Ari Lehtela’s album is a godsend of sanity in the year the Earth stood still, getting everything right when everything else just went wrong.

The Fourth Qorld Quartet’s ‘1975’ documents that brief time talented brothers and a colleague came together and really went for it blending free jazz, rock and modern classical.

Ceramic Dog’s long-term mission of ridiculously good musicians not taking themselves too seriously remains on point. ‘Hope’ is a deliriously fun listen.

‘Mayan Space Station’ is another facet of the multi-dimensional artistry of William Parker. The first listens will surprise, and later listens will uncover that the same man who brought us ‘O’Neal’s Porch’ and ‘I Plan to Stay a Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield’ can absolutely be the brainchild behind these spiritual, loose rock jams.

‘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.

Wadada Leo Smith’s ‘Sacred Ceremonies’ is a divine communion among legends, but it’s also yet another ambitious statement from an artist who produces lofty works with so many different accomplices on a regular basis.

There’s a lot of appealing melodicism built into harmolodics, and the ‘Broken Shadows’ quartet of Tim Berne, Chris Speed, Reid Anderson and Dave King succeed in driving that point home.

This is a significant addition to both Arcado String Trio’s limited catalog and Ivo Perelman’s massive one.

For the live document ‘Viscera,’ Brian Krock lays out tall orders for his band and they always produce. His liddle quartet is indeed little in size but the ambitions are ‘orchestra big.’

With lengthy reputations in cutting edge jazz, improvised music and rock, Matt Mayhall and Dan Rosenboom bring a unique telepathy to this project.