Halley, Rich: A Distant Land
They say : Saxophonist Rich Halley and his quartet with trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, bassist Andrew Jones and drummer Carson Halley in five incisive new Halley compositions plus three spontaneous improvisations that together showcase the power, depth and intuitive interaction of the group. (Pine Eagle Records)
Han, Francesca: Sisyphus
They say : During her stay in Tokyo, Korean pianist Francesca Han formed a trio with the highly talented and sought-after rhythm section uniting bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Shun Ishiwaka, musicians with whom she shares a commitment to improvisation serving music that is as intense as it is sensitive. Titled after one of Francesca’s compositions, and nodding to Albert Camus’s essay, ‘Sisyphus’ features seven tracks that bear her distinctive signature style. Released on October 9th (hanji/inouïe distribution). (Hanji – HJCD004)
Hawley, Adam: Electric
They say : Hawley, Adam: Electric (A-Train / MBF Entertainment MBF00043 CD)
Heneghan, Sarah: Tiny Sacred Gaps
They say : Originally from the Rhondda Valleys in Wales, Sheffield-based drummer and composer Sarah Heneghan presents a trio album that brings together improvisation, Nordic jazz, folk, post-rock, minimalism and ambient electronics. Built around lyrical flugelhorn melodies, gently patterned piano and highly textural drumming, the music evokes landscapes, long train journeys, and the changing moods of coast and countryside. (Independent)
Hightower, Skinny: Feels Like Destiny
They say : Wichita-born pianist, composer and producer Skinny Hightower wrote and recorded Feels Like Destiny over 24 weeks, playing nearly every instrument himself except flute, out August 21 on Castover Records. Drawing on the spiritual warmth of Stevie Wonder’s golden period, the rhythmic sophistication of Steely Dan and Herbie Hancock’s fusion fire, he blends clavinet and Rhodes textures, Gadd-like drum precision and Anthony Jackson bass language with a George Duke sense of flair, keeping joy and playfulness central. (Castover Records)
Holland Court Jazz Trio, The: Inverted Tango
They say : The Holland Court Jazz Trio makes its recorded debut with Inverted Tango, an adventurous new release on Composers Concordance Records. Led by veteran bassist Frank Wagner alongside pianist Dave Marck and drummer Dave Meade, with guest violinist Ben Sutin, the album blends imaginative original compositions with inventive arrangements and dynamic interplay. Inspired by the role-reversing Argentine dance technique of its title, Inverted Tango explores fresh musical perspectives while balancing sophistication, spontaneity, and lyrical expression. (Composers Concordance Records)
Hollenbeck, John & The Hot Club Jazz Orchestra: Peace And Justice
They say : Drummer-composer John Hollenbeck reunites with Portugal’s Hot Club Jazz Orchestra for Peace and Justice on his own Flexatonic Records, an album that grew from a canceled Kyiv commission after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Two Ukrainian works anchor the record, including Red Shades, his arrangement of the 1914 anthem Oi u luzi chervona kalyna. Other tracks honor Geri Allen, rework a Claudia Quintet tune, and revisit material from his Orchestre National de Jazz project Shut Up and Dance (Flexatonic Records) Hear John Hollenbeck.
Horat, Gisela: Trio Solo
They say : Swiss pianist and composer Gisela Horat presents a new double album bringing together solo piano and trio performances, documenting two complementary sides of her musical voice. Recorded across sessions in 2024 and 2025, her seventh trio record and fourth solo album explores the meeting point between jazz, minimalism and free improvisation through music shaped by stillness, careful listening and emotional restraint. (Unit Records)
Hwang, Jason Kao / Human Rites Trio: Second Life
They say : On Second Life, violinist Jason Kao Hwang and his Human Rites Trio with bassist Ken Filiano and drummerpercussionist Andrew Drury perform four extended pieces filled with inspired improvising and inventive arrangements. The interplay between the musicians in the colorful structures results in dynamic music. (True Sound Recordings TS07)
Iaies, Martin (11tet feat. Klaus Gesing): People. Places. Music For Large Ensemble
They say : Based in Vienna, Argentine guitarist and composer Martín Iaies explores migration, memory and belonging in “People. Places.”, written for an 11-piece ensemble that combines the richness of a big band with the intimacy of a small group. Featuring distinguished saxophonist and bass clarinetist Klaus Gesing, the album blends contemporary jazz, lyrical improvisation and subtle Argentine influences in a collection of compositions inspired by the people and places that shaped his journey. (Challenge Records CR 73631) Hear Martin Iaies.
Idiotek: Lien, Kristian Enkerud; Elnan, Johannes; Karlsen, Trym Saugstad: Idiotek
They say : Idiotek is a collection of realized dreams about abrupt rhythms that sway slowly from an egalitarian polyphonic point of view. Nine pieces where each voice is a consequence of another and ideas echoes through the instrumentation, playful between what is composition and improvisation. Serial thinking meets motivic treatment, stretched and rigorous. A brainchild of guitarist Kristian Enkerud Lien, realized by Johannes Elnan on bass and Trym Saugstad Karlsen on drums. (Sonic Transmissions Records STRCD64) Hear Idiotek.
Ingmar, Emil: Polaroids
They say : Swedish pianist and composer Emil Ingmar returns with Polaroids, his third full-length album and a continuation of the intuitive, melodic instrumental music that has defined his work since the critically acclaimed debut Karlavagnen (Prophone/Naxos, 2020). Rooted in contemporary jazz while drawing on a warm song-led harmonic language, the album explores time, memory and everyday moments through lyrical melodies, deep grooves and expressive trio interplay. (Elle Street Records)
Juber, Laurence: I’ve Got A Feeling
They say : Juber, Laurence: I’ve Got A Feeling (A-Train / Hologram Recordings HLR1619 CD)
Kaplan, Volkan + Trio, Rembrandt: The Anatolian & Caspian Suites
They say : Anatolian & Caspian Suites is a collaboration between Turkish multi-instrumentalist Volkan Kaplan and the acclaimed Dutch Rembrandt Trio. Recorded at the legendary Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands, the album explores the meeting point of Anatolian and Caspian musical traditions with contemporary jazz. Through original compositions, reimagined folk melodies, and improvisation, the expressive sounds of the bağlama and tar engage in a rich musical dialogue with piano, double bass, and drums, creating a distinctive cross-cultural sound rooted in tradition while looking toward the future. (Volkan Kaplan Production)
Keberle, Ryan (Collectiv Do Brasil): Here Is Donato!
They say : On Here Is Donato!, acclaimed trombonist and composer Ryan Keberle and his São Paulo-based band Collectiv do Brasil – pianist Felipe Silveira, bassist Felipe Brisola, drummer Paulinho Vicente, and Guegué Medeiros (percussion) – celebrate the music of João Donato, one of the most influential voices in Brazilian music. Drawing on the improvisational openness of modern jazz and the rhythmic and melodic richness of MPB (the post–bossa nova movement known as música popular brasileira), the quintet brings warmth, lyricism, rhythmic subtlety, and collective interplay to Donato’s timeless compositions. The result is a vibrant collection that reveals the enduring vitality of Donato’s music. (Alernate Side Records ASR 022) Hear Ryan Keberle.
Keysade, Joey: Orisun
They say : Orisun, meaning source or origin, is the debut album by Beninese pianist and composer Joey Keysade. Blending West African rhythms with contemporary jazz harmony and improvisation, the album explores identity, migration, memory, resilience, and hope. Inspired by Keysade’s African heritage and immigrant journey in the United States, Orisun brings together an international ensemble, featuring acclaimed guitarists Lionel Loueke and Mike Stern, while connecting African musical traditions with the creative spirit of contemporary jazz today. (Independent) Hear Joey Keysade.
Kjekstad, Frode Quartet: Stars Aligned
They say : Stars Aligned – what a perfectly apt album title . We have our ‘stars’; four of them, Norway’s exemplary guitarist Frode Kjekstad, renowned US tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, England’s organ and piano maestro Roy Powell, and Germany’s drummer Frederik Villmow whose many collaborations include saxophonists Chris Potter and Alan Skidmore. All the elements that combine to produce a perfect jazz album are evident in Stars Aligned; concise, motivated themes, intricate phrasing, freedom for soloists to improvise over, chord progressions, interdisciplinary elegance, and symbiosis. (Losen Records LOS3272 CD)
Klewer, Pascal: Limerence
They say : Limerence is a song cycle built around intimate love letters, exploring longing, idealization, and emotional vulnerability. Inspired by Pascal Klewer’s time in Istanbul, the album brings together harp, cello, bass, and three voices in a chamber-like ensemble where jazz, contemporary composition, and song merge into a delicate, deeply personal sound. Written and performed by Klewer alongside an exceptional cast of improvisers, it is music suspended between confession, memory, and hope. (stssts records (33) – 99352) Hear Pascal Klewer.
Kliphuis, Tim (Tim Kliphuis Trio): Rhapsody In Blue
They say : Tim Kliphuis and his Trio celebrate their 20-year career with a ground-breaking re-make of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”, introducing improvisation and fixing the lack of focus on some brilliant melodies in the original. Add tight arrangements of Gershwin staples like “It Ain’t Necessarily So”, played with a nod to Tim’s mentor Stéphane Grappelli, and a joyous re-imagining of Aaron Copland’s symphonic “Hoedown”: the Tim Kliphuis Trio is more than the sum of its parts. (Lowland Records LR009CD) Hear Tim Kliphuis.
Kris Davis Trio: Lost In Geneva
They say : The second album from Grammy Award-winning pianist Davis’ bold and adventurous trio, showcases how deeply attuned the group is after logging countless hours on the road since their 2024 debut. Bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake contribute a composition apiece to complement eight new or reimagined Davis originals, along with a thrilling interpretation of a piece by iconoclastic composer Morton Feldman. (4166 Records)
Lacy, Steve: Evidence
They say : Presented here is the complete album Evidence, Steve Lacy’s fourth album as a leader. It presents him in a piano-less quartet with Don Cherry on trumpet, Carl Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The repertoire consists exclusively of compositions by Lacy’s heroes, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. (Waxtime 772385 LP)
Las Vegas Boneheads: Stretchin’ Out
They say : A feast for trombone lovers, the Las Vegas Boneheads’ Stretching Out features a six-trombone nonet playing the swinging charts of Dick “Stretch” McQuary. Led by trombonist Curt Miller, the group performs compositions by Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Rowles, John Carisi, Thad Jones, Clare Fischer, Benny Golson, and Leon Russell. (Curt Miller Music digital only)
Lawrence, Azar: Turn the Music Up
They say : Saxophonist Azar Lawrence, who first made his name in the spiritual jazz & funk-fusion of the 1970s after apprenticeships with McCoy Tyner & Elvin Jones, revisits some of the milestones of that era through the lens of his current-day ensemble (The Azar Lawrence Experience, or TALE). The album features early Lawrence staples (“Highway,” “Novo Ano,” “Summer Solstice”) as well as Tyner’s “Atlantis” & the Pharaoh Sanders/Leon Thomas standard “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” (Trazar Records)
Leviev, Milcho: Letter To America
They say : Milcho Leviev’s last solo piano album, Quiet March (2015), a live studio recording in front of a small group of friends and now reissued on vinyl as “Letter to America” . Milcho Leviev (1937–2019) was a trailblazing Bulgarian pianist, composer, and arranger celebrated for seamlessly fusing traditional Bulgarian folk rhythms with jazz. Born in Plovdiv, he served as the chief conductor of the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band and formed the award-winning Jazz Focus ’65 jazz band. (Dukyan Meloman / Jazz Plus DL0107 LP)
Lilja, Oddrun: Muna
They say : Young guitarist Lilja further developes the ideas first worked on for her commissioned work for Vossajazz in 2023. The band includes Reolôs Anders Roine (vocals, guitar, langeleik and mouth-harp), Bugge Wesseltoft (keys) Helge Norbakken (percussion), Jo Skaansar (bass), and Beate Lech (aka Beady Belle, vocals and synth) (Jazzland Recordings 3779794)
Lupi, Martina: Dannate Salvatrici (Damned Saviours)
They say : Martina Lupi’s Dannate Salvatrici navigates the space between ancient memory and contemporary sound. Inspired by Jungian archetypes, mythology and the symbolic world of dreams, the Italian composer and vocalist builds what she calls the “Sound of Distance”: a rarefied language of overtone singing, piano, electronics, violin and silence. Neither conventional world music nor chamber jazz, the album is a personal exploration of feminine transformation, vulnerability and rebirth, rendered with striking cinematic intensity across nine compositions. (Filibusta Records)
