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

CANDY STORE BLUES: THE SINGLES & ALBUMS COLLECTION

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)

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

BEAT ME DADDY: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1939-47

First transforming the iconic music of Cedar Walton into stellar big band arrangements, followed by a dive into the idiosyncratic rhythmic mastery of Ari Hoenig, pianist and composer Ben Markley's two big band albums displayed a formidable voice, always searching for challenges while reveling in surprise. With Tuesday Morning Feeling, Markley steps decisively into his own voice, delivering seven originals and several new arrangements of Thelonious Monk and Cedar Walton. He balances authority and openness, pairing strong melodic ideas with flexible frameworks that invite conversation, risk, and momentum. The band itself is a blend of long-standing Front Range collaborators and world-renowned guest artists, including Terell Stafford, Steve Nelson, Steve Davis, Bijon Watson, and David Wong, whose presence adds both fire and depth to the ensemble sound. Solos burn, the ensemble breathes as one, and the rhythmic engine never loses sight of swing. Tuesday Morning Feeling captures a big band in it's stride: grounded, evolving, and driven by the joy of making music. "a depth of melodicism and harmonic sophistication at work amidst rhythmic brilliance" DownBeat"classic big band sounds, an upbeat take on the format, full of adept arrangements and intricate soloing" DownBeat

3ELEMENTS: CONVERSATIONS OF HOPE

MEMENTO

Catherine Russell's Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dot Time Records captures her GRAMMY-nominated artistry in a vibrant, career-defining performance. A powerhouse ensemble and vintage-inspired arrangements honor the Hot Club of New York and the rich lineage of swing, blues, and early jazz. Featuring "Now You're Talkin' My Language" and "Never Too Old to Swing."

TACTIL

Aja Monet is a Surrealist Blues Poet in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. Her poems are harmolodic, vulnerable, and insurgent. As the youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she first cut her teeth in New York City's Lower East Side poetry clubs and bars, honing her voice and craft on the storied stages of a burgeoning grassroots poetry movement. She follows in the long legacy and tradition of poets organizing in social movements for change. Her collaborative spirit has seen her shape and shift culture alongside internationally renowned artists, scholars, activists, and organizers. aja's first full collection of poems, my mother was a freedom fighter (2017), is a powerful tribute to women who embody freedom, earning a nomination for a NAACP Image Award for Poetry. Her debut poetry album, when the poems do what they do, was nominated for a Grammy Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024. The album explores themes of resistance, love, and the inexhaustible quest for joy. As a poet and touring bandleader, she has performed at festivals, concert halls, and theaters across the globe including but not limited to, the Guggenheim, Lincoln Center, Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Fremantle Biennele and the Barbican Centre to name a few. Aja Monet's awards include the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award for Poetry (2019), the Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award (2024), The Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award (2024), the EBONY 100 Artist In Residence Award, and the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award (2025). She also serves as the Artistic Creative Director for V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. In 2022, she created "VOICES," an audio play amplifying the stories of Black women across the diaspora and the African continent. Aja Monet's most recent book of poems inspired by several years living and organizing in South Florida is called, Florida water on Haymarket Books. Her sophomore studio album the color of rain, is set to be released in May 2026 with drink sum wtr.

MONTREUX, ZARAGOZA & RAMATUELLE JAZZ FESTIVALS

From Shanghai-born composer and bandleader Zhengtao Pan comes Day by Day, a sweeping nine-track album for jazz orchestra that draws on classical structure, Chinese musical tradition, film scoring, and the full expressive range of the contemporary big band. Recorded in 2025 and featuring guest artists Rufus Reid, Steve Wilson, Itai Kriss, and Sara Gazarek, the album balances orchestral ambition with deeply personal storytelling. Highlights include the patient, folk-like "Childhood" built on a repeating bass foundation conceived specifically for the legendary Rufus Reid; the groove-driven "Wind Dance" featuring Steve Wilson's soprano saxophone over an Afro-Cuban pulse with Celtic melodic fingerprints; the cinematic "Aurora" featuring Grammy-nominated vocalist Sara Gazarek in a Kenny Wheeler-inspired orchestral setting; and the epic title track, a portrait of artistry as persistence, opening with an intricate ostinato in shifting odd meters before building to a fully earned shout chorus. Pan, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and currently pursuing a master's degree at the Eastman School of Music, has drawn on mentorships with Steven Feifke, Miho Hazama, and Gabriela Ortiz to develop a compositional voice that is simultaneously global and deeply rooted in jazz tradition. Fans of Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, and Wayne Shorter's orchestral work will find Day by Day both thrilling and deeply humane.

Jazz guitarist Bill Banfield's father just turned 100 years old. At a recent celebration, family and friends gathered virtually and in person to celebrate his life and ask his advice. Bill had been learning his father's lessons for years, but a recent phone conversation led his dad to give him the title for his new Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings album. As Bill tells it, he was speaking with his dad when he suddenly realized that he had something else that he needed to do. His father said, "Bill, I will talk to you, but you must TAKE TIME TO LISTEN." The words hit Bill like a thunderbolt, as his album was designed as encouragement to concentrate on the stories found deep in his music. Born and raised in Detroit, Banfield attended the prestigious arts magnet school, Cass Tech. He was mentored by two of the city's finest jazz guitarists, Kenny Burrell and Earl Klugh. He also learned from the examples of masters George Benson, John Scofield, Emily Remler, Pat Martino, and Jack Wilkins. Banfield calls his approach "solo-voiced guitar," reflecting his belief that imagination and emotion are essential ingredients in all great music, and that his playing comes directly from his heart. Banfield dedicates TAKE TIME TO LISTEN to Burrell and Klugh "to lift up these jazz guitar icons who greatly inspired and coached me as an early teen as I aspired to be like my heroes." Banfield's accomplishments range far beyond the scope of this album. His independent label JazzUrbane issued recordings featuring Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Grace Kelly, Greg Osby, and Terri Lyne Carrington. On the classical side, Banfield has composed 12 symphonies, 7 operas and 9 concerti, with performances of these works spanning most of North America's finest orchestras. A renowned educator, he is a Professor Emeritus from the Berklee School of Music and is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Longy School of Music at Bard College. He was the Arts and Culture correspondent for "The Tavis Smiley Show," and was hired by Quincy Jones in 2010 to create a national music curriculum and textbook revolving around American musical culture. Banfield has written several books, including volumes on Ornette Coleman, Kendrick Lamar, and Nikki Minaj.

Randy Weston is known to the public thru the lens of the small ensemble of the African Rhythm group, recognition that is very well deserved and his signature around the world. Randy Weston is not only in direct lineage of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, he was also the real integrator of African music into the Jazz World. In 1985 the city of Brooklyn honored Randy with a week-long tribute, culminating in a unique concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on February 16. For this rare occasion, Randy assembled a dream ensemble - dancers, singers (including Andy Bey), and a big band like no other. The arrangements and conducting were entrusted to none other than Melba Liston - his trusted collaborator and musical sister. Melba, a brilliant trombonist and an even more masterful arranger, transformed Randy's compositions into grand orchestrations that paid tribute to his musical legacy. One of three releases marking the 100th birthday of Randy Weston. It features previously unreleased live material.

My current project is called Omniphoria... a title conceived by Mary Suzanne Garvey (my wife/partner for many years). Mary also provides the lovely painting for the cover art. The project consists of 13 tracks featuring several of my longtime associates and musicians from years of making music, Dan Balmer, Dave Captein, Doug Durbrow and several others joined me. We were even able to squeeze in a live track from my band in 1989. And I was thrilled to record a piano/voice duet with my brother Mukunda who joins me in a song from the world of Hare Krishna of which he is a founding devotee.

Electric is the seventh studio album from 2025 Billboard Artist of the Year and 19-time Billboard #1 guitarist producer Adam Hawley-a forward-thinking collection that pushes contemporary jazz deeper into the streaming era while staying rooted in melody, groove, and emotional connection. The album has already delivered two Billboard #1 singles-"Automatic" and "RollerSk8." "Automatic" blends polished guitar phrasing with an effortlessly catchy hook, mid-tempo pocket, and sleek modern production-ideal for core smooth jazz playlists that balance accessibility with musicianship. "RollerSk8," by contrast, leans into playful rhythmic motion and nostalgic funk undertones, offering a bright, feel-good energy that keeps listeners engaged without overpowering the mood. The album also features marquee appearances by Dave Koz, Everette Harp, Marion Meadows, Jeff Ryan, and Kat Hawley-artists whose audiences align strongly with smooth jazz streaming demographics. These collaborations add tonal variety while preserving cohesion: soaring saxophone lines, silky melodic exchanges, and conversational improvisation moments that elevate the project without drifting from playlist-friendly structure.

WHISKY SCENTED KISSES

GIANTS is jazz guitarist Barry Greene's most fully realized recording to date-a powerful tribute to the players who shaped his musical voice, including Pat Martino, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, and Russell Malone. Spanning organ trio, modern ensemble, and solo guitar settings, the album reflects a lifetime of deep immersion in the jazz tradition, delivered with authority, swing, and an unmistakable personal voice. With Pat Bianchi on B3 organ and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., Greene captures the raw energy and soulful drive of the classic organ trio. The broader sound palette of his quintet setting with David Kikoski on piano, Steve Nelson on vibraphone, bassist Marco Panascia, and Owens, yields richly textured performances that balance fire, lyricism, and harmonic depth. More than a tribute, Giants is a statement-an artist at the peak of his powers honoring the lineage while speaking unmistakably in his own voice. "Monster chops, soulful feel, full/rich classic jazz tone, and virtuosic harmonic techniques establish him as a top-tier guitarist." - Benedetto Guitars. Barry Greene is just about one of the best; not only as a player, but also as a writer and a teacher & a world-class musician. Pat Martino

One of three releases marking the 100th birthday of Randy Weston. It features previously unreleased live material. Randy Weston is known to the public thru the lens of the small ensemble of the African Rhythm group, recognition that is very well deserved and his signature around the world. Randy Weston is not only in direct lineage of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, he was also the real integrator of African music into the Jazz World. Brooklyn, a cradle of jazz history and home to countless musical legends like Max Roach, Duke Jordan, and Cecil Payne, celebrated one of it's finest with a weeklong tribute at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). "African Sunrise"-also presented that year at the Kool Jazz Festival in Chicago with Machito's orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey, and Richard Davis (a recording of that event exists!)-appears here in an arrangement by Melba Liston, showcasing her genius once again.

DYNASTY

A compilation of jazz hits including "The Way You Look Tonight", "Moondance", "Cheek To Cheek" and more; performed by legendary jazz musicians Beegie Adair, Jack Jezzro, Stephen Kummer, and more.