Valanciute, Dalia: One Or Two Things
They say : Lithuanian jazz vocalist Dalia Valanciute releases One or Two Things on May 29, 2026, a record shaped by storytelling, presence, and the quiet electricity of a band in conversation. Built around jazz standards, ballads, and more groove-led material, the album centres on phrasing, intimacy, and emotional clarity, with Valanciute allowing each song to unfold through nuance, play, and a deeply personal sense of time. (Zack’s Music)
Valentini, Ivan: Camera Funky
They say : Camera Funky is an album that thrives on contrasts and cross-pollination: robust grooves, obsessive riffs, polymetry, odd time signatures, intricate structures, angular melodic profiles, and even forays into twelve-tone writing all coexist in a surprising balance between raw energy and architectural rigor. (Cose26114) Hear Ivan Valentini.
Van Voorst Van Beest, Chris: Bye Design
They say : Featuring contributions from rising stars of the New York progressive jazz scene Zach Lapidus (piano) and Nathan Ellman-Bell (drums), Bye Design is an encapsulation of van Voorst van Beest’s dual fascination with jazz improvisation and classical harmonic language and forms, expressed through his exquisite compositional voice and the ultra-responsive interplay between the masterful trio. (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00181) Hear Chris van Voorst van Beest.
Vanadzinsh, Kristaps: Piano Is My Temple! Vol.1
They say : On Piano Is My Temple, Latvian pianist and composer Kristaps Vanadziņš shapes a deeply introspective solo piano statement where jazz improvisation meets cinematic minimalism and European lyricism. Rooted in silence, space and emotional nuance, the album unfolds through fragile melodies and spontaneous textures rather than virtuosity alone. Each piece feels like a quiet dialogue — intimate, reflective and searching — revealing a personal musical language that values atmosphere, honesty and human connection above genre boundaries. (Independent) Hear Kristaps Vanadzinsh.
Various Artists: Manhattan Swing Woody Allen
They say : Woody Allen is well known in his various rolls as screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. His films, ranging from tragedies to screwball comedies, have made him a notable American director. Jazz has always filled an important part in Allen’s life and work and deserves enormous praise for his effort to disseminate the jazz legacy through his films by using a wide variety of historical sources in his soundtracks. This LP brings together 16 outstanding jazz recordings used by Allen in some of his best films. (New Continent 101049 LP)
Various: Gillespie, Dizzy, Mingus, Charles, Parker, Charlie, Powell, Bud, Roach, Max : Jazz At Massey Hall Toronto, 15-05-1953 – L’enregistrement historique
They say : On May 15, 1953, at Toronto’s Massey Hall, five leading figures of bebop came together for a single appearance: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. This legendary concert captures bebop at its peak, balancing architectural rigor and blazing freedom. Driven by a powerful rhythm section, Parker and Gillespie display dazzling inventiveness. Released alongside Franck Médioni’s 240-page book Jazz at Massey Hall, this album transcends the historical document to stand as one of the greatest concerts in jazz history. (Frémeaux & Associés FA5924)
Nico Widdowson Trio: On Fools And Clowns
They say : Award-winning UK pianist Nico Widdowson channels the humour, frustration and humanity of life as a young musician on On Fools and Clowns, an ambitious debut that places stride piano, free improvisation and deeply personal storytelling side by side. Written after his move from Leeds to London, the record captures a period of uncertainty and transition, balancing joy, anger, absurdity and affection in music that is as playful as it is sincere. (Trash City Records )
Williams, James Gordon: Falling To Rise Again
They say : American composer James Gordon Williams’s Falling to Rise Again is a beautifully executed contemporary jazz album that features 8 original compositions with support from Terri Lyne Carrington (co-producer), Morgan Guerin, Matthew Stevens and Daniel Sadownick. This non-genre album is a conflation of blues, jazz funk ballads, and up-tempo grooves. “Turning the Tide” and “Falling to Rise Again” voice sonic semiotics of joy amid struggle, pointing to resilience as a core thread of Williams’s life narrative. (Mubuntusic Records Vol. 1) Hear James Gordon Williams.
Wolfe, Ada Bird / Trotter, Jamieson: Murmuration
They say : Twelve compositions organized around the annual life cycle of birds, “Murmuration” is a thrilling jazz-classical crossover. Ada Bird Wolfe’s rich melodies and keenly realized lyrics provide the foundation for Jamieson Trotter’s angular, exciting chord voicings. A murmuration, that aerobatic phenomenon in which thousands of starlings whirl in seemingly choreographed unison, becomes a metaphor both for compositional symbiosis — two melodic sensibilities moving independently yet in concert — and for the symbiosis of jazz musicians in performance. (Ada Birdie Music) Hear Ada Bird Wolfe.
Woods, Phil: Here’s To My Lady
They say : Originally released in 1989 as an early milestone for Chesky Records, Here’s To My Lady teams the legendary alto saxophonist Phil Woods—then at the absolute peak of his powers at age 57—with the incomparable Tommy Flanagan Trio. A titan of the genre for over 60 years, Woods masterfully combined a lush, beautiful tone with a complete command of the bebop vocabulary. (Chesky Records) Hear Phil Woods.
Zanlorenzi, Mattia: Wanderlust
They say : Produced by Dodicilune and distributed by IRD and Believe Digital, “Wanderlust”, released on 4 March 2026, is the new album by drummer and composer Mattia Zanlorenzi, joined by Claudio Lodati and Danilo Gallo. Inspired by Paul Motian, the project blends original compositions and Motian pieces in a visionary, free approach to form and sound. The music explores fluid, non-linear structures shaped by improvisation and collective interplay, as highlighted in the liner notes by Davide Ielmini. (Dodicilune – ED609-4) Hear Mattia Zanlorenzi.
Zenón, Miguel and Luis Perdomo: El Arte del Bolero Vol. 3
They say : Saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Luis Perdomo release the highly anticipated installment of their celebrated Bolero series with El Arte del Bolero, Vol. 3. Beloved by listeners and praised by critics, the series showcases the artists in spirited, innovative renditions of Latin repertoire. The duo earned a 2024 Grammy Award for Vol. 2. (Miel Music)
