On his new recording, Violet Hour Live at Firehouse 12, Cleaver reconvenes this allstar ensemble for a rare performance and live recording at the New Haven, Connecticut venue. Violet Hour was first assembled for Cleaver's 2008 recording Detroit and features some of the most inspiring instrumentalists that have come into the drummer's orbit, most of them also hailing from or having connections to Cleaver's home town of Detroit, the state of Michigan or the Midwest. The ensemble is made up of some of the best and most in demand musicians in jazz, all questing souls who fortunately managed to cross paths in New York City.

Violist/improviser/composer Mat Maneri envisages his music as one of activity in stasis, or motion within stillness. His music continues from the lineage of master improvisers Paul Bley and Paul Motian with a sound that is distinctly his own and developed over years of discovery and practice. Maneri's new recording, Dust, showcases his stirring playing alongside an ensemble of communicative and exploratory musicians.

The duo found that their approaches to music fit well together, as they both had backgrounds in jazz and classical music. Dominguez's Spanish influences were not foreign to Noiberg, as her background in the widely eclectic music of Israel provided touchstones to the Iberian Peninsula and her own involvement with Latin American music gave her a grounding in some Latin rhythmic ideas. Further, many of the Israeli folkloric pieces that Noiberg introduced to Dominguez reminded him of holiday tunes from his native Andalusia.

Jobim's legacy has lived on through his admirers, followers and apprentices. Bossa Nova and the Brazilian jazz tradition continue to flourish, led by the likes of drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and pianist Helio Alves. With the addition of the great vocalist Maucha Adnet, the friends have assembled a program of music highlighting the beauty of the Brazilian Jazz music that they have performed all over the world. Their new recording, Samba Jazz & Tom Jobim, was recorded to spread their passion even further. // Though Da Fonseca and Alves come from different parts of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, respectively), they both grew up with the sounds of popular Brazilian music and Bossa Nova in their ears. It was upon hearing jazz as teenagers that they decided to pursue the American born genre as their passion. Both would eventually land in New York City to become enmeshed in Gotham's jazz world. // Beginning in 2007 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in New York, they began to perform a program of music called "Samba Jazz and the Music of Jobim" with the singer Maucha Adnet, who was a member of Jobim's ensemble during the last ten years of his life. The trio has toured the world with the program and has developed an incredible empathy.

There are relationships that always remain fruitful. Maybe it is because the discourse never lags or there is unflagging affection. Vocalist Jay Clayton and percussionist Jerry Granelli have been making music together for forty years and their musical connection continues to surprise as their affinity deepens. Their new recording, Alone Together, shows how the spark of creativity has only brightened over the duo's long affiliation.// Separately, the two have had remarkable and eclectic careers. Clayton came up as a jazz singer, only to be recruited into the modern classical worlds of Steve Reich and John Cage before becoming one of the great vocal improvisers in any genre. Granelli was a first call drummer in the Bay Area, playing regularly with piano greats Vince Guaraldi, Mose Allison, Denny Zeitlin and the guitar wizard Ralph Towner.// Clayton and Granelli's relationship stemmed from a recommendation of the great percussionist Collin Walcott. Granelli was running the summer music program at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, an important Buddhist institution where many important voices in creative arts and music came together. Walcott suggested that Granelli invite Clayton to their workshop in 1979.// Upon arriving, and having never met Granelli before, Clayton was asked to perform an improvised concert with Walcott and Granelli in a local planetarium. The rapport between Clayton and Granelli was immediate and deep. Clayton return to Naropa each of the following three summers. Then when Granelli relocated from the Bay Area to Seattle to teach at Cornish College, he invited Clayton to join the faculty.// The two really began to develop their language in Seattle. Meeting regularly in Granelli's basement rehearsal space, the improvisers made a core sound that would drive many future projects, including their group Quartett, featuring trombonist Julian Priester and bassist Gary Peacock. But it was their connection that was the heart of these endeavors. They were true musical soul mates.// Their first foray into recording was a duo recording entitled Sound Songs that was released in 1986 on JMT Records from Germany. Apart from Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," the entire album was improvised, showcasing the captivating talents of these two masters as they created new music together.// Thirty years later, Clayton and Granelli have revisited the integral duo setting they perfected so long ago. They reconvened along with engineer Darren Von Niekerk at the Sonic Temple Studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia for three hours in July 2014. The music was later mixed and edited by longtime friend Sascha Von Oertzen.

It was Charlston's friend, percussionist and Brazilian music expert Gordon Gottlieb, who introduced the vibist to Pascoal's unpredictable genius and to his style, which is fearless, but respectful of tradition. Charlston was immediately attracted to the way Pascoal combined many different musical cultures with his own brilliantly twisted music. Charlston reflects: "Tradition and near insanity are close brothers in Hermeto's world." Inspired by all of this, Charlston created JazzBrasil, a band built with the intention of melding the harmonic sophistication of jazz to the rhythmic intricacies and variation of Brazilian music. // JazzBrasil incorporated a tremendous blend of jazz and Brazilian music experts, including woodwind master Ted Nash, piano great Mark Soskin, bassist Jay Anderson, drummer/percussionist Rog�rio Boccato and percussionist Caf�. The group recorded the album Essentially Hermeto, which was released in 2012. // Over the past seven years, JazzBrasil's repertoire continued to grow and it became apparent that it was time to record. The group's musical canon had also incorporated tunes from other composers, including the great Brazilian guitarist Egberto Gismonti and singer-songwriter Lenine.

The combination of concept, effort and the right collaborators typically leads to good things no matter what the goal might be. These elements are especially integral to cohesion within a musical ensemble in performance, especially a group built of musicians who haven't previously played together. Pianist/composer James Carney was thinking along these lines when he came up with the idea and chose the musicians for his new recording, Pure Heart. // The sextet that Carney put together is quite an assemblage. For the horns, he recruited his longtime friend and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, bass clarinetist and alto saxophonist Oscar Noriega, and recent collaborator and trumpeter Stephanie Richards. Bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Tom Rainey met in their first time ever pairing. In fact, most of these players had never played together before, except Coltrane and Douglas and Noriega and Rainey.

As a MacDowell Fellow and Cultural Envoy for the US State Department, a Bachelor of astrophysics and a 30-year student of piano, Dan Tepfer has distinguished himself as "one of the moment's most adventurous and relevant musicians" (New York Magazine). In the eight years since his last full-length solo release, however, he's composed - and coded - the future. Today, he announces the multimedia, multisensory album Natural Machines, out May 17th on Sunnyside Records.

Luciana Souza's Duos II, released in 2005, 3 years after Barazilian Duos, was also nominated for a Grammy. This "remastered" version replaces the original album (SSC 1142) in Sunnyside's catalog.

Luciana Souza's Brazilian Duos, released in 2002 was nominated for a Grammy. This "remastered" version replaces the original album (SSC 1100) in Sunnyside's catalog. The gifted vocalist is backed by three different acoustic guitarists - Romero Lubambo, Marco Pereira (playing eight-string), and Walter Santos (Souza's father). Souza interprets classic Brazilian songs by figures like Dori Caymmi, Luiz Gonzaga, Djavan, Jobim, Toninho Horta, and her parents, Walter Santos and Tereza Souza.

The great Jay Leonhart has always shown a deft touch on his instrument, the double bass. It would be fair to say that he is equally skilled at turning a phrase. Leonhart's storytelling in word and low tones is sure to delight on his new recording, Joy, a wonderful collection of jazz-inflected art songs. // The bassist's favored configuration for his story filled original tunes has been a trio with piano, bass and drums. His current trio features the beautiful stylings of pianist Tomoko Ohno and the impeccable timing of drummer Vito Lesczak. The trio has been a solid unit for some time, performing regularly at Birdland in New York City.

The great pianist Denny Zeitlin has always been interested in surprising listeners (and himself!) with his improvisational explorations on his original pieces and those from other composers. For the past five years, Zeitlin has been focusing on a single composer to reinterpret on solo piano for his yearly residency at the Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland, California. In December 2016, he decided on the singular trumpeter and musical iconoclast, Miles Davis. Zeitlin's new Remembering Miles is a recording of this spellbinding performance.

Nature Work was born out of the desire of two talented musicians to work together more closely. Jason Stein and Greg Ward boldly added the incomparable talents of Eric Revis and Jim Black to give their ensemble an unpredictable and intriguing blend of strength, intelligence and adventure, which can be heard on the new recording, Nature Work. // There is a place in improvisation where it is in the service of the music to shut off the conscious mind and let the subconscious takeover. Bass clarinetist, composer, and improviser Jason Stein thinks of the work of the subconscious as a natural expression and, thus, considers the act of playing and composing as "nature work." There might not be a better example of this process than with Stein and saxophonist/composer Greg Ward's collaborative ensemble, Nature Work.

The Swiss Jazz Orchestra has created a fabulous collective ensemble that has found a way to play regularly every Monday night in Bern, Switzerland since the ensemble's inception in 2003. But the truly remarkable thing about the ensemble is it's dedication to the presentation of new works by visiting artists and composers. Celebrated composer and pianist Guillermo Klein has been a regular collaborator with the Orchestra for the past few years and the Swiss Jazz Orchestra & Guillermo Klein presents the tremendous work the pairing has allowed to flourish.

Surprises, saxophonist Dave Liebman said when asked about playing with the master pianist Martial Solal. Their second Sunnyside album of duets finds them before a knowledgeable and appreciative audience at Studio 104 de Radio France, a center of uncompromising music in the City of Light. "The surprises are endless," Liebman told me. "Martial doesn't want it to be perfect. He's twenty years older than I am, and, to borrow a term from a newer generation, he wants the music to be 'killer.' When he plays, it is definitely killer." There is an exhilarating range of music in this second Solal-Liebman album, which follows their Masters In Bordeaux, (ssc 1489). Whenever their next encounter may be, let us hope that someone with recording equipment is invited. The world needs more of the infectious spirit that these masters found together in Paris.

The leader brought together a host of amazing musicians to realize his original compositions and an arrangement of a composition by Barber. Coello enlisted the Art Government, a percussion group made up of his former students and his peers, along with the incredible classical saxophonist Xabier Casal and legendary prog rock drummer Simon Phillips, who adds his incredible flair to a handful of tracks.

Tokyo born composer Miho Hazama is one of New York's most astounding young talents. Lauded in Downbeat as one of "25 for the Future", Miho is quickly establishing herself as a force of nature on the world's stage. As the 2015 recipient of the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize, Miho developed her signature ensemble "m_unit". Now having 2 full length releases on Universal Music Japan/ Sunnyside Records, Miho has written for and expertly showcased the abilities of guest artists such as Joshua Redman, Stefon Harris, Steve Wilson, and Gil Goldstein, to name a few. Furthermore, each album was carefully overseen by Miho's musical mentor and jazz composition powerhouse, Jim McNeely. Critics and music fans alike have praised the recordings, and Miho has been featured in such influential publications as Downbeat, JazzTimes, NPR, CD Journal and many more. "Dancing in Nowhere" is the 3rd album of Miho with the "m_unit" and features Lionel Loueke as guest artist.

Even though musicians may come from divergent places, it is amazing to find that many have the same proclivities when it comes to musical tendencies and taste. The relationship between Detroit born baritone saxophonist and bass clarinetist Alex Harding and Romanian pianist Lucian Ban is one example, in this case two musician from such different places, coalesce around the power of the blues. Their new recording, Dark Blue, is a testament to their musical and brotherly bond. Even though musicians may come from divergent places, it is amazing to find that many have the same proclivities when it comes to musical tendencies and taste. The relationship between Detroit born baritone saxophonist and bass clarinetist Alex Harding and Romanian pianist Lucian Ban is one example, in this case two musician from such different places, coalesce around the power of the blues. Their new recording, Dark Blue, is a testament to their musical and brotherly bond. Even though musicians may come from divergent places, it is amazing to find that many have the same proclivities when it comes to musical tendencies and taste. The relationship between Detroit born baritone saxophonist and bass clarinetist Alex Harding and Romanian pianist Lucian Ban is one example, in this case two musician from such different places, coalesce around the power of the blues. Their new recording, Dark Blue, is a testament to their musical and brotherly bond.

The past few years have found saxophonist/composer Jeremy Udden stepping away from his more fleshed out ensemble projects to focus on music with a more stripped down, direct approach. This led him to working up solo concerts, which, in turn led him back to one of his main influences, the great saxophonist and musical conceptualist Steve Lacy.// The loose and instinctive playing of Lacy has long been a draw for Udden. Udden even studied with the master improviser when Lacy was teaching at the New England Conservatory. After Lacy passed in 2004, Udden performed at a memorial concert that was held in New York City, along with a number of Lacy's friends and collaborators, including the drummer John Betsch. // Over the past few years, Udden also began a collaboration with Paris based bassist Nicolas Moreaux, with whom he recorded Belleville Project, which was released in 2015. The two continued to interact and consider new projects. As it turns out, the American born Betsch called Paris home for decades and Moreaux had been performing with him on occasion. The idea of incorporating Betsch into a trio project began to coalesce and would eventually culminate in their new recording, Three In Paris.

Saxophonist and composer Logan Strosahl has increasingly been involved in the myriad worlds of formal composition. His study of pre-1700's and contemporary composition has led his music far from his musical roots in jazz music. That isn't to say that jazz had been usurped; on the contrary, Strosahl's new recording, Sure, by his new ensemble, Spec Ops, is a vital reflection of his continued engagement with the tradition and future of that music. // Having grown up as somewhat of a saxophone prodigy in the Pacific Northwest, Strosahl has a deep connection to jazz and feels that no matter how far his musical interests have ranged, jazz will always be "home". He doesn't view jazz as a dogmatic music, though... to him as to many others, it has always been the music of improvisation, interaction, energy, intellect, and the blues; an omnivorous music at once "high" and "low," in-your-gut and in-your-head.

The cumulative brilliance shaped by three decades of composing and performing has made appearances by Greg Reitan special occurrences. The Los Angeles based pianist has been providing the jazz, classical and film worlds with exceptional compositional work and listeners have paid special attention to his trio's well-honed live performances. It was during an October 2017 appearance at New York's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola that the spark for Reitan's new recording, West 60th, was ignited. Inspired by the dramatic view of the city during soundcheck from the venue's perch atop Columbus Circle, Reitan wrote the waltz of the same name in his hotel room. The song became the centerpiece of his new album with longtime collaborators bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba.

The dream of many international jazz musicians is to experience the jazz life of New York City. Saxophonist Tobias Meinhart had the same dream and made a move to the City from his native Germany a decade ago. Having lived in New York for ten years, he came to the realization that a young man from Bavaria can never be from Harlem and that his German roots are central to his musical identity. // For his new album Berlin People, Meinhart wanted to bridge the musical cultures of New York City and Germany by recording with a band of his German peers and an American jazz guitarist who has made Berlin his home, the great Kurt Rosenwinkel. // Though Meinhart had made his home in New York, he regularly returned to Europe and frequently stayed in Berlin during the summers, where he would reconvene with his musician friends. It was his long time friend, bassist Tom Berkmann, who put Meinhart in touch with Rosenwinkel, a musician that the saxophonist had long admired and hoped to perform with.

There is an energy that a strong family dynamic can stir. A parent viewing the world through their children's eyes generates a wide spectrum of feelings. It is with his family as a source of strength that bassist and composer Joe Martin created the music for his new recording, �toil�e. Martin, himself a product of a musical upbringing, lives with his Parisian-born wife in Brooklyn where they have been raising their young Franco-American family of two sons and a young girl, whose middle name �toile inspired the name of the recording. // Originally hailing from the Midwest, Martin moved to New York City in the mid-90s and has since carved a place at the forefront of jazz as one of the most respected and sought after bassists in the City. His skills as an accompanist and his unique solo voice have propelled bands led by Mark Turner, Gilad Hekselman, Chris Potter, Edward Simon, Anat Cohen, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and many more. Melodic and poetic, �toil�e is a musical tapestry that captures both his writing and bandleading talents. For this session, he assembled a group he leads regularly in New York: Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, and Nasheet Waits.

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Sanders' individual approach and the strikingly singular language developed by the trio have commanded the attention of no less discerning a stylist than pianist Fred Hersch. "When you know that Fred Hersch is watching and listening to everything you're doing, you have a tendency to deliver at your utmost capabilities," Sanders describes.