There Now is a collection of jazz hybrids: both new compositions and arrangements of early jazz standards. The Gang is concerned equally with the great musical legacies of Louis Armstrong, Pee Wee Russell, Derek Bailey, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It's the kind of exploration that can only come from musicians that are native speakers of three languages: jazz, free jazz and free improvisation. Josh Berman, cornet; Jeb Bishop, trombone: Guillermo Gregorio, clarinet; Jason Stein, bass clarinet; Keefe Jackson, tenor saxophone; Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone; Joshua Abrams, bass and Frank Rosaly, drums. Also available: Old Ideas (DMK 588).

Featuring Richie Cole & Frank Catalano. As a native of Chicago, jazz pianist Jim Holman has been performing in the city's finest jazz clubs since he was sixteen. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's jazz studies program under the tutelage of Jazz Messenger alumni Nathan Davis and Leon Dorsey. Jim has performed in Chicago and Pittsburgh with outstanding jazz icons such as Mark Whitfield, Claudio Roditi, Donald Harrison, Antonio Hart, Jimmy Owens, Cecil Bridgewater and John Moulder. Jim has also performed and recorded with Ira Sullivan. Explosion! Was recorded at two separate quartet sessions also featuring Rick Shandling, Rusty Jones and Brian Sandstorm.

Unique flute work in an intimate quartet setting, supported and stimulated by some of Chicago's finest improvisers: Jeff Parker, guitar; Harrison Bankhead, bass; Avreeayl Ra, drums. Named 2010 Flutist of the Year in the Down Beat Critic's Poll, she rides the wave into new compositions that explore many colors, moods and rhythmic grooves. Mitchell's earlier projects involved larger groups; Black Earth Ensemble, Black Unstoppable (DMK 575 CD and 1575 DVD) and Black Earth Strings, Renegades (587). This smaller group setting opens the door for Mitchell to stretch out as a soloist more so than on any of her previous recordings.

Traditional jazz tubaist Mike Walbridge has been active on the Chicago scene for forty five years as leader of the Chicago Footwarmers and a member of the Chicago Salty Dogs. Clarinetist/alto saxist Kim Cusack has been jamming with Mike since their teens! Kim has been active for many years also in the Footwarmers, the Salty Dogs, Jim Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band and several groups at Andy's, one of Chicago's best jazz clubs. This CD features two mid-60s sessions previously available on the Blackbird label plus a newly recorded 2007 session. The 60s sessions feature Johnny Cooper, piano; Eddie Lynch, banjo; Glen Koch, drums. The 2007 session features Don Stiernberg, banjo/guitar; Bob Cousins, drums.

Solo jazz guitar is an exacting art, and Chicago guitarist Andy Brown has been pursuing his unique finger-style approach to chord-melody playing since falling under the spell of George Van Eps, Joe Pass, and Kenny Poole a couple of decades ago. Praised by Just Jazz Guitar magazine as "a world-class guitarist who is more than capable of giving a clinic on solo guitar performance," this recording captures Andy's nuanced playing on a beautiful array of standard songs, bossa novas, and jazz tunes. Recorded on a frigid January evening during one of Chicago's worst winters in history, this CD is sure to warm your soul! 14 tracks include "Stompin' at the Savoy", "Drum Boogie" and "Anything Goes". Also available: Howard Alden / Andy Brown Quartet, Heavy Artillery (5008).

In 1978 Ernest Dawkins formed New Horizons Ensemble, a group which today continues to create a sound that showcases their unique combination of jazz, bebop, swing, and avant-garde. The Chicago Tribune describes them as "a band with an uncommon versatility that erupts into new music bursts of dissonance and color. This band can enlighten an audience while enthralling it." the Prairie Prophet is NHE's fifth Delmark CD and features Ernest Dawkins, saxophone; Steve Berry, trombone; Marquis Hill, trumpet, Jeff Parker, guitar; Junius Paul, bass; Isaiah Spencer, drums. Contains all new original Ernest Dawkins compositions. This CD is dedicated to Fred Anderson.

Rob Mazurek (cornet), John Herndon (percussion), and Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone) are deeply rooted in the Chicago and international avant garde, jazz and post-rock scenes. Starlicker expel sound with pervading energy and other-worldly delicacy. Mazurek leads, composes for and performs with the critically acclaimed Exploding Star Orchestra, Chicago Underground, Smarcho Paulo Underground, and Sound Is Quintet. Herndon, of the post rock collective Tortoise, creates waves of rhythm and maintains an abstract pulse uniquely his own. Adasiewicz is a Chicago mainstay and Down Beat magazine rising star, and plays in his own Sun Rooms Trio, Exploding Star Orchestra, Rolldown, and Loose Assembly.

Jazz saxophonist Rich Corpolongo is back with his 3rd Delmark CD. The first two Smiles (Delmark 502) and Just Found Joy (Delmark 489) featured Rich's avant-garde as well as his mainstream jazz music and both received a four star rating from Down Beat. Get Happy is straight-ahead jazz in trio format (Rich Corpolongo, tenor sax; Dan Shapera, bass; Rusty Jones, drums) reminiscent of Sonny Rollins. Features 2 Charlie Parker compositions, "Chi Chi" and "Dewey Square" and eight standards including "Body And Soul", "Get Happy" and "Lullaby of the Leaves".

Chicago is known as a Jazz city that carries on the tough tenor sax tradition. The Blues feeling was always an important element for the great tenor sax players like Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson, Red Holloway and now that they are all gone it's Ari Brown that is the leading torch bearer. The album title Freebop for Mal is a tribute to the late Chicago trumpeter and Delmark recording artist Malachi Thompson who called his Jazz Freebop because it combined elements of Free Jazz and Bebop. On this, his fourth Delmark album, Ari is accompanied by brother Kirk Brown, Yosef Ben Israel, Avreeayl Ra and Dr. Cuz.

HIGH RED CENTER

JUST DUET

This CD extols the hot "Chicago Style" jazz of the 20s and 30s. Led by octogenarian, guitarist Marty Grosz, the band features a contingent from The Fat Babies who hold forth at the Green Mill on Chicago's north side and special guest Jim Dapogny. In 1948 Marty Grosz hitchhiked from New York to Chicago in search of "Hot Music". He returned to New York in 1950, made his first records, and then, after a stint in the Army, returned to Chicago where he played for 21 years. A"too-good-to-be-true" offer lured him back to New York, to Carnegie Hall, The White House, and all over the globe. Marty has amassed an acoustic discography that's seventy-seven pages long. 16 songs.

IT'S NOW: R TIME PLAYS DOUG HAMMOND

AT CAFE DE COPAINS

After leading albums on Delmark that featured jazz vets Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp, Kahil El'Zabar is back with a pride of young lions. Tenor saxophonist Kevin Nabors has studied with Von Freeman, Ari Brown and recorded with Corey Wilkes. Keyboardist Justin Dillard is in many bands in various styles of music including his own D-O-3-O organ group. Bassman extraordinaire Junius Paul has recorded with many Chicago jazz greats including Corey Wilkes, Ernest Dawkins and Dee Alexander. Kahil is featured on drums, African hand drum and kalimba. What It Is features seven songs including a burning "Impressions".

Jazz cornet player Rob Mazurek has created a sound world that is uniquely his own, sculpting a total sound environment, by fully utilizing the beautiful instrumentation of the Exploding Star Orchestra and sounds from a variety of sources, including: rain from the Brazilian Amazon, insects at the turn of an eclipse, the hammering overdrive of bicycles in Copenhagen, stacked muted cornets run through various filters, drones built from electric eels and piano feedback, hi-frequency sinuous lines from tone generators, pitched bass guitars, and other prepared instruments. With Nicole Mitchell, Jason Adasiewicz, Greg Ward, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed. Also on LP; CD has one extended track and one bonus track not on the LP.

Add Cripple Clarence Lofton, Henry Brown and Speckled Red to the boogie woogie triumvirate cited in the album title, and you've got one solid, piano-pounding collection! Includes Pinetop's Blues Albert Ammons; Doll House Boogie Meade Lux Lewis; Dirty Dozens Speckled Red; Boogie Woogie Prayer Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson & Meade Lux Lewis; Deep Morgan Henry Brown; G-Flat Blues Pete Johnson; Streamline Train Cripple Clarence Lofton, and more.

Ever since he burst on the scene in the late 60s Archie Shepp has been recognized as one of the great avant-garde jazz artists of all time. The New York Contemporary Five are Archie Shepp, tenor sax; John Tchicai, alto sax; Don Cherry, cornet; Don Moore, bass; J.C. Moses, drums. Recorded November 11, 1963 at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen. Features six compositions: "Cisum", "Crepuscule with Nellie", "O.C.", "When Will the Blues Leave", "The Funeral" and "Mik". "Since this was a recording of a performance, one is treated to a display of raw, highly emotional music. At turns the music is sloppy, powerful, imperfect, moving, irritating - but always alive and distinctly human." - Cadence.

Nicole Mitchell's Ice Crystal project explores water and glass chemistry of flute and vibes, by combining the creative flutist with young luminary Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone. Ice Crystal's sound reminds US of the legendary collaboration between flutist Eric Dolphy and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, but with a Chicago twist. Expression of yet another color in Mitchell's kaleidoscope of approaches, Aquarius is blues-inflected serenity, playfully swinging to the ethereal. Mitchell may have migrated to California, but her Chicago story continues, as she teams up with veteran improvisers Joshua Abrams (bass), Frank Rosaly (drums) and Jason Adasiewicz to take free swing to the ninth degree.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG'S AMERICA VOLUME 2

PLAYS VICTOR YOUNG

Chicago tenor saxophone legend and proprietor of the longest standing and most adventurous avant garde jazz club in Chicago, Fred Anderson celebrated his 80th birthday this past March and Delmark was there to capture it. All three of Fred's earlier Delmark albums were live at the Velvet but the excitement level here is unmatched as the show was sold out weeks in advance. Fred is joined by Kidd Jordan - tenor saxophone, Jeff Parker - guitar, Harrison Bankhead - bass, Chad Taylor - drums. Also available: On the Run (DMK 534), Back at the Velvet Lounge (DMK 549), Timeless (DMK 568, DVD 1568).

This CD and DVD features Coleman Hawkins, Sun Ra, George Lewis, Curtis Fuller, Deep Blue Organ Trio, Francine Griffin, Nicole Mitchell, Ari Brown, Fred Anderson, Chicago Underground Trio, and many more.

For a decade jazz cornet player Josh Berman has been a mainstay of the post-Vandermark generation of Chicago improvisers, a wide circle of ambitious musicians who meet up in varied ad hoc or fixed settings: A circle including all the players in Josh's group Old Idea. He's already recorded some as part of a quartet on Chicago-Luzern Exchange alongside tenor saxophonist Keefe Jackson, with Jackson's big and small bands Project Project and Fast Citizens, with Jason Adasiewicz's quintet Rolldown and Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra. Old Idea is Josh's debut CD as leader. With Keefe Jackson - tenor sax; Jason Adasiewicz - vibes; Anton Hatwich - bass; Nori Tanaka - drums.

As this new album A Dance and a Hop makes clear, jazz cornet player Josh Berman's music has grown by leaps and bounds (or hops). It's only his third as leader-the first two, also on Delmark, were Old Idea (2009) and There Now (2012). Berman is accompanied by label mates Jason Roebke, bass and Frank Rosaly, drums. Berman points out that the eleven original tunes "are directly related to content that I play on cornet; I rarely write without it. I am very interested in the way Jason plays the bass and Frank plays the drums, and how the tunes live without space being filled by reeds, vibraphone, other voices. I think I wanted to hear what 'my idea' sounds like without everything else."