Renowned Russian jazz pianist Ivan Farmakovskiy makes his highly anticipated debut on SteepleChase Records with a stunning new album. Blending his signature hard-bop style with modern jazz sensibilities, Farmakovskiy delivers a masterful performance that bridges tradition and innovation with American rhythm section of Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette. Ivan won the 1994 bi-annual Russia Jazz Competition, the biggest contest for young Russian performers and he won another prize at the 1997 Europe Jazz Contest in Belgium.

Last year, Tigran Hamasyan composed his greatest work, inspired by a traditional Armenian tale of the same name: The Bird of a Thousand Voices, is rediscovering this story in a transmedia project, consisting of an innovative livestaged play (world premiere at the Holland Festival on June 8, 2024), two ambitious cinematic fiction music videos, a documentary music video and an online game. The original story of the firebird has been orally transmitted over the centuries and cultures. The folk tale requires a multi-layered, transdisciplinary approach to provide an artistic context for this fascinating story. The mystical bird of a thousand voices is a beautiful metaphor of our times: a world in search of connection and harmony, faced with ecological, psychological and spiritual crises. Any form of recognition and new means of transmitting this beautiful music of the ancient traditions of the Caucasus is therefore important and sets the tone for world curiosity and diversity. "The Bird Of A Thousand Voices" is part of this context. Tigran is one of the most remarkable jazz pianists and composers of his generation. He combines improvisation with the rich traditional music of his native Armenia. Ten years ago, Tigran and award-winning filmmaker Ruben Van Leer met during a collaboration at the Cite de la Musique in Paris, creating "Shadow Theater", a visual musical experience (see ARTE broadcast). They went on to create several music videos together (see Cave of Rebirth & Fides Tua). Armenian culture, geopolitically situated between globalized powers such as Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, has been under pressure for centuries. Most recently, in September 2023, Azerbaijan took over Armenian territory. Right after, almost the entire population was expelled from the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of an "ethnic cleansing", in the words of the European Parliament. Azerbaijan is now expressly ordering the burning of ancient historical manuscripts in Armenian monasteries. Deluxe vinyl 2LP box set with 3 superb illustrated booklets (80 pages in total).

Originally released in 1979 and reissued on CD in 1996 with bonus material, G1128 stands as a vibrant snapshot of two masterful trumpeters—John McNeil and Tom Harrell—at a pivotal moment in modern jazz. Now, for the first time, this landmark session returns in stunning 24bit/96kHz remastered fidelity on heavyweight 180g vinyl, preserving the warmth and swing of the original analog tapes. Backed by a stellar rhythm section featuring Kenny Barron (piano), Buster Williams (bass), and Billy Hart (drums), McNeil and Harrell engage in a spirited, lyrical dialogue that’s as respectful of tradition as it is forward-looking. Their interplay is marked by mutual admiration rather than rivalry—Harrell’s bright, unflappable tone contrasts beautifully with McNeil’s introspective, saxophone-inspired phrasing. For audiophiles, collectors, and jazz devotees alike, this is not just a reissue—it’s a rediscovery. “...it’s never a duel of trumpets here but it’s the duet of trumpets... When the two trumpeters share technique and inspiration, one cannot but enjoy the inevitable result...” (Alain Tercinet, JAZZ HOT).

Eternal Child, Avishai Cohen's new album, will be released in May and showcases the full depth of his artistry as a bassist and composer. Years later, he reunites with drummer Jeff Ballard on selected tracks, recalling their strong musical connection forged alongside Chick Corea. Recorded at the renowned Studio de Meudon in Paris, Eternal Child stands as a major new chapter in Cohen's work.

The Canadians who had the good fortune to be at the Forum on February 8, 1954 caught the Duke Ellington Orchestra in a wonderfully relaxed and even playful mood. Though the concert was recorded, it languished in a private collection and was never issued-in fact, it was never even broadcast! So here it is: two hours on 2 CDs, including the Mooche; Perdido, and many more!

Baritone saxophonists Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile reunite their powerhouse quintet for You Are The One, a vibrant follow up to Boss Baritones (SCCD 31963) that again showcases the rare chemistry between two masters of the instrument. Drawing on a mix of classic repertoire - Thad Jones, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie - and newly minted originals by both leaders, the album highlights the duo's deep command of bebop language, contrapuntal writing, and the propulsive blend only two baritones can create. Smulyan's witty muscular swing pair beautifully with Basile's lyrical clarity, while pianist Steve Ash, bassist Mike Karn, and drummer Aaron Seeber provide a responsive, hard driving foundation. You Are The One is a spirited, straight-ahead session that celebrates tradition with unmistakable joy. 'Boss Baritones is a fine example of how jazz praxes originating in the mid-to-late 20th century can-in the right hands-sound fresh and invigorating in the present day.' (David A. Orthmann - All About Jazz on SCCD 31963)

Drummer composer Steve Johns returns to SteepleChase with Extrasensory, his most fully realized statement since his acclaimed 2024 release Mythology (SCCD 31971). Reuniting the same core ensemble - guitarist John Hart, vibraphonist/harmonica player Monte Croft, pianist Greg Murphy, and bassist Joris Teepe - Johns builds on the band's deepening chemistry, now sharpened by the fiery presence of saxophonist Troy Roberts on select tracks. The program highlights Johns' dual gifts: modern, structurally inventive writing and dynamic, deeply musical drumming shaped by decades on the New York scene. Contrafacts, reharmonized standards, soulful vocals, and vibrant originals form a wide stylistic arc, from angular modern swing to luminous ballads and earthy shuffles. Throughout, Johns shapes textures and grooves with masterful clarity, guiding a group whose intuitive interplay truly earns the album's title. Extrasensory affirms Johns as a drummer leader of imagination and unmistakable voice. 'Mythology' is an album full of imagination, stories and some fantastic playing by this amazing lineup of world-class musicians.' (A Green Review on SCCD 31971)

With Traces of Light, saxophonist and composer Jan Prax presents a deeply expressive and spiritually charged new album. Known as one of Europe's most distinctive saxophonists and a protege of David Sanborn, Prax draws from jazz tradition, improvisation, and a broad musical imagination to create a sound that is vibrant, soulful, and unmistakably his own. Joined by Carl-Henri Morisset on piano, Riccardo Del Fra on double bass, and Zhitong Xu on drums, Prax leads a quartet built on trust, intuition, and shared musical purpose. Across nine original compositions, the album moves through tension, stillness, searching energy, and lyrical release. From the opening lift of 'Elevation' and the smouldering intensity of 'Cold Flame' to the reflective beauty of 'Hope in Bloom,' 'Reverie,' and the title track, the music breathes, expands, and glows with emotional clarity. At it's heart, Traces of Light is an album about connection, compassion, and presence. It is music shaped by fire and finesse, but also by openness and vulnerability and a journey toward light, shared by kindred spirits.

A halo is something like an aura. Cologne-based singer Anette Von Eichel certainly doesn't want to put a halo on her new album, but a halo is also a luminous phenomenon, such as a moonlit ring or a wreath of light, as often seen in nature and everyday life, and which can be interpreted as a revelation of whatever nature. This title couldn't be more fitting for Anette Von Eichel's collection of songs on her new album, and in more ways than one. All of these songs share a nocturnal quality, in which light emerges from the darkness. In the sequence of her songs, we experience a dreamlike journey of a resurrection of the morning twilight from the night.   In a metaphorical sense, it makes a huge difference whether you listen to the album for the first, second, or third time, because an impressive process of transcendence takes place. What at first simply sounds like a series of clearly defined songs in their respective forms gradually transforms into a kind of vocal and musical mass of light, which acts as a parallel phenomenon to reality. This spectral shift culminates in a halo of light that dissolves all forms and contours, a concept perfectly captured by the album title. "When I write a song, it's a conscious process, but the subconscious naturally plays a major role," Anette Von Eichel explains, describing this transformation from her perspective. "With this album in particular, I hope to give people the opportunity to take a step back from their everyday lives and experience a similar transformation while listening."   Listening to the album, regardless of the lyrics, inevitably evokes the feeling that someone is telling a story. From the osmosis of voice and music emerges a flow that inescapably draws the ear into it's vortex. Pianist Sebastian Sternal, bassist Henning Sieverts, and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel become the material and metaphysical vehicles of these stories, which Anette Von Eichel brings to the stage of her song theater with breathtaking versatility. She starts with the lyrics when writing and tries to discover the sound hidden behind the words. "The word enters into a symbiosis with the interaction of our band," the composer explains, describing this phenomenon of the text dissolving into sound. The songs possess a great flexibility, expressed through nuanced improvisation, which allows the songs to grow not only with each performance but, as already mentioned, with each listen.   "Halo" is the third album Anette Von Eichel has recorded with Sternal, Sieverts, and Burgwinkel in six years. The ease of their interplay, the constant negotiation between collective density and individual detachment, and the spontaneous use of open sections reach a new peak here. Eichel's signature style, unmistakable in it's trinity of classic jazz vocals a la Carmen McRae and Betty Carter, singer-songwriter influences in the tradition of Joni Mitchell, and the timbre of French chansons, sounds like standards that have been in the air for decades. They may feature strong melodies and complex rhythms, but the song as a whole always takes center stage, with which the individual elements must harmonize.   There aren't many singers whose voices, both spoken and sung, exhibit such a striking difference as Anette Von Eichel's. When she sings, she doesn't simply slip into a different persona; she confronts hidden inner worlds that couldn't manifest in her everyday use of her voice. This creates an immediate magic, where the sound of her voice is inextricably linked to the specific emotions of the song. "I'm interested in drawing out all the emotions hidden within my voice," says Anette Von Eichel. "When I sing, I delve much deeper into myself and can uncover far more nuances." Which brings us back to the interplay of light and shadow. She slips into roles, often shifting perspectives even within a single song, employing unconventional vocal techniques like sighs or creaks, and using breath as a creative element.   "Halo" is built from light, and yet this album, like few others, creates a pressure equalization that is transmitted from the four musicians to the listener in an almost hypnotic way. The more one embarks on this journey into the twilight and the nuances of human experience, the more liberating the effect. "Halo" is a passionate declaration of the poetic clarity of ambiguity. Let us refrain at this point from pathos-laden phrases like healing, spirituality, or the pulse of life, and instead take the album objectively and soberly for what it is: precisely the right statement for our time. by Wolf Kampmann

Storyville Records presents Between Then and Now, a new trio album by acclaimed American pianist Christian Sands, joined by Danish bassist Thomas Fonnesbaek and Swedish drummer Rasmus Kihlberg. An international collaboration that captures contemporary jazz at the intersection of American tradition and Nordic musical sensibility. The album features 7 tracks, balancing original compositions by Sands and Fonnesbaek with inspired reinterpretations of jazz standards and classic repertoire by Bobby Timmons, Luiz Bonfa, and John Coltrane. Recorded in the spirit of Copenhagen's jazz tradition it presents jazz as both a living art form of the present and a dialogue with it's past, hence the title Between Then and Now. The collaboration grew from Sands' relationship with the Copenhagen jazz scene, initiated when former Montmartre musical director Christian Brorsen discovered him online and invited him to Denmark. Like earlier generations of American jazz musicians, including Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon, Sands quickly became a compelling presence in Copenhagen, where attentive listening and subtle interplay guide every performance. Over the years, he has been a frequent guest in Denmark and loved by the audience here. Together, the trio represents a truly international jazz language. Sands is celebrated for his virtuosic piano playing, rich harmonic imagination, and improvisational energy. Fonnesbaek, one of Europe's leading bassists, offers melodic clarity and technical brilliance shaped by the Danish jazz tradition, while Kihlberg contributes a refined rhythmic approach marked by elegance, precision and responsiveness. Together they have a compelling sound of openness yet you always feel the classic American jazz tradition in the music. This is modern American/ Scandinavian music, not just jazz. Listen to Sands' inventive arrangement of Giant Leaves, which merges John Coltrane's Giant Steps with Joseph Kosma's Autumn Leaves, served as a tribute to legendary Danish drummer Alex Riel, who influenced both Sands and generations of jazz musicians in Europe. Original compositions such as Sands' Where Children Still Play and Where the Light Settles, and Fonnesbaek's Searching in Sahara reveal the trio's lyrical and exploratory approach. The Nordic hymn Til ungdommen / To the Youth (Kringsatt av Fiender) is another beautiful example of how this trio sound together. Enjoy this contemporary recording with three of the most interesting musicians on the Scandinavian and American jazz scene right now.

With their neww album Tolstoy, Too Noisy Fish, the trio of Peter Vandenberghe (piano, compositions), Kristof Roseeuw, and Teun Verbruggen, opens a new chapter full of freedom and adventure. The moves effortlessly between composition and improvisation, between order and chaos, between what is planned and what emerges in the moment. Too Noisy Fish first made it's mark in the Belgian jazz landscape in 2011, when the rhythm section of the Flat Earth Society Orchestra decided to start pushing boundaries as a trio too. They created four albums, including 'Too Many Fish: 10 Years Too Noisy Fish', a record celebrating the ten year anniversary of the trio by inviting musician and artist friends to join them in the studio and on stage. With their upcoming album, they are once again establishing themselves as a singular trio. The band shows how music can be at once profound and light, sharp and open-hearted, fully in line with the seeming contradictions that are rife in Tolstoy's work. Each piece is a journey, unpredictable, honest, and full of twists, with freedom and adventure as the compass, and no fixed destination. The compositions breathe literature: melodies unfold like sentences, rhythms collide like characters, harmonies pose questions rather than giving answers. Too Noisy Fish remains true to it's distinctive sound world: incisive, playful, unsettling, yet always imbued with deep human warmth. On Tolstoy, the music moves freely through space, silence, humor, and melancholy. An album about the lust for life, choices, and the endless search for meaning; in sound, in silence, in freedom.