‘Live’ proves that adding Ed Kuepper to a very good acoustic jazz piano trio transforms Asteroid Ekosystem into an experimental, improvisation-heavy rock outfit.

Vince Guaraldi’s ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ is a soundtrack for serious jazz heads and fusion heads, as much as it’s for the fans of the popular ‘Peanuts’ television specials.

Because it’s all handmade with an uncluttered classic sound, the lightly funky jazz of Kait Dunton’s ‘Keyboards’ is a guilt-free guilty pleasure.

‘In the Rain Shadow’ is largely inspired by progressive fingerstyle guitarist and composer Mark Vickness’ move to the high desert of California.

Jeff Lorber shows no sign of running out of fuel, and ‘The Drop’ shows he’s putting everything into his craft today, just as he did some 30 albums ago.

As King Loosestrife, Brett Nagafuchi offers a mishmash of alluring ideas that are often cohered by a theme of creatively atypical approaches.

With Naya Baaz’s ‘Charm,’ Rez Abbasi and Josh Feinberg channel their adventurous spirits into spiritually satisfying music.

With ‘Collodion,’ Anthony Wilson managed to turn what would be a stressful situation for lesser musicians into a cozy listening experience.

If you just want to hear Chick Corea and his mates shred like rock stars, 1987’s ‘Light Years’ by his Elektric Band is a good place for that.

This creative burst mostly came with help from jazz luminaries, but ‘The Omnichord Real Book’ still sounds like the singular Meshell Ndegeocello.