Elias, Eliane: Ao Vivo
They say : Multi-Grammy® and Latin Grammy® winner Eliane Elias returns with a vibrant new live recording, AO VIVO, capturing the electrifying energy of her performance at the SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium. Recorded on October 21, 2023, this album showcases Elias’s dual mastery as a world-class pianist and vocalist, backed by an exceptional quartet featuring guitarist Leandro Pellegrino, bassist Marc Johnson, and drummer Rafael Barata. (Candid Records CDCND3396)
Empirical: Like Lambs: To The Slaughter
They say : Empirical return with their second release on Whirlwind Recordings with a warning for our troubled times: their forebodingly titled eighth album, Like Lambs: To The Slaughter. Following vibraphonist and long-standing member Lewis Wright’s move to the USA, the award-winning UK jazz ensemble, featuring Nathaniel Facey on alto saxophone, Tom Farmer on double bass and Shaney Forbes on drums, have embraced a more flexible lineup. With Ivo Neame on piano and David Preston on guitar. (Whirlwind Recordings WR4854)
Été Large: Été Large & Wallis Bird
They say : Saxophonist Luise Volkmann’s ensemble Été Large collaborate with Irish songwriter Wallis Bird on an EP to highlight both the band’s orchestral side and the twisted, folk-ish little universe they inhabit. Songs with sweeping scale, beauty and drama. Mixing the experimental jazz of the group with Wallis’ indie-folk and blues background. (Boomslang Records)
Evensen, Terje: Reclusive Mountain
They say : Reclusive Mountain is a new album by Norwegian composer and drummer Terje Evensen, released on May 22, 2026. Featuring an international ensemble, it explores a landscape where rhythm, electronics, and melodic layers merge. The music moves between groove, improvisation, and atmosphere, with a distinct personal voice. Across five compositions, including the tribute “Leap Year,” the album balances drive, depth, and emotional intensity, brought to life through rich, dynamic interplay. (Records Abstract Goat, RAG 011) Hear Terje Evensen.
Falcón, Alejandro: Falcón in Blue
They say : Alejandro Falcón Returns to the Core of Cuban Musical Language on Falcón in Blue (Dot Time Records, DT9189)
Favre, Pierre: Bird Food
They say : Recorded live in Zurich in 1968, Bird Food captures the Pierre Favre Trio — Pierre Favre (drums), Irène Schweizer (piano), George Mraz (bass) — at the height of their powers: free, fiery, fully alive. Rediscovered after half a century and released by Samuel Blaser, this rare document stands as a landmark of European jazz, bridging bebop heritage and the emerging avant-garde. A time capsule of startling intensity — and remarkable freshness. (Songs 004CD)
Fawson, Christine: It Could Happen To You
They say : Singer-trumpeter Christine Fawson performs 11 of her favorite jazz standards in fresh and lively versions on It Could Happen To You. Her fifth album teams the skilled artist with a top-notch rhythm section for consistently infectious performances. (Independent)
Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band: The New Atomic
They say : Award winning Leeds-based ensemble Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band return with their raucous third album The New Atomic – a bold statement in 21st-century big band music. Known for explosive live performances and a roster that often swells to 25+ players, the band channels the energy of classic swing orchestras while infusing it with punk ethos, contemporary experimentalism, and a distinctly political edge. (Trash City Records)
Ferri, Gianmarco: Sweet And Lovely
They say : Published by the independent label Wow Records and available on digital platforms starting Friday, April 3, Sweet and Lovely is the new recording project by a brilliant jazz guitar talent: Gianmarco Ferri. Joinin him on this album are two prominent figures from the international jazz scene: American double bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Luca Santaniello, originally from Molise but now based and active in the United States. (WoW Records WJ0124)
Florio, Alessandro: Controra Avenue
They say : Italian guitarist and composer Alessandro Florio returns with his Hammond Trio after 10 (!) years. Named after the hottest, early afternoon hours of a South-Italian day and a fictitious New York avenue, this music was born in the Mediterranean but recorded in the Big Apple. It offers the stillness of a quiet, sunny afternoon, but also the pulse and groove of a big city. (Independent)
Franke, Marie-Paule: Through The Cracks The Light Is Born
They say : The powerful and versatile jazz singer Marie-Paule Franke debuts a set of her haunting originals on Through the Cracks the Light Is Born. Joined by a top-notch New York-based quartet, the vocalist performs seven songs that are both thoughtful and emotional. (MariPosa Records, MP003)
Gad, Toby / Eggar, Dave: The Eureka Concert
They say : Two Grammy-winning musicians known for shaping pop history– songwriter/producer, Toby Gad, (“All of Me” by John Legend, Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, Beyonce’s “If I Were A Boy”) and cellist Dave Eggar (Coldplay, Andrea Bocelli, Evanescence) create a stripped-down, fully improvised, instrumental, cinematic album exploring the emotional dialogue between piano and cello. (Kite Records) Hear Toby Gad & Dave Eggar.
Garbett, Freyja: Sowden House
They say : The worlds of jazz, cinema, and video game storytelling converge on Sowden House, the new album from ARIA award-winning pianist, composer and producer Freyja Garbett, set for release on June 26th, 2026 on Earshift Music. Originally conceived as the score for an immersive VR project with Brendan McNamara – writer/director of the acclaimed video game L.A. Noire – the music has evolved into a standalone work, drawing on jazz, orchestral writing, and cinematic composition. (Earshift Music)
Getz, Stan & Charlie Byrd: Jazz Samba
They say : While the 1953 Bud Shank/Laurindo Almeida recordings were the precursors of bossa (Waxtime Clear Vinyl 526032 – LP)
Glorious Assembly Jazz Orchestra, The: Glorious Assembly
They say : Glorious Assembly debuts 2nd May. A 21-piece jazz orchestra featuring Ian Thomas, John Parricelli, Gareth Williams, Loz Garratt, Tori Freestone, Mark Lockheart, Phil Meadows, Kasper Rietkerk, Claire McInerney, Gareth Lockrane, Michael Whight, Steve Morris, Louis Dowdeswell, Laura Jurd, Tom Rees-Roberts, James Davison, Andy Wood, Mark Nightingale, Callum Au and Dave Powell. Music by Emmy winning film composer David Mitcham. (Manor Barn Records GA1001) Hear Glorious Assembly.
Goldings, Larry / Bernstein, Peter / Stewart, Bill: Rhombus
They say : Organist Larry Goldings, Guitarist Peter Bernstein and Drummer Bill Stewart Reconvene their Celebrates Trio for “Rhombus”, marking 35 years of history with distinctive music by Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Abdullah Ibrahim, Monk, and Irving Berlin, along with memorable originals (Smoke Sessions Records 2603)
Goodrick, Mick / Fred Hersch: Feebles, Fables & Ferns
They say : Feebles, Fables and Ferns captures a rare one-time coming together of luminaries Mick Goodrick and Fred Hersch, both active in Boston at the time, recorded in Hersch’s studio in New York, August 1988. Looking back at the session in 2025, Hersch notes how “the highlight to me is just the level of ensemble playing. There was a lot of profound listening going on between the both of us”. (ECM 602488251655)
Granci, Milena: To Some Place New
They say : French-Italian pianist and composer Milena Granci introduces To Some Place New (May 14th, 2026), a striking debut that blends contemporary jazz with folk lyricism and cinematic atmosphere. Based in London, Granci leads a six-piece ensemble whose music unfolds like a journey – built on flowing melodies, layered harmonies and an expansive, emotionally rich sound world. (Independent)
Greenhouse Ensemble: Mezzanine
They say : Greenhouse Ensemble’s Mezzanine marks a confident step forward for the Québec-based septet, blending contemporary jazz with Québécois folk influences and subtle experimental textures. Built through a highly collaborative process, the album showcases a distinctive sonic palette centred on voice, violin, and trumpet, alongside rich rhythmic interplay. Both cinematic and intimate, Mezzanine moves fluidly between energy and reflection, presenting a cohesive and mature group sound that is poised to resonate with international audiences. (Independent)
Gripper, Eddie: Americana
They say : Americana sees pianist Eddie Gripper joined by his trio, Patrick Barrett-Donlon on drums and Clem Saynor on double bass, across seven original compositions and a single cover of Paul Simon’s ‘American Tune’. Written during a six-week hitchhiking journey from Alaska to Los Angeles, the album unfolds as a musical diary, shaped by encounters, landscapes and loss, in an intimate portrait of travel, friendship and the contradictions of the American spirit. (MultiRingoRecords – MR0001D/CD)
Guess What: Solar Boats
They say : Despite their obsession of appearing on stage in astronaut onesies and mystical masks, we do know who is responsible for this cosmic saga : drummer and beatmaker Luke Warmcop (Phat Dat, Orchestre du Montplaisant) and keyboardist Graham Mushnik (Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek). These two share a common love for specific styles of music such as Italian library, Afro-Caribbean grooves, Arabic pop, space-jazz – their list of borrowed influences is long, but the aforementioned styles already say a lot about Guess What’s identity. (Autre Distribution CATACD045 – CD)