These ain’t traditional Christmas carols, but Mars Williams has started a new tradition in line with a year that has broken all semblance of normalcy.

Here is a video premiere of the Neil Young cover “Tell Me Why” from the album ‘Small Vacation’ by bass/guitar duo Luke Sellick and Andrew Renfroe.

We’ve known for a long time that Susan Alcorn is an amazing pedal steel guitarist. With ‘Pedernal,’ we now know that she is an amazing all-around artist, too.

Tim Berne’s constructions become illusions in the hands of this band. Getting yourself lost in these deceptions is so much fun.

Here is the video premiere of Ernesto Cervini and Turboprop’s smart cover of Radiohead’s “Present Tense.”

If you’re going to go extreme, do it with conviction. Jon Irabagon, Mike Pride, Mick Barr and Ava Mendoza are committed as ever for ‘I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But The Blues Volume 3: Anatomical Snuffbox.’

Tim Berne’s sax/piano duet with Matt Mitchell has a certain intimacy not quite felt on other projects.

The first encounter of tenor sax boss Rich Halley and the Matthew Shipp Trio worked out so well, they quickly decided to do it again.

A new horn section, deeper experimentation and the presence of Robert Wyatt make this a significant progression from Mary Halvorson’s poetry debut.

The genius of Steve Lacy isn’t that easy to articulate but Phil Sudderberg, Charlie Kirchen and Jason Stein take great care of the soprano saxophone legacy when they play his ‘Clinkers’ solo masterpiece with all the invention and attitude of the original.