The "[Everything Jazz - Vol.5 ECM Edition]" collection stands as an essential, high-fidelity offering for any serious jazz enthusiast, compiling fifty carefully curated, generation-spanning masterpieces from the renowned ECM label that have earned acclaim both internationally and in Japan. What truly elevates this set is the commitment to superb technical brilliance; presented on the Ultimate High Quality CD (UHQCD) format-often for the first time-and enhanced with the Green Color Label Coat specification, these reissues promise pristine audio fidelity, faithfully reproducing the original master recordings with astonishing clarity. Beyond the cutting-edge sound, the collection adds substantial value with detailed booklets featuring brand-new liner notes and artist comments for each work, making this an indispensable, comprehensive package that blends timeless classics with definitive sound quality, ready for you to discover your next destined masterpiece.

The "[Everything Jazz - Vol.5 ECM Edition]" collection stands as an essential, high-fidelity offering for any serious jazz enthusiast, compiling fifty carefully curated, generation-spanning masterpieces from the renowned ECM label that have earned acclaim both internationally and in Japan. What truly elevates this set is the commitment to superb technical brilliance; presented on the Ultimate High Quality CD (UHQCD) format-often for the first time-and enhanced with the Green Color Label Coat specification, these reissues promise pristine audio fidelity, faithfully reproducing the original master recordings with astonishing clarity. Beyond the cutting-edge sound, the collection adds substantial value with detailed booklets featuring brand-new liner notes and artist comments for each work, making this an indispensable, comprehensive package that blends timeless classics with definitive sound quality, ready for you to discover your next destined masterpiece.

SONG FOR ABBEY

J'AI DEUX AMOURS: THE COLLECTION 1926-60

Marion Rampal's Song for Abbey is a tribute to Abbey Lincoln-singer, composer, poet, activist, actress-whose art reshaped jazz through voice, writing, and stance. Lincoln rejected convention and built a body of work that joined poetry, melody, and moral clarity. Her late career revealed a powerful catalogue of original songs, deeply personal and still rarely covered. Rampal approaches Lincoln as a living influence rather than a distant monument. The album revisits key works from Lincoln's repertoire and sets them alongside pieces that illuminate her roots and affinities-Oscar Brown Jr., Bob Dylan, standards such as Skylark-mapping the sources that nourished her imagination. Songs such as Caged Bird, Learning How to Listen, and The Music Is the Magic are treated as present tense, not archival objects. Guest appearances from Bill Frisell and Archie Shepp mark continuity rather than nostalgia. Frisell's guitar brings lyric economy. Shepp, once close to Lincoln, joins Rampal in newly created music, linking memory with current creation. The arrangements avoid imitation. They search for the structural core of each song-speech rhythm, dramatic line, silence as active element. Rampal's vocal approach privileges articulation, text, timbre, and narrative clarity, drawing on jazz, blues, and folk without display. The result is not pastiche but reactivation: Lincoln's questions about self, freedom, and responsibility in sound are carried forward. Song for Abbey also presents Lincoln as an artist who resisted constraint-industry pressures, gendered expectations, racial projections-not through manifesto but through work. Independence is audible in the songs themselves: direct language, exact phrasing, demanding listening. The album acts as remembrance and renewal, lively rather than reverential, combining melody with free, untamed passages. It conveys the force of an artist who understood jazz as a medium for shaping voice and character.

ON MY OWN TIME

INDIGO

Bob Brookmeyer - The Brookmeyer Bands: Early Years 1954-56 - Bob Brookmeyer, born in 1929, was a jazz trombonist, a renowned exponent of the valve trombone, who came to the fore during the 1950s with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra and in the Stan Getz group, before starting his career leading his own bands, as well as playing with the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry and others. His compositional style drew on contemporary classical writing, incorporating atonality, chromatic harmony and other techniques to develop distinctive themes and structures. This 32-track 2-CD set comprises the titles from several of his early albums, on which he is leader, co-leader or featured perfomer. They comprise "Teddy Charles New Direction Quartet feat. Bob Brookmeyer" on Prestige (later released on the Prestige LP "The Dual Role Of Bob Brookmeyer"), "Bob Brookmeyer Featuring Al Cohn" on Storyville, "The Bob Brookmeyer Quartet" on Pacific Jazz, "Bob Brookmeyer Plays Bob Brookmeyer" on Clef and "The Bob Brookmeyer Quintet" on Prestige (also part of "The Dual Role Of Bob Brookmeyer"). It features performances with Teddy Charles, Teddy Kotick, Ed Shaughnessy, Al Cohn, John Williams, Bill Anthony, Frank Isola, Henri Renaud, Jimmy Gourley, Red Mitchell, Jimmy Rowles, Buddy Clark, Mel Lewis and Jimmy Raney. Capturing him in the early years of his career, it's an enlightening introduction his music and an enjoyable showcase for distinctive style of playing and composing.

Freedom of Art is the soul-stirring second album from acclaimed bassist, composer, and educator Corcoran Holt. Known for his work with jazz titan Kenny Garrett and for his emotive style steeped in lineage and innovation, Holt delivers a powerful statement on life, love, and legacy. Recorded with a stellar ensemble-including Stacy Dillard, Josh Evans, Benito Gonzalez, Kweku Sumbry, and Lewis Nash-this 15-track album blends traditional jazz values with deeply personal storytelling. From the heartfelt "Theme for Ma" to the spiritual energy of "Kiss to the Skies," Freedom of Art celebrates both ancestry and new beginnings. Standout moments include tributes to jazz greats like Benny Golson and Ray Brown, as well as intimate performances with Holt's own family. Whether you're a lifelong jazz listener or new to the genre, this album invites you to reflect, rejoice, and rediscover the beauty of music as personal testimony.

GUNHILD CARLING BIG BAND WITH STRINGS - "JAZZ IS MY LIFESTYLE" - Gunhild Carling, vocals trombone trumpet composer arranger; Neil Fontano, piano; Jim Fox, guitar; Ken Wild, bass; Jamey Tate, drums; Johan Blome, banjo; Luke Kirley, sousaphone; REEDS: Mark Visher, Danny House, Dan Kaneyuki, Dan Boissy & Caesar Martinez. TRUMPETS: Jonathan Bradley, Mike Stever, Ray Monteiro & Jamie Hovorka. TROMBONES: Ryan Dragon, Nick Daley, Erm Navarro & Julianne Gralle. SPECIAL GUESTS: Scotty Barnhart, trumpet; Chloe Feoranzo & Nathan Tokunaga, clarinet; Viggo Blome, drums; Idun Carling, trombone; Neil Fontano, piano. STRINGS: The Prague Strings Chamber Orchestra. Gunhild Carling is a remarkable musician, composer and singer. She headlines this band and is a multi-instrumentalist, in addition to her warm, quite compelling voice. The band opens with the title tune, one that Carling composed, both music and lyrics. Known as the Swedish Queen of Jazz, she is quite the entertainer. Sparkly on stage, with sequined dresses and flowing blond hair, reminiscent of Billie Holiday with flowers pinned into her hairdo, Carling picks up a trombone or a trumpet and shows the audience that she can play these instruments as well as any of her big band members. She is the consummate entertainer, playing her instruments with the same flair and drama that she sings a song. At times, I hear the influence of the great Lady Day in Carling's vocal presentation, especially on ballads like "I Desire You." In addition to all her many talents, she is an amazing composer. Her songs are well written with strong lyrical content and memorable melodies. This lady is the whole entertainment package. On this album, you will hear and enjoy eleven of her original compositions. It's also a family affair. Joining her on this project is her daughter, Idun Carling who plays trombone, her son, Viggo Blorn� plays drums, and her husband, Johan Blome plays banjo. On this recording, added to her 13-piece big band is the Prague Strings Chamber Orchestra. She also has included trumpeter, Scotty Barnhart and clarinetists, Nathan Tokunaga and Chloe Feoranzo. Gunhild Carling started performing with her family band when she was nine, playing trombone. She soon mastered the trumpet, played the recorder, the harmonica and even the bagpipes. She studied tap dance and added dancer to her biography. Always ready to expand her musical world and eager to learn more, she began to sing and learned to play banjo, ukulele and harp. It didn't take long for her to carve out a reputation in Europe as a multi-instrumentalist and great stage performer. In 2018, Carling moved to Northern California with her family. Although based in America, she continues touring the world. She is a social media influencer with over 70-million views on Youtube. Jazz is My Lifestyle is the perfect title for her album and her career.

RUDEL

PACIFIQUES BICHES

Both worlds : two worlds... at the same time ! As in "the best of both worlds," where one undoubtedly wants to have everything but also offer the best of each universe. Both Worlds, a new step for Michel Petrucciani, or how to juxtapose distinct (id)entities and bring together the best of reciprocal elements, for the duration of a tour, a record, a wide-scale project. Dualism, then, but also balance. Geographical, from Paris to New York, and cultural, with three European musicians and three Americans. Both Worlds is clearly the testimony of the fruitful encounter between two worlds, between a composer and an arranger; the collaboration of two creative spaces that are dissimilar yet compatible. For the first time in his career, Michel Petrucciani entrusted his most accomplished compositions to another tailor of jazz and poet of made-to-measure, Bob Brookmeyer. The result is a magical undertaking, retaining that particularly distinctive "two worlds" character in the pianist's work: a writing imbued with classics and standards, over one of the most modern rhythm sections. Joy, melancholy, humor and moods, this recording displays a rich emotional palette and a few nods to Rodgers & Hart (Petite Louise), Return to Forever (35 Seconds of Music and More), Maurice Chevalier (On Top of the Roof) and Hollywood musicals (Chlo� Meets Gershwin referring to A Foggy Day and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers by Johnny Mercer). Within an abundant discography, Both Worlds innovates and profiles the pianist's work in a new light. For the first time as well, Michel Petrucciani assembles a genuine group and builds a homogeneous formation where his presence and role are no longer perceived as dominant elements. While in many of his previous records the piano seemed to leap out of the rhythm section for an obvious highlighting, Both Worlds deliberately inserts Petrucciani within the group, and makes the pianist an integrated element of the whole, allowing him to be the leader without acting like one. Another novelty: Michel Petrucciani uses the horns here as never before; they no longer intervene only as soloists but in a new context, as accompaniment and counterpoint. If this record could only come to life thanks to an intense collaboration between composer and arranger, the unexpected production work of drummer Steve Gadd surely contributed to it's creation. Thanks to his experience in the most diverse contexts and to a solid friendship with Michel Petrucciani, he was able to provide knowledgeable suggestions and above all appropriate structural ideas. Both Worlds like the two flat faces of the same coin, the work of a Michel Petrucciani thus doubly generous and in a language that is as simply universal as possible. Thierry P�r�marti, New York, September 1997

At the heart of the story of jazz is the story of an interaction between two dynamic elements - the improvising musician, and the song. David Forman, well known as a concert photographer and one of the UK's foremost aficionados of jazz, has been composing songs for seventy years. Under the direction of renowned pianist and producer Mark Edwards, a fabulous team of creative jazz musicians have brought David's songs to life. David's compositions arise from the inspirations of his long and eventful life given shape and direction by his enduring love of the Great American Songbook tradition: unafraid to embrace sophistication but always adhering to the timeless appeal of direct melody.

CUMULUS

Billboard #1 ranked recording artist Lawson Rollins, hailed by 'Guitar Player Magazine' as one of the "50 Best Acoustic Guitarists of All Time", announces the new release of his amibitious 2026 album, "Next Steps" a powerful statement of artistic evolution. Known for his virtuosic technique and globally inspired sound, Rollins breaks bold new ground by blending traditional jazz and clssical elements with his signature world-music fusion, creating one of the most stylistically expansive album of his career.

GUITAR SPEAKS

The iconic music of Thelonious Monk has inspired generations of instrumentalists and vocalists. The composer's singular style offers challenges ideal for interpretation. Organist Gregory Lewis has long been a Monk acolyte and specialist who is always in search of a new way to frame Monk's work. On Organ Monk Sings, Lewis joins forces with vocalist, lyricist, producer, and artistic director Raina Welch (professionally known as Ms. Raina) for a dramatic and original program of Monk compositions. Gregory Lewis is recognized as a Monk scholar and is best known for presenting Monk's repertoire on the Hammond organ. Seeking new ways to highlight Monk's music, Lewis began exploring the integration of voice into his long-running Organ Monk project. A longtime fan of vocalists who had tackled Monk's music, including Carmen McRae and Abbey Lincoln, he sought a collaborator who could bring something distinctive and fresh to the tradition. Lewis and Welch connected through New York's vibrant music circuit, and their musical chemistry developed naturally through performance, conversation, and a shared commitment to the Black American musical lineage. A classically trained vocalist, Ms. Raina studied at Long Island University Brooklyn and Temple University, refining her technique under the mentorship of soprano Alba Quezada Bloomgarden and mezzo-soprano Dr. Lorie Gratis, with advanced mentorship from soprano Christine Moore Vassallo and Grammy-nominated vocalist Carla Cook. In her crossover journey, Cook's influence grounded Ms. Raina's phrasing, rhythmic placement, and storytelling in the lineage of vocal innovators such as Carmen McRae, Abbey Lincoln, Leon Thomas, and Eddie Jefferson, preparing her for the interpretive and technical demands of Monk's work. Over time, Ms. Raina's engagement with Monk's repertoire deepened through Lewis's perspective as an organist and her own study of the Monk vocal tradition shaped by McRae, Lincoln, Thomas, and Jon Hendricks. The two artists discovered a shared creative vision to reimagine Monk's body of work through the voice, not as novelty but as narrative. Ms. Raina led the project's artistic direction, curating repertoire, shaping the dramatic arc, and co-producing the sessions alongside Lewis. Drawing from her classical discipline, she conceived Organ Monk Sings as a sonic play, a narrative suite exploring love, loss, and revelation through Monk's compositions. Her original lyrics for "Let's Cool One" extend Monk's vocal lineage through a modern lens, merging his compositional wit with personal narrative and emotional depth. The project unfolds in four acts, mirroring the structure of a stage work with overture, scenes, interludes, and grand finale. The track sequence itself tells a story that moves from romantic infatuation to heartbreak, introspection, and renewal. A performance at Arthur's Tavern in New York's Greenwich Village at the end of 2024 proved pivotal, featuring saxophonist Jerry Weldon and drummer Nasheet Waits. Their sensitivity and attention to detail made for an ideal performance, making them the natural choice for the recording sessions held in June 2025 at Tedesco Studios in Paramus, New Jersey. Organ Monk Sings features Gregory Lewis on Hammond B2, Jerry Weldon on tenor saxophone, Nasheet Waits on drums, and Ms. Raina on vocals. The program spans eighteen Monk compositions and runs approximately sixty-two minutes, moving fluidly between solo organ, duos, trios, and full quartet settings. Ms. Raina selected the repertoire, including several pieces Lewis had never previously recorded. She crafted a cohesive dramatic sequence, incorporating instrumental tracks as overtures and interludes. Heard as a whole, the program unfolds like a tragic love story, beginning with infatuation, moving through turmoil, and ending in quiet reflection.

FRANK GRATKOWSKI'S IN CAHOOTS

Forever Yours: The Farewell Performance captures highlights from two transcendent solo-piano concerts given just four months before the jazz icon Chick Corea's passing. Made at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL in October 2020, they would be the last public concerts Corea ever gave. Not long after these performances, his health suddenly declined, and in February 2021 the world lost one of it's greatest musicians. These recordings stand as both a deeply affecting goodbye and a definitive document of the Chick Corea solo piano experience. The listener is treated to Corea's signature cascading virtuosity, technical command, and harmonic knowledge. Featuring original music ("Armando's Rhumba," a mini-recital of Children's Songs) alongside homages to some of the composers he cherished, like Monk, Powell, and Ellington. The record reflects the generosity and empathy at the core of his music. Throughout the program, Corea's uncut spoken interludes find him introducing tunes and explaining concepts in his affable, familial way, as if chatting with old friends. Mixed and mastered by long time collaborator Birnie Kirsch and presented as a 2 disc LP set in a gatefold sleeve and includes the bonus track "Pannonica". With liner notes featuring heartfelt messages from well known admirers like Alicia Keys, Herbie Hancock, Hans Zimmer, Bobby McFerrin, Stanley Clarke, Lang Lang, and more. An essential release, it is a fine and fitting end to an astounding career.