Circles Around the Sun first gestated when Neal Casal was assigned to come up with intermission music for the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well dates.

Issued 50 years ago this month, ‘Sweet Baby James’ showcased a calm defiance of trends, catapulting James Taylor to superstardom.

Broadly speaking, ‘From This Place’ is the classic Pat Metheny plot updated with new twists; that is still miles better than what the vast majority of artists are capable of today – jazz or not.

Two original voices on piano and trumpet combine for a third, unified original voice, as Matthew Shipp and Nate Wooley find a telepathic communion.

Giorgi Mikadze tells a lot about himself on his first record as a leader. He is telling us he’s proud of where he’s from and quite honestly, he’s got plenty to be proud of.

Bobby Previte, Jamie Saft and Nels Cline’s ‘Music From the Early 21st Century’ is, thankfully, not typical of music from the era in which we are living in.

Matt Mayhall went for an instinctual approach on ‘Fanatics,’ took a few chances and with the right guys to assist him, emerges triumphal.

After nearly 40 years, Robert Cray remains as viable as ever. In a world turned upside down, his music continues to serve as comfort food for the soul.

Whatever obscure music forms Alabaster DePlume encounters, he is able to take something old and make it sound fresh on ‘To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1.’

Jazz piano great Lyle May passed away on February 10, 2020. Few have been able to project subtle emotions so powerfully.