Mats Gustafsson says it is vital to remain open, inquisitive and to explore music. With ‘MG 50: Peace and Fire,’ he does just that.

Paying homage to a Charles Mingus masterpiece with inspired original material is just what you’d expect from the ever-curious, ever-expansive alto saxophonist Greg Ward.

This exclusive stream from tenor sax master Nate Lepine’s debut album is a nice day’s work in the span of less than three minutes.

Finding simpatico between improvising piano and drums probably isn’t so easy to pull off convincingly, but Bobby Kapp and Matthew Shipp make it seem that way.

As oldies recast in soul-jazz bliss, ‘Eight Track II” is one of those good ideas from Dave Stryker that deserved another go around.

Donny McCaslin’s ‘Beyond Now’ is an astonishing show of talent and indefinable music which crosses boundaries and merges them – yet retains his jazz influences.

Chicago’s chordless quartet’s self-titled album ‘Outset’ is a laudable debut not of what is possible down the road but what is achieved right out of the gate.

A no-nonsense, unvarnished approach to the music accompanies the message rendered by the core, acoustic FCO for this one-off tune calling attention to police brutality.

The truth and beauty in Evans’ music is impossible to forget. Bruce Spiegel’s well done documentary ‘Time Remembered, The Life & Music of Bill Evans’ makes sure that we don’t.

‘Making Rooms’ has a connection, not only between the musicians but with the listener. It is real, emotive and altogether beautiful.