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Drummer of deconstructionist jazz outfit, the Bad Plus, David King, releases his side-project Happy Apple's debut album THE PEACE BETWEEN OUR COMPANIES. Though no less innovative and irreverent than the Bad Plus, this album has more of a rock vibe happening. There's too much of a true jazz sensiblity running through this disc to land it in that territory. The instrumentation is a kind of classic jazz trio with roots in such venerable innovators as Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman and more recently, Joe Lovano.

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O UNIVERSO MUSICAL DE BADEN POWELL

INSPIRATION: 22 HARMONICA PERFORMANCES / VARIOUS

This trio from Minneapolis plays jazz aas if it doesn't have any hang-ups about what anybody's going to call it. Among it's quirks are an electric bassist who has not been particularly influenced by Jaco Pastroious, and a general subtext of indie-rock subersion. - the New York Times.

Fourth album of Lokua Kanza and the first to be released in America is a stunning must hear for fans of African-world music.

Six-time GRammy nominee Kenny Barron explores jazz-oriented Brazilian rhythms wiht flutist Anne Drummond and Brazil's Trio da Paz including bassist Nilson Matta, drummer Duduka DaFonesca, and guitarist extraorinaire Romero Lubambo.

Days of Wine And Roses is a 2-CDs set that includes 15 tracks atrfully selected by the producer Jean-Jacques Pussiau from the 6 albums that Michael Petrucciani reoced for his Owl Records label between 1981 amd 1985. Petrucciani is a French jazz pianist and composer with an international following whose keyboard virtuosity earned him comparisons to Art Tatum and Bill Evans.

Though he has overcome many obstacles and achieved much in the pursuit of his musical career, trumpeter Pete Rodriguez regularly feels that he needs to dodge others' assumptions about him and truly introduce himself... and as emphatically as possible. Rodriguez's new recording, I'm Pete Rodriguez, Volume 1, is a bold declaration of intention and identity, not only musically but personally. The son of a legendary salsero, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, the younger Rodriguez grew up surrounded by music. When Rodriguez was 18 years old, he joined the Army, a time that challenged him physically and wounded him mentally. After his discharge, Rodriguez attended Rutgers University to study music under the guidance of legends like Larry Ridley, Ted Dunbar, and Kenny Barron. Rodriguez led a productive life as a professional musician in New York City before the birth of his daughter, which led Rodriguez to consider a life outside of the City and a teaching position at Texas State University led him to his home in Austin, Texas. He has been based there for the past 12 years. Struggling to get out from behind his father's shadow and the confusion of listeners to his perceived relation to other talented trumpeters with the same last name (there isn't a family relation) led to Rodriguez's efforts to solidify his musical identity, an identity that has always been challenged by mentors and peers but that Rodriguez finds strength and positivity in. Rodriguez is a composer who enjoys the process of composing, many of his pieces requiring much from their performers. The pieces are inspired by and exorcise the challenges that Rodriguez has faced in the most soulful and artful of ways. On I'm Pete Rodriguez, the trumpeter presents a brand new quartet. Longtime friend and collaborator Rudy Royston wasn't available for Rodriguez's project but suggested his young son, Koleby Royston. The younger Royston proved to be a perfect fit with a professionalism and dedication beyond his youth. Rodriguez met bassist Raul Reyes in Dallas. The University of North Texas grad impressed with a fabulous command on his instrument and a winning personality. Reyes relocated to New York and introduced Rodriguez to pianist Esteban Castro, who had just graduated from Julliard, and the tremendous woodwind player Jon Beshay. Rodriguez convened the quartet at Brooklyn's Bunker Studios on May 31 and June 1, 2024 to record a large collection of original material that coalesced into two albums worth of material, the first of which being presented here on I'm Pete Rodriguez, Volume 1. The music and attitude that Pete Rodriguez presents is bombastic, personifying the trumpeter perfectly. I'm Pete Rodriguez, Volume 1 presents a player and composer who knows who he is and demands that the world take note.

We set out to make an intimate holiday album inspired by love and gratitude for family and friends, evoking the spirit of the season. We've always loved the Christmas recordings of the 50's as interpreted by singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Mel Torme. And we always love to give standards a twist by using the Brazilian rhythms of samba, bossa nova, samba can��o, (plus a waltz or two). We hope you enjoy the acoustic warmth of these guitar-driven arrangements. All but three of the songs are Christmas standards: one exception is from Brazil; another is from the King Family Christmas album (distant Driggs cousins!), and an original song we wrote while recording holiday music. It was a pleasure to work with some of the best Brazilian and jazz musicians on the planet, all of them our friends who feel like family. We are so grateful for their artistry and collaboration. And it's a dream to have our daughter, Luisa, featured on the album as well. It's our gift to you this holiday season to enjoy with your family and friends. Happy Holidays, Pamela and Romero

This is the second project Ko and I have done together, a sort of sequel to 2018's Benign Strangers. The pandemic put a monkey-wrench into our collaboration for a few years there, and I'm glad we're back with The Word. Most of the five tunes of mine that we recorded are new; "Groove for Clyde" goes back a few years though, and is a tribute to the late Clyde Kerr, Jr., the man who led me into this jazz musician's life, back in New Orleans. I wrote the opening riff of "The Word" noodling around during a wedding ceremony (I had to play very quietly). "Maybe" reflects my Brazilian influence, and my desire to write at least one Chico Buarque song. "Lord and Master" and "Wormcast" are fun with triplet subdivisions. S I really enjoy the juxtaposition of my tunes with Ko's on this project. His are more positive and open, in contrast to my meticulous darkness. S Here's to many more collaborations. This is the latest word, but it won't be the last!-Davy Mooney

Though the musical universe of guitarist Ben Monder is vast, the paths to his aural galaxies are rather solitary and arduous. It takes considerable time for Monder to create his unique, mind-bending recordings, as the practice, sculpting, and arranging can take years. His latest recording, Planetarium, is a prodigious piece of art that showcases the widest breadth of his vision as a composer and craftsman. Monder is well known for his tremendous guitar contributions to a wide range of artists, including David Bowie, Maria Schneider, Guillermo Klein, and, most recently, as a member of The Bad Plus. Though he may be most celebrated for these contributions, his own projects deserve equal attention, as they are personal, large-scale works utilizing a select coterie of trusted associates. Planetarium's inception began in 2014 when Monder was awarded a grant from The Shifting Foundation to write and record an album. While that project ultimately took a different direction, work on this one would continue for the next ten years. The effort was thrust into high gear when the pandemic hit, as there were few distractions to composing and practicing. During this time, Monder also received a commission to compose what would become the ambitious piece, "Ataraxia." A most helpful association for Monder has been with engineer and producer Joseph Branciforte, whose Greyfade Studio in Mount Vernon, New York became a sort of second home for him during the recording process. Beginning in December of 2020, the two began to meet frequently at the studio, setting down ideas and inviting collaborators to add their unique contributions. These integral guests included drummers Ted Poor and Satoshi Takeishi, bassist Chris Tordini, and vocalists Theo Bleckmann, Charlotte Mundy, and Emily Hurst. After three years of recording, Monder produced his grandest statement yet as a composer and conceptualist. This three-disc set features vast, highly wrought sound poems as well as spontaneous moments of improvisational brilliance.

There is an art to combining formal composition with the free grooving essence of jam band music. For decades, guitarist/vocalist Francis Jacob studied and played music from all over the globe, condensing what he absorbed into his own unique style. Along with his longtime friends, bassist Stomu Takeishi and percussionist Gintas Janusonis, Jacob assembled his new group, The Three Blind Mice, that explores the sounds of jazz, funk, and world music through these musicians' unique prisms of influence. Originally from France, Jacob has been based in New York City for three decades. He has invested himself in the local music scene, specializing in the sounds of West Africa and his native France. The Japan born Takeishi has also been a longtime member of the New York music scene, specializing in experimental jazz but also the rhythms of South America. A midwestern with Lithuanian heritage, Janusonis has an eclectic resume with a solid foundation in groove-based music. The three musicians have worked on and off together for decades, but it was during the pandemic that Jacob decided that he wanted to establish a smaller ensemble. He invited Takeishi and Janusonis to regular jam sessions. The trio quickly developed a natural sound based on their mutual love and understanding of a wide variety of musical styles from around the world. Jacob began treating the jams as workshops for his compositions, bringing in pieces that would be fleshed out as the band explored them. Taking inspiration from the band's name, The Three Blind Mice focus on musical elements related to the number three on their self-titled album. Jacob decided to utilize devices based on song form, time signature, and beat subdivisions for his pieces informed by ternary systems. Many musical elements come together in the rich musical world of Francis Jacob, Stomu Takeishi, and Gintas Janusonis's The Three Blind Mice. Weaving these rich elements of world music together, the trio provides a vibrant and addictive listening experience on their new self-titled album.

This album is dedicated to Norma, my beloved mother.A courageous, always independent, warmhearted, generous person with a fantastic sense of humor and countless other good qualities. ank you so much for your great advice in the most important moments of my life and for all the unconditional support and encouragement throughout my professional career. Te Amo!!! -Duduka Da Fonseca. The magic of Brazil and it's music have captured generations of music lovers. The joyous beats of samba and the mysterious sensuality of bossa nova have grabbed listeners like few other genres can. Duduka Da Fonseca conjures the spells of Brazilian music whenever he is behind his drum kit. But there is a special feeling that comes to Da Fonseca when he returns home to Rio de Janeiro, an unscripted and unpredictable joy that comes through in performing music. That alchemy is captured on Da Fonseca's new recording, Rio Fantasia. // Having arrived in New York City in 1975, Da Fonseca has powered the rhythm section of many jazz legends. He has also been integral in the presentation of music by Brazilian legends, like Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Claudio Roditi and Dom Salvador among others. // In 2009, Da Fonseca formed his Brazilian based trio, featuring pianist David Feldman and bassist Guto Wirtti. The Rio based Feldman and Wirtti are the first calls that Da Fonseca makes whenever he returns to Brazil. The trio's instinctive rapport was developed over the years, allowing them a freely flowing style of play. The opportunity to play with Feldman and Wirtti always provides a jolt to Da Fonseca and he typically records their meetings. // Da Fonseca returned to Rio in December 2023. He immediately called Feldman and Wirtti. Unfortunately, Wirtti was traveling and would not be able to meet immediately. Without missing a beat, Da Fonseca pushed for a recording once Wirtti returned and promptly called a rehearsal with Feldman. When Wirtti did return, the trio immediately assembled at the Biscoito Fino Studio on January 13, 2024, where they recorded what would be their fifth album, Rio Fantasia. The material that Da Fonseca selected to play is a mixture of originals and Brazilian classics. The trio plays them in a way that allows for complete freedom in expression. Though they knew most of the songs, this was the first time the musicians had played them in this configuration. Most of the tracks chosen for the recording were first takes, capturing the spirit of the music without being overly analyzed. Duduka Da Fonseca's Rio Fantasia provides ample evidence of spirit that is realized in the performance of Brazilian music by experts. The genres become nearly irrelevant when music is played with imagination, dedication, and joy, qualities overwhelmingly present in the best of Brazilian musicians.