The return of Jason Stein’s Locksmith Isidore with ‘After Caroline’ is a welcome one because these guys don’t slouch for a second in taking on Stein’s challenging material.

It’s probably a little too hyperbolic to call Mke Reed’s ‘Flesh & Bone’ the most important release of the year. At the same time, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of its message at this critical time.

Paying homage to a Charles Mingus masterpiece with inspired original material is just what you’d expect from the ever-curious, ever-expansive alto saxophonist Greg Ward.