“Alchemy Melt (With Tilt)” is an album’s worth of ideas from a single song and there are a dozen other songs on Kate Gentile’s ‘Mannequins.’

Through death comes transformation. Gato Libre is a band whose body has changed, but its original heart perseveres.

Intelligent, driven and mellifluous, Rose’s lifelong relentless pursuit of excellence within jazz comes out on ‘Within and Without,’ starting with the attractively propulsive number “Afensou.”

This album seductively demonstrates a strong continuity of the free jazz heritage from its mid-’60s flowering to guys like Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp and Andrew Cyrille.

‘Hesitantly Pleasant’ is a ridiculously endearing album which takes the listener on a corkscrew journey through mindsets, concepts and ideologies.

Fabian Almazan’s ‘Alcanza’ is stirring, complex, emotional and musically honest.

It becomes clear on solo live performances such as the one captured on ‘Invisible Touch At Taktlos Zürich’ that the more Matthew Shipp is exposed, the more fascinating is his music.

Baku and Fei’s ‘No One Teaches The Snake To Strike’ is extreme jazz improv, all tracks made up on the spot, no safety net, no overdubs, just a pure outpouring of drums/reeds co-combustion.

Colin Stetson’s ‘All This I Do For Glory’ is an album which, like all the good ones, gives more with each listen.

‘Smokin’ in Seattle: Live at the Penthouse (1966)’ will quench the thirst of anyone wanting more of Wes Montgomery with Wynton Kelly.