Paul McCartney finally returned to the traditional pop and jazz of his youth 10 years ago this week. In more ways than one, I’m glad that he waited.

‘KRAFT’ is the stimulating debut release by Baltimore-area improvisation specialists Mike Kuhl, Dave Ballou, John Dierker and Luke Stewart.

Well recorded, well played, straightforward yet intricate, ‘The Zealot Gene’ represents the best elements of the current Jethro Tull / Ian Anderson sound.

Van Halen released a reunion LP with David Lee Roth 10 years ago today that was dotted with song scraps from their glory days. So what?

Tyler Mitchell and Marshall Allen are a couple of guys from the Sun Ra orbit who got together for some music that lives up to the cosmic audaciousness of their mutual mentor.

Here is the video premiere of “All The Things Your Are” by the potent straight-jazz Riverside Trio (Oz Noy, Ray Marchica + Ugonna Okegwo). Their debut album ‘Riverside’ is out now.

‘The Art Spirit’ does a pretty good job showing what Ben Goldberg, Nels Cline and Tom Rainey are capable of individually and a great job showing what they can do collectively with no premeditation.

A lot of jazz records are about compositions and chops. Michael Bisio and Matthew Shipp’s ‘Flow of Everything’ is more about the connectedness between two very creative musicians.

Last year’s releases from Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, R.E.M. and the Beatles taught us that what was once new is now old – and now new again.

Giuseppe Doronzo and Pino Basile’s ‘Aterraterr’ has contemporary relevance, yet also feels as if the music has come from centuries of time.