Kali Z. Fasteau’s spontaneous composition theory might be forty years old, but it’s quite alive and well in practice today, no matter what she choose to play in carrying it out. On piano, it’s a downright rapturous.

Much more than a jazz musician, Haden was a virtuoso of all American music.

She will change your perceptions of what a “jazz vocalist” in this day and age means.

“I’m not too much of a fan,” free-form legend John Russell admits, “of the ‘jazz’ label.”

Never mind the studio setting, the highly lyrical and entrancing beauty of Fred Hersch’s piano and his empathetic rhythm section makes this another winning outing for this trio.

Ready or not, here comes 2013’s Monk International Competition saxophone winner Melissa Aldana. ‘Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio’ marks a solid first step in the post-Big Win phase of her young career.

It was a long stretch between Gene Segal’s first and second albums but ‘Mental Images’ assures that the intervening time was time was spent.

Michael Dease’s big band take on “Roppongi” breathes new life into this little-noticed Randy Brecker gem.

Wolfgang Muthspiel has just begun with ECM but ‘Driftwood’ has the style and sonority of an old vet with the label. This sounds like the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

‘Lookin’ Up!’ is simply damned good, no-nonsense, straight-ahead jazz carried out with veteran proficiency.