With M2 (M-squared), his first studio album since, 1994, Marcus Miller deepens the groove of jazz in the new century. Featuring an all-star cast and Marcus Miller's distinctive, creative vision, M2 liberates crossover jazz from it's conventional form and tonality.

This recording features original compositions from practically all the band members and highlights the diversity of styles in composition as well as performance. You will surely enjoy a journey, from a funky tango, as the title suggests, to Peruvian rhythms on "Mariela's Dream" to the elegant Cuban "Contradanza", by the way of bolero, to the waltz, samba, milonga, to the final return of the jazz standard "Giant Steps".

WISHING ON THE MOON

Jazz vocalist presents an album of love songs, but not the usual round of familiar standards, although a few favorites are included; tracks include "All This & Heaven Too," "On The Bumpty Road To Love," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" & "Stoppin' The Clock"

On the 40th anniversary of the death of the great John Coltrane, we celebrate his life, with a collection of two blazing Newport Jazz Festival performances recorded for Impulse. While both sets have previously been issued on various separate releases, they're now together for the first time with the addition of newly discovered, previously unreleased material.

This is the first Meredith d'Ambrosio CD made up of only her own material, albeit in collaboration with jazz instrumentalist composers, Kenny Dorham, Harold Land, Clifford Brown, Tom McIntosh, eddie Higgins and Ralph Moore.

Dave Grusin's musical career has been distinguished by a mastery over a diverse range of styles, counterbalanced by a touch at the piano which makes his keyboard signature totally unique. His award-winning film scores include ON GOLDEN POND, TOOTSIE, THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS, GOONIES, and more, along with tributes to the music of George Gershwin, Henry Mancini and Leonard Bernstein. His first jazz-related release in seven years, AN EVENING WITH, features Patti Austin, Jon Secada, Monica Mancini, Gary Burton, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Sammy Figueroa and the 75-piece Mancini Orchestra.

The Alan Broadbent Trio's previous Savant release, New York Notes (SCD 2166), received rave reviews in the international press. The Guardian (UK) wrote, "The bubbling stream of notes is both unpredictable and inevitable, and following it's twists and turns is a joy." Couleurs Jazz (France) proclaimed, "Behold! A precious gem of a jazz recording." "Trio in Motion" finds Broadbent, Billy Mintz and Harvie S reunited in the pianist's New York apartment-studio recording music that is spontaneous, surprising, possessing a sly humor and emotionally involving. Broadbent received two Grammy awards and has collaborated with Natalie Cole (Unforgettable), Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Diana Krall and Paul McCartney. Each tune on the setlist is imbued with a warm intimacy and the refreshing, slightly piquant glow of intensity which warms both the listener's heart and mind.

I always knew Richie was a great producer of films. When I got to sing some jazz numbers with him and his group I learned something else. The man is a fantastic jazz drummer and an incredible Latin Jazz musician. Enjoy this great music! - Joe Pesci

Featuring Special Guests Kim Waters, Marion Meadows, Paul Jackson, Jr. And Kim Scott!! Jazz in Pink, the premier all female all-star smooth jazz ensemble, is the brainchild of Grammy nominated multi-talented composer, key- boardist, producer Gail Jhonson. Gail has also been a long-time collaborator and music director for the Grammy winning smooth jazz superstar, Norman Brown. Joy! #has already garnered 2 Smooth Jazz Radio Hits, "Joy Joy!" and "Keystroke." Jazz InPink has been a featured performer at the Playboy Jazz Festival, The Hollywood Bowl and has shared the stage with the likes of Bobby Womack, Kirk Franklin, Patti Austin, Yanni, and many others! Highlights include the uplifting "Joy Joy!" featuring Kim Waters, the chilled out "All That Jazz"featuring Marion Meadows, the romantic "Into The Nite" and much more.

Natural Selection is the highly-anticipated follow-up to drummer/composer Dan Weiss's 2018 release Starebaby, an unconventional compounding of doom metal, electronic music, and improvisation into a dark and mystic brew. That album was named to many best-of 2018 lists, including Rolling Stone, which described it as "an album that creates it's own sonic cinematic reality," while NPR called it "Astonishing... A true convergence of heavy trudge and spontaneous combustion." As with Starebaby, the new album is deeply inspired by the 2017 return of David Lynch's television show Twin Peaks, whose dreamlike, foreboding feel pervades much of this music. The entire group - comprised of a dream-team of musicians who share a love for heavy metal and whose playing is unbound by genre - returns from the first album: Ben Monder (who plays on David Bowie's Blackstar) on guitar, Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Melvins, Secret Chiefs 3) on bass, and the twin-keyboard/piano/electronics attack of the exceptionally creative Matt Mitchell and Craig Taborn. The recording of Natural Selection came fast at the end of a run of performances for the band, which helped further cement the group's unique sound. It's staggering to contemplate the wide-ranging ability of these musicians: from bone-crunching power to pensive reflection; exacting hits to improvised texture; faith to the compositions and manic improvisation, all played with imagination and conviction.

Classical Music

2022 release. Featuring David's 12 piece big band, contributions by Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal and more! With over 20 #1 smooth jazz radio hits, sales of over 2 million albums, and touring the world over for more than 30 years, David Benoit is a true smooth jazz icon!! On A Midnight Rendezvous, David fulfills his long-standing dream of writing and arranging for a 12 piece big band featuring some of the top instrumentalists on the L.A. scene, including Eric Marienthal, Wayne Bergeron, Roberto Vally, and others. Additional highlights include the seductive title tune "A Midnight Rendezvous," the driving "Long Journey Home," and much more!

PAQUITO & MANZANERO - PAQUITO D'RIVERA PLAYS THE

Classical Music

The collaborative trio of Ben Goldberg (clarinet, contra alto clarinet), Geof Bradfield (soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet) and Dana Hall (percussion) explores new directions on General Semantics. Their Delmark Records debut features original music by the trio as well as unique interpretations of Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor, and Hermeto Pascoal. The unusual instrumentation-especially the lack of a bassist- enables the musicians to transcend traditional instrument roles of accompaniment, improvisation, and interaction and create music that embraces form and harmony alongside freedom and spontaneous improvisation.

JAZZ MEETS THE CLASSICS

Last Desert is guitarist Liberty Ellman's follow up to his critically-acclaimed Radiate (Pi 2015), which the Wall Street Journal described as "bristling with energy and innovation" and Downbeat praised as "unique, indelible and fully human." Named #1 Rising Star Guitarist in the 2016 Downbeat Critics Poll, Ellman is perhaps best known as a trusted associate of jazz legend Henry Threadgill, with whom he has played for almost 20 years, including on the Pulitzer Prize-winning release In for a Penny, In for a Pound. His unorthodox playing style is also key to collaborations with the likes of Myra Melford, Joe Lovano, and JD Allen. Pianist and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Iyer calls him "my favorite living guitarist." Ellman's new work is inspired by a foot race that takes place in Antarctica, the final leg in a series of ultramarathons called Four Deserts that take place in some of the harshest environments on earth. Last Desert celebrates the juxtaposition of the austere beauty of the landscape with the grueling nature of the event, and the clarity of focus that the competition requires. His compositions employ a complex melodic weave, but are always lyrical and percolate with groove. Ellman is rejoined by all the musicians from Radiate: Steve Lehman on alto sax, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Jose Davila on tuba, Stephan Crump on bass and Damion Reid on drums. Together, they conjure Ellman's panoramic musical vista to brilliant effect.

Ray Mantilla was one of the true conga giants during the 1950s, 60s and 70s recording hundreds of album sessions and pioneering the use of unique combinations of latin percussion instruments. Among his most famous collaborations were with Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann and Max Roach. In 1977, Mantilla was selected by the great jazz ambassador Dizzy Gillespie to accompany him to Cuba as the first US band to visit the island since the travel embargo of 1962. Their joint concerts with Cuba's indigenous bands made musical and political history. For REBIRTH, Mantilla surrounded himself with his long-time colleagues Edy Martinez, Ivan Renta, Guido Gonzalez, Diego Lopez and others, once again proving that the music he made came from his heart as well as from his lifetime of experience. Ray Mantilla was very insistent on titling this recording REBIRTH. After a long illness the irrepressible Ray Mantilla passed away a few short months after completing the sessions for this CD. The music contained here is a fitting tribute to the man and the musician beloved by so many.

2020 release. Diana Krall's self-produced album, This Dream Of You, was mixed by Al Schmitt, who worked closely with her to achieve the notable intimacy and immediacy. Performances from 2016-2017 sessions, on which she collaborated with late friend/longtime creative partner Tommy LiPuma. A record for right now but also feels like a movie you might share with someone you know will stay with it until the final reel. As she says, "If But Beautiful is the overture, then 'Singing In The Rain' is the end title.

2020 release. Two time Grammy winner Randy Brecker, an original member of Blood, Sweat and Tears, has been featured with legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver and many others. The groundbreaking Brecker Brothers group, formed with his multi Grammy Award-winning brother Mike Brecker, is revered as one of the creators of fusion jazz. Two time Grammy Winner Eric Marienthal, a longtime featured member of The Chick Corea band, has performed with such greats as Elton John, Aaron Neville and Ramsey Lewis. His many #1 Smooth Jazz radio hits have garnered him a wide audience. Double Dealin' is an historic meeting of these two Jazz giants. Kicking off with the funky "Double Dealin'", the album features 10 originals such as "Mind The Fire,"a heartfelt tribute to Chuck Loeb, the Brazilian-flavored "Sambop," the laid back "3 Deuces" and much

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Of JD Allen, Giovanni Russonello in The New York Times said, "Mr. Allen has become one of today's most exciting tenor saxophonists not by trying to spotlight his own virtuosity... but by defining a new way of playing in a group." Allen's current release, "Toys / Die Dreaming," is his 14th as a leader and builds on his already rich recorded legacy. His compositions exhibit his philosophy of providing short melodies as the basis of both solo and group improvisation; "Get in and get out," as Allen likes to say. This gives his music a remarkable ever-transforming feel, as if the improvisation was actually part of the composition itself. To bring his music to life, Allen requires players of the utmost talent and creativity and he has certainly found them in bassist, Ian Kenselaar and drummer, Nic Cacioppo. "I found the bad boys of this generation, as far as I'm concerned," says Allen, "guys who are not afraid to dip their toe in the avant-garde a little bit, and then turn around and play the tradition." But tradition to Allen is a development, an unending arc of creativity which begins at the dawn of jazz and to which he is the latest contributor to the music's evolution.