Kind Of Blue has long been touted as the best jazz album ever made, and I remain on that big bandwagon. But what’s the second best? You May Also Like: Wayne Shorter (1933-2023): An Appreciation

For me, music that tends to freeze time also tends to be sparse. “Icefire” has that, with the chiming arpeggios, artificial harmonics, and plenty of space. This track reminds me of what Pat did at the opening of “Phase Dance.” You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, May 16, 2019: ShowsRead More

With a groove so sharp it cuts through the night, “Fire and Brimstone” bears no small amount of resemblance to the fonky-psychedelic rock style of Trombone Shorty’s former employer, Lenny Kravitz. You May Also Like: Trombone Shorty Raced Beyond Genres on Transcendent ‘Backatown’ Trombone Shorty – ‘Lifted’ (2022) Richard Turgeon,Read More

The master of the eight-string acoustic guitar follows a laudable collection of originals performed by his Core trio with a set of pop standards. You May Also Like: Burt Bacharach, Greg Phillinganes, Marilyn Scott + others: Five for the Road

Coming over to the Posi-Tone label for his latest creation was bound to mean that the restless funk-jazz guitarist Will Bernard was going to make a different kind of record…again. You May Also Like: Brian Charette – Once & Future (2016) Tom Tallitsch – Gratitude (2016)

It’s been four years since the young lady bassist from Australia took on NYC and released a debut album with not only bass chops but a fully-form conception for her own style of jazz. You May Also Like: Linda and Richard Thompson, “The Great Valerio” (1974): One Track Mind LindaRead More

After the fiery introduction made on his 2011 eponymous debut, vibraphonist Warren Wolf takes a more melodic tack with the follow up Wolfgang, and the results are as inviting as they are joy-filled. You May Also Like: Brian Blade on Wolfgang Muthspiel’s ‘Angular Blues’: Something Else! Interview Wolfgang Muthspiel, Populous,Read More

Earlier this year Japanese avant-garde master Satoko Fujii unveiled a new ensemble with Spring Storm, the debut album for her Satoko Fujii New Trio. You May Also Like: Kaze – ‘Unwritten’ (2024) Kaze + Ikue Mori – ‘Crustal Movement’ (2023) Kaze + Ikue Mori – ‘Sand Storm’ (2020)

Featuring some of Sarah Vaughan’s last truly transcendent moments, this pair of 1980 Pablo releases devoted to the work of Duke Ellington reminds us in reissue form what wonders her voice and this material still hold. You May Also Like: Sacred and Great Gigs in the Sky: The Vocalise TraditionRead More

I’d argue that these 1963 concerts with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and and Elvin Jones are the first thing every emerging John Coltrane fan should experience, after buying all of the tried-and-true essentials. You May Also Like: John Coltrane – Both Directions at Once, The Lost Album (2018) John ColtraneRead More