Dan Costa and an all-star cast celebrate light in key physical and metaphysical forms on ‘Beams,’ and the result is a beautiful, peaceful listen.

For those who favor fire-breathing fusion as their progressive music of choice, ex-Dream Theater member Derek Sherinian’s ‘Vortex’ nicely fits the bill.

What we get from fusion icons Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber are the best of both worlds and that’s the strongest reason why ‘Eleven’ merits a lot of listens.

The international element is strong on ‘Spirit’ like a lot of jazz albums these days but Zem Audu is long beyond that concept of throwing together different ingredients and has mastered making his stew simmer with sophistication.

Andy Galore’s ‘Out and About’ works on many levels, from its strong compositions to its production and playing.

“Benny Man’s Blues” lives up to the outsized, genre-bending expectations surrounding a studio pairing of Eric Johnson and Mike Stern.