Channell, Holly: Not Just a Standard
They say : Holly Channell (d), Jason Palmer (tp), Mike Kocour (p), Ben Hedquist (b) (Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT-690)
Cherry, Don & Temiz, Okay: Music For Turkish Theatre 1970
They say : In 1970, Turkish theater owner Engin Cezzar produced James Baldwin’s groundbreaking play about homosexuality in an Istanbul prison. In 1969, Don Cherry, visiting Istanbul with Okay Temiz, reunited with Baldwin and contributed music to the production. What you’re about to hear is an unearthed gem from 1970s Istanbul. (Caz Plak – CAZLP009)
Ching, Bandler: Mercurial
They say : Bandler Ching returns from within the vibrant, Brussels music scene with their sophomore album, Mercurial. In this latest offering, the band edges even closer to the ever-evolving world of electronics while retaining the improvisational spirit that has defined their sound. Fans of experimental electronic icons like Ivy Lab, Weval, and Sam Gendel will find much to admire in the upcoming album. (Sdban Ultra, SDBANULP41)
Choe, Eugenia: So We Speak
They say : As a child of immigrants and, now, a woman trying to make her way in the New York jazz scene, pianist Eugenia Choe faced pressure and stigmas that could have derailed her ambitions. Thankfully, Choe chose to accept the challenges that were posed to her and soar beyond them. On her new recording, So We Speak, Choe escapes her worries and doubts to find peace and beauty through music. Ft. Yuhan Su & Song Yi Jeon (Sunnyside Records)
Cohen, Yuval Quartet: Winter Poems
They say : Soprano saxophonist Yuval Cohen’s ECM debut is a thrilling offering that captures the brother of trumpeter Avishai Cohen charting innovative paths through eight originals. Pianist Tom Oren, bassist Alon Near and drummer Alon Benjamini are longtime acquaintances of Yuval’s – all are outstanding instrumentalists, sharing an intuitive understanding of the leader’s musical language and improvisational approach. (ECM Records 6516886)
Cole, Alexis: Jazz Republic: Taiwan, United States, and the Freedom of Swing
They say : Acclaimed vocalist Cole collaborates with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra on a swinging, soulful collection of standards and contemporary songs (Tiger Turn)
Collin, Romain: Dust
They say : Obsessed with conveying a story through a single note, French New York-based pianist Romain draws on his love of song and the warmth and intimacy of the upright piano to create a cohesive and calming solo piano album, balancing beauty and expression. (Edition Records)
Coo: Spiccilegia
They say : Spiccilegia is Coo’s first release and, strengthened by a counter-intuitive and conscious improvisational attitude, unites the aesthetic devices of Anton Webern, Bill Dixon, and Eric Dolphy with very autarchic concepts of sound. Extra friction is created by the traditional jazz instrumentation: trumpet, alto saxophone, double bass and drums. (Tonkunst Manufaktur LC77691)
Costley-White, Nick: Poncha
They say : ‘Poncha’ is Costley-White’s highly anticipated third album; a deeply personal collection of seven original compositions named after the Portuguese drink ‘punch’. Using a heady brew of cultural influences, his music skilfully blends dance rhythms and playful melodies from Brazil and Cuba with the harmony and swing of American jazz. (Ubuntu Music)
Couturier, François / Dominique Pifarély: Preludes and Songs
They say : Pianist François Couturier and violinist Dominique Pifarély, major figures in French improvisation, made their recording debut for ECM as a duo with the remarkable “Poros” (1997). “Preludes and Songs”, carries the story forward, with its programme including music by both players as well as pieces by Jacques Brel, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and J.J. Johnson. (ECM Records 7522305)
Crispell, Marilyn w/Gary Peacock, Paul Motian: Amaryllis
They say : The return of the great American jazz trio that delivered 1997’s “Nothing Ever Was, Anyway”, “Amaryllis”, is by turns thoughtful, joyous and viscerally exciting. Some of the songs are almost classics of new jazz, Crispell’s “Rounds”, Peacock’s “Requiem” and Motian’s “Conception Vessel”. Now reissued on vinyl for the first time as part of ECM’s Luminessence series. (ECM Records 6515177 (LP))
Curtis, Caleb Wheeler: The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery
They say : Saxophonist Caleb Wheeler Curtis presents a double album: Album 1, “Bears and the Invention of the Battery,” features original compositions with Curtis, bassist Sean Conly and drummer Michael Sarin. Album 2, “Raise Four: Monk the Minimalist,” with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner, features underheard songs by Thelonious Monk. (Imani Records)
D’Rivera, Paquito: Who’s Smoking?
They say : Nothing. (Candid – CAN33232)
Da Fonseca, Duduka: Rio Fantasia
They say : The magic of Brazil and its music have captured generations of music lovers. The joyous beats of samba and the mysterious sensuality of bossa nova have grabbed listeners like few other genres can. Duduka Da Fonseca conjures the spells of Brazilian music whenever he is behind his drum kit. But there is a special feeling that comes to Da Fonseca when he returns home to Rio de Janeiro, an unscripted and unpredictable joy that comes through in performing music. That alchemy is captured on Da Fonseca’s new recording, Rio Fantasia. Ft. David Feldman & Guto Wirtii (Sunnyside Records)
David, Mon: DNA Continuum
They say : Filipino jazz vocalist Mon David sounds like Mark Murphy on his trio collaboration with acclaimed Josh Nelson and Larry Koonse on this very soulful, heartfelt and also bopping followup to 2022’s “DNA.” (Dash Hoffman Records DHR1031)
Davies, Richard: Cosmic Odyssey II
They say : Richard Davies plays, writes and produces an album of electronic jazz centred around his tenor saxophone playing. The sequel to Cosmic Odyssey sees a line up of percussion, keyboards, bass to show off a soundscape with eastern melodies and snake-like sax lines. (Self Release)
Davis, Miles: Miles in France – The Bootleg Series Vol 8
They say : Nothing. (Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings/Sony Music Entertainment 19802801672)
Davis, Miles Quintet: Live In Berlin 1969
They say : Nothing. (20th Century Masterworks 71010 LP)
Davis, Steve: We See
They say : The album features Eddie Henderson on trumpet, along with tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Essiet Essiet, drummer Lewis Nash. (SSR-2407)
Dinesen, Jakob: Slow Flow
They say : A stalwart of Denmark’s jazz scene, Jakob Dinesen has performed with everyone in the country of note as well as international names like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jakob Bro, and Paul Motian. Featuring an atypical lineup including djembe and cello, his new record draws on African rhythms, italian circus music, reggae, and everything in between to convey his personal ideal of a global peace. (April Records APR135)
Do Nascimento, Fabiano: Solstice Concert
They say : For one night in LA, a specially assembled ensemble of contemporary A-list fusion players performed a curated selection of Fabiano De Nascimento’s original music and other favorites from cherished composers. The quartet – Fabiano, Sam Gendel, Gabe Noel on electric bass. Tamir Barzilay on drums, percussion (Leaving Records LR252)
Dumitrescu, Iancu: Ansamblul Hyperion
They say : Made during the Ceaușescu dictatorship, Dumitrescu’s debut is a compilation of radical new chamber music by him and three of his Romanian colleagues – released in 1981 by Romania’s state label, never reissued. “Acousmatic” music adherent, phenomenology devotee, spectralist perhaps, iconoclast certainly, Dumitrescu’s intense focus blows open its object entirely (Corbett vs. Dempsey CvsDCD115)
Eckemoff, Yelena: Scenes from the Dark Ages
They say : On this album Yelena Eckemoff (with drummer Trilok Gurtu, guitarist Riccardo Bertuzzi, flutist Carlo Nicita, violinist Eloisa Manera, bassist Riccardo Oliva) synthesizes classical music constructs and her original melodies with the varied rhythmic and stylistic innovations of jazz, fusion, and world music from the 21st century. “This project is so different from my others because it has prog-rock feel,” says Yelena Eckemoff. “I didn’t want just guitar and bass, I wanted rock guitar and electric bass and really strong drums.” (L & H Production LHcd806151-38)
Eckroth, Rachel and John Hadfield: Speaking in Tongues
They say : Speaking In Tongues is the spirited new duo release by inventive pianist-composer-vocalist Rachel Eckroth and imaginative drummer-percussionist-composer John Hadfield. Inspired by themes of religion, mythology and astronomy, Speaking In Tongues is a thrilling exploration of improvisation, blending spontaneity, precision, and artistic depth. (Adhyâropa Records)
Eick, Mathias: Lullaby
They say : For “Lullaby”, trumpeter Mathias Eick draws on the quartet formation in an exploratory programme that includes pianist Kristjan Randalu, bassist Ole Morten Vågan and new arrival Hans Hulbækmo on drums. Eick’s immediately recognizable and soothing tone is often confronted by Randalu’s in turns lyrical and energetic keyboard-flights, soaring above a propulsive rhythm section. (ECM Records 7510486)
Elly (Chiara Bertelli): I’ve Grown Accustomed To The Bass: A Tribute to Sheila Jordan
They say : after a six-year break The Young Mothers returns with their long awaited third album. The band started when Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten moved to Austin, TX in 2009, and upon meeting an incredibly diverse music scene in Texas he was inspired to form a band that would bring together all the different things he was hearing. He saw a potential for combining his own background in jazz and improvised music with experimental rock, hip-hop, electronic music, and all the things that exist in the crossover between these expressions, a playful mix that often had a cinematic flair. The Young Mothers were born, and for the first five years the band only played live, and quickly built a reputation for being an exciting act you needed to see. In 2014 their debut album “A Mothers Work Is Ever Done” showed that the live excitement could also be extended into the recording studio. More touring followed and the second album “Morose” followed in 2018. (Diffusione Arte)
ElSaffar, Amir Bianchi Hoesch, Lorenzo: Inner Spaces
They say : ‘Inner Spaces’ is a collaboration between Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and composer Amir ElSaffar and electronics virtuoso Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch. The music explores the intersections of Maqam modes of the Middle East, jazz improvisation, and electronics, creating an immersive, richly textured soundscape that is beyond category. (Ornithology)
Etienne Manchon Trio: Weird Life
They say : Since the release of his 2017 debut ‘Originals’, award-winning French pianist and composer Etienne Manchon has proved himself to be boundary pushing young voice in contemporary jazz. Teaming up two of the finest instrumentalists on the Paris scene, Clement Daldosso and Théo Moutou, their third studio album ‘Weird Life’ is set to release on January 24th. (Self Release)
Evans, Bill: In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert
They say : The immortal pianist Bill Evans is captured live in 1970 in Norway in a previously unissued recording with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell. (Elemental Music)