‘Trip’ is not Mike Stern’s ‘return to form’ but rather, a reaffirmation of form. And for that, we can be grateful.

Four masterfully intuitive musicians who regularly aspire for greater heights with each venture reach the summit together on Satoko Fujii’s ‘Aspiration.’

Older, wiser and brimming with confidence, Jonny Lang makes his strongest case yet for his early fans who fell in love with that high school phenom to come running back to him. In 2017, ‘Signs’ fulfills the promise of 1997.

Guitar whiz Dave Stryker gets back to meat ‘n’ potatoes soul-jazz with ‘Strykin’ Ahead.’

Great audio quality and Jack DeJohnette’s rare presence makes ‘Another Time: The Hilversum Concert’ a “new” Bill Evans album that’s also easy to recommend for reasons well beyond merely completing a catalog.

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.

Proving again that contemporary jazz doesn’t necessarily equate to smooth jazz, Brad Cheeseman Group’s ‘The Tide Turns’ is another solid set of tracks from Cheeseman where real work is put in from conception to execution.

By not limiting himself within a narrow concept and exploiting a multiple of possibilities presented by the larger sextet, Vijay Iyer’s variety of tactics benefit ‘Far From Over,’ making this an insightful window into his wide-ranging capabilities.

Just as Nellie Bly was able to show what a woman is capable of when gender barriers are confronted or outright ignored, Sam Boshnack is an example of a growing number of women leading a resurgence of creativity in jazz.

‘Fountain Of Youth’ has the energy and enthusiasm of someone striving to make his mark, but with the discernment of the accomplished veteran that Weiskopf is.