Odense Jazz Orchestra; Stillman, Loren: Odensen Jazz Orchestra Meets Loren Stillman
They say : The Odense Jazz Orchestra teams up with renowned saxophonist Loren Stillman for an ambitious meeting of American jazz and Nordic orchestral colour. Reimagining six of Stillman’s compositions for large ensemble, the album is released on 16 January via AMM Records. (AMM Records)
Ottaviano, Roberto: Dark Sides
They say : Produced by Dodicilune, distributed worldwide by IRD and digitally by Believe Digital, “Dark Sides” is the new CD, new artistic project and new band from Apulian saxophonist, composer and teacher Roberto Ottaviano, a leading artist of italian jazz scene, here playing soprano saxophone and clarinet. He is accompanied by Peppe Frana (oud), Luca “DJ Rocca” Roccatagliati (electronics, loops, sampling), Giorgio Vendola (double bass, electronics) and Ermanno Baron (drums and percussion). (Dodicilune ED589) Hear Roberto Ottaviano
Parra.Dice: Turn The Dice
They say : Parra.Dice, the explosive jazz/afrobeat/klezmer outfit from Amsterdam presents debut Turn the Dice in Spring 2026. This collective of 9 womxn/non-binary musicians has previously wowed audiences at ESNS/Noorderslag, Jazzahead!, Orange Jazz Days and others, promising to make you dance through the year with a debut full of horns, violin, beats and improv. (Independent)
Pasquale Mega PolìCroma Ensemble: Concerto in tre colori – feat. Gabriele Mirabassi
They say : The new album by Matera-born pianist and composer Pasquale Mega, here at the helm of the highly original “PolìCroma Ensemble”, a quintet typical of jazz music accompanied by two classical instruments. Recorded live, the ‘Concerto’ want to reconcile a wide variety of timbres (between European and American jazz) with a very particular sound and repertoire through three moments, each referring to pieces by Pasquale Mega himself, pianist Esbjörn Svensson and double bassist Lars Danielsson. (Dodicilune ED590)
Peacock, Gary: Oracle
They say : Oracle, recorded in 1993 and originally released in 1994, captures the first duo meeting between two ECM legends: double bassist Gary Peacock and Ralph Towner on classical and 12-string guitar. Tackling each other’s originals, the duo engages in thoughtful interplay that blends composed material with adventurous improvisation seamlessly, creating evocative chamber music dialogues that emphasize the particular sound qualities of their stringed instruments. The album was produced by Manfred Eicher. (ECM 1490)
Peterson, Noah Soul-Tet: The Real Deal
They say : The Real Deal is an album of South Texas Soul-Jazz. Built around the organ prowess of Ricky Hernandez and packed with San Antono Talent – this album is fun, funky, uplifting, emotional, and is a down-home hit that tickles you in all the good places like peach cobbler with home-made ice cream. It snap, crackles, and pops with excitement and good vibes. Excellent song writing from band leader Noah Peterson sets the ear to maximum enjoyment for a musical ride that’s over way too quickly. (Peterson Entertainment LLC) Hear Noah Peterson Soul-tet
Peterson, Oscar: Around The World
They say : In honor of Oscar Peterson’s centennial, Mack Avenue Music Group and Two Lions Records have partnered to release Around The World, a celebration of Oscar’s profound artistry through solo, duo and trio performances from 1969 to 1981. Featuring never-before-heard live concerts from Detroit, Michigan; Basel, Switzerland; Auckland, New Zealand; and his home of Toronto, Canada, Around The World celebrates the “Maharaja of the keyboard” and helps to usher in the next 100 years of Oscar Peterson. (Mack Avenue, MAC1223 LP)
PHILM (Gropper, Philipp): 2025
They say : The second album, „2025″,was recorded live at Cologne’s venue Loft in April 2025. The sound here is darker and more emotional. The two pieces “no words” I and II are good examples, as they deal with feelings of bewilderment and horror in the face of current geopolitical crises, wars and the ongoing destructive role of the global north. Between dissonance and beauty, a wide range of emotions unfolds. With 2024 and 2025, PHILM are opening a new chapter for themselves and further refining their long-standing and rightly celebrated consequent understanding of jazz and storytelling through music, which has had a decisive influence on the European avant-garde. (Bretford Records BRT012) Hear PHILM 2025
PHILM (Gropper, Philipp): 2024
They say : Almost seven years after their last release, numerous international tours, a change of drummer and the award for „Best Band” at the first edition of the German Jazz Prize 2021, PHILM, tenor saxophonist and composer Philipp Gropper’s band with Elias Stemeseder (piano, synths), Robert Landfermann (double bass), and now Leif Berger (drums), is releasing two new albums on January 27, 2026. „2024″ was named after the year it was created and recorded in Zentrifuge, an old Berlin cinema. “In August that year, the whole band in one room, we were searching for rhythmic mantras” Philipp Gropper explains, „for new, multi-layered rhythms and unfamiliar forms”. Catapulted into strange worlds by Gropper’s compositions, PHILM is all about the emotional content of these grooves and navigating in them together. PHILM’s members’ mutual respect for each other’s practices, their interpersonal chemistry and the adventurous creative atmosphere in the studio left marks on the sound. PHILM is not about outdoing each other with solos, but about finding a shared musical language, and about creating together, like an interlocking sound machine. (Bretford Records BRT011) Hear PHILM 2024
Powell, Roy: Aria
They say : ‘Aria’ marks the latest chapter in British pianist Roy Powell’s long-running collaboration with Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati, a partnership that began in 2007 and has since produced two decades of innovative recordings and performances. Their shared exploration of Italian music through a jazz lens first took shape in 2009 with the album Napoli, a project rooted in Neapolitan songs. Following a wide range of projects together, Powell and Feliciati revisited the idea in 2024 with ‘The Italian Songbook’, a collection of Roman songs and Powell’s original compositions. Joined by drummer Lucrezio de Seta, the trio discovered a chemistry so inspiring that they were compelled to continue their journey – this time with ‘Aria’, which delves into the operatic world of Giacomo Puccini. Roy Powell – piano, Lorenzo Feliciati – bass (Losen Records LOS3212 – CD)
QOW Trio: The Rule Of Three
They say : With ‘The Rule Of Three’, the unique generation-spanning entity that is QOW Trio are back with a barnstorming third album. At the heart of the band is the unmistakable beat of drummer Spike Wells, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday and the 65th year of his extraordinary career at the forefront of jazz in the UK, providing the driving force behind everyone from Tubby Hayes to Bobby Wellins to Stan Getz. (Whirlwind Recordings WR4847)
Rae, John and Ben Wilcock: March Of The Octopus
They say : Wellington-based Scottish drummer John Rae and pianist Ben Wilcock follow their internationally acclaimed Splendid Isolation album with a suite of original compositions ranging from reflective solo piano pieces to full quintet arrangements. They are joined by bassist Patrick Bleakley and tenor saxophonist Roger Manins—both among New Zealand’s leading jazz musicians—along with emerging guitarist Theo Thompson. (Thick Records NZ TH020)
Richards, Tim: Four Aces
They say : Pianist Richards’ 4th trio CD features Alex Keen (bass) and Daniel Howard (drums). Described in The Observer as a ‘cornerstone of British jazz’, Tim’s career encompasses leadership of Spirit Level (1980s/90s), the nine-piece Great Spirit (from 1999) and six-piece Hextet. The trio explores a range of jazz styles and provides a vehicle for Tim’s original writing. It’s 10 years since Tim’s Hextet album ‘Telegraph Hill’, 15 since the trio’s ‘Shapeshifting’ and 40 since his last vinyl release ‘Killer Bunnies’. (Future Music Records FMRCD730-0925) Hear Tim Richards
Rosenblum, Ben’s Nebula Project: The Longest Way Round
They say : Pianist, accordionist and composer Ben Rosenblum’s kaleidoscopic album draws inspiration from Dominican merengue, West African and Caribbean rhythms, Irish folk music, neo-soul, J-pop and hard bop, among other traditions. This is the third and most venturesome release to date by his globally influenced Nebula Project. Rosenblum is joined by trumpeter Wayne Tucker, saxophonist Jasper Dutz, guitarist Rafael Rosa, bassist Marty Jaffe and drummer Ben Zweig, and percussionists Gustavo Di Dalva and Brad Dutz. (One Trick Dog)
Ross-Barris, Whitney: Curtains Of Light
They say : Toronto vocalist and songwriter Whitney Ross-Barris unveils Curtains of Light, a luminous blend of jazz, choral, neo-soul, and folk exploring themes of connection, loss, and renewal. Featuring arrangements by Michael Shand and Drew Jurecka, and performances by some of Canada’s finest musicians, the album intertwines field recordings, cinematic textures, and heartfelt storytelling, reminding listeners that even in darkness, there is always light. Out November 21, 2025. (Independent)
Ross, Joel : Gospel Music
They say : Vibraphonist Joel Ross returns with his fifth Blue Note album Gospel Music featuring a sextet line-up with Josh Johnson on alto saxophone, Maria Grand on tenor saxophone, Jeremy Corren on piano, Kanoa Mendenhall on bass and drummer Jeremy Dutton. It’s the follow up to his widely acclaimed 2024 studio album nublues and is a sonic interpretation of the biblical story, an exploration of his faith and the fulfilment of his musical upbringing in the church. (Blue Note Records)
Rousseaux, Jean-Baptiste: Kaveriot Korridor
They say : Kaveriot Korridor presents a chordless contemporary jazz trio led by trumpeter Jean-Baptiste Rousseaux, blending European lyricism with modern New York sensibility. The music emphasizes open forms, melodic clarity and collective interplay, recalling chamber-jazz aesthetics and the lineage of acoustic trios exploring space, balance and narrative improvisation. (GleAM Records AM7043)
