Jacob Garchik’s ‘Ye Olde 2, At The End of Time’ is a fun listen in spite of its complexity because you can feel the apparent fun that went into playing it.

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (Exit) Knarr’s ‘Drops’ is confrontational and reflective, aggressive and unassuming. It’s never, ever boring.

Here’s the satisfyin’ retro-soul single “Say It Again” from Shawn Lee (Young Gun Silver Fox) and Kelly Finnigan (The Monophonics).

Gregg Belisle-Chi again undertakes the not small task of deconstructing Tim Berne songs and reconstructing them in his own image, but it’s a labor of love for him.

Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor didn’t lose any momentum from the eleven years when their partnership went dormant, because they blazed trails together for a long time before. They’re still blazing with ‘Hyperglyph.’

Ivo Perelman, Nate Wooley, Matt Moran, Mark Helias & Tom Rainey let their extraordinary instincts take completely over for ‘A Modicum of Blues.’

Julius Hemphill’s songs might be nominally jazz but to hear them in a chamber music setting as rendered by the Hemphill Stringtet is a revelation.

There’s a consistent, softly-glowing analog vibe across Ross Hammond’s new set of instrumental rock/blues/RnB numbers, ‘Senior Dog Appreciation Society.’

Still going strong as ever on ‘Muscle Memory,’ Dave Sewelson left it all on the field in leading a dream team with Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Steve Swell and Steve Hirsh.

Buoyant, accessible and executed with advanced musicianship, “Over Easy” from new album ‘Simpatico’ exemplifies what Jazz Funk Soul is about.