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In 1964, vocalist Karin Krog released Norway's first jazz solo LP, and By Myself has helped shape her career as a singer. In 2026, 62 years after the first release, she releases the LP Tomorrow's Yesterday, and it cannot be ruled out that this may be her last physical album. All the songs are recorded in duo or trio format. The musical sounds are excitingly combined with her voice and Rob Luft on guitar, John Surman on saxophone/bass clarinet on side A. Whilst on side B we hear Karin Krog with Erlend Slettevoll on piano/electric piano and Rob Waring on vibraphone.

When Oscar Peterson arrived for a two-week engagement at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit in early August 1960, the pianist's year-old trio, featuring bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, was ascending to new artistic peaks. Intended at the time as a live album for Verve but never released, the music on 'At Baker's Keyboard Lounge' features remarkable, previously unissued performances, all taped on a single Friday night. No matter the tempo, rhythm, or complexity of the arrangement, the three players breathe as one on these recordings, phrasing as if controlled by a single heartbeat. These new-to-the-world recordings, made in Peterson's prime at the longest continuously operating jazz club in the US, remind you that there will never be anyone else like Oscar Peterson.

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For almost two decades, Jeff Cascaro has been thrilling audiences at the intersection of jazz, soul, and blues. With his latest album, Broadway & Beyond, his incredibly versatile voice continues to captivate listeners. Tastefully arranged versions of standards including "Summertime," "I Got Rhythm," and "New York, New York" allow his finest vocal nuances to shine, as his warm voice shows you what there is to marvel at on Broadway and Beyond.

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

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.

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)

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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.

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.

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."

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

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3ELEMENTS: CONVERSATIONS OF HOPE

MONTREUX, ZARAGOZA & RAMATUELLE JAZZ FESTIVALS

3ELEMENTS: CONVERSATIONS OF HOPE

Although it is difficult to classify, A Way In lends itself to the worlds of Afrobeat, Cumbia, Salsa, and Soul-a stirring of potent rhythms and enigmatic melodies that make Mitchum Yacoub's sophomore album stand tall in the world of groove music. Syncopated dance tracks, definitive horns, and steady backbeats carry tales of anguish, love, and uprising. It is a record that reveals the human spirit: a confluence of thoughtful introspection and earth-shaking ritmo. Yacoub recorded, produced, and mixed the album, ensuring the meticulously layered sound first heard of his debut, Living High in the Brass Empire. His formidable horn section-Travis Klein, Bradley Nash, and Wesley Etienne-returns in full force and with a range of masterful spotlights. Longtime friend and collaborator Divina also returns, offering understated, soulful vocals on Hurtin', When I'm With You, and Gold. Panamanian vocalist, Lourdes Iri, stamps her debut on the resistance anthem Profec�a and the sensual upbeat Cumbia, Deseo Celestial. These vocal tunes fit into a kaleidoscope of instrumentals, including Away, found in the echoes of Ethio-jazz, and Sala, which feels like Hermanos Guti�rrez meets Willie Colon-after sharing a smoke and a listen to Water No Get Enemy. The diversity of vocal and instrumental pieces is unified by an understanding of vintage production styles and Afro-Latin musical sensibilities. Yacoub credits his father-who immigrated to Detroit from Egypt in 1968-for opening his ears to an array of global music. His childhood home resonated loudly with the sounds of Ali Farka Tour�, Oum Kalthoum, Keith Jarrett, Santana, Toumani Diabat�, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, etc. Later, while attending UCSC, Yacoub studied African music with Karlton Hester-a tenor saxophonist and former student of Joe Henderson-who introduced him to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. After hearing the hypnotic force of James Brown-infused funk with Yoruba drumming, Yacoub knew there was no turning back. It wasn't just Fela's sonic phenomena, but the summoning of a higher power in the call for justice. A Way In channels the spirit of Afrobeat and imbues the many genres mentioned above with an angle of self-reflection. In a time when artificial music is rising and originality risks being buried, this album offers a refreshing dose of soulful dance music-meant to bring people together, and inward. - Nelson Khoury 2026