Bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton might be considered by many as a unicorn in the world of music. In decades from the not-too-distant past, it was a rarity to even have a woman in prominent jazz bands and orchestras, but to have a bass trombone-slinging woman as leader was thought extraordinary. In efforts to highlight her perceived position as a rara avis, Wharton took it upon herself to not only raise the profile of women instrumentalists but also that of her chosen horn (and it's smaller cousins). // In 2019, Wharton presented her trombone-powered ensemble, Bonegasm, via it's self-titled debut album. Wharton enlisted fellow trombonists John Fedchock, Nate Mayland and Alan Ferber, along with the rhythm section of pianist Michael Eckroth, bassist Evan Gregor and drummer Don Peretz. // The overwhelming response to Bonegasm's music was astounding, cementing Wharton's assertion that this assemblage was no flash in the pan but an important exponent of shaping the trombone's primacy in jazz music. Bonegasm's new recording, Not a Novelty, wears it's intentions on it's sleeve, or perhaps more appropriately, tattooed on it's arm.

Natural Habitat is a collection of music composed over the last decade, much of it written around the time I moved from Boston to New York City. During my first few years living here, I would frequently travel back and forth to perform, and the excitement and energy I felt at that time is expressed in these songs. The title track is the oldest tune we recorded - when it was composed in 2009, the manuscript simply said "Untitled Swing". For a while, that title stuck and became somewhat of a joke when I would play it on gigs, but in 2018, I was back in Boston and found myself performing it again at the same venue (and with some of the same musicians) as when I had composed it nearly a decade before. The title Natural Habitat came to me, as it suddenly felt like I knew where that tune belonged. // The other music on this recording was written while I was settling into life in New York City - which now feels like my natural habitat, both physically and musically. I chose material for this project that represents how I feel living and working in this environment. The variety of meters, forms, and intensities heard in these songs mirrors the unpredictability of daily life here, but the excitement and energy I feel when performing in this city is unparalleled. -Michael Thomas

The Rooibos Quartet is one of the outstanding ensembles to emerge from Charleston's fertile scene. Assembled by young guitarist Jesse Shafer, the quartet, which features pianist Tyler Sim, bassist Fisher Wilson and drummer Kain Naylor, presents their debut recording, Rooibos, a collection of original tunes from Shafer that showcase the quartet's particular blend of contemporary and classic jazz styles with a laid-back Southern demeanor. // Originally from Nashville, Shafer was drawn to the small but strong jazz department at the College. The guitarist already had a strong knowledge of folk and bluegrass playing upon his arrival. Shafer was fully immersed into jazz by his school friends, investing time in the study of jazz crossover legends Chet Atkins and Les Paul, then into progressives like Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot. // While he was working in a local music store, Shafer met drummer Naylor. The two began performing regularly around Charleston, where the album's producer, Wolfgang Zimmerman, a local recording engineer, began following them. Bassist Wilson were friends through the College and when the trio was placed together with pianist Sim on a gig, The Rooibos Quartet was born. All the members of the group are current or former students at the College.

Saxophonist Abraham Burton and pianist Lucian Ban come from two distinct backgrounds but founded a long-lasting relationship based on friendship, trust, and their collective passions, most notably their focus on melodicism and jazz feel. Their new recording, Blacksalt, encapsulates the sympathetic nature of their pairing in a freely played collection of pieces, composed and improvised, and pristinely recorded live on tour in Ban's native Transylvania in 2018.

The creation of music as a collective art requires participants who are open and engaged. The essence of ensemble jazz music is the collaboration between elements, including sound and time and the musicians and audience. Pianist/composer Todd Cochran views these interchanges of energy and emotions as positive forces for change in the world. // Cochran's musical interests have always been vast in their outlook, from the avant-garde to fusions of jazz and rock. As Bayet�, his sound can be heard on albums that push the bounds of genre, from Santana and Automatic Man's arena filling rock sounds to the explosively spiritual world of his own records. The element that has never escaped Cochran's work has been the blues esthetic tied to jazz's legacy, which he re-embraces on his new recording, Then and Again, Here & Now. // Growing up, Cochran found a middle ground between the dimensions of the intellectual and spiritual when he discovered jazz music. His parents and grandparents were highly educated and motivated him to become the same. That led to his serious investment in classical piano study; performing and entering competitions as early as when he was just eight years old. The influence of his grandmother's evangelical faith was never far from Cochran's music, as he learned to express a particular mood by playing during church services. // His cousin introduced him to jazz at 13 and Cochran found a parallel, magnetizing pulse. He began to revisit his parents' collection of Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal recordings, transcribing and analyzing them so he could apply their lessons to his own music. It wasn't long before Cochran was reaching out to local jazz leaders. At just 17 years old, he found himself performing alongside the likes of jazz masters John Handy, Mike Nock, Bobby Hutcherson and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. // Though his own music would branch out dramatically from his earliest jazz grounding, Cochran always remained in touch with the blues element of the music. Now after a ten-year hiatus from recording while nurturing his son into adulthood, Cochran has returned to the music that has given him so much joy and that he feels is necessary to reinvest in for the betterment of society. // To assist him in his efforts, Cochran enlisted bassist John Leftwich and drummer Michael Carvin. Leftwich has been an important voice in the West Coast's vibrant music scene for decades and was introduced to Cochran twenty years ago via Freddie Hubbard. The legendary drummer became a part of the pianist's world even earlier through collaborations with Bobby Hutcherson. Together the Todd Cochran Trio is a tremendously vibrant and cerebral ensemble that breathes life into any piece they endeavor to touch. // As musical context changes over time, it is important to revisit compositions that have withstood the times and continue to provide themselves as vehicles for expression. Cochran is fascinated by the idea of reinterpreting standards and the American song book, to investigate the time and climate of their birth and to then reaffirm their greatness by informing them with the developments they have lived through. It is an all-encompassing expression of culture spanning time. // Then and Again, Here & Now presents a collection of these stalwart compositions reimagined by Cochran and his trio. Cochran's philosophy of the development of music through the passing of ideas from generation to generation through evolving syntax can be heard in the approaches that are taken on these pieces. Though experimenting and taking liberties with these classics, the trio remains responsible as keepers of the flame and protectors of the blues vernacular.

Lossing's latest recording, Metamorphism, is an extension of his continually evolving compositional identity. Here he presents eight original compositions, each written with it's own particular strategy for interplay among a stalwart ensemble of longtime collaborators. It is only with musicians with whom he has established a deeply felt musical connection that this music could actually be realized. // The members of the quartet have been regular collaborators with Lossing for decades. Each member of the ensemble is a unique instrumentalist with a broad palette and ability to play many styles without conforming to established sounds. Lossing met Michael Sarin some thirty years ago when the drummer moved to New York City from Seattle. Sarin's pairing with bassist John Hébert, already a longtime associate, provides a variety of rhythmic and harmonic feels necessary for Lossing's pieces. Lossing was a member of Loren Stillman's first recorded ensemble, when the saxophonist was only 14 years old, and their musical affinity has grown exponentially over the past 25 years. The ensemble is crucial to the success of the pieces. The open, impressionistic sensation of Lossing's tunes has been one that he has always aimed for.

It is hard not to be moved by the singularly brilliant voice of Charles Mingus. In reinterpreting his tunes and those of other Black voices, Stephanie Nilles knows that she is privileged and remains sensitive. She also knows that the fight against racism is a universal cause and that the power of Mingus's work artistically assists that cause, thus the creation of her moving new recording, I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag - the White Flag.

It was his move to New York City that led to the development of the music on 3, 5, 8. While completing his master's degree in jazz studies at New York University, Duvignau was able to meet a number of musicians who would help shape his sound and approach to composing. Duvignau was introduced to Argentinean pianist Santiago Leibson at a recording session and they hit it off immediately. Leibson called the great drummer, Jeff Hirshfield, for one of their initial meetings and the three found a quick rapport as they began to play regular sessions and a handful of gigs. // While at NYU, Duvignau studied with the illustrious saxophonist Billy Drewes. Drewes was an inspiration, not only for his incredible playing, but for his compositional practice. The young bassist had become burnt out by writing highly involved compositions. Drewes recommended the practice of writing every day, no matter what came out. This helped Duvignau break through his writer's block and focus on developing a simpler, more spontaneous compositional style. // When the opportunity to record came about, Duvignau wanted to form a unit of openminded and flexibly expressive players. He invited his trio mates, Leibson and Hirshfield, and added Drewes. Duvignau also brought in German guitarist and fellow Berklee alum Elias Meister to bring a blues-inflected energy into the quintet's mix.

Guitarist Ben Monder set out with the intent of recording a studio album with longtime collaborators, saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Tom Rainey, but circumstances led to a more informal situation, providing a visceral glimpse of these stellar musicians' rapport. // The performance world was on the brink of shutting down in early March 2020 due to the appearance of COVID-19. Monder decided to take the opportunity provided by his monthly Tuesday residency at New York City's stalwart jazz club, The 55 Bar, to present a recurring project with Malaby, a bass-less trio with drums. Rainey commanded the revolving drum chair on March 3rd and the two sets were recorded as a remarkable live document of fully improvised music making from three masters, released now as Live at The 55 Bar. // Three long improvisations were recorded that night, each piece unfolding organically. The ebb and flow and the building of tension to release demonstrate just how confident these musicians are in their craft of composing on the fly, in full control of their musical choices. The recording was made by the brilliant producer Joseph Branciforte, who was able to provide gorgeous studio quality sound and help with the narrative arc for the completed recording.

Brothers Nicki and Patrick Adams have a natural bond that most musicians can never approximate with their peers. Their common upbringing and interests have also given them the idea to blend the aural tradition of jazz with the more written one of classical, with a unique approach that makes their efforts seem buoyant and natural on their new recording, Lynx. // The two perform together in a number of configurations, leading their own ensembles, and collaborating with bands of many different styles. They also have collaborated with many of jazz's finest, including Francisco Mela, Robin Eubanks, Corey Wilcox and Mike King. // Their debut recording as a duo, Lynx, takes it's name from an Arizona lake that the brothers frequented during their boyhood years, solidifying bonds both fraternal and musical. The project evolved after Nicki began to reinvestigate classical pieces that he had played or listened to before he devoted his attention full time to jazz. Rather than study scores, the pianist relearned the pieces by ear in an aural learning approach more utilized by jazz and folk musicians. Nicki felt that this approach allowed him more insight into the creative choices of the composers.

Guitarist/composer Davy Mooney knows just how special these experiences are and wanted to capture the essence of their magic on his new recording, Live at National Sawdust. On the recording, Mooney brings together his incredible Hope of Home band, featuring saxophonist John Ellis, pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Brian Blade, to play old and new material for a receptive group of listeners at Brooklyn's National Sawdust and to conjure a fabulously warm and heartfelt performance that can be revisited over and over. // Mooney and the Hope of Home Band assembled at National Sawdust on January 27, 2020 with engineer Sascha von Oertzen. Of course, live recordings have their challenges. The performers have to consider the audience and can not just start over again. But that is precisely why live recordings can be amazing. The emphasis on being in the moment supercedes the idea of perfection, typically producing compelling performances. // The pieces that Mooney brought to record were a mixture of staple pieces from his repertoire going back for nearly 15 years and new pieces that were written with the promise of this recording. Some of the older pieces are rarities that the guitarist brought out from his first recordings from 2009, Astoriano and Last Train Home, a duo album with John Pizzarelli.

Born to an American mother and a German father, Roemer grew up in a bi-lingual household in Frankfurt, Germany. She began piano lessons at six and then began singing in church and with a traveling choir; her first efforts at songwriting took place by the age of nine. Roemer was taking classical voice lessons as a teenager when she met a professional pianist who invited her to sing popular tunes and standards with him at a local lounge, and soon they were performing together regularly. // Choosing to continue her music education, Roemer received a scholarship to attend Concordia College in Minnesota for a year before she returned to Germany. Roemer enrolled for her bachelor of science at Frankfurt University but soon impulse led her to move to Paris, where she spent three years performing regularly at cabarets and clubs and hosting a jam session, along with studying vocal jazz at the Paris Conservatory. On a summer trip to New York, she fell in love with the City. Roemer moved to New York soon thereafter and dove directly into the jazz scene there, performing regularly at Rockwood Music Hall, Jazz at Kitano Hotel and Cornelia St. Caf�, and completing her Master of Music in jazz studies at Queens College. Roemer was anxious to record as soon as she arrived. One of the many musicians she met was bassist Alex Claffy, whose enthusiasm for collaboration motivated Roemer to push through the production of House of Mirrors. Roemer set up recording dates and they brought on pianist Addison Frei and drummer Adam Arruda.

Regarding the trio on this recording: every beat Buster Williams plays is imbued with tremendous individuality and power. Billy Hart's shimmering ride cymbal is a constant revelation. Billy turned 80 the week of this recording, and Buster is close in age to Jarrett. // This album is dedicated to Keith Jarrett and his incredible body of work.

Pianist Noah Haidu has etched out an uncompromising identity as a pianist and composer by balancing cutting edge songwriting with stirring improvisations. On his new Sunnyside release Doctone, Haidu reaches a new level of self-expression while exploring the work of one of his major influences, the late Kenny Kirkland. As Noah writes in the liner notes: "Doctone is the first recording dedicated entirely to Kirkland's original music. I view Kenny as the most unique composer and pianist of his generation. Because he died young and avoided the spotlight, his brilliant compositions have been overlooked for too long."

The title of saxophonist/composer Adam Kolker's new recording, Lost, comes from a composition by the legendary Wayne Shorter, an obvious master of thoughtful intention and extemporaneous expression. Kolker has sought to find a similar esthetic in his own work and has achieved that on his new recording that finds him in the company of an ensemble of friends, making fantastic, explorative music without ego. // Kolker's initial concept for this recording was for it to be a collection of Shorter's pieces. But as time went by, Kolker realized that everything that he writes or plays utilizes Shorter's influence as inspiration; Shorter was one of the main innovators of the modal harmonic revolution, which brought on moods and tensions being generated by the use of certain modes. This realization freed the recording of conceptual restrictions and allowed for a broader array of expression from the exceptional ensemble that Kolker put together. // The quartet that was assembled includes longtime collaborators and friends, all equal in making this remarkably communicative music. Pianist Bruce Barth has been a sounding board both on and off the concert stage, his ease and wit fitting easily alongside Kolker. Bassist Ugonna Okegwo remains one of the steadiest timekeepers and most powerful accompanists. Drummer Billy Hart is remarkable on every level, bringing energy and an air of professionalism to everything he does.