The electric-jazz foray ‘Fire Illuminations,’ like most Wadada Leo Smith albums, is not just another record. It’s another chapter in his fascinating, ongoing story.

Harriet Tubman continues with the lofty ideas found on 2017’s ‘Araminta,’ and one ups it with deeper experimentations into rhythms.

Teeming with guitars, Wadada Leo Smith’s ‘Najwa’ is one of those particularly bright moments in a catalog full of them.

In what will likely go down as one of the best uncategorizable releases of the year, Harriet Tubman’s ‘Araminta’ is a swaggering statement from four musicians who thrive on taking chances.

Rob Reddy’s ‘Citizen Quintet’ imposes itself as more than just a collection of songs but as a creature: inhaling, exhaling, always moving in crooked paths while always finding its way home, displaying evolving emotion as it bursts with complexity.