Living up to its name, Jacob Garchik’s ‘Assembly’ artfully puts together improvised parts to create structured pieces, only to place it back against its loose origins.

There are no egos at all involved with the talented quartet Kind Folk, just a cooperative spirit that makes ‘Head Towards the Center’ truly better than the sum of its parts.

The Stefan Orins Trio’s ‘October 11’ is an enjoyable, modern jazz album with a firm rooting in the jazz of history.

‘Tangled’ is a second live document of the phenomenal sax-drum telepathy between Tim Berne and Nasheet Waits.

With ‘Thisness,’ Miles Okazuki and his nimble, astute and funky quartet take yet another significant artistic step forward.

‘Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Albums’ might not be as ‘legendary’ as what soon followed, but this is where the legend of Ornette Coleman begins.

Jimmy Haslip’s taste runs the gamut, from jazz to rock and even to long-ago pop stars. So getting him to narrow things down was quite a challenge.

Ross Hammond’s ‘Roll Forward’ is a mixture of jazz, folk, blues and jamming that sounds unique without even really trying to be.

Here is the streaming premiere of unrelenting “Legitimate Perseverance” from Secret People’s upcoming eponymous album.

Plaudits galore for the imaginative arrangements and serious, serious musical chops displayed on ‘Canadiana’ from the Canadian Brass.