KING OF JAZZ ACCORDION: FIVE EARLY ALBUMS 1947-54

Composer Anthony Branker unveils a powerful new chapter in his ongoing exploration of music as cultural narrative, social inquiry, and collective expression. Leading his newly formed ensemble Other Ways of Knowing, Branker brings together an exceptional group of improvisers-saxophonist Steve Wilson, guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Simona Premazzi, bassist John H'bert, drummer Rudy Royston, and vocalist Aim'e Allen-for a program that is as rhythmically vital as it is conceptually resonant. Drawing inspiration from histories and lived experiences within the African and Indigenous diasporas, these expansive compositions balance cinematic scope with deeply personal storytelling. Like Branker's acclaimed earlier work, praised for it's ability to unite musical beauty with intellectual depth, Manifestations of a Diasporic Groove & Spirit stands as a compelling statement-one that invites listening not only as an aesthetic experience, but as a way of knowing, remembering, and bearing witness. "Musical beauty in the service of thought, or perhaps the reverse" Paris-Move "a sweeping opus with sociopolitical and poetic content woven into a musical tapestry at once cerebral, emotive and viscerally exciting." DownBeat

HAMMER & CHISEL

Channelling the restless energy and angular hooks of early '80s post-punk and indie rock, Great Tradition is Din's singular full-length snapshot - a sharp, urgent statement, brimming with the restless creative spark that became their calling card.

Vocalist and composer Chenxi Pan introduces herself as a thoughtful new voice in contemporary jazz through this set of all original music. Unfolding as a series of reflections drawn from lived experience, emotions are rendered through a fluid blend of poetry, song, and instrumental writing, often using the voice as an expressive instrument within the ensemble as she dissolves the line between sung narrative and pure sound. Born and raised in China, her path shifted from literature to music during her early studies, eventually leading her to pursue jazz in New York City at the New School. Her writing reflects that lineage: lyrical yet searching, precise yet open to spontaneity. Produced by master drummer Matt Wilson, This Very Moment was recorded soon after her 2024 debut as a bandleader at The Stone NYC. Balancing intimacy with collective interplay, Pan allows each composition to breathe and evolve. Her emergence as a musical voice signals an artist attuned to nuance, collaboration, and storytelling-one who invites the listener not toward spectacle, but into a shared, resonant present.

With "My World is the Sun", Dominique Fils-Aime seeks to dissolve expectations and invite listeners into an artistic space defined not by genre or market demands, but by presence, intuition, and emotional resonance. It is a project that reflects her commitment to freedom - sonic, creative, and spiritual - and her desire to create from a place of honesty and vulnerability. In "My World is the Sun", Dominique Fils-Aime enters the second chapter of her second trilogy, a collection of introspective and intuitive work that began with "Our Roots Run Deep" (2023).

Limited Edition Classic Black Vinyl Altan is arguably the most iconic band working in traditional Irish music today. For the past 35 years, they have brought the music of their native County Donegal to the world stage. The band's newest album, aptly titled DONEGAL, pays homage to County Donegal's rich musical heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant culture. The music's authenticity and allure transport listeners to a bygone era in rural Ireland while forging a connection between the past and the present. Featuring co-founder, lead vocalist, and fiddler Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh; newest member Clare Friel on vocals and fiddle; accordionist Martin Tourish; guitarists Daithi Sproule and Mark Kelly; and Ciaran Curran on bouzouki and mandolin. With Jim Higgins (percussion), Steve Cooney (bass), and Graham Henderson (keyboards). Recorded by Manus Lunny at Seafront Studio in County Donegal, Ireland. DONEGAL captures the essence of the region that has inspired Altan since the band's inception and further cements Altan's legacy as one of Ireland's great cultural treasures.

ARIA-nominated Hammond organist Jake Mason and his Trio return with The Modern Ark a bold, soulful new chapter blending vintage organ grooves with modern jazz energy. Featuring long-time collaborators James Sherlock (guitar) and Danny Fischer (drums), the album moves from playful boogaloo to cinematic ballads, with special guests Kurt Elling and Kate Ceberano lending their voices. Recorded live in a studio in Melbourne with vintage instruments and wrapped in artwork by Jeff Raglus, The Modern Ark confirms Jake Mason Trio as a defining force in Australian soul-jazz.

John Pizzarelli returns with one of his finest albums yet, Dear Mr. Bennett-a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Tony Bennett, whom he knew personally. The cover even features artwork drawn by Mr. Bennett himself. A celebrated name in jazz, Pizzarelli has collaborated with music's biggest stars and toured for years with Frank Sinatra. This release follows his acclaimed tributes Dear Mr. Sinatra, Dear Mr. McCartney, and Dear Mr. Cole.

HAMMER & CHISEL

Marc Riordan and Jon Leland make music together as Ragger. The two began collaborating in 2017 after being invited by Cameron Stallones to form the current trio lineup of his long-running experimental project Sun Araw. They approach Ragger with a very specific scope of material in mind: the ragtime compositions of Scott Joplin and his contemporaries, presented in synthetic tones for synthesizers and electronic V drums. Hausu Mountain proudly introduces Ragger to the world with their first album, Euphonic Sounds. Riordan and Leland play precise and complicated music with tumbling melodies flecked with ornamented details that spiral over busy percussion patterns - but they present the keyboard and drums in bright electronic voices that wouldn't be out of place in a Super Nintendo game soundtrack. Marc Riordan's synths shimmer with detail in the upper register tones and bump with heavy-hitting bass, as the low, mid, and high voices interact in a state of tight counterpoint that highlights the complexity of ragtime as it was originally composed. His attention to detail in synth voice selection and programming positions Ragger as a funhouse mirror reflection of tone-obsessed stalwarts of the experimental underground like Emeralds or Oneohtrix Point Never - not to mention the duo's participation in Sun Araw as that project continues to dig deeper into synthesis with each new album. With his cascading electronic tom-tom fills and flurries of synthetic woodblocks clicking beneath FM synth cymbal crashes, Jon Leland's drum performances bring to mind a giant steam-powered calliope instrument with it's pistons pumping as innumerable mallets strike row after row of miniature drum heads. This style makes the drums feel like just as much of a lead instrument as Riordan's synths, as both instrumentalists lock into a tight symbiosis as they work through the winding architectures of their ragtime tune selections.

On Bright Dawn, his 21st recording as a leader, Harvie S reaffirms why he remains one of the most expressive and sought-after bass voices in modern jazz. Long celebrated for bass lines that function "like the deep roots of a tree," Harvie uses this session to explore the full sonic and emotional range of the instrument, shaping music that is at once grounded, lyrical, and quietly adventurous. His original compositions-thoughtful, rhythmically alive, and rich with harmonic implication-sit naturally alongside inspired interpretations of Chick Corea's "Humpty Dumpty" and Bob Dorough's wry classic "Devil May Care," creating a program that feels both personal and expansive. Surrounded by Peter Bernstein's warm, articulate guitar, Miki Hayama's elegant and probing piano, and Matt Wilson's ever-responsive drums, Harvie leaves generous space for interaction, nuance, and collective discovery. The result is a recording that breathes, melodies unfolding organically and grooves emerging with unforced authority, all anchored by the unmistakable sound of a master bassist whose imagination and touch continue to evolve. "The bassist's horn-like, bebop-based phrasing is as engaging as it is inventive, leaving no doubts about his stature as one of the preeminent bass voices..." All About Jazz " a fecund mind that is continually searching for new horizons towards which to stretch, taking with him a bass violin that sings with almost limitless possibilities." Raul da Gama

Betty Bryant is a Los Angeles treasure. The singer, pianist, and composer has been a regular on the Southern California jazz scene since 1955, when she moved from her hometown of Kansas City, MO, where she was mentored by the late, great Jay McShann. Now, at the remarkable age of 96, Bryant is releasing NOTHIN' BETTER TO DO, her 15th album. Dubbed "Cool Miss B" by her producer and saxophonist Robert Kyle, her blues-based piano and vocal stylings have garnered a legion of fans at numerous jazz clubs and night spots up and down the West Coast and beyond. NOTHIN' BETTER TO DO features three original tunes (one by Bryant, one by Bryant and Kyle, and one by Kyle) as well as several tracks that are off the beaten path. With Bryant and Kyle out front, the music swings with an appealing bluesy, lilting quality. The arrangements are mostly by Bryant and Kyle, with string arrangements on two tracks by Jim McMillen.

John Pizzarelli returns with one of his finest albums yet, Dear Mr. Bennett-a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Tony Bennett, whom he knew personally. The cover even features artwork drawn by Mr. Bennett himself. A celebrated name in jazz, Pizzarelli has collaborated with music's biggest stars and toured for years with Frank Sinatra. This release follows his acclaimed tributes Dear Mr. Sinatra, Dear Mr. McCartney, and Dear Mr. Cole. Clear Orange Vinyl

Greetings from Florida: Postcards from Paradise is a new genre-blending song cycle from composer Scott Lee featuring jazz vocalist-guitarist Camila Meza. The album explores the tension between an imagined Florida and the reality experienced by those who are drawn to the state: retirees, tourists, immigrants, and nature lovers. Eight poems by Cuban American poet Carolina Hospital serve as lyrics, each reflecting a different side of Florida, from tourism and retirement to climate crisis and ecological loss. Written for Camila Meza and chamber ensemble, the music blends contemporary classical elements with jazz idioms and pop song structures. Meza's jazz/pop vocals and driving guitar glide over top of noisy, pointillistic grooves performed by a top-notch chamber ensemble of Floridian musicians who deftly execute Lee's complex scores. Together, the poems and music invite listeners to look beyond the postcard and experience Florida in all it's complexity, fragility, and beauty.

'Figments' is trumpeter Ella Grace's debut album as a leader, featuring seven original contemporary jazz compositions for quintet and sextet. Exploring figments as catalysts for creative expression and themes of coming of age, the music comes to life through performances by some of Chicago's top emerging jazz artists, taking listeners on a distinctive and cathartic journey.

Originally recorded in 1954, Brown and Roach Incorporated is a foundational hard bop album featuring the virtuosic collaboration between trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach. This 180-gram vinyl edition includes the original quintet's dynamic performances along with bonus tracks.

A Jazz Landmark of the Black Diaspora Reborn First released in 1971 as part of BYG Records' groundbreaking Actuel series, Jacques Coursil's Black Suite remains one of the boldest expressions of the Black Diaspora's creative and political awakening. Recorded in Paris on June 10, 1969, this visionary work now returns in a newly restored and remastered edition, revealing it's full depth and clarity for the first time in decades. Featuring a transatlantic ensemble - Jacques Coursil, Anthony Braxton, Arthur Jones, Burton Greene, Beb Guerin, and Claude Delcloo - Black Suite bridges the radical spirit of the American avant-garde and the intellectual fire of postcolonial Europe. Across two long, meditative movements, Coursil transforms jazz into a language of liberation, evoking the writings of Frantz Fanon, Leopold Sedar Senghor, and Aime Cesaire as well as the fierce energy of the Civil Rights era. "Black Suite is a work of Black Excellence." - Kevin Le Gendre Born in Paris to Martiniquan parents, Coursil embodied the dialogue between African, Caribbean, and African-American identities, turning sound into philosophy and music into movement. With it's blend of intellect, emotion, and resistance, Black Suite stands alongside the seminal works of Pharoah Sanders, Eddie Gale, and Frank Lowe - timeless statements of self-definition and artistic freedom. Half a century later, Black Suite still speaks powerfully to our time: a sound of struggle and pride, of beauty and becoming - still unbroken.

BLAME IT ON MY AGE

LINDSEY WEBSTER is the undisputed queen of Smooth/Contemporary Jazz vocalists. She is the first vocalist to score 4 #1 smooth jazz radio hits in a row, and continues to garner the most plays and highest chart positions of any smoothjazz vocalist! MUSIC IN ME, featuring a star-studded Grammy winning cast, elevates Lindsey Webster's sensuous artistry to a new level. Highlights include Lindsey and Stokley's reimagining of the classic "Two Hearts," her romantic duet with Anthony Hamilton, "Best In Me," and much more!

After recording some of Bach's major works, Claire- Marie Le Guay continues her exploration of the boundless territories of the composer by taking a more intimate approach. The doors to these masterpieces are left ajar, and the pianist is modestly sketching the personal history of her relationship with Bach's music. She offers us the keys to a universe rich in colors and contrasts: a diversity that rhymes with eternity.

Against the tide of hip-hop, electronic dance music, and indie-rock, which dominated the airwaves of the late '90s, Dave's True Story, a Big Apple duo comprised of singer Vicky Flint and guitarist and songwriter David Cantor, flew the flag for a cool alternative: jazz-inflected hipster pop. Cantor's songs on Sex Without Bodies, the group's Chesky Records debut, are witty, cinematic, erudite, cultured, and peppered with literary references. Highlights include the finger-clicking title track - which offers a humorous slant on virtual sex - the evocative 'Ned's Big Dutch Wife,' about a woman leading a shocking double life, and an adroit, jazzy cover of Lou Reed's classic 'Walk On The Wild Side.' Bolstered with new liner notes, Sex Without Bodies is reissued in 2026 as part of the Chesky Original Masters series on 180g One Step Pressing Vinyl LP and SACD Hybrid Stereo.

Sky Garden is the dynamic debut album from New York City-based trio Silvan Joray (guitar), Jakob Ebers (bass), and Jeff Krol (drums)-a radiant and intimate collection of nine original compositions that speak to the power of trust, interplay, and shared vision in jazz. Recorded during a residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute, the album features compositions from all three members: from the mathematically inspired energy of "Fractometry" to the wistful dreamscape of "Reverie" and the playful harmonic twists of "You're Beating Around the Bush." Each track reflects a unique voice, yet the group flows with a single pulse-lean, interactive, and expressive. Whether it's the warmth of "For Mascha" or the kinetic push of the title track "Sky Garden," this album offers a modern jazz experience with deep roots and forward momentum. Sky Garden is a must-have for fans of inventive guitar trios and contemporary chamber jazz.

Raw and unpolished in the DIY spirit of it's time, Norm Norman channels new wave swagger and catchy hooks into this compact, restless document of a lone creative voice cutting through the noise of his time.

ARIA