BURNER

With his self-titled new album-out May 8 on Candid Records-Grammy-winning guitarist, producer, and songwriter Matthew Stevens delivers a definitive midcareer mission statement. Long recognized as one of the most thrilling and thoughtful guitarists of his generation, Stevens has built an elite reputation in music, touring and recording with a "who's who" of modern icons, including Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, Harvey Mason, and Walter Smith III. On this new release, Stevens steps fully into the spotlight, performing at the absolute peak of his powers. The music seamlessly melds acoustic and electric sonics through a mix of genre-blurring originals and deeply personal covers. The album features a multigenerational cast of musicians, including mentors like Terri Lyne Carrington, personal guitar heroes like Jeff Parker, and rising visionaries such as vibraphonist Joel Ross and vocalists Anna B Savage and Corey King. Co-produced by Stevens alongside Josh Johnson and Eric Doob, the record is the culmination of 20 years of craft. It reflects a period of profound personal and artistic change, ultimately bringing Stevens to "a place of optimism, excitement, and confidence" that signals a bold new chapter for one of jazz's most essential voices.

RABBIT HOLE

An improvised music trio (perc, organ, reeds) recorded in the mystic atmosphere of an octagonal church in Bavaria (Germany).

GRAMMY-nominated alto saxophonist & composer Immanuel Wilkins presents his first-ever live album, a searing 3-volume document of his acclaimed quartet in action at a hallowed NYC jazz shrine - Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard. Wilkins' quartet features Micah Thomas on piano, Ryoma Takenaga on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums.

DAVVI OKTAVUOHTA: POHJOINEN YHTEYS

Recorded at the Art Sengawa Festival in Tokyo, this album presents the powerful music of Masayo Kiketsu Alto sax, Andrea Centazzo Perc & Elec, Kiyoto Fugjiwara Double Bass in an improvised music suite.

HEALING SONGS

FAMILY AFFAIR

TRACTEUR HAMMER

THAT WHICH IS PLACED UPON THE ALTAR

BEST LAID PLANS

When Oscar Peterson arrived for a two-week engagement at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit in early August 1960, the pianist's year-old trio, featuring bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, was ascending to new artistic peaks. Intended at the time as a live album for Verve but never released, the music on 'At Baker's Keyboard Lounge' features remarkable, previously unissued performances, all taped on a single Friday night. No matter the tempo, rhythm, or complexity of the arrangement, the three players breathe as one on these recordings, phrasing as if controlled by a single heartbeat. These new-to-the-world recordings, made in Peterson's prime at the longest continuously operating jazz club in the US, remind you that there will never be anyone else like Oscar Peterson.

With HOMETOWN, trumpeter and composer Jared Hall brings listeners into a musically rich reflection on place, purpose, and artistic growth. Born in Spokane and seasoned by vibrant creative communities from Bloomington to Miami and Seattle, Hall returns to his roots with a lyrical voice shaped by decades of performance and collaboration. Here, he celebrates the grounding power of family, shared history, and the joy of reconnecting with the people and experiences that shaped him. From the clever nods to jazz lineage in "Step by Step" and "Echoes and Origins," to the wistful inspiration behind "Room 111," this recording maps Hall's journey with clarity, heart, and unwavering musical intention. Supported by a stellar quintet - including saxophonist Troy Roberts, pianist Ben Markley, bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Kyle Swan - HOMETOWN unfolds with both rooted tradition and forward-looking spirit. The result is resonant and compelling. "There is truth here, unabashed, direct to the listener." - All About Jazz. "... Hall's expressive, probing trumpet style, offers a masterful, wide ranging sound, and varied emotional landscape." All About Jazz

Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project's Addis Ken (New Day) is a deeply evocative journey where jazz becomes both vessel and invocation. Drawing from Ethiopian Jewish liturgical traditions, pan-African rhythms, and modern improvisational language, they fuse ancient memory with contemporary expression in music that feels timeless and urgent all at once. Berihun's commanding tenor and soprano saxophones are matched by his remarkable vocal presence-earthy, elastic, and prayerful-capable of moving seamlessly from guttural incantation to soaring, skyward cries. Joined by pianist Roy Mor, bassist David Michaeli, and drummer/percussionist Nitzan Birnbaum, the quartet operates with intuitive empathy, shaping grooves and atmospheres that breathe and expand around Berihun's impassioned lead. Moments such as the stirring "Behatitu Kadush Kadush," featuring vocalist Rudi Bainesay, reach directly into sacred terrain, while pieces like "Addis Ken" and "Jerusalem" balance reverence with forward momentum. Rich in texture, spirit, and blues-rooted intensity, Addis Ken is music as lived experience-honoring lineage while speaking vividly in the present tense. "They are a joy to behold." Jerusalem Post. "The quartet of brilliant musicians drew inspiration not only from across the planet but also from the depths of time." - Tom�š S. Pol�vka (Prague)

CANDY STORE BLUES: THE SINGLES & ALBUMS COLLECTION

He is a stylish and fluent improviser and these early titles are an enjoyable showcase for his distinctive approach to jazz guitar.- Kenny Burrell is an American modern jazz guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in 1931 and still alive at the age of 94 as these notes are being written. Making his recording debut in 1951, he became a valued and versatile sideman, recording and performing prolifically for over 65 years through to 2015, in a huge variety of recording settings. He also recorded and performed leading his own bands, and quite early in his career recorded a number of sessions under his own name for Alfred Lion's Blue Note label, from which came his first albums, all taking advantage of the opportunity for extended performances on the new LP format. This 21- track 2-CD set comprises titles from those sessions for Blue Note during his early years as a bandleader, and features all the titles from the Blue Note albums "Introducing Kenny Burrell", "Kenny Burrell" and "Blue Lights Vol. 1" and most of the titles from the album "Blue Lights Vol. 2". Musicians in his groups include tenor saxophonist Frank Foster, pianists Tommy Flanagan, Duke Jordan and Bobby Timmons, bassists Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers and Sam Jones, drummers Shadow Wilson, Kenny Clarke and Art Blakey, trumpeter Louis Smith, tenor saxophonists Frank Foster, Junior Cook and Tina Brooks and percussionist Candido Camero. He is a stylish and fluent improviser and these early titles are an enjoyable showcase for his distinctive approach to jazz guitar.

As keyboard maestro James Taylor arrives at his 40th year leading his Quartet, he has re-signed with his original label Acid Jazz and is embarking on a series of the most radical projects he has ever worked on. Following his first classical album, Shadows and Dreams earlier this year, he brings the Quartet together for a remarkable new album. Te Deum sets the ancient, 4th-entury Christian text to intense jazz, funk, and Latin grooves. The music sees the James Taylor Quartet working alongside the children of the Benenden Chapel Choir, and a guest horn section and legendary Acid Jazz percussionist Snowboy. Lead track, "Have Mercy On Us," mixes Brazilian samba with Gregorian chants, "The Comforter" sounds like a Donald Byrd with voices Blue Note Records experiment, and last year's radio favorite "Wildflower," mixes bossa nova with sunshine pop harmonies and a positive message.

GOODBYE STRAWBERRY HILL

VOLUME