Guitarist extraordinaire Julian Lage’s ‘Squint’ is the record of an established veteran composing, playing and leading on a high plane.

The challenge for listeners to keep up is also central to the thrill of listening to ‘Cool With That’ by the improvised music supergroup East Axis.

Kiefer’s satisfying rendering of this classic Crusaders tune is a fine entry point to their sublimity, as well as the L.A.-based keyboardist’s next album of the same name.

Barista, the recording name of Turkish musician Bahadir Han Eryilmaz, deconstructs the barriers between blues, classic and prog rock.

Bassist Brian Bromberg joins Ross Boissoneau to discuss career-turning LPs from Miles Davis and Return to Forever, and what he’s listening to now.

Dario and the Clear’s wonderful progressive-rock album ‘Optic Nerve’ follows a King Crimson path into very vital and very clever rock grooves.

Michael Bisio, Kirk Knuffke and Fred Lonberg-Holm are artistic rebels as Robert Henri was, but their music isn’t outside just for the sake of being outside.

Traffic’s albums are presented in their original packaging and sport the iconic pink U.K. Island Records label. Unfortunately, they forgot a key element.

‘Confabulations’ wasn’t made with the public in mind, and that might be why this makes such a great entry point for the avant-garde side of Duck Baker.

Patrick Ames’ ‘The Virtualistics’ encompasses the good and bad of the pandemic, but the overriding message is hope.