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.

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.

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.

Tenor saxophonist Andrew Rathbun and pianist Gary Versace-longtime collaborators on several acclaimed SteepleChase sessions-meet for the first time as a duo on Episodes, revealing a striking new dimension in their musical partnership. Versace's chameleon like ability to shift color, texture, and groove pairs seamlessly with Rathbun's ever evolving compositional voice, whose pieces here range from unmetered shapes to baroque tinged counterpoint and driving ostinati. The duo's interplay is vivid and deeply attuned: Versace favors linear, wriggling motion over harmonic cushions, while Rathbun's improvisations unfold with narrative clarity, balancing modern language with melodic focus. Across the surreal, atmospheric 'Episodes' series and the contrasting standalone works, the two push themselves into unfamiliar territory, crafting music that feels exploratory and quietly daring-an inspired debut for a duo with limitless potential. 'Rathbun is a unique voice on saxophone with a style and sound of his own.' (Ed Sapiega - Jazzview) 'All For Now (SCCD 31933) makes a solid case for what an all-around inventive player Gary Versace is. ' (DownBeat)

Blues in Space is a jazz composition by the legendary multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef. Recorded in 1957, it is considered a noteworthy track from his early career, showcasing his unique approach to fusing traditional jazz with Eastern and world music influences.

Emmet Cohen, DownBeat Magazine's 2025 Pianist of the Year and critically acclaimed composer and bandleader, has been busy. Busy touring a Miles Davis & John Coltrane tribute to sold-out audiences across the world, busy running Live from Emmet's Place as the "most highly watched regular online jazz show in the world," and busy recording his new album, Universal Truth. With Joe Farnsworth, Yasushi Nakamura, Jeremy Pelt, Tivon Pennicott and guests Ron Carter and George Coleman, Emmet brings his celebrated tribute to the studio, pairing timeless classics ("Well You Needn't," "My Funny Valentine") with new originals that honor jazz's royalty while boldly carrying their tradition forward.

Art Blakey's New Messengers blaze through hard-driving rhythms, soulful melodies, and breathtaking improvisation. Anchored by Keith Jarrett's virtuosic piano, Frank Mitchell's fiery sax, and Reggie Johnson's inventive bass, this album captures the band's live energy and intensity in full flight.

Spyro Gyra - Live In Leverkusen 2022 - This fantastic live album from the Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 7, 2022, features one of the most successful U.S. jazz fusion bands, Spyro Gyra. For Spyro Gyra's performance at the Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 7, 2022, the band's lineup consisted of Jay Beckenstein (saxophone), Tom Schuman (keyboards, piano), Julio Fernandez (guitars), Scott Ambush (bass), and Lionel Cordew (drums, percussion). "Art manifests itself in a variety of styles and contexts. That's why we started making music in the first place, " is Spyro Gyra's philosophy. And the band's live program that evening in Leverkusen was just as diverse, including their big hits "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance.

It was Dave Slonaker's fascination with the sounds of big bands in his early teens that led him to Pittsburg's Carnegie Library to research the nuts & bolts of how it was created. An orchestrator, arranger, and composer for film & TV over decades now, it's with his 15-year-old Grammy nominated ensemble - comprised of LA's finest jazz and studio musicians where he explores the paradigm shifts within his own writing and aesthetic as time goes on. With this third album for Origin, his exploration of orchestration, harmony and rhythm is as expansive and vivid as ever, as band members including Peter Erskine, Bob Sheppard, Clay Jenkins and Bill Reichenbach lend world-renowned musicality to whatever twists and turns he conjures up - always celebrating the big band legacy while joining the other visionary composers in charting the path forward. "His charts are modern, invigorating, full of variety, and clearly an inspiration for his sidemen." Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene "Exemplifying the best of contemporary big-band jazz - fresh and sparkling, with more than enough dynamism and ingenuity to capture a listener's interest and hold it..." All About Jazz

On Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione, Braun performs every track on the same Couesnon flugelhorn he played as a student at the Eastman School of Music and with the band Auracle-fitted with the cherished Giardinelli mouthpiece gifted to him by the legend himself during a meeting at the 2007 Long Beach Jazz Festival. The collection features an extraordinary roster of collaborators including original Mangione guitarist Grant Geissman, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Tom Scott, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, and flutist Steve Kujala.

Uncharted Realms is the bold new release from saxophonist and composer Sean Imboden, showcasing the visionary sound of the Sean Imboden Large Ensemble. Following the acclaimed debut Communal Heart, this second full-length album expands the ensemble's sonic landscape, blending dynamic big band arrangements with modern jazz textures and emotional depth. Featuring sweeping brass, intricate woodwind lines, and inventive solos, Uncharted Realms explores themes of imagination, connection, and optimism. From high-energy openers to introspective moments of calm, each composition reflects Imboden's forward-thinking approach to jazz orchestration. A must-have for fans of contemporary big band and large ensemble jazz.

Portrait in Jazz marks a pivotal shift in jazz history, introducing a revolutionary "democratic" trio format where the piano, bass, and drums act as equal partners in a continuous musical conversation. Recorded in late 1959, the album features the legendary synergy of Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro, and Paul Motian, blending standards with original compositions through their signature "simultaneous improvisation".

Blessed with a captivating, richly sonorous singing voice, Japan-born, Seattle-based Valerie Joyce recorded two albums for audiophile label Chesky Records in the 2000s. The first of them, 2005's critically acclaimed New York Blue, featured the young singer supported by a crack Big Apple jazz band: formidable pianist Andy Ezrin, alternating bassists John Hebert and Tim Lefebvre, and drum stalwart Gene Jackson. They are augmented on some tracks by the veteran session musician Lawrence Feldman's smoky saxophone. Joyce's intriguing repertoire blends deft interpretations of well-known evergreens from The Great American Songbook ('Darn That Dream') with jazz standards (Miles Davis' 'Blue In Green'), jazz-tinged R&B ('Fever'), rock (Jimi Hendrix's 'Little Wing'), and pop (The Beatles' 'Golden Slumbers'). Bolstered with new liner notes featuring a recent interview with Valerie Joyce, New York Blue is reissued in 2026 as part of the Chesky Original Masters series on 180g One Step Pressing Vinyl LP and SACD Hybrid Stereo.