Markus Burger writes of his new release: "Since I was a child, I have loved the outdoors and fell in love with the vast wilderness of Alaska and Iceland. In 2000 I visited Iceland for the first time and wrote most of the songs for my solo piano release Ultreya which came out in 2001 on Jazzline Records. It took me until 2002 to go to Alaska and visit Valdez and the Kenai Peninsula. I was blown away by the beauty of Alaska and the uniqueness of the folks that live there. Through my affiliation with Idyllwild's Jazz Academy director Marshall Hawkins, one of the finest bassists on the West coast and a great Jazz Educator, I was fortunate enough to start teaching for a few semesters in Homer Alaska. In 2015 and 2016 I got to visit Kodiak Island, which left a lifetime impression on me. The songs on this album were written in Alaska over the years of my trips to this wilderness state. When planning this album's recording session, I asked Bob Magnusson to play bass, because we share the love of musical elegance and simplicity- and because I truly love Bob's bass sound (like so many others before me). I have admired Peter Erskine since I first heard him perform with his ECM Trio featuring John Taylor and Palle Danielsson. I love his playing and his compositions and I was thrilled when he agreed to be part of this musical project... Jim Linahon has been the sound wizard behind all of my albums for Challenge Records and he is in my humble opinion one of the finest engineers and producers for Jazz in the U.S. today. He was delighted that Microtech Gefell and DPA send him their fienst microphones to capture every nuance of our trio's playing... "

Pianist Michel Reis, bassist Marc Demuth and drummer Paul Wiltgen furnish resounding proof that something new can be created from something old at any time. The trio from Luxembourg wants to make it possible for their listeners to experience and celebrate the effect of music and do not want to abuse it for the purpose of self-promotion in any way. Each one slips into the respective topic, grows together with it and becomes a part of it. They are the fertilizers for their own works that let them grow and flourish through careful dosing of their outstanding instrumental skills. In this way, magically beautiful melodies are created from seemingly banal note sequences that go without detours into your ears and stay there for a long time. No cheesy, slushy songs mind you, but instead refined constructs full of emotionality, empathy, virtuosity, depth and hymnic radiance. Indeed, piano trios can achieve such things today. They can tell stories that captivate and touch without words. They can attract attention and yet completely do without effects, tricks and muscle-flexing. Simply nullify definition and style boundaries and still give a reflection of what jazz should be 2016 and maybe once was in the hands of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio: a musical adventure free of prejudice and stereotypes, which bears the individual trademark of the respective protagonists.

Polarity is an acoustic jazz project from Jan Gunnar Hoff and the Hoff Ensemble. Of the new release, Hoff writes: "My main goal is to create a specific identity for each album I make. This time I chose to involve Anders Jormin and Audun Kleive, two of Scandinavia's finest jazz artists. The result is Polarity, an album based on both new and older compositions of mine, recorded in a unique acoustic setting." Polarity has been conceived as a cohesive experience where the compositions themselves, the moments of spontaneous inspiration during performance and the natural sound world of the church acoustics all affect the final result. The compositions are inspired by actual experiences and particular states of mind. The album was recorded using state of the art technology called Immersive Audio. The listener is surrounded by music and can move about in the aural space and choose angles, vantage points and positions. Prepare to be fully enveloped in a cocoon of life-like audio.

Dayna Stephens, one of the most interesting saxophonists of his generation, stars on A Week Ago Today, together with bandmates André Sumelius, George Kontrafouris and Teemu Viinikainen.Drummer and producer André Sumelius, who befriended Stephens while doing concerts and recordings together in San Francisco and, later on, NYC, and wanted to bring Dayna to Finland to record, envisioned the project from the start. Dayna Stephens' melodic compositions make up the majority of the album's music, but a few of Sumelius' compositions and one from Kontrafouris round out the production.

Strangers is pianist Alexander Wienand's bold new statement - a celebration of curiosity, discovery, and the creative spark that emerges when artists step into the unknown together. The album's concept grew from a simple but powerful idea: that unfamiliarity can be one of the greatest sources of inspiration. Whether it's an untested rhythm, a new musical partner, or an idea outside of music entirely, these moments of uncertainty challenge musicians to respond - and it is within these reactions that true creativity is born. The title track Strangers embodies this philosophy. Two contrasting themes evolve through improvisation until they merge into a single, unified musical narrative - a metaphor for encounter, tension, and transformation.

Saxophonist, clarinettist, composer and visual artist Marcel Barta entered the Czech jazz and improvisation scene while still a student and has since become one of it's core members. He is a founding member of the electro-jazz quintet MUFF, the cult jazz sextet Vertigo and the duo DoMa Ensemble. Besides collaborating with many foremost artists from different genres on the home and international scene, he has been dedicating himself to composition, writing scenic music for the theatre company Farma v jeskyni (Farm in the Cave), among otherprojects. He is the recipient of multiple Czech Music Academy Awards in the jazz category, having also been nominated for the same award on a number of occasions. While Episodes from the Spinning Ball is the first recording to feature Barta's work exclusively, the eponymous composition is his first piece for a large ensemble. As composer and arranger he has taken part in dozens of projects and recordings, many of which were released by the label Animal Music. The new album brings a recording of a concert performance featuring the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, which took place as part of the jazz-symphonic crossover series New Horizons in February 2025 in the DOX+Multifunction Hall in Prague. Composed on a commission from the orchestra, the work formally resembles a suite in three parts. It is performed, however, as a continuous flow of music. In the author's own words, the piece "is an attempt to evoke a story that reflects my own planetary experience. The rotating ball in the title is a geoid, the shape of our own planet." Combining composed music with improvisation, the piece bears traces of Barta's original style, known for example from his work for Vertigo or Muff. It is rooted in jazz and contemporary classical music and unfolds like an elaborate story in which densely composed soundscapes interweave with delicate melodies and fine-grained instrumentation and whereorder coexists with improvisation and melancholy passages alternate with psychedelia and humour. The jazz band in the recording features, alongside Marcel Barta himself, trombonist stepan Janousek, keyboardist and synth player Vojtech Prochazka, double bassist Milos Klapsteand drummer Jan Chalupa. The whole jazz-symphonic ensemble is conducted by Bastien Stil who has had ample experience leading crossover projects.

In Good Company marks the powerful debut of Argentine alto saxophonist Tomás Martínez on SteepleChase in June 2026. At just 26 Martínez brings a rich tone, agile bebop phrasing, and a deep command of jazz tradition. The album features two standout groups: a New York quartet with Michael Weiss, David Wong, and Kenny Washington, recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio, and a vibrant trio session from Buenos Aires with Paul Sikivie and Teo Pérez. Mixing classics, bebop lines and originals, Martínez honors mentors like Charlie Parker, Barry Harris, and Charles McPherson while asserting a voice entirely his own. A fresh, swinging new presence on the international jazz scene. Martínez has performed at major venues across Argentina and Europe, and was named a Distinguished Personality and Cultural Ambassador of his hometown. He is also an active educator, teaching jazz saxophone at the college level and leading workshops and masterclasses. Currently based between Buenos Aires and New York, he continues to perform, record, and teach.

Composer and guitarist Marcus Klossek, long recognized as a distinctive voice on the Fender Telecaster, presents Blink 7, the latest chapter in a band whose sound has evolved steadily from his long-running Electric Trio. Rooted in clarity, dynamic contrast, and a deep sense of interaction, the project reflects more than fifteen years of close musical collaboration. At the core of the ensemble are Carsten Hein on bass and Derek Scherzer on drums, longtime partners with whom Klossek has refined a highly responsive and nuanced group language. With Blink 6, this foundation expanded into a sextet, joined by three prominent figures from Berlin's jazz scene: Nikolaus Neuser, Ignaz Dinne (tenor saxophone), and Anke Lucks. The enlarged group quickly developed a strong collective identity, equally at ease with precise structure and open improvisation. Blink 7 continues this collaboration and introduces a new and distinctive voice: Korean vocalist Chamin. Appearing on three tracks-Go Not, Another One Beyond, and Unexpected Return-she sings and partially speaks Korean lyrics written by herself. Her voice adds a new layer of texture and expression, expanding the ensemble's tonal range and interacting organically with the instrumental voices rather than standing apart from them. In contrast to Blink 6, which was composed before the musicians were chosen, all eight compositions on Blink 7 were written specifically for this lineup. Klossek shaped each piece around the individual strengths and musical personalities of the players. "I knew what everyone could bring to the music," he explains. "That allowed me to write more precisely for the sound of the band." The result is music that unites clear compositional intent with the intuitive understanding that comes from long-standing collaboration. The album opens with Violet Shift, a rhythmically intricate piece built from interlocking patterns that suggest mechanical precision while maintaining an organic flow. Go Not begins with Chamin's whispered voice, creating an atmosphere of quiet tension and ambiguity. Ephyra (Third Dance) unfolds with a restrained, melancholic beauty, while Half Past Never features one of Klossek's most unrestrained guitar solos-raw, spontaneous, and unpredictable. On Another One Beyond, Chamin's voice further broadens the ensemble's harmonic space, while Begin Again, Swift highlights the band's agility, moving fluidly between tightly woven rhythms and open, airy phrasing. Glass Bridges introduces otherworldly sounds from Carsten Hein, blending acoustic bass with electronic elements. The closing track, Unexpected Return, brings the album to an energetic conclusion, driven by rhythmic momentum as Chamin's voice merges seamlessly with the horn section. Blink 7 captures a band at a mature and confident stage, balancing detailed composition with freedom and collective improvisation-music shaped as much by individual voices as by the shared identity they have built together.

Saxophonist, clarinettist, composer and visual artist Marcel Barta entered the Czech jazz and improvisation scene while still a student and has since become one of it's core members. He is a founding member of the electro-jazz quintet MUFF, the cult jazz sextet Vertigo and the duo DoMa Ensemble. Besides collaborating with many foremost artists from different genres on the home and international scene, he has been dedicating himself to composition, writing scenic music for the theatre company Farma v jeskyni (Farm in the Cave), among otherprojects. He is the recipient of multiple Czech Music Academy Awards in the jazz category, having also been nominated for the same award on a number of occasions. While Episodes from the Spinning Ball is the first recording to feature Barta's work exclusively, the eponymous composition is his first piece for a large ensemble. As composer and arranger he has taken part in dozens of projects and recordings, many of which were released by the label Animal Music. The new album brings a recording of a concert performance featuring the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, which took place as part of the jazz-symphonic crossover series New Horizons in February 2025 in the DOX+Multifunction Hall in Prague. Composed on a commission from the orchestra, the work formally resembles a suite in three parts. It is performed, however, as a continuous flow of music. In the author's own words, the piece "is an attempt to evoke a story that reflects my own planetary experience. The rotating ball in the title is a geoid, the shape of our own planet." Combining composed music with improvisation, the piece bears traces of Barta's original style, known for example from his work for Vertigo or Muff. It is rooted in jazz and contemporary classical music and unfolds like an elaborate story in which densely composed soundscapes interweave with delicate melodies and fine-grained instrumentation and whereorder coexists with improvisation and melancholy passages alternate with psychedelia and humour. The jazz band in the recording features, alongside Marcel Barta himself, trombonist stepan Janousek, keyboardist and synth player Vojtech Prochazka, double bassist Milos Klapsteand drummer Jan Chalupa. The whole jazz-symphonic ensemble is conducted by Bastien Stil who has had ample experience leading crossover projects.

Human Vibe is the sound of three musicians whose shared understanding runs deeper than geography. Pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff, bassist Jasper Somsen, and drummer Carsten Lindholm come from three different countries, yet their friendship and musical intuition make them feel like lifelong companions. In this trio, a glance, a breath, or a single musical gesture is enough to set the group into fluid, unified motion. A Trio Shaped by Conversation and Connection For their second album together, the trio reunited in the Netherlands, where long conversations over lunches and dinners flowed directly into their creative process. Out of these moments came the title Human Vibe-a phrase that perfectly captures the essence of their collaboration: three individuals, each with his own artistic pulse, meeting in a shared space where honesty, curiosity, and joy guide the music. Their performances embody the same spirit. They speak openly with audiences, share stories, and create an environment where listeners feel personally connected to the unfolding music. The album was recorded at Studio 2 in Hilversum, the Netherlands' oldest radio studio and a place rich with musical history. Photographs of legendary jazz artists still hang on the walls, creating an atmosphere steeped in the past. Hoff, Somsen, and Lindholm recorded exactly the way they play live: together in a single room, in full view of one another. The result is an album that captures not only the music, but the trio's closeness and immediacy.

Echoes of the Unknown is the debut album by German drummer and composer David Giesel-a modern jazz statement built on trust, attentive interplay, and the courage to let music unfold in real time. Recorded live as a band in one room at Jazzcampus Studio Basel (Jan 9-10, 2026) and co-produced with mentor Paulo Almeida, the album treats uncertainty as fuel: play first, understand later-an approach that turns instinct into form and risk into clarity. Leading an international quartet with Albin Ormegard, Moritz Langmaier (piano/keys) and Thomas Fuller, Giesel shapes a sound world where groove and modern harmony meet openness and space-drawing on contemporary jazz aesthetics while absorbing subtle rock/indie edges. Most pieces are Giesel originals, complemented by one composition each from Ormegard and Langmaier, reflecting the group's shared voice. At the album's center, "Moods" opens a reflective window that includes spoken word by Dae Bryant, anchoring the record's human, hopeful core. The result is a vibrant, deeply personal snapshot: four musicians listening hard, moving as one, and inviting the listener into the mystery-where familiarity meets discovery.

The formation of the The Chaining Loops team is the result of encounters that, for the most part, took place over several decades, within various third-party projects of extremely diverse aesthetics. Over the years, this gave Olivier and his associates many opportunities to share a wide range of experiences through different projects, during numerous concerts in France and abroad. This is how Olivier met vibraphonist David Patrois in 1991, when they were both members of harmonica player Olivier Ker Ourio's quartet, which-after winning First Prize at the Concours National de Jazz de la Defense in 1993-performed in several concerts throughout France. In 1998, Olivier met cornettist and vocalist Mederic Collignon during Paris jam sessions. Mederic went on to take part in many of the leader's projects (duo, trios, etc.), including a quartet project featuring pianist Andy Emle. As for guitarist Michael Felberbaum, Olivier first invited him to take part in the European tour New Gravitations, which took place in 2007-2008 following the release of the album Gravitations on Altrisuoni in 2007. In 2013, trombonist Gueorgui Kornazov was already part of the drummer's septet project Abstract, whose album was released in 2013 on Rewind Records. Double bassist Yoni Zelnik, for his part, has participated since 2015 in several one-off concerts in France and Germany as a member of the leader's Reciprocity project. Tenor and soprano saxophonist Frederic Borey is the newest addition to the ensemble. The name Pulse was inspired for Olivier Le Goas by the word pulsar. A pulsar is a neutron star that rotates very rapidly on it's axis. The first pulsar, known as the Cambridge pulsar 1919 (CP1919), was discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell and Antony Hewish. The Pulse septet project was born during a creative residency in 2021, which benefited from support from DRAC Bretagne. This residency made it possible to develop most of the repertoire featured on the album, with the exception of the album's eponymous title track, The Chaining Loops, which is more recent and was composed in 2024. It was only in June 2024, after a session canceled in 2023, that Olivier Le Goas brought the Pulse Ensemble to Studios de la Seine in Paris to record The Chaining Loops. The album The Chaining Loops presents a special repertoire consisting of five pieces: The Chaining Loops, Direction, Friction, Fifteen Miles, and Light in the Sky. The Chaining Loops, composed largely in spring 2024, is a large-scale piece built on the interlocking of pattern blocks and the stretching of melodic lines, with song remaining the central axis. Direction, originally composed for Olivier Le Goas's group Reciprocity, presents music of a lyrical and energetic character that gradually gains in density, complexity, and unity. Friction is a suite formed by the aggregation of multiple themes, in which the main opening theme (2021) crystallizes the overall structure of the piece and is based on an interplay of blocks of forces. Fifteen Miles, dating back to 2016, is a composition that was reworked twice-first in 2021 and again a few months before the recording. It combines an initial theme imbued with a certain gravity, contrasting with a second, more light-hearted theme. Light in the Sky offers a form composed of multiple arrangements of different thematic and solo sections, in which unexpectedly emerge contours and masses of sound.

Celebrating its legacy from the 1976 LP and 1990 CD release, Stable Mable returns in May 2026 as a newly remastered 180g audiophile edition (G1040). Captured in Copenhagen just weeks after Dexter Gordon’s ambitious orchestral project SCCD 31030 More Than You Know, this session strips the setting back to its purest form: a no frills blowing date where Gordon’s imagination, authority, and melodic wit shine without disguise. Joined by Horace Parlan, Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Tony Inzalaco, Gordon navigates standards like Just Friends, Misty, Red Cross, and So What with a mix of relaxed confidence and fiery invention. His soprano reading of In a Sentimental Mood adds a rare, reflective touch. Remastered from the original tapes, this edition highlights the quartet’s clarity, swing, and interplay—an essential snapshot of Gordon’s Copenhagen years and a definitive statement of his enduring mastery. “...Dexter plays brilliantly on every track ...beautifully recorded..”(Jazz Journal 1976)