Avant garde jazz could use more joy and wit, which is Reut Regev R*Time’s secret weapon for making you want to listen.

Walter Becker, the same guy who often came up with some cold putdown lines, wrote a dozen stanzas here full of aching poetry.

Walter Becker’s unfinished “War Baby” is just one of several examples where he used metaphor to describe a relationship as a game of contention.

Pat Metheny’s “You Are” is the scintillating second advance single from his upcoming album ‘From The Place.’

Released 25 years ago, ‘Ain’t Gonna Be Your Dog’ became a perfect companion piece to the huge Howlin’ Wolf Chess box – if you can find it.

Dave Stryker and his crack, soul-jazz combo offer their fourth ‘Eight Track’-branded album, where the only difference is the festive season theme.

Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp continue to relentlessly push the envelope after all these years.

The marriage made in heaven between Swiss minimalist specialists Sonar and master texturalist David Torn continues with ‘Tranceportation (Volume 1).’

Byron Asher’s “Blues Obligato” is kind of like Dixieland informed by a hundred years of music development.

Tom Tallitsch’s ‘Ten’ sometimes posits itself closer to rock than jazz, but it retains all the improvisation and musicianship associated with the latter.