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Of JD Allen, Giovanni Russonello in The New York Times said, "Mr. Allen has become one of today's most exciting tenor saxophonists not by trying to spotlight his own virtuosity... but by defining a new way of playing in a group." Allen's current release, "Toys / Die Dreaming," is his 14th as a leader and builds on his already rich recorded legacy. His compositions exhibit his philosophy of providing short melodies as the basis of both solo and group improvisation; "Get in and get out," as Allen likes to say. This gives his music a remarkable ever-transforming feel, as if the improvisation was actually part of the composition itself. To bring his music to life, Allen requires players of the utmost talent and creativity and he has certainly found them in bassist, Ian Kenselaar and drummer, Nic Cacioppo. "I found the bad boys of this generation, as far as I'm concerned," says Allen, "guys who are not afraid to dip their toe in the avant-garde a little bit, and then turn around and play the tradition." But tradition to Allen is a development, an unending arc of creativity which begins at the dawn of jazz and to which he is the latest contributor to the music's evolution.

2019 release from the jazz tenor saxophonist. "I've been fortunate to have performed with so many wonderful musicians in the past but I live in the present and it hasn't stopped. I certainly enjoy what I'm doing these days." The consistently intriguing Seven Rays is yet another accomplishment in Jerry Bergonzi's productive and significant career. It finds the great the saxophonist reveling in jagged, tightly coiled phrases and steeped in remote harmonic progressions. His angular riffs, unexpected silences and big, barreling low pitches continue to underline how personal Bergonzi's approach to jazz is. Yet the charismatic nature of his delivery and the steely brilliance of his tone proves so compelling that his art speaks eloquently to both the esoteric theoreticians and the most casual of listeners.

If you trace the path of alto saxophonist Jim Snidero's varied output for Savant, you'll note transitions with regard to instrumentation and personnel: from organ combo to quartets with guitar or piano, to the animated quintet music of tributes to Miles (MD66) and Cannonball Adderley (Jubilation!). With Waves of Calm, the veteran altoist enters a period of zeroing in on the essentials. As the saxophonist himself says, "I find myself editing more and more. I've been playing saxophone for a long time, and could easily play a lot more notes...[but now] you're just looking for the right note at the right moment, searching for that one perfect thing." With trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on half the tracks, piano phenom Orrin Evans at the Steinway & the Rhodes and Nat Reeves and Jonathan Barber completing the rhythm section, it would Jim Snidero has indeed found that"perfect thing."

A fount of harmonic ingenuity, melodic integrity, and rhythmic authority, Jerry Bergonzi has long been a standard-bearer of sorts for the jazz community. A prolific composer prone to taking deep dives that put serious theory into profound practice, his discography is filled with smart and imaginative originals that twist and turn in unexpected fashion. But a passion for standard gems of yesteryear, the lingua franca of jazz, also fires his creative impulses and figures into his work. In fact, the tried-and-true classics serve as a source of limitless potential for his horn. This follow-up to his Spotlight on Standards session once again features Bergonzi's slightly off-center take on the tenor-organ-drums trio format while the songs on this set list function as both reminders about Bergonzi's eminence in the jazz world and love letters from the man to the music. "I just adore the melodies of these tunes. I love standards. People always tell me, 'Man, you've got to make more records like this,'" Bergonzi says, "and I'm happy to oblige. I'm just delighted that Savant is totally behind me and this music."

With Project-K, Jim Snidero breaks new ground. Absorbing and refracting varied aspects of Korean folkways, he delves into a topic near and dear to his home and heart. "Having a Korean wife, family and friends, I've been immersed in Korean culture for more than 20 years," he shares. "Between Korean history, culture and philosophy, I felt that there was much to explore musically." Bridging his own wide-ranging aesthetic with those very traditions, Snidero turns out one of the most distinctive dates of his career. In choosing the personnel to flesh out this music, Snidero's decisions proved shrewd and sound. The rhythm section, comprised of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Rudy Royston, brings a rare balance of sensitivity, strength and insight to these ventures. And trumpeter Dave Douglas serves as the perfect front line foil for the saxophonist. "I wanted to use a traditional Korean instrument on Project-K and the gayageum appealed to me the most. My goal was to fully integrate the instrument within some of the arrangements," says Snidero, and Do Yeon Kim was the natural choice. As a group, we were all able to create what I believe is both unique and inspired music."

'The Absence' is the third record from grammy-nominated Melody Gardot. Produced by Heitor Pereira, renowned for his work as a film composer ('Despicable Me', 'It's Complicated', 'From Prada to Nada') and world-class session guitarist (Sting, Seal, Caetano Veloso), the Brazilian-born, US-based artist shared Melody's enthusiasm for driving off the beaten path of western pop, jazz, blues and soul. And he was as adventurous as melody when it came to inventive sonic ideas. From the deserts of Morocco to the streets of Lisboa, from the tango bars of Buenos Aires to the beaches of Brazil, 'The Absence' captures the essence of each of these exotic locales, while at the same time remaining quintessentially Melody Gardot.

Black Magic Man is arguably the pivotal Joe McPhee release. It bridged the span between the regional and the international, bypassing the national altogether. Recorded in the same sessions that produced Nation Time, Black Magic Man consists of music not chosen for that LP. Like it's much-feted sister, technically it falls under the domain of CjR, Craig Johnson's herculean effort in support of McPhee. An erstwhile painter, Johnson became a self-taught audio engineer, acquiring equipment expressly to document McPhee's music. In December 1970, five years after Johnson and McPhee had met, they recorded two days of activity -a concert followed by an additional day of recordings-at Vassar College where McPhee was teaching in the Black Studies department. About half of the material was used to make Nation Time. While they had planned to issue a follow-up, the money wasn't there, so the tapes sat dormant. "Fast-forward five years-Werner X. Uehlinger, a Swiss businessman who worked for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, contacted Johnson while on a trip to the US, and over dinner with McPhee, they discussed putting out some of the unused tracks from the Nation Time sessions. With this casual encounter in 1975, Hat Hut Records was inaugurated. The new label's maiden release was Black Magic Man, dubbed Hat Hut A, the first in what would become Hat Hut's letter series. Along the way, the series would feature seven Joe McPhee records, including the first four in a row." -John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)

Joe McPhee's first international release, Black Magic Man, was issued on the newly formed Hat Hut imprint in 1975. It was a watershed moment for the 35-year-old musician. Based in Poughkeepsie, New York, he was too far away from Manhattan to have participated extensively in the Loft Jazz happenings of the decade. European exposure, however, would give McPhee an alternative circuit, something of an escape route from the trappings of American cultural myopia. In support of the new record for this Swiss label, McPhee invited John Snyder on a European tour in October 1975. Snyder was a synthesizer player with whom McPhee had made the duet LP Pieces Of Light, released a year earlier on CjR. The two musicians developed an extensive repertoire, playing diverse spaces in the Hudson Valley. Geographically close gigs were a plus, since it took extra energy to hoist Snyder's ARP 2600. "McPhee and Snyder were invited to play at the Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland. If you compare this live record with Pieces Of Light, a studio effort, it's considerably more open. South African drummer Makaya Ntshoko is rolling thunder on the choral 'Voices,' shuffling under Snyder's bubbly beat on 'Bahamian Folksong.' It is quite a special combination, enough so that Hat Hut chose to release it as their next LP, Hat Hut B in their alphabetical series. The Willisau Concert represents the sound of Joe McPhee opening up, opening out, expanding his field of operations to include new figures, fresh experiences, new continents of sound." -John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)

This edition features heavyweight vinyl showcasing the original 1969 BYG Records album, restored & remastered from the original master tapes. It comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a matte laminate finish, along with an insert featuring liner notes by John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

Brimming with melodic insight and still able to raise the roof with his intensity, Anderson's sonic vocabulary is now completely his own. * Down Beat from the review of "On the Run, Live at the Velvet Lounge" (DMK #534). This second installment of live recordings made at Fred's own club feature the tenor saxophonist supported by the young, fiery trumpeter Maurice Brown making his first appearance on CD, as well as Chicago Underground's Jeff Parker on guitar and Chad Taylor on drums, and bassists Tatsu Aoki and Harrison Bankhead.

Sonny Stitt was well-known for the ability to play saxophone fast, with authority over the most difficult of chord progressions. Sonny recorded his first session as leader in 1946 for Savoy with Kenny Dorham, Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke. In 1950, he made the first of many recordings with Gene Ammons, an association that would last through three decades and produce what is probably his best known records, including "Boss Tenors" from 1961. "It's Magic," from 1969, is a wonderful reminder that Sonny Stitt could burn bebop (check out the marvelous rendition of "Four") and make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when he played a moving ballad (as on "Body And Soul"). with Don Patterson, organ and Billie James, drums.

Live in Detroit with Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris, Ber 1955.