The album takes it's title from a vocalise written by Grzegorz Ciechowski for The Witcher, which here becomes a subtle guide through the intimate soundscape of solo piano. Reflective and atmospheric, the record brings together works by leading composers of contemporary classical and film music, alongside original arrangements of iconic Polish songs. Marked by improvisations where restraint meets imagination, and crystalline tone blends with a quietly melancholic lyricism, the album showcases the distinctive personal style of acclaimed pianist Maksym Rzeminski.

Invitation

“Frozen Music” was recorded in New York City 32 years ago and like most of Andy LaVerne’s releases this album has not lost its original energy and charm. Tenor and soprano saxophonist Rick Margitza was then a young rising star under contract with Blue Note. Andy was already a prolific composer who penned all the tunes of this album. Bassist Marc Johnson who was a member of Bill Evans’s last trio gave graceful and subtle coloring to LaVerne’s compositions. “Frozen Music, Andy LaVerne’s third album for SteepleChase, is a solid, modern blowing session...he makes skilful use of suspensions, pedal points, and ostinatos, which along with the music’s floating harmonies, give the soloists a wealth of elbow room...” (Mark Stryker, Cadence) “un disque du plus haut niveau musical.” (Henri Marchal – Spectacles)

With over one billion streams worldwide, Vikingur Olafsson is one of the most listened-to classical artists of our time. Following the global success of his Grammy-winning recording of the Goldberg Variations, the Icelandic pianist now presents his latest album: Opus 109. At it's heart is Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109, a masterpiece of the composer's late period, which Vikingur Olafsson places in an illuminating and musically thrilling temporal dialogue, tracing the lineages that converge on this beloved beacon of the piano literature. CD Mintpack.

Roger Eno - "Without Wind, Without Air". The British composer and multi-instrumentalist Roger Eno presents his 3rd solo album with DG. Without Wind, Without Air is an 8-track album featuring orchestral pieces and piano solo tracks, including features by Cecily Eno and a stunning vocal track, composed and sung by Roger Eno himself. Available on vinyl in gatefold jacket.

Roger Eno's "The Turning Year" opened a window into the insights of the British composer. Now, Eno has revisited and expanded this repertoire for a series of three EPs featuring a combination of illuminating reworks, previously unreleased tracks, and gems from the album sessions. "The Turning Year - Rarities" sees him collaborate with violinist Rosie Toll, Scoring Berlin, his daughters Cecily and Lotti Eno, as well as presenting many of his own solo works.

Michael Finnissy's output for the guitar spans almost 60 years of his career and represents an enormous contribution to the repertoire of the instrument from one of Britain's most significant composers. Published a few days before Finnissy's 80th birthday, this bold and ambitious album celebrates this milestone by bringing together all of his works for solo guitar and guitar ensemble for the first time, in performances by Finnissy's collaborators and led by new music virtuoso and tireless guitar explorer Sam Cave.

The penultimate release in Angela Hewitt's cycle of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas features the Piano Sonata in F minor Op.2 No.1. The listener's understanding is again enhanced by Angela's illuminating booklet notes, in which she sets out her approach to performing these most canonic of works in the entire piano literature.

William Parker's Universal Tonality documents an epic performance which brings his titular concept to full, vibrant life. An exquisite example of this system in practice, it features a truly once-in-a-lifetime assembly of creative music luminaries and legends. Clocking in at nearly two hours and featuring six extended pieces flowing across two discs, this Universal Tonality happening took place in December 2002. Parker invited 16 musicians of various ages, cultures and musical backgrounds - to join him in an experiment of "breathing together." Many of them met on stage for the first time that evening. While he provided a score (wonderfully illustrated pages from same are included in the package), all were advised that there need not be adherence to it. Parker's hope with this approach is that each musician will trust their own instincts - and those of the musicians around them - enough to let the sound find it's shape in real time. Ranging from roof-raising big band to intimate cross-cultural exchanges, that constant current of inspiration, and open, receptive communication was wholly present at Roulette that night, and is on full display on this magical recording. Lyrics and personal writings by Parker - which Leena Conquest sings, recites, or dramatically interprets - also play a key role in this work. Parker gave Conquest the same freedom of choice he afforded the instrumentalists, supplying her with materials to draw on as she saw fit. When discussing or writing on his Universal Tonality concept as a whole (as on the enclosed, extensive liner notes), Parker can sound like he's outlining a life philosophy. It is both telling and fitting that author Cisco Bradley chose to title his 2021 biography of William Parker after this concept. The results of this one-night-only communion can now take their place among Parker's many landmark works spanning the past three decades, including previously released Universal Tonality-driven pieces like Double Sunrise Over Neptune, and Red Giraffe with Dreadlocks (released on the box set For Those Who Are, Still).

For his fifth Criss Cross recording, Alex Sipiagin assembles a top-shelf quintet of generational peers, all colleagues who rank at the top of the pack on their respective instruments, to play a program of original music. The mood is melodic, polyphonic, rhythmically intense, more simmering than fiery, defined by Sipiagin's burnished, golden sound, the individualistic voice-like statements of tourist Seamus Blake and guitarist Adam Rogers, and the intuitive accompaniment of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

As he has done on his three previous Criss Cross dates, Russian trumpeter Alex Sipiagin brings together a cohort of New York's finest - here reedmen Chris Potter and David Binney, keyboardist David Kikoski, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Gene Jackson - to perform on "Equilibrium." Comprising seven stimulating Sipiagin originals, a Monk tune and a bossa, the album features not only the ensemble interplay and virtuosic soloing we've come to expect from Sipiagin's albums, but also several tunes on which the trumpeter brings his rich imagination and ravishing tone to the forefront.

This is Russian trumpet star Alex Sipiagin's third outing on Criss Cross. This time, as before, in the company of a group of New York jazz greats: tourist Seamus Blake and guitarist Adam Rogers plus a rhythm section consisting of piano star David Kikoski, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jonathan Blake. Listen to the beautiful rendition of "Holland," a piece composed and arranged by Sipiagin and dedicated to bassist Dave Holland. The CD offers five Sipiagin originals and one Charles Mingus composition, "Tijuana Gift Shop".

On his Criss Cross debut, 29-year-old Detroit-born saxophonist J.D. Allen brings his own perspective to the aesthetic rumblings that stamped middle '60s jazz music. Boasting an open, richly textured tone, a meticulous, thoughtful approach, and a definitive sense of time, Allen interacts continuously with pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Gene Jackson over a stimulating hour of original music. On three titles as guest, the great new trumpeter Jeremy Pelt.

ANACAPA

Between 2004 and 2016, alto saxophonist David Binney made nine albumsfor Criss Cross as either leader or co - leader, presenting predominantly his distictive original music. The tenth Criss Cross album with Binney's imprimatur, A Glimpse Of The Eternal, is, Binney says, completely different than anything I've ever done - chilled out, an honest and pleasant vibe, nothing too complicated or intense. The album was recorded June 29, 2021 at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio and mixed and mastered by Mike Marciano at the Systems Two Recording Studios.

Lifted Land, David Binney's sixth recording for Criss Cross, is also his third wholly original program for the label (after Cities and Desire (CRC 1285) and Barefooted Town (CRC 1325). One of the most gripping and distinctive alto players and composers of his generation, Binney leads a powerfully expressive quartet with longtime allies Craig Taborn on piano and Eivind Opsvik on bass. Drummer Tyshawn Sorey, an acclaimed leader and composer in his own right, makes his first Criss Cross appearance here, in place of Binney's go-to drummer for previous releases, Dan Weiss.

For his eighth date for Criss Cross as a leader or co-leader, alto saxophonist-composer David Binney documents the quartet with which he most frequently works in New York City (pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Eivind Opsvik, and drummer Dan Weiss) for the first time since the 2009 recording Aliso. It's an episodic, thematically cohesive, 65-minute suite on which Binney and his upper echelon bandmates solo through the shifting moods and environments, tracking his responses to the diurnal cycle, with characteristic inspiration and derring-do.

Moments Captured is trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's third Criss Cross date to feature a three-horn lineup, after Equilibrium in 2004 and Destinations Unknown in 2011. While the earlier discs featured David Binney on alto, here it is the fiery Will Vinson displaying his prodigious talents alongside the leader and master tenorist Chris Potter. Rounding out the lineup on this exploratory all-original session are the players from Sipiagin's 2015 album Balance 35/58: John Escreet on piano and keyboards, Matt Brewer on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. The intricate, polyphonic aspect of Sipiagin's writing continues to flower and grow, but it is Escreet's extensive use of the Prophet 6 synthesizer that marks this album's biggest departure. Wringing a seemingly limitless array of tonal colors from the instrument, Escreet gives Sipiagin's music a refreshing and wholly unpredictable edge.

Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's ninth Criss Cross album may be his most conceptually ambitious. The 43-year-old trumpeter is these days garnering broad international recognition as a solo artist, as well as for his inspired virtuoso playing in various Dave Holland and Mingus Orchestra, offers seven original pieces - performed by a distinguished band of A-listers - that contain heady polyphony, substantial melodies, beautiful voicings, and intoxicating rhythms. It's a cutting edge of the 21st century jazz. The band: Chris Potter, tenor sax and flute; David Binney, alto sax; Craig Taborn, piano and fender rhodes; Boris Koslov, bass; and Eric Harland, drums.

For his fourth Criss Cross leader date, alto saxophonist-composer David Binney convenes his primary New York working quartet of the 2000's (pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Eivind Opsvik, and drummer Dan Weiss), adds to the mix guitar hero Wayne Krantz, with whom he works frequently in an electronica-oriented group, and augments the proceedings with several appearances by British pianist-composer John Escreet, a frequent partner in recent years. The leader plays with deep emotion and the concision of an old master; it's as strong a date as any in Binney's now sizable discography.

With Generations, his eighth Criss Cross outing as a leader, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin honors the legacy of the great Woody Shaw, with five stellar pieces from Shaw's repertoire and balancing the program with four originals. The quartet lineup here Sipiagin, guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist Boris Kozlov, drummer Antonio Sanchez at one time formed the core of the brilliant Michael Brecker Sextet. Together, these four players bring years worth of mutual collaborative experience to the music at hand. Woody Shaw himself appeared just once on Criss Cross, lending his extraordinary horn voice to Introducing Kenny Garrett (CRC 1014) in 1985. Shaw's influence has long been implicit in Sipiagin's playing - not only in the Russian-born trumpeter's work as a leader, but also in his scorching solos with Dave Holland's Big Band and Octet, the Mingus Big Band, the late Michael Brecker's Sextet and Quindectet and many more. With Generations Sipiagin makes his debt to Shaw more explicit, but he approaches these canonical works with his own individuality and imagination foremost in mind, in the determined spirit of Shaw's song title: Beyond All Limits.

For his sixth Criss Cross release, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin focuses more heavily on his own writing than on 2005's Returning. Clearly rooted in the jazz tradition, Sipiagin's compositions continue to evolve his distinctly modernistic approach to harmony, meter and form. Eminently approachable despite their inherent depth and complexity, Sipiagin's five compositions remain as focused and lyrical as his playing. Sipiagin reinvents Thelonious Monk's Epistrophy and Bill Evans' rarely covered Orbit (Unless It's You), both seamlessly fitting within his musical universe while remaining true to their essence. Prints is a definitive statement from an artist whose star continues to rise.

ETERNITY

Though the term "visionary" is rather overused, it certainly applies to tenor saxophonist and composer JD Allen. A musical sponge of sorts, Allen is a remarkable amalgam of a wide variety of musical styles and influences, blurring the boundaries of contemporary jazz by creating a dynamic fusion of tradition and modernity. There is a decidedly "third stream" quality to Allen's compositions, combining as they do advanced classical compositional techniques, the incorporation of electronic sounds and the distillation of historic jazz genres such as call and response, field hollers and, of course, the blues. This type of music relies on the total dedication of all the performers and Allen's latest recording features three of his regular colleagues, the acoustic and electric basses of Gregg August and Ian Kenselaar and the remarkably expressive drummer, Nic Cacioppo. These men have worked with Allen on his previous Savant recordings, perhaps most notably on the unofficial trilogy of "Americana," "Americana Vol. 2" and "Barracoon," and can be considered kindred spirits with their leader. Together, they delve into themes of culture and history, offering moving narratives through their sophisticated approach and profound improvisational skills.

Boston doesn't get enough credit as a jazz town. From the days of the Storyville club and Cambridge-based Transition label to the star factory that is Berklee College of Music, the city stands tall against more celebrated places like Chicago and Detroit. One big part of that high level of creative output is Jerry Bergonzi who, for this date, leads his most Bostonian band in recent memory, reuniting with trumpeter pal Phil Grenadier and drummer Luther Gray. Bassist Harvie S came up from New York for the gig and it was he who suggested guitarist Sheryl Bailey for the album. She completes the Boston connection with her position as the Assistant Chair of Berklee's legendary Guitar Department. "To work with Jerry and study and perform his music is the definition of a dream come true," says Bailey who has played with artists ranging from Ken Peplowski to Shingo Okudaira. Here, Bergonzi has convened a fine band for a compelling album, another feather in Boston's tricorn hat.

Time was when the use of any electronically-generated effects in an artist's work, would immediately brand you as a member of the avant-garde. Eventually, however, jazz embraced the modernism of electronics as people like Rashaan Roland Kirk, John Zorn and classical composers like Edgard Var�se took electronics down a less self-destructive and more communicative road. On THIS, tenor saxophonist and composer JD Allen explores the possibilities of electronics+jazz with a set of new compositions for himself, drummer Gwilym Jones and electronics effects wizard Alex Bonney. These works exhibit an astonishingly wide spectrum where you may find modal, blues-infused melodies juxtaposed against startling and provocative electronic effects. There can be a slim line in jazz between being a traditionalist troglodyte and being a radical visionary. On his latest recording, JD Allen has demonstrated that there is a musically satisfying and emotionally fulfilling middle ground.

Together with Americana: Musings on Jazz and Blues, and Barracoon, two of JD Allen's previous Savant releases, Americana, Vol. 2 forms a trilogy of sorts, exploring and encapsulating a universal spirit based in roots and reflection. But despite the profound political, racial, financial and historic issues examined by Allen and company, at the central musical core of all three recordings is the underestimated but crucial role the blues has played in the history of jazz and how it continues to evolve and influence the art form today. On Americana, Vol. 2 Allen continues this investigation with his long-time colleagues Gregg August and Rudy Royston, but is now joined by guitarist Charlie Hunter, who shares not only Allen's interest in the blues and it's legacy, but they also share many similar life experiences. As Allen himself says, "(Charlie's) music brings light to me as a listener. When we met, we found out that we grew up in different areas of the country, but our experiences happen to be very similar. That's Americana right there. I wanted that on this record." Here the blues not only provides a welcome outlet for tension and gentle melodicism but it also gives us an unflinching look into deep-seated and long-lived injustices, particularly via the almost expressionistic utterances of three trio-only tracks. Once again JD Allen shows himself to be a player and composer as remarkable for his directness of communication as he is for the sometimes unforgiving sternness of his message.

In JD Allen's liner notes for Queen City, it becomes clear that he spent a great deal of time thinking about how the pandemic has impacted his relationship with music and specifically his saxophone.� In the notes Allen writes, "Performing music for and with people is what I do and I've come to the realization that an audience of listeners of any size is a part of the music; it's also a shared experience. Covid-19 changed that and forced me to try to remember why I started playing in the first place, the years before I started performing and recording."� The tenor saxophonist's response to his period of introspection is this current recording, a solo saxophone program.� It is a recording full of stark, uncompromising power, affording some rare insight into the psyche of the performer.� This is not a Coleman Hawkins' "Picasso"-toned, I-love-my-horn-and-my-horn-loves-me type of symbiosis.� There is a real sense of confrontation between Allen and his horn and, by extension, the audience which makes for a unique listening experience.� This is not to imply that Queen City is some severe piece of avant garde abrasiveness.� Rather, it encompasses an extraordinarily wide-range of musical languages which communicates an equally broad spectrum of emotions.� Melodies�� of ravishing beauty alternate with angular, aggressive phrases to express frustration, anger, resolve, hope, love and acceptance in what may become one of the most personal and revealing recordings to come out of the trying time of Covid-19.

DOG STAR

RADIO FLYER