“It Starts When We Disappear” is the enthralling opening track from Pat Metheny’s upcoming September 2021 release, ‘Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV).’

Dave Seidel’s ‘Involution’ adds color and texture to minimalism in such an inventive way.

Approaching his 70th birthday, trumpet maestro Natsuki Tamura made the very personal ‘Koki Solo’ with a youthful frivolity that belies his age and signals that he remains in his peak period.

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.

“What’s Going On” by bluesman Boo Boo Davis and the ElectroBluesSociety isn’t the Marvin Gaye classic, but it’s liable to move your soul, too.

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.

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.

‘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.

On ‘Telepathy,’ long-established veterans Denny Zeitlin and George Marsh act like young upstarts, showing the jazz world a fresh new approach.