A swampy alternate version of Walter Becker’s twangy delight “Cringemaker” bowed for the occasion of his 73rd birthday. Check it out at Walter Becker Media.

It probably goes without saying that if you like The Necks previous records, you’re going to like ‘Travel,’ too, guaranteed. It’s a familiar sound but the songs will still take you on an engaging journey where you’re not sure beforehand where they wind up.

Not many knew about Simon Moullier a mere three years ago but with his third outing ‘Isla,’ there’s simply no excuse not to. He’s the vibraphonist you will want to keep on your radar.

Satoko Fujii and Otomo Yoshihide made music on the spot on ‘Perpetual Motion,’ relying strictly on instincts and virtuosity. Luckily, Fujii and Otomo have loads of both.

A couple of jazz subversives generations apart but telepathically on the same elevated plane, the collaboration between Roscoe Mitchell and Kikanju Baku continues with ‘Evolutionary Events.’

‘Prime’ by the Dave Stryker Trio is what happens when massive musicianship meets well-honed chemistry.

Punkadelick’s ‘Inflorescence’ is one of Mike Dillon’s most balls-out records, thanks to the backing of seasoned, genre-free vets Brian Haas and Nikki Glaspie.

With ‘Letters to George’ by his exciting new combo GEORGE, John Hollenbeck once again takes a somewhat odd assortment of musicians and shaped them into the something truly fresh and compelling.

No artist is pushing harder to expand jazz’s frontiers than Makaya McCraven, and ‘In These Times’ opens up further possibilities of how the music form can progress upward.

On ‘Juba Lee,’ Avram Fefer’s Quartet picks right up where 2019’s ‘Testament’ left off, resulting in another excellent entry from the underrated saxophonist, composer and leader.