Jon Batiste - "Monk Movements" On the fourth volume of the Batiste Piano Series, multi-Grammy® and Oscar® winner Jon Batiste returns to some of the music that first shaped his voice at the piano, expanding upon the majestic, contemplative beauty at the heart of some of Thelonious Monk's most iconic works. Verve; Jazz.

Multi-award-winning saxophonist/composer Julian Arguelles approaches each new project with nothing to prove, his international reputation already documented through a formidable discography. Yet there's still an appeal in the classic album format: a band of players, time booked in the studio, a set of compositions, all combining to create an artistic palette with clearly defined boundaries. With Echo Fields Julian returns to a line-up that offers the simplest soundscape but the richest possibilities for deep improvisation - the chordless trio. The restrictions paradoxically act as a spur to creativity, and the choice of players reveals the breadth of Julian's ambition. Larry Grenadier on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums both stand in the top tier of international artists with a matchless ability to capture each nuance of the compositions and develop them into genuine spontaneous group improvisation. Echo Fields is the sound of three masters at work, rich in melody, full of rhythmic vitality, with a real sense of urgency and of music that just has to be played.

Jerry Weldon - The Summit - "Keep it swinging; that's the main thing" is not only tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon's description of the music on this album from his new band but also can stand as his musical life motto. The band heard here reflects his love of the hard swinging, hard bop bands of the mid-20th Century, most notably Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (especially when it was a sextet with trumpet, tenor sax and trombone) and The Jazztet (of Benny Golson and Art Farmer). Weldon has put together a band of younger, but veteran, jazz musicians; Alonzo Demetrius, trumpet; Peter Lin, trombone; Mike Bond, piano; Jason Clotter, bass, and Carmen Intorre Jr., drums. This album was recorded live before an enthusiastic crowd at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Jersey.

Grant Stewart - Next Spring - World-renowned tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart is known for his rich tone, swinging phrasing, and deep connection to the jazz tradition. Next Spring is his 5th album for Cellar Music. He is joined by three of his favorite players; Tardo Hammer on piano, Paul Sikivie on bass and Phil Stewart on drums.

Ike Quebec - "The Complete 45 Sessions (Blue Note Tone Poet Edition)". The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions of Ike Quebec collects a phenomenal body of work produced between 1959-62 by a key player in the Blue Note Story. The saxophonist had recorded for Blue Note and served as a talent scout in the 1940s before personal problems forced him off the scene. Alfred Lion began to reintroduce Quebec's music to jazz fans in 1959 with a series of 45 jukebox singles that were well received and revealed a formidable stylist very much at the top of his game with a full-throated, yet relaxed sound ideally suited to a range of material from ballads to blues. This Blue Note Tone Poet Edition 2-CD set is produced by Joe Harley in all-analog from Rudy Van Gelder's original master tapes.

John Taylor/Marc Johnson/Joey Baron - "Tramonto". Recorded live in Birmingham during a Contemporary Music Network tour in 2002, Tramonto finds UK pianist John Taylor in a celebratory, outgoing mood, fronting one of his most dynamic and quick-witted groups, with US musicians Marc Johnson and Joey Baron. Here, the repertoire features the well-known Taylor tunes "Pure and Simple," "Between Moons" and "Ambleside" (heard in an epic 15-minute version), as well as the Ralph Towner-composed title track and Steve Swallow's "Up Too Late." In all, a welcome reminder of what a creative force John Taylor could be, as leader of an outstanding piano trio.

There's a rare acoustic alchemy at play in Time Is A Blind Guide. At times, the group's three string instruments make up a firm trio-unit that enters into thoughtful dialog with piano and percussion, but for the most part, the group's pulse works as a whole, with each instrument dynamically gliding in and out of the picture, captured in well-known acoustics of Rainbow Studio. The album, recorded at Rainbow Studio, Oslo in 2021, and mixed in Munich in 2024, was produced by Manfred Eicher.

I LOVE LIFE even when I'm hurting, the new album from Dave McMurray, is an affirmation of his indomitable spirit. It's also a celebration of the love that he has for his hometown, and for the many Detroit musicians with which he's collaborated, including guitarist Wayne Gerard, bassist Ibrahim Jones, vocalist Herschel Boone, keyboardists Luis Resto & Maurice O'Neal, drummer Jeff Canady and more. The album also features special guests, including bassist Don Was and vocalist Kem.

Joe Magnarelli - Decidedly So - Decidedly So by trumpeter Joe Magnarelli features trombone dynamo Steve Davis, pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist Clovis Nicolas & drummer Rodney Green. For his third release for Cory Weeds' Cellar Live label, Joe features trombone dynamo Steve Davis in the frontline, backed by a snap-crackle rhythm section of pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist Clovis Nicolas, and drummer Rodney Green. They investigate a solid, appealing mix of originals and standards with elan that makes for deeply enjoyable listening.

Trumpeter/composer Ambrose Akinmusire and guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson's album Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings is due June 12, 2026, on Nonesuch Records. The album features four new compositions by each musician as well as one collaboration. The album track "Soundcheck" is available today and can be heard below; you can pre-order the album here. The duo, long admirers of each other's musicianship, met at Halvorson's Brooklyn apartment and began playing together periodically, going back as far as 2009. They rehearsed the music on Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings in January 2025, just before performing it at the New York City club The Stone; they recorded this album the next day at Sear Sound.

Out Of/Into, the all-star collective that began it's life as the Blue Note Quintet in celebration of Blue Note Records' 85th anniversary, is a profound embodiment of the label's ethos, presenting state-of-the-art music and musicians - pianist Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer - while also honoring Blue Note's rich legacy.