‘Skyward Eye’ represents a great expansion of scope for the saxophonist, composer and bandleader Jonathan Rowden and his Jonathan Rowden Group quartet.

Jeff Beck himself hadn’t been able to replicate the grit and immediacy of the funk/rock/jazz classic ‘Blow By Blow’ but Butcher Brown’s ‘The Healer’ comes close.

Haskins’ capacity for blending cutting-edge, high-tech means of music making with the handmade, organically conceived method of playing jazz borders on the genius level, and that’s just what he is going for with ‘Gnosis.’

‘Overseas V’ is part of the wild, woolly world of Eivind Opsvik that fans of the unconventional will want to partake.

Peter Erskine and the Dr. Um Band’s ‘Second Opinion’ is every bit as good of a fusion jazz record as the first one.

With such an impressive assemblage of talent pushing out the frontiers of world music, this could have easily been a scholarly affair, but then that wouldn’t be an Adam Rudolph-led record. ‘Glare Of The Tiger’ is spontaneous, instinctual, colorful, danceable and…most importantly…a hell of an enjoyable listen.

In what will likely go down as one of the best uncategorizable releases of the year, Harriet Tubman’s ‘Araminta’ is a swaggering statement from four musicians who thrive on taking chances.

Wayne Shorter himself sees the “graphically arranged material of Weather Report” on ‘Weather Or Not’ as Gerry Gibbs keeping up with his “creative mission.”

Guitarist Ryan Blotnick moves back to Maine and an album of eight, spacious Blotnick compositions gently swayed by African-derived rhythms happens.

True to its name, James Brandon Lewis’ classic hip hop/jazz hybrid ‘No Filter’ puts seemingly nothing between what he hears in his head and what you hear on this record.