestly for a therapeutic effect while providing a captivating listening experience for audiences.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Blue, Mostly ► 06 - Last Star, Last Night ► 08 - Beneath Bequeath

Anthony Branker & Imagine - Songs My Mom Liked

Label: Origin Records, 2024

Personnel - Anthony Branker: composer, musical direction; Donny McCaslin: tenor and soprano saxophone; Philip Dizack: trumpet; Fabian Almazan: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Pete McCann: guitar; Aubrey Johnson: vocals.

With Songs My Mother Liked, his second outing with his group Imagine, American composer and arranger Anthony Branker pays homage to his 88-year-old mother, whose health has been declining with dementia. To do this, he selected a few vibrant compositions from his repertoire, previously recorded with his projects Ascent and Word Play, and added three fresh new pieces for a total of 12 tracks. The exceptional band features some of the best improvisers and bandleaders out there, proving to have an entity unto itself while executing a taut, seriously written set of music played with downright fun. 

The album opens with “Praise”, a magnificent post-bop venture that spirals with enormous energy. The parallel lines shared by saxophonist Donny McCaslin and trumpeter Philip Dizack generate cohesion, but the men in the frontline occasionally split for momentary polyphony. McCaslin delivers an incandescent solo with delicious outside slips, while Dizack reveals intelligence and range in his cerebral dissertation. It all ends in a vamp, before stepping into “Sketches of Selim”, anchored by a groove-laden bass figure and including passages that combine elegant waltz and propulsive swing.

“The Holy Innocent” was written for Branker’s late daughter Kassandra, while “Three Giants”, inspired by a Nigerian mother who lost her three children in a plane crash, has vocalist Aubrey Johnson contributing to its dramatic and touching expression. “Imani (Faith)”, motivated by Branker’s mother’s unshakable faith, is assembled in a piano-less format with McCaslin at the fore, supported by the propulsive funk waves of bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Rudy Royston.

“Crystal Angel” denotes a pungent quality, featuring thrilling solos from tenor and trumpet, while the muscular “The House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads” carries an inherent Latin vibe in support of outgoing solos by Dizack, pianist Fabian Almazan, and McCaslin.

The last three pieces on the album were previously unrecorded: “When We Said Goodbye”, a solid vehicle for the guitar skills of Pete McCann, embracing a more earthly pop/rock realm; “To Be Touched (By the Holy Spirit)”, an infectious modal jazz exercise that advances with an uptempo ternary flow; and “If”, a pop music-influenced number based on a melody composed by Branker’s daughter at age 11.

This date, working well for both close and casual listening, comes packed with seamless transitions and dazzling improvisations within the first-class arrangements.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Praise ► 08 - Imani (Faith) ► 11 - To Be Touched (By the Holy Spirit)

Cooper Malanowski - Summit

Label: Tidebloom Records, 2024

Personnel - Cooper Malanowski: trombone; Kai Burns: guitar; David Macchione: bass; Alex Yoo: drums // guest: Ariel Vera: vocals (#7).

Summit is the likable, occasionally surprising debut album from trombonist Cooper Malanowski, who was born in New York and is currently based in Boston. Competently handling eight compositions crafted over the three-year period he has been studying at the New England Conservatory, Malinowski’s inBetween Quartet shows potential and taste in the way they shape these pieces.

“Your Name”, with its reflective rubato intro, leads into “A Glimpse of Opportunity”, where plaintive trombone melodies hover over Kai Burns’ softly textured guitar. Both Alex Yoo’s effective brushwork and David Macchione's supple bass underpinning help settle into a valley of relative peace, later swept by a cleanly articulated guitar solo.

“De.F” recalls Dave Douglas’ mature contemporary jazz, evolving confidently with some interesting guitar reactions to the trombone solo. Yoo intensifies his chops to reach a peak right before the calm ending. “Rocky” displays fairly obscure yet exquisite guitar chords and texture, impelling us to search beyond. Flowing with a three time feel, this piece denotes an organic sense of narrative with the contribution of fleet, conversational solos from trombone and guitar. The group embraces a more amped-up rock-tinged aesthetic here, well anchored by the rhythm section.

The post-bop drive of “The con-front” revels in exciting swinging currents laid down with groove, while “I Missed the Train” features gust vocalist Ariel Vera in consonance with the brass melodic routes, in a series of flawlessly intermeshed ideas among bold rhythmic variations. A beautiful tranquility returns with the closer, “Shir Le Itzick”. Summit is a successful collaborative effort by Malanowski and his developing band.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Rocky ► 06 - The con-front ► 07 - I Missed the Train

Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra - Groove Junkies

Label: Origin Records, 2024

Personnel - Antonio Orta: alto and soprano sax; Mike Cemprola: alto sax, flute, clarinet; Tedd Baker: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Xavier Perez: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Doug Morgan: bari sax, flute, bass clarinet; Bill Mulligan: piccolo (#1), flute (#3); Brian MacDonald: trumpet; Kevin Burns: trumpet; Luke Brandon: trumpet; Alec Aldred: trumpet; Ben Patterson: trombone; Kevin Cerovich: trombone; Dave Perkel: trombone; Ben Polk: bass trombone; Shawn Purcell: guitar; Chris Ziemba: piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboards; Paul Henry: electric bass; Todd Harrison: drums, percussion; Fran Vielma: congas, percussion (#3,4,6).

Washington DC-based trombonist, composer, and arranger Ben Patterson is an adept of furious fluid dynamics, infusing his music with a relentless exuberance that permeates all six tracks of his new album, aptly titled Groove Junkies. Boasting a 22-year stint as the lead trombonist for the Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the US Air Force, Patterson commands his vigorous 17-piece orchestra with rapture, counting on occasional additions of flute and percussion.

The album gets you off to an energetic start with a punchy arrangement of Chris Potter’s “Exclamation”, a dynamic fusion of jazz, funk, and rock elements played with breakneck propulsion. The track features audacious swagger in the magnetic solos from tenor saxophonist Tedd Baker and keyboardist Chris Ziemba.  

“Interesting Times” develops in seven, anchored by regular groovy bass steps and wah-wah-infused keyboard comping that emerges from the ground. On this occasion, the soloists are alto saxophonist Antonio Orta and the bandleader, both of whom are exciting in their articulation and expression. “Cheese Hat” features a fierce funky groove interspersed with calmer passages, highlighting the work of electric bassist Paul Henry, who stretches out over staccato guitar chords and groovy twangs.

“The Way of the Groove” boasts a booming rhythm that mixes funk and Latin vibes, with extra percussion provided by Fran Vielma. Flutist Bill Mulligan drives a passage in the middle of the solos, which culminate eloquently with guitarist Shawn Purcell’s super busy rides. The closer, “Espiritu Valiente”, emphasizes the Latin spirit with frisky liveliness.

Patterson leads the orchestra with zest, exploring intense and gripping jazz territories without ever becoming cluttered. If you’re looking for maximum energy in big band jazz, Groove Junkies is a record to grab.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Exclamation ► 02 - Interesting Times ► 03 - The Way of the Groove

Tomasz Stanko Quartet - September Night

Label: ECM Records, 2024

Personnel - Tomasz Stańko: trumpet; Marcin Wasilewski: piano; Slawomir Kurkiewicz: bass; Michal Miskiewicz: drums.

The late trumpeter Tomasz Stanko was a one-of-a-kind player with a gift for drawing out the beauty of melody within a sophisticated musical universe of common sense and emotional lyricism. For more than four decades, he spawned a slew of his own projects. September Night, a posthumously released album recorded live at Muffathalle, Munich, in 2004, finds him at the peak of his capacities alongside his emblematic Polish quartet. 

The album opens with “Hermento’s Mood”, where Stanko’s consistently impressive melodicism shines over Slawomir Kurkiewicz’s dancing bass pedal, Michal Miskiewicz’s gently propulsive rhythm, and Marcin Wasilewski’s gorgeous harmonizations on piano. “Song For Sarah”, which opened the Suspended Night album (ECM, 2004), follows as a rubato ballad oozing sentiment through every pore. 

“Euforila”, an older piece first recorded in 1986, is subtly funkified and bears a dynamic Latin-infused bass groove. Tailored with unerring moments of synchronism, the piece also showcases the improvisatory freedom enjoyed by Wasilewski and Stanko. Both musicians exhibit conversational proficiency in their refined musical languages without ever sacrificing clarity. While “Elegant Piece” advances calmly, immersed in this sheer beauty, the collectively improvised “Kaetano” evolves into a bossa-nova groove flagged by efficient brushwork.

One of Stanko’s most memorable pieces is “Celina”, from his 1995 album Matko Joanna (ECM, 1995). Revived here with a charming trumpet intro that interlaces relatable angular and dramatically curved expression, the piece seamlessly leads into the melodious yet groovy theme. The album concludes with “Theatrical”, a somewhat dusky, flowing piece that exudes a warm sense of comfort.

In possession of an astonishing rapport, Stanko and his quartet merge as one. September Night is a lush of an album, whose music continues to resonate and inspire. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Hermento’s Mood ► 03 - Euforila ► 04 - Elegant Piece ► 06 - Celina

Kim Cass - Levs

Label: Pi Recordings, 2024

Personnel - Kim Cass: bass, sampling; Matt Mitchell: piano, Prophet-6; Tyshawn Sorey: drums; Adam Dotson: euphonium; Laura Cocks: flutes.

Intrepid Brooklyn-based bassist Kim Cass is a wellspring of virtuosity and functional complexity, a high-caliber accompanist and bandleader in his own right. On Levs, his debut album on Pi Recordings, he is joined by visionary keyboardist Matt Mitchell and progressive-minded drummer Tyshawn Sorey. Euphonist Adam Dotson and flutist Laura Cocks contribute to several experimental pieces inspired by the hand-notated scores of Stockhausen, Schoenberg, and Boulez.

“Slag” opens the album in trio format, displaying Cass’ invention at a feverish level. It’s an oddly rhythmic, unwavering avant-prog piece that plays in a completely different league, sharing some elements with the title track, “Levs” The latter is a brilliantly sculpted sonic canvas marked by fractured rhythms and abrasive impulsivity, which eventually breaks down into a more contemplative scenario towards the end. 

Also in trio, “Time” swings freely, while “Fog Face” starts in an ambient context with rambling synth on top of an exquisitely syncopated beat before adopting an offbeat pulsation with Mitchell’s pianistic charisma at the forefront. “Gs” displays a David Lynchian jazz warpedness that pushes towards its center rather than radiating outward. Conversely, “Rumple” draws from the electronic music universe, spreading ideas through glitchy tessellations that fuse with advanced harmonic and rhythmic settings. 

“Ripley” touches on balladry, gently propelled by Sorey’s brushwork and with Dotson’s tenor-voiced brass creating a mystic haze around the deftly ordered layout. Both “Tentacle” and “Sea Vine” are filled with tension and perplexity, the latter embroidered with windy, crisp unisons. The program closes with “Trench”, in an impressive diffusion of energy mounted with elegiac tones in its cryptic layering. It’s a dark polyrhythmic ride into the infinite cosmos. 

Levs is a demanding listen that, while calling on the characteristics of other genres, maintains a distinct and unique interface. The band’s musicianship and extraordinary coordinated interchange are excellent, establishing Cass as an essential name within the future of jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Slag ► 02 - Fog Face ► 11 - Sea Vine ► 13 - Trench

Alfredo Colón - Blood Burden

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2024

Personnel - Alfredo Colón: alto saxophone; Lex Korton: piano; Steve Williams: double bass; Connor Parks: drums.

For what we hear in this remarkable debut album, it’s clear that Dominican-American saxophonist and composer Alfredo Colón has a bright future ahead. As a sideman, he gained some notoriety working with saxophonist Henry Threadgill on the latter’s album The Other One (Pi, 2023) and joining bassist William Parker in a couple of concerts, including an upcoming Vision Festival performance on June 18th.

The emotional quotient of Blood Burden is high, as Colón and his skilled quartet mates give a tremendous punch to the monotony with music that feels refreshingly focused and modern. Inspired by family and its intergenerational traumas, the album serves as a meditation between Dominican folklore and Catholic imagery and ethos.

“V.M.C.S.” opens the album with jaw-dropping alacrity, utilizing complex meter in the process without sacrificing fluidity. The piece, dedicated to Colón’s older brother Vladimir, evokes the spirit of their visits to NYC museums during childhood, climaxing in a blistering saxophone solo delivered with passion and authority. Pianist Lex Korton follows suit, dishing out a sleek, streamlined piano statement.

“Our Simplest Office Clerk” explores the balladic side of the composer, featuring polyrhythmic currents and sophisticated pianism at the fore. The piece then explodes in spontaneous color with a tumultuous saxophone clamor, occasionally adorned with multiphonics. The saxist can sound unabashedly lyrical one minute, carrying a plaintive edge, and ferociously wild the next. Regardless, a keen sense of structure prevails throughout the album. 

Dedicated to his mother, “Santo” is elegantly propelled by the scintillating brushwork of drummer Connor Parks, conveying a strange enchantment that sometimes recalls Threadgill’s layered ventures. “Grinning’ in Your Face” is the sole non-original composition on the album. Penned by the Delta blues singer Son House, this 1965 piece channels the modal patterns and spiritual practices of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler with plenty of outside maneuvers. In turn, “Our Armor” relies on robust playing anchored by strong emotion and grit, with Korton’s nimble sweeping over the keyboard creating harp-like waves. He also leaps with obsessive moves and slides chromatically with purpose.

Blood Burden is a safe bet for those who like navigate uncommon waters. Colón arrives with plenty of promise but already shows substantial achievement. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - V.M.C.S. ► 05 - Grinning’ in Your Face ► 06 - Our Armor

Alex Harding / Lucian Ban - Blutopia

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2024

Personnel - Alex Harding; baritone saxophone; Lucian Ban: piano; Mat Maneri; viola; Bob Stewart: tuba; Brandon Lewis: drums.

Baritonist Alex Harding and pianist Lucian Ban forged a friendship and musical collaboration around 1998 when the latter arrived in New York from Romania to attend the New School. Their first recording was for Ban’s debut album Somethin’ Holy (CIMP, 2002). With Blutopia, the pair expands the duo work presented in Dark Blue (Sunnyside, 2019), adding singular musicians such as violist Mat Maneri, tubist Bob Stewart, and drummer Brandon Lewis.

Having their musical ethos defying conventional jazz practices, the group begins hauntingly with “Speak Our Silence”, a collective improvisation that drifts slowly across the horizon, benefiting from the plodding dark sound of the tuba at the end. In the same vein but with touches of world music in its percussive tract, Ban’s “Mist” is inspired by Sun Ra, who seemed to be the inspiration for the album’s title. Paul Motian’s “Fantasm” perfectly fits the mood as an ambiguously exquisite piece limned by meditative cooing and a pleasant contrast of timbres.

Sculpted as a transcendental Eastern-tinged lament, the beautiful and hypnotic “Marrakesh”, inspired by and dedicated to the late pianist Randy Weston, showcases exceptional moments of improvisation and synchronicity between Harding and Ban. The group explores other directions, offering gospel and classical chamber narratives in Harding’s “Spirit Take My Hand” and Ban’s “Hymn”, respectively.

One of the most energetic pieces on the album is Andrew Hill’s “Blue Black”, here permeated with a monumental groove, gorgeous unison lines, and solos from Maneri, who employs his arresting exploratory melancholy to paint out of the frame, and Harding, whose bluesy wails expand into intense euphoria. Ban’s “Hieroglyphics” carries an implacably engaging blend of folk, avant-garde jazz, and fanfare-ish ragtime, with Lewis’ drumming standing out.

Blutopia underscores the maturity of these musicians who, engaged with focused attention, ascend emotional peaks together with multi-layered soulfulness.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Speak Our Silence ► 02 - Blue Black ► 06 - Marrakesh 

William Parker Heart Trio

Label: AUM Fidelity, 2024

Personnel - William Parker: doson ngoni, shakuhachi, bass dudek, Serbian flute, ney flute; Cooper-Moore: ashimba, hoe-handle harp; Hamid Drake: drums, frame drum.

Acclaimed bassist and multi-instrumentalist William Parker, recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award at Vision Festival, reunites with longtime collaborators and members of his quartet, Cooper-Moore and Hamid Drake, for a freely improvised trio session centered on world music Their effort, characterized by soothing and richly rhythmic spiritual vibes, aims to ease our troubled modern times.

Predominantly influenced by West African sounds, the trio also incorporates Balkan dances and other Eastern flavors. Parker switches between different flutes and the doson ngoni, Cooper-Moore toggles between instruments he built himself in the 1970s - the ashimba (an 11-tone xylophone) and hoe-handle harp - and Drake makes everything dance with his percussion expertise.

“Atman” bathes in an unspecified ceremony of flute and percussion, while “Five Angels By the Stream” is propelled by great skill, creating a trance-inducing straight-eight feel marked by pervasive harp, dynamic hi-hat accents, and groovy ngoni for a crisper definition.

“Mud Dance” features bass dudek over a palpable pulsation driven by ashimba and frame drum. The rhythm intensifies and accelerates on “Serbia”, where the flute spins wildly and instinctively over a magnetic flux. “Kondo” plays on perpetual movement with wonderful drumming and hearty harmonization woven by ngoni and harp. The threesome performs a few rhythmic variations along the way, reaching the form of an Eastern rumination on “For Rafael Garrett”, a tribute to the late Chicago multi-instrumentalist Donald Rafael Garrett that blurs the line between lament and exuberance. “Processional”, confidently paced in seven, denotes a strong sense of order without rigidity, while showcasing a balanced blend of ngoni, harp, and metallic percussion.

The music flows pristinely, filled with clarity and naturalness, and enriched with subtle expressive touches that highlight the well-ingrained telepathic interplay these musicians share.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Five Angels By the Stream ► 06 - For Rafael Garrett ► 07 - Processional

Nicole Connelly - Stamp in Time

Label: Self released, 2024

Personnel - Nicole Connelly: trombone; Zachary Swanson: bass; Kate Gentile: drums; Erin Connelly: trumpet (#3,5,9,10,12); Andrew Hadro: baritone saxophone (#7).

Stamp in Time, the promising first album by Brooklyn-based trombonist Nicole Connelly, is poised to earn her respect as a leader. Embracing the avant-garde and experimental territories on the left side of the jazz spectrum, Connelly engages in emphatic collaborative interaction with her band mates: fearless bassist Zachary Swanson and exceptional drummer Kate Gentile, and enriches half of the 12 tracks with guest appearances by her twin sister, trumpeter Erin Connelly and baritone saxophonist Andrew Hadro.

The album kicks off with the title cut, a somewhat reflective original composition that teases the listener with long multiphonics and a fine tonal contrast between Swanson’s dramatic bowed bass and Gentile’s sparkling cymbal work. The Roswell Rudd-penned “Bamako” brings West African flavors through a joyful groove that makes it danceable plus a melody that sticks to your head. 

“Shadow Self”, one of the four pieces improvised live in the studio, features trumpet and trombone in tandem over loose bass and pronounced hi-hat, showcasing a simplicity that makes it demanding. “Malaton”, delivered in five, boasts a special vibrancy drawn from both the avant-garde and rock realms. The central riff here is as captivating as that in “Day By Day”, which expands into a candidly improvised brass discourse followed by crisp drum chops.

Bebop singer/poet Babs Gonzales’ “Lullaby of the Doomed” is shaped as a mournful procession with warped trombone multiphonics giving it a droning edge, while “Sky Piece”, a composition by the late saxophonist Thomas Chapin, offers an astonishing set of pitches that resonate powerfully with Hadro’s exuberant playing. His deep baritone shouts, later turning into murmuring trills, are initially underpinned by a bass pedal that disentangles into a three-time-feel motion. All that momentarily stops for a solitary trombone statement. 

Draped in tension and release fabrics, Stamp in Time sees the musicians interlocking their sounds while exploring a mix of sharp and round jazz corners that are meaningful to Connelly, marking her as an artist to keep an eye on.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Stamp in Time ► 02 - Bamako ► 07 - Sky Piece

Matt Wilson's Good Trouble

Label: Palmetto Records, 2024

Personnel - Jeff Lederer: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Tia Fuller: alto saxophone; Dawn Clement: piano; Ben Allison: bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

Helming a powerful new quintet, drummer/composer Matt Wilson delivers an entertainingly gripping set of music with Good Trouble, marking his 14th release on Palmetto label. The album includes both originals and covers, paying tribute to congressman John Lewis and his fight for Civil Rights while also celebrating Wilson’s 60th birthday. The quintet features a dynamic two-horn frontline with longtime collaborator Jeff Lederer on tenor saxophone and new addition Tia Fuller on alto, while the rhythm section is rounded out with pianist/vocalist Dawn Clement and bassist Ben Allison, players capable of serious chops within a variety of musical contexts.

Wilson’s “Fireplace” pays homage to the late pianist Geri Allen, opening with a provocative riff and deliberate accentuations before the soloists are given ample room to cut loose. Lederer’s irresistible eloquence finds a complementary foil in Fuller, with whom he alternates bars with indomitable energy. “Albert’s Alley”, penned by Lederer and inspired by his dog, results in a cerebral bluesy neo-bop number with some polyphonic allure and smart moves.

The album’s centerpiece, Good Trouble Suite, is comprised of three parts.The first, “RBG”, honors justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg with a fresh Latin vibe and jubilant unisons, leading to exhilarating saxophone exchanges and the band singing her name. The second movement, “Walk the Wind” is a soulful ballad where Allison speaks his truth with thick, roving lines. The third act, “Good Trouble”, tricks the listener with early Monk-ish accents before embarking on a splendid carousel of gospel and dancing jazz revival.

This fascinating blend of traditional and modern elements enhances the appeal of the album, and this holds true for the four covers presented here, which straddle different styles and approaches. “Be That As it May”, penned by Wilson’s student Akihito Goray, takes the form of a soul-jazz ballad propelled by pleasing snare currents and polished by Clement’s voice. She also claims the spotlight in the rendition of John Denver’s country-folk hit “Sunshine on My Shoulders”. Yet, the standout interpretations are Ornette Coleman’s “Feet Music”, featuring a groovy bass solo and another heated dialogue between Lederer and Fuller, and Gary Bartz’s “Libra”, a post-bop dazzler.

The special warmth and kaleidoscopic eclecticism that keeps Wilson’s tunes so captivating continues in “Community Spirit”, which concludes the album with a contagious African rhythm in 5/4 time after a rubato gospelized inception. Wilson’s music is a joy to listen to, and this band, moved by an elevated sense of unity, truly delivers.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fireplace ► 04 - RBG ► 10 - Community Spirit

Nduduzo Makhathini - Unomkhubulwane

Label: Blue Note Records, 2024

Personnel - Nduduzo Makhathini: piano, voice; Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere: bass; Francisco Mela: drums.

Two years ago, South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini made a sensation with his masterpiece record In the Spirit of Ntu, which found him at a crossroads between South African folk music, modal jazz, and post-bop. Now, he returns in a trio format with uNomkhubulwane (meaning God’s only daughter and manifestation of God), extending his oeuvre of unique, ambitious African jazz with another homage to his native traditions and ancestors. 

With the assistance of American bassist of South African descent Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere and Cuban-born, New York-based drummer Francisco Mela, Makhathini delivers a three-movement suite with intimacy and magic. The first movement, Libations, intends to be a collective Black mourning motivated by ongoing oppression, peaking with “KwaKhangelamankengana”, a dynamic 5/8 groover limned with sharp phrasing and impetuous harmonic drive. This selection, showcasing his crispest piano work on the album, comes after “Omnyama”, a poetic 3/4 Afro-centric invocation featuring spoken word in Nguni (a primordial Indigenous language), and “Uxolo”, a smooth jazz affair with a touch of Ahmad Jamal.

The Water Spirits suite begins with “Izinkonjana”, channeling Abdullah Ibrahim through lighthearted South African folk and gospel sounds, but reaches a climax with “Amanxusa Asemkhathini”, where rhythmic juxtapositions and an enveloping modal jazz infused with tension keep listeners engaged. “Nyoni Le?” exudes mystery with the combination of Makhathini’s deep-sounding piano, Mela’s toms articulation, and le Pere’s arco bass murmuring.

The third suite, Inner Attainment, seeks freedom, hope, and grace, offering the best moments on the album. “Izibingelelo” starts as a beautiful meditation before going modal and ultimately landing on a poised mid-tempo post-bop exercise; “Umlayez’oPhuthumayo” feels loose and avant-garde in essence, embellished with fine melodicism by the end; and “Ithemba”, a light-emitting solo piano effort is stripped down to the placid traits of the pianist’s imagination.

Eschewing any form of bombast expression, abrupt shifting tempos, or mood complexities, Makhathini immerses the listener in expected reveries with a hypnotic touch, conveying freedom, balance, and humanity - elements so much needed in our days.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Water Spirits: Amanxusa Asemkhathini ► 08 - Inner Attainment: Izibingelelo ► 09 - Inner Attainment: Umlayez’oPhuthumayo ► 11 - Inner Attainment: Ithemba

Oded Tzur - My Prophet

Label: ECM Records, 2024

Personnel - Oded Tzur: tenor saxophone; Nitai Hershkovits: piano; Petros Klampanis: acoustic bass; Cyrano Almeida: drums.

New York-based saxophonist and composer Oded Tzur showcases impressive evolution in My Prophet, his fifth album as a leader and third for ECM Records, featuring high-quality compositions that take the form of incantations. The quartet lineup signals one change, with the young Brazilian drummer Cyrano Almeida replacing the seasoned Johnathan Blake, while Nitai Herskovits and Petros Klampanis remain on piano and bass, respectively. 

Inspired by an all-powerful deity that reveals one's true self, the album consists of a myth-like suite of five movements, beginning with the short whisper of “Epilogue”. This leads into the hair-raising lyricism of “Child You”, where folk and post-bop currents blend seamlessly. This piece, harmoniously impressionistic in tone, showcases a conscious spiritual quality that is carried to Tzur’s gravitas-filled solo, becoming further exploratory during Hershkovits’ improvisation.

The group’s distinctive soulful sound continues in the delicate “Through a Land Unsown”, establishing a profound connection between melody and harmony. Klampanis’ bass work here is focused and dulcet, contrasting with Hershkovits’ pianism, which consistently pushes beyond what’s expected. Tzur’s saxophone radiates light in a gentle freedom dance filled with intelligent subtlety and positive vibes. While “Renata” is a clinically-sculpted waltz, “My Prophet” has the power to rarefy the air with Indian classical introspection, softly brushed to a hush until it takes the shape of a murmuring prayer.

With artistry and charismatic personality, Tzur draws in anyone seeking for a new sense of spirituality in jazz, which reaches uplifting and fervent tones in the closer, “Last Bike Ride in Paris”. Here, synergistic interplay and odd rhythmic placement make everything so exciting. As Tzur states: “there’s freedom within the form”, and that’s palpable. 

My Prophet is a magical record, a transfixing masterpiece of restraint enchantment and passionate eruptions that places Tzur at the crest of contemporary spiritual jazz. 

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Child You ► 03 - Through a Land Unsown ► 05 - My Prophet ► 06 - Last Bike Ride in Paris

John Escreet - The Epicenter of Your Dreams

Label: Blue Room Music, 2024

Personnel - John Escreet: piano; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Eric Revis: bass; Damion Reid: drums.

With his latest album, virtuosic pianist and intelligent composer John Escreet continues to delve into textures and structures in search of transcendence and surprise. His creative trio, featuring bassist Eric Revis and drummer Damion Reid, is expanded for The Epicenter of Your Dreams with the addition of seasoned tenor saxophonist Mark Turner. The follow-up to Seismic Shift (Whirlwind Recordings, 2022) features an eight-track program with two covers dedicated to influential pianists and six edgy signature compositions that meld rhythmic complexity and harmonic expansiveness.

The album’s leadoff track, “Call It What It Is”, dazzles with its keen sense of harmony and fluidity, showcasing the band’s strong rapport that peaks in adventurous improvisations from Turner and Escreet. The cutting-edged title track, “The Epicenter of Your Dreams”, is a through-composed odyssey that transitions from an intriguing half-awake, half-dreamy reflection to a firmly unfolded pathway wrapped in harmonic splendor. Here, a vibrant saxophone statement jitters through a dynamic vibe that shifts in the final section, allowing for an expressive bass solo over a peaceful two-chord progression.

Stanley Cowell’s “Departure No.1” and Andrew Hill’s “Erato” have the quartet putting an assertive stamp on their anatomical qualities. Swinging joyfully, the former guarantees premium post-bop delivery, culminating in a fanciful drum solo by Reid; the latter, accelerated in tempo, is an unclassifiable piece that transcends conventional jazz moods.

“Meltdown” is a collective improvisation that combines bowed bass, saxophone multiphonics, keyed-up snare patterns, and a myriad of piano constellations with occasional extended techniques. Its exploratory nature matures into the imaginative “Trouble and Activity”, which exemplifies the gear-like machinations of the group’s progressive creativity via a 10-beat cycle brewed with unison lines atop, tensile rhythmic coordination, and a series of deconstructions and expansions that motivate exciting soloing moments. Another standout track, “Lifeline”, hits the spot with sinewy angularity and seamless passages during which the levels of energy never drop.

With the assistance of his quartet mates, Escreet gives a step further in a fascinating display of self-awareness and boundless imagination. His tight blend of traditional jazz elements and modern flights of fancy is so logical and cohesive that will keep listeners eager to revisit his music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Call It What It Is ► 05 - Trouble and Activity ► 07 - Lifeline

Shabaka Hutchings - Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace

Label: Impulse!, 2024

Personnel - Shabaka Hutchings: flute (#3-6,8,9,11), shakuhachi (#2,7), clarinet (#1,9,10), tenor sax (#9); Jason Moran: piano (#1,10); Nasheet Waits: drums (#1,10); Carlos Niño: percussion (#1,5,7,10); Brandee Younger: harp (#2,6,8); Charles Overton: harp (#2-4,6,8,10); Nduduzo Makhathini: piano (#5); Esperanza Splading: bass (#6,7); Rajna Swaminathan: mrudangam (#9); Dave Okumo: guitar (#7); Marcus Gilmore: drums (#9); Floating Points: Rhodes Chroma, vibraphone (#7); Andre 3000: Teotihuacan drone flute (#7); Miguel Atwood-Ferguson: strings (#2,8); Moses Sumney: vocals (#3); Saul Williams: vocals (#4); Lianne La Havas: vocals (#10); Elucid: vocals (#6); Laraaji: vocals (#7); Anum Iyapo: vocals (#11).

For his latest recording, London-based multi-reedist and composer Shabaka Hutchings invited a few guests to record at Rudy Van Gelder’s renowned studio. The resultant emotive dalliance of instrumentation we hear throughout Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace differs from anything Shabaka has done so far, serving as a reintroduction to the artist. For this kind of work, he opted to predominantly play flutes, including shakuhachi, quena, bamboo, and svirel.

Most tracks comprising this reflective album are given spacious treatments, and the opener, “End of Innocence”, is loosened up by Hutchings’ lucid clarinet playing, pianist Jason Moran’s cinematically noir chordal work, and understated percussion investment by Carlos Niño and Nasheet Waits. This same lineup, playing with gentle jazz colors, shape “Kiss me Before I Forget”, further illuminated by the voice of British singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas. 

The combination of flute and the heavenly harp sounds of Brandee Younger and Charles Overton adds an extra layer of feeling in pieces like “As the Planet and the Stars Collapse”, a tearful embrace delicately crafted with strings, “Insecurities”, featuring vocals by Moses Sumney, and the closer “Song of Motherland”, which provides a silky tapestry for the poetic impulses of Hutchings’ Barbados-born father, Anum Iyapo. 

The entrancing South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini contributes to the sheer contemplation of “The Wounded Need to be Replenished”, while “Body to Inhabit” and “I’ll Do whatever You Want”, both featuring bassist Esperanza Spalding, are more fleshed-out selections. The former also features New York City rapper Elucid, while the latter expands instrumentation with the presence of electronic music producer Floating Points, who plays Rhodes Chroma here, flutist Andre 3000, drummer Marcus Gilmore, guitarist Dave Okumu, and vocalist Laraaji. 

One of the strongest pieces on the album is “Breathing”, a duo effort between Hutchings - in command of a plethora of flute, clarinet, and saxophone overdubs - and mridangam player Rajna Swaminathan. The eclectic jazzy vibes are elevated by a searing saxophone solo that should leave no one indifferent. 

Liberated from any pressures or expectations of how his music should sound, Hutchings puts a charming spin and just enough sheen to blend strains of jazz, folk, world music, and other contemporary and ancient elements he chose to express himself. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - End of Innocence ► 02 - As the Planet and the Stars Collapse ► 09 - Breathing