There have been two hallmarks—standards, if you will—that have been a part of every Billy Childs album. The first is the journey he’s traveled as a composer. He has always written music and to great acclaim: he has received five GRAMMY® Awards and 16 nominations, many for composition and arrangement. Presently in continual demand for symphonic and chamber commissions, he has also innovated a collection of compositions for jazz instrumentation and strings that is unique in the American music lexicon: a genre he refers to as jazz/chamber music. But for the second hallmark, Childs has always been a player, too—having cultivated his jazz voice in the working bands of trombonist J.J. Johnson and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.

“On my first Mack Avenue recording, Rebirth (Childs’ 2017 album on Mack Avenue Records which won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album), I wanted to return to a focus on my jazz piano playing,” Childs states. “Acceptance is an extension of that, and the musicians make it very comfortable for me.” Childs thrives on group improvisation and has recruited fellow master musicians—saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Eric Harland—as the core ensemble for this collection: Acceptance. Elena Pinderhughes on flute; vocalists Alicia Olatuja, Aubrey Johnson and Sara Gazarek; and percussionists Rogerio Boccato and Munyungo Jackson complete the stellar lineup on this recording.

REVIEW:

Acceptance, Billy Childs follow up to 2017's Rebirth, his Grammy-winning Mack Avenue outing, doesn't follow the path of its predecessor. It is more exotic in exploring chamber jazz, post-bop, fusion, and samba, with dramatic ballads, passionate vocals, and sophisticated pop woven in. The title cut commences as a poignant ballad erected from folk melodies. After resonant bass and keyboard solos from Glawischnig and Childs, saxophonist Steve Wilson enters, seamlessly shifting the band toward a soulful blues. The biggest surprise is "Leimert Park." Co-composed by Childs, bassist Paul Jackson, and drummer Mike Clark (the rhythm section of Herbie Hancock & Headhunters), it's a fusion jam that weaves trancelike synth and Rhodes vamps and rhythmic cadences, crisscrossing much musical terrain.

As a next chapter, Acceptance is as much a band showcase as it is one for Childs' tunes. Their intimate, almost instinctive communication is at once a calling card and an invitation to adventure.

-- AllMusicGuide.com

Cited as one of the 2 largest selling jazz albums of all time (Kind of Blue being the other), this record made "Take Five" the most recognizable of jazz tunes and Dave Brubeck a household name. Remixed and remastered from the original 3-track master tapes for enormously improved sound, this definitive reissue is full of rare and previously undiscovered photos of the great quartet (Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums) in action.

Beautiful Life celebrated the life of Ana Marquez-Greene, his 6-year-old daughter who was murdered along with 19 other children and six educators on December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Now, Jimmy Greene continues to honor and memorialize her spirit with Flowers - Beautiful Life, Volume 2, his second release for Mack Avenue Records. Greene again fulfills his stated imperative of "reflecting the way that Ana lived." Here, Greene hones in on Ana's love of dance with a kinetic, groove-filled program comprising ten original compositions-including two Greene-penned lyrics-and his arrangement of the "new standard, " "Something About You."

Rediscover the 1959 classic through this 20-bit remastered version with a bonus track: an alternate take of Flamenco Sketches. Recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City on March 2, 1959 (tracks 1–3) and April 22, 1959 (tracks 4–6). Remixed from the original three-track tapes at Sony Music Studios, using a Presto all-tube, three-track recorder.

Classical Music

Terrible Animals is perhaps the most compositionally ambitious and daringly performed of Lage Lund's five albums on Criss Cross. Joined by a never-before-convened, top-of-the-pyramid rhythm section (Sullivan Fortner, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Tyshawn Sorey, drums) the 39-year-old presents ten far-flung originals that elicit the full measure of their creativity over the 68-minute program, spurring Lund, who makes ingenious use of effects within his flow, to some of his most dynamic and varied playing on record.

An absolute fusion classic, this is the album that put Weather Report (featuring Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena) on the map! Part of Sony's Jazz Masterpiece reissue series, this album (containing the smash hit "Birdland") features great new sound via 20-bit digital remastering.

REVIEW:

Weather Report's biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success -- and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, "Birdland." Indeed, "Birdland" is a remarkable bit of record-making, a unified, ever-developing piece of music that evokes, without in any way imitating, a joyous evening on 52nd St. with a big band. Wayne Shorter's saxophones are now reticent, if always eloquent, beams of light in Zawinul's general scheme while Alex Acuña shifts ably over to the drums and Manolo Badrena handles the percussion. Released just as the jazz-rock movement began to run out of steam, this landmark album proved that there was plenty of creative life left in the idiom.

-- AllMusic.com

After the success of the 4-CD deluxe box set the Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, Legacy has expanded and improved upon the original 2-LP set in several ways. This release features the same 20-bit digitally remixed and remastered sources from the box set, and also boasts one rare bonus track, "Feio" by Wayne Shorter. Both original and new liners are included in the package, as well as a booklet filled with rare and/or unpublished photos. First 75,000 in limited edition slipcase!

The Movement, Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Cultural Icons is culminating documentation of a richly inspired piece - lauding four key figures of the Civil Rights Movement: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Muhammad Ali.

Marshalling his ever-sharpening skills as a composer, arranger, conductor, musician, and lyricist, McBride has created a historically and culturally illuminating five-part suite for an 18-piece big band, chorus and narrators that places the motivating forces as well as the goals of the Civil Rights Movement within a powerfully relevant artistic context. It is a one-from-the-heart project McBride was, apparently, destined to undertake. This recording of The Movement, Revisited marks the addition of a fifth movement, “Apotheosis,” which acknowledges the election of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States.

REVIEW:

Drawing upon the words of legendary civil rights leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Muhammad Ali, Christian McBride offers a heartfelt large-ensemble tribute to the civil rights movement of the 1960s with 2020's The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons.

The Movement Revisited is a reverent and theatrical recording, which isn't to say it's not harmonically rich with plenty of swinging improvisational intensity. The five-part work spotlights McBride's multifaceted skills as a composer, arranger, and lyricist as he frames the uplifting words of these four heroes with his soulful arrangements. The recording culminates in the final movement "Apotheosis," celebrating the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the first African-American President of the United States; an historic event that McBride beautifully ties directly to the civil rights and black power movements of the preceding decades. Helping bring the words of the civil rights leaders to life are narrators Wendell Pierce, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Sonia Sanchez, and Dion Graham. Also showcased throughout are McBride's bandmates, including vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Geoffrey Keezer, and drummer Terreon Gully, among others.

While the album is orchestral in nature, all of the introductory prologues are stripped down, with McBride underlining the speaker's words with his dusky, bluesy basslines. As McBride points out in his liner notes, this is a personal work filtered through the prism of his own life and his feelings about these four individuals. It is a powerful and deeply considered work that invokes not just the words, but also the ebullient spirit of the civil rights movement.

-- AllMusicGuide.com (Matt Collar)

Looking back in order to look forward is fundamental to most art forms, maybe none more so than the profound art of jazz. In rare cases, such retrospection can reveal entirely new aspects of the art and its creator, redefining a legacy for a new generation. Such is the case with the genius of Erroll Garner. One of the most popular figures in jazz during his exceptional career, Garner’s legacy is receiving a remarkable reinvigoration through the concerted efforts of Octave Music’s Erroll Garner Project (EGP) and its partnership with Mack Avenue Music Group. Together they are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Garner’s birth with an extraordinary three-tiered release focused on Garner’s output from 1959 to 1975.

Symphony Hall Concert is a previously unreleased 9-song compilation recorded live at Boston’s Symphony Hall in 1959. The concert was originally presented by famed promoter George Wein. The album's cover artwork is based on poster from the Erroll Garner archive.

The Octave Reissue Series represents the heart of Erroll Garner's recorded catalog. Spanning 12 albums and last 18 years of Garner's career, this collection of music is among the most important in the history of jazz. It represents an artist in his prime, with full creative and commercial control of his output following his break with Columbia Records. Over 20 years ago these albums were bundled on to double albums and released by Telarc in a set. While this was appropriate for the era, this repackaging of Garner's discography caused some material to be cut for time. It is now time to untangle his discography and restore each of these 12 records to their original artistic statement. The series will include newly restored and mastered transfers of the original analog master tapes by our GRAMMY winning team of producers and Engineers, and the original artwork restored by our award winning design partners. In addition, EGJP will curate and include newly discovered bonus material from the Garner catalog in each release. The second product of Garner's Octave Records, this album features Erroll and his classic trio like they've never been heard before, restored and remastered from the original master tapes. Marking the beginning of one of the most prolific periods in his life, this new presentation includes the propulsive, never-before-heard Garner composition, "Octave 103."

Escaping from the noise and distractions of daily life provided the creative environment for Kenny's work on this project, an exercise that could benefit US all in an attempt to obtain a clearer view of the world. Kenny's last recording, SEEDS FROM THE UNDERGROUND, paid homage to those who inspired him and although PUSHING THE WORLD AWAYs primary focus US not on Kenny's tutelage of young musicians, the number of you young musicians who participated in this recording emphasizes his mentorship.

Two CD set. Blue Train: The Complete Masters includes a 2nd disc of alternate and incomplete takes, 4 of which have never been released. The 2 CD set comes with a bound booklet featuring session photos by Francis Wolff and an essay by Coltrane expert Ashley Kahn.

Straight, No Chaser finds Monk in good company of his longtime companions: Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales and Ben Riley. For this CD, reissue producer Orrin Keepnews has added approximately 25 minutes of never-before-heard Monk, meticulously re-editing lost portions of issued titles while discovering 2 complete, previously unreleased performances.

Classical Music

Limited double vinyl LP pressing of this collection from the jazz legend. Spanning over 40 years (1945-86) and seven labels, this set captures Miles at every stage of his career, from his early recordings with Bird ('Now's the Time') through Miles' own triumphs ('Round About Midnight', 'Miles Runs the Voodoo Down') to his late recordings ('Time After Time'). Trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis was a major catalyst for the evolution of modern music. This double vinyl release is an excellent sampler of his limitless creative genius. Davis's middle-register trumpet accommodated a myriad of styles, from the bebop classic "Now's the Time" to the Snow White waltz "Someday My Prince Will Come" to the modal masterpiece "So What" (from Kind of Blue).

The album that shook up both the jazz and rock worlds - and made Herbie Hancock a superstar! In it's original release, this LP proved to be a very important recording that bridged jazz, funk and rock, and was a precursor to techno. Reissue producer Bob Belden has made this new CD sound better than ever and this definitive version also boasts great new liner notes by Herbie Hancock himself.

Rosemary Clooney was America's most popular female vocalist of the 1950;s. She developed into to one of the premier interpreters of American popular song and went on to become not only an icon of American popular music, but also an inspiration to those looking to climb out of poverty and hardship as she had done herself. She shot to fame in the Big Band era, originally singing with her sister before taking the solo route and hitting the big time with "Come on a My House" the first of a string of world-wide hits. This CD includes two #1 U.K. hits, "This Ole House" (later revived by Shakin' Stevens) and "Mambo Italiano" (which returned to the charts in 2000 via the group Shaft). Acrobat. 2005.

Jazz Batá 2, composer, pianist and bandleader Chucho Valdés' first album for Mack Avenue Records, marks a new peak of creativity for the artist, even as it revisits the small-group concept of his 1972 Cuban album Jazz Batá. That album upon release was originally considered experimental at the time, but the trio project - featuring no drum set and two virtuosi who would subsequently be charter members of Irakere: Carlos del Puerto (bass) and Oscar Valdés (batâ: the sacred, hourglass shaped drums of the Yoruba religion in Cuba) - would now be considered contemporary. Recorded in two and a half days at John Lee's studio in New Jersey, Jazz Batá 2 is both rhythmic and lyrical at once. The six-hand complexity of the batá repertoire - the deep classical music of West Africa - permeates Valdés' piano solos throughout the album. "I applied to my solos the different rhythms of the batá," he says. "The piano is of course a harmonic instrument, but it's percussive too, and you can play percussion with it." Valdés set the batá-driven small-group format aside in the wake of Irakere's explosive popularity in 1973, but he's always wanted to get back to it. Now he's done it with Jazz Batá 2, "with more resources, in every sense," he says, "with a wider panorama."

Classical Music

Panama 500 is Perez' most ambitious project to date, the furthest evolution yet of what the pianist/composer calls "three-dimensional music."

The first time I listened to this album in my car, I nearly missed my exit on the expressway. There is so much hep stuff happening in these new big band arrangements of tunes by Thelonious Monk that I was transported to another realm, one where the car seems capable of driving itself. Then it struck me: That’s precisely what’s happening with these charts and this ensemble of L.A.’s finest musicians and special guests, all under the direction of pianist/conductor/arranger John Beasley. Everything on Presents MONK’estra Vol. 1 feels so natural and inevitable, it’s almost as if the material plays itself. And if you enjoy Monk—whether for his undeniable logic, quirky song architecture or innate sense of swing—Beasley’s band will leave you rapt. Beasley has been writing big band charts since he was a teenager, and he has long been fascinated by Monk’s music (this debut recording by the MONK’estra is actually Beasley’s third album of material by the High Priest of Bebop). Beasley’s MONK’estra has performed live since 2013, and he has served as musical director for the Monk Institute’s Jazz Day gala concerts since 2011 and for International Jazz Day events since 2012. (He has done plenty of commercial work as well, most notably as the lead arranger for TV’s American Idol from 2005 to 2016.) Beasley knows his Monk inside and out, and he knows his way around a chart. But, most importantly, this onetime member of groups led by Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis knows how to give his bandmembers—including guest stars Gary Burton on vibes (“Epistrophy”) and Grégoire Maret on harmonica (“Ask Me Now”)—sufficient freedom to stylize the written passages and improvise with abandon. In applying all of his acquired skills and personal passions to Presents MONK’estra Vol. 1, Beasley brings Monk to life once again for modern-minded listeners. - DownBeat Magazine Editors' Pick

This record is based on the idea that whatever we do has an impact in the universe," Perez says. "The word 'Providence,' for me, means standing up for the future of the next generation of children.

A sequel of sorts to Chris Botti's 2006 PBS special, LIVE WITH ORCHESTRA & SPECIAL GUESTS, the September 2008 event LIVE IN BOSTON found the sartorially splendid cool jazz trumpeter accompanied by the Boston Symphony and a collection of celebrity vocalists. Also available as a DVD, the concert delivers an overview of popular music, with jazz standards like "I've Got You Under My Skin" right alongside "Ave Maria" and Sting's "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You." Whether featuring rocker Steven Tyler, AMERICAN IDOL chanteuse Katharine McPhee, or pop-opera superstar Josh Groban, all the tunes are presented in Botti's inimitable, Chet Baker-influenced uber-smooth style.

Sometimes when artists release their first leader project for a major label, the album serves as a calling card that tells the jazz world, “Here’s what I can do.” That’s the case with Christian Sands, 27, who was a finalist in the American Pianists Awards competition. His leader debut for Mack Avenue, Reach, showcases his significant talents as an imaginative composer, a clever arranger and a skillful technician with a fluid style. The album includes eight original compositions and two intriguing covers. Four of the songs are piano trio tunes—with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Marcus Baylor—and elsewhere the band is joined by guests Marcus Stickland (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet), Cristian Rivera (percussion) and Gilad Hekselman (electric guitar). Sands’ frequent collaborator Christian McBride, who produced the album with Al Pryor, contributes a brief but powerful arco solo to a rendition of Bill Withers’ 1972 hit “Use Me.” On “Armando’s Song,” Sands’ precise yet intricate piano lines reflect the influence of Chick Corea, who inspired the song. Sands pays homage to a couple of departed piano titans, Bud Powell and Herbie Nichols, with “Bud’s Tune.” The excellent track “Óyeme!” with its Afro-Cuban feel, illustrates some of the musical palette that Sands burnished while working with Bobby Sanabria. “Freefall,” which features electronic keyboard overdubs, has a futuristic vibe, illustrating Sands’ openness to experimental sounds. He concludes the album with a ballad, “Somewhere Out There,” which appeared on the soundtrack to the animated film An American Tale. Even listeners who find Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram’s duo version from 1987 to be too sentimental are likely to be won over by Sands’ arrangement, which offers delicate beauty, ominous moods and a satisfying conclusion. - DownBeat Editors' Pick