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.

CLASSIC LIVE ALBUMS 1952-54

RUDEL

SOFTLY, SOFTLY: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1954-62

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

ROAD TO FUSION

TIPPIN

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.

Music offers instant and countless ways of freeing myself and connecting with people and the multiverse. It's my sanctuary and path to the unknown. At jams and gigs. I discovered that improv is human nature, and in my nature. It's all about following the qi, the energy, the flow.

With her new studio album "One Grass Skirt To London" Malia presents a life's story filled with tracks from her youth and important moments throughout her life. One Grass Skirt To London is an 8,200-kilometer journey from Malawi to London, where the singer emigrated to as a teenager. Not only was it a geographical and temporal journey but also a musical one. Though most of all, it was a sentimental one, since the 14 songs carefully chosen for this album are so precious to her because of the memories they contain. Almost all are taken from film soundtracks, from "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy to "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun, you find "Pure Imagination" from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as "Here On My Own" from Fame. All of them possess an unique power to evoke an emotion through their music that has shaped her identity, helped overcome trials, and bloom as an artist. Thus, it's no surprise to hear, in the voice of Malia, sometimes even within the same song, the little girl, the teenager, the woman, and also, as if through a fascinating act of vocal transmigration, the soul of those who are no longer with us.

Thomas Str�nen - "Relations" / Musical messages from Oslo, New York, Basel and Lugano - recorded between 2018 and 2022 - are juxtaposed and recombined on an absorbing recording that features Norwegian drummer Thomas Str�nen solo and in a series of duets. With such partners as Craig Taborn, Chris Potter, Sinikka Langeland and Jorge Rossy, the musical frame of reference is very broad. Str�nen offers a project that implies new threads of connectivity, new creative relationships. Produced by Manfred Eicher. Verve Label Group; ECM; Jazz.

FRANK GRATKOWSKI'S IN CAHOOTS

BREAKTHROUGH

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.

The first official live album from Jazz Sabbath. The UK jazz trio helmed by longtime Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne keys and guitar player Adam Wakeman (as Milton Keanes). 11 Black Sabbath songs are reimagined as classic jazz tracks. This album was recorded 25 shows into their 2025 tour at the Paradox Jazz Club in Tilburg, The Netherlands, showing Jazz Sabbath at their best. Basic and raw with just an upright bass, drums and a grand piano. Going where the songs take them; not knowing if Paranoid would be 6 minutes long or 14. Tracklist: Disc 1 1 Black Sabbath 2 The Wizard 3 War Pigs 4 Behind the Wall of Sleep 5 Iron Man 6 Fairies Wear Boots Disc 2 1 Hole in the Sky 2 Paranoid 3 Into the Void 4 Rat Salad 5 Children of the Grave

YOU BETTER BET

CLASSIC ALBUMS

Bruce Harris & Ehud Asherie - Thank You, Barry Harris! A loving tribute to the legendary jazz pianist Barry Harris who's life was dedicated to upholding the traditions of Bebop, his sacred music. This album pays tribute to the legendary jazz pianist and Griot, Barry Harris. A Griot, rooted in West African culture, is a hereditary storyteller tasked with preserving genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions through praise songs. For Barry, Bebop was his sacred music, and he dedicated his life to upholding it's traditions.

Spyro Gyra - Live In Leverkusen 2022 - This fantastic live album from the Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 7, 2022, features one of the most successful U.S. jazz fusion bands, Spyro Gyra. For Spyro Gyra's performance at the Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 7, 2022, the band's lineup consisted of Jay Beckenstein (saxophone), Tom Schuman (keyboards, piano), Julio Fernandez (guitars), Scott Ambush (bass), and Lionel Cordew (drums, percussion). "Art manifests itself in a variety of styles and contexts. That's why we started making music in the first place, " is Spyro Gyra's philosophy. And the band's live program that evening in Leverkusen was just as diverse, including their big hits "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance.

LIVE AT KIMBALL'S EAST 1992