‘Cloudward’ offers a rare chance to see how Mary Halvorson’s music evolves when everything else is kept the same.

Tomas Fujiwara and his 7 Poets Trio opens up a cool new vista of jazz with the spare but daring ‘Pith.’

In greatly expanding the possibilities for vibraphone and marimba, Patricia Brennan’s ‘More Touch’ takes us to exciting new sonic territory fueled by exceptional musicianship and a lot of gumption.

Even if the music isn’t so simple, the intricacy on Matt Mitchell’s ‘Phalanx Ambassadors’ makes it so absorbing.