The Baron Four have an authentic, mid-’60s garage-punk American sound. There’s just one problem.

This album seductively demonstrates a strong continuity of the free jazz heritage from its mid-’60s flowering to guys like Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp and Andrew Cyrille.

‘Hesitantly Pleasant’ is a ridiculously endearing album which takes the listener on a corkscrew journey through mindsets, concepts and ideologies.

Garage-beat nuggets from Toni McCann, the Pogs and others are showcased on an interesting collection from Australia’s Festival Records vaults.

Although it neglects key events, Amazon Prime’s new Grateful Dead documentary made Mike Tiano a Deadhead – again.

Garry Tallent assured us that this “was not going to be any four-hour concert.” He laughed, “I only know one person crazy enough for that!”

The combination of Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, John Medeski and Larry Grenadier is capable of so much; but ‘Hudson’ delivers in that it doesn’t kowtow to expectations of what kind of music these four legends should make.

As a composite of ideas and influences introduced elsewhere, ‘Vol 1: The Humanities’ is a fine entry point to Ben Goldberg’s catalog that dilutes none of his expansive artfulness.

Fabian Almazan’s ‘Alcanza’ is stirring, complex, emotional and musically honest.

Frankly, not a lot of music has excited me through the first half of this year. That is, until Alestorm’s ‘No Grave But the Sea’ arrived.