Piece of Mind is an all-star group that features some of the most talented voices in jazz today. The concept of the group was inspired by the VSOP Quintet from the late 1970s with the intention of being both a touring and recording group. During his career, Rose has worked with each member of the group at different times, as have the other members. The new collective brings together the highly regarded players who, when united onstage, deliver an exciting and fluid musical experience. In Spring 2019, the group recorded their first album, presented here, which features highlights from their series of live concerts at the Blue Llama in Ann Arbor, MI. Members of the group include Adonis Rose: drums; Tia Fuller: alto sax; Maurice Brown: trumpet; Sasha Masakowski: vocals; Miki Hayama: piano; and Jasen Weaver: bass.

Karin Hammar writes: "Dear listener! After the release of 2 albums with Karin Hammar Fab 4 in 2016 and 2018, the time felt right to extend the Fab4 soundscape. As I have always being inspired by film music and classical music, the choice of adding string quartet to the jazz group felt like the extra flavoring needed to both enhance and expand the musical horizon. The idea of combining the Karin Hammar Fab 4 and the string quartet with Olivier Ker Ourio's chromatic harmonica transpired after I met and played with Olivier in Tel Aviv 2017. As a result, the beautiful sound of the harmonica, Ker Ourio's virtuosity came to be the 9th voice of this project. We hope you enjoy listening to this music - we certainly enjoyed writing and recording it!"

Suspended is Urbexs third album, but also the first live recording of this adventurous group formed five years ago. The repertory is written by Antoine Pierre (TaxiWars, Philip Catherine, Joshua Redman, Jacky Terrasson etc.), the sextets leader, who has drawn his inspiration from the electronic period of Miles Davis, with the album Bitches Brew as its inspiration. The recording was made in the outstanding acoustics of the famous Studio 4 at Flagey (Brussels) during the first public presentation of this new creation. The result is imbued with a powerful groove that leads, by way of an eruption of sound and energy, to a kind of trance. Since its formation in 2015, Urbex has played in the most prestigious jazz venues and released two critically acclaimed albums that were awarded CHOC in Jazz Magazine, Indispensable in Jazz New, MUST TSF Jazz and an Octave de la Musique in 2018.

In a deeply impressive and magnificent synthesis of gospel, jazz and contemporary music, Uri Caine tells the moving story of Octavius Catto, born in 1839 in South Carolina to free African-American parents. Catto's family moved to Philadelphia in 1844, where he studied, became an educator, humanities scholar, top cricket and baseball player, and civil rights activist. Together with his fellow campaigners, he achieved the abolition of slavery and discrimination in elections based on race, color, or former serfdom, as well as the creation of educational institutions for African-Americans. Catto was murdered by Frank Kelly during riots on election day in 1871. Octavius Catto: "We shall never rest at ease, but will agitate and work, by our means and by our influence, in court and out of court, asking aid of the press, calling upon Christians to vindicate their Christianity, and the members of the law to assert the principles of the profession by granting us justice and right, until these invidious and unjust usages shall have ceased."

On Rosenhill is a tribute to the neighborhood where Jakob Buchanan grew up, revisiting the area many years later on. Initially a Danish housing project, characterized by high-rise concrete apartments built in the 1960s, today's Rosenhøj (Rosenhill) is a fascinating cultural melting pot that offers previously undreamt-of possibilities to the locals. The album is Buchanan's first for Dacapo Records, introducing a wonderful new group of close musical associates in music of flowing lyricism, delicate texture and inspired interplay in settings of poems by best-selling writer, Iain S. Thomas. Buchanans previous albums have been heralded by critics as An eminently impressive contribution to new Danish music and an obvious candidate for the Nordic Council Music Prize (Politiken) and without a doubt, one of this decades most important jazz releases, a true masterpiece! (Gaffa)

Award-winning Vibraphonist Lewis Wright returns to Signum following the success of his recording 'Duets' in 2018, with a selection of new compositions this time performed with Matt Brewer (Double-Bass) and Marcus Gilmore (Drums). "The Colour of Intention refers to the creative process itself: that in order to express yourself honestly in music, you have to generate clear intentions developed from thoughts and emotions which then color the work rather than explaining every aspect of it. In the moment of performance, the goal then becomes to put all these previous investigations out of mind and exist in the present. The color of intention is describing everything except performance; the slower processes of development, reflection and refinement and how they'll seep, often unpredictably, into everything that ends up being realized. Working with Matt (Brewer) and Marcus (Gilmore) adds the last and most engaging dimension. How they interpret the music, interact and bring their own highly developed languages to bare, creates something that's both a reflection of my intentions and also infinitely more sophisticated than it's possible for me to conceive of. I think in this sense, human connection is the greatest element of what it is we do as musicians." (Lewis Wright)

From the artists: "An album of instrumental Christmas music with a piano trio, is that a worthwhile idea? We asked that same question 17 years ago when we recorded In dulci jubilo in 2003. We decided it was and the result has followed us and lived with us since then. It has almost become our trademark. We have performed these songs in innumerable joyful Christmas concerts every December for our audiences. At the same time, we have tried to renew and expand the repertoire till we finally felt it was time for a sequel. So here it is. A Christmas present to ourselves and to you dear listeners. Like the last time all the music is from Sweden and the European continent."

Marcus Klossek is one of the growing number of guitarists who perform Jazz on a Fender Telecaster, the archetype of the electric guitar. A class of musicians that consists of many extraordinary artists; from Jimmy Bryant to Ed Bickert, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern, Jim Campilongo or Jakob Bro, just to name a few. An established name within the Berlin jazz scene who knows how to get to the point with his Electric Trio. A guitar, bass and drums; that's all it takes to make the songs of Marcus Klossek sound great! His brand new album "Time Was Now", the 8th release as a bandleader and the first one for Double Moon/Challenge Records, is another proof of exceptional storytelling composing skills which go far beyond the average guitar release. The Marcus Klossek Electric Trio has toured countless European clubs and festivals since releasing their first album "Now & Again" in 2012.

"Avalon is inspired by an ancient Celtic myth of an island in dense fog where the Holy Grail is said to be located, King Arthur is buried and where Excalibur is hidden. I use it as a metaphor for the present time in which we live in which it is not clear to anyone what the world will look like after the pandemic. The single Avalon is a dreamy piece of music that is also used for the exhibition in de Fundatie that will run until the spring of 2021." (Yuri Honing)

After Anette von Eichel opened a small window for the audience in 2001 with her debut release "Welcome To My World" to let people discover a previously unknown vocal talent, the spectacular and official start of her career was in 2004 with the release of "Get Out Now" in the beginnings of Jazz thing Next Generation. She has been teaching at the Academy of Music and Dance in Cologne as a professor of jazz singing since 2010. Nevertheless, she realigns her musical parameters and surprises with releases that stand out from the enormous sea of sound recording media in a pleasantly unpretentious way. After "Golightly" (Double Moon DMCHR 71106) from 2012, a duo album in 2017 and a Mingus project in 2019, "Inner Tide" is now her next work. The album unites a top-class instrumental combo with pianist Sebastian Sternal, bassist Henning Sieverts, drummer Jonas Burgwinkel and saxophonist Jonas Blom, in which the names alone prove that they cannot be reduced to mere accompanists. "This is exactly where I am now," Anettevon Eichel described the core statement of the nine titles of "Inner Tide". For her, it is a sign of the way, as always, when the singer, after a supposedly quieter public phase, comes out into the open again, deeply authentic, prominently, the field staked out with the "Eichel" brand. Or as she puts it laughingly: "Pure Me." Her older albums always featured pieces by others that fit her well. "Now, for the first time everything comes from me, not only the lyrics, but also the entire music. This is a big and important step for me, almost a new phase of my identity. And the result really makes me very, very happy!"

The combination of violin and guitar as well as classical playing styles and jazz has been on everyone's lips since the inimitable duo Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhard. An equally deep musical friendship exists between the Viennese violinist Rudi Berger and the Brazilian guitarist Toninho Horta, whose new album Belo Horizonte received the Latin Grammy Award for "Best Brazilian Album of the Year" in 2020. Their first collaborations started in 1988 in the United States, since then the two extraordinary musicians have played over 500 joint appearances to date. This album by the title "Rudi Berger featuring Toninho Horta" presents a cross-section of these years of musical life together, with recordings from Austria, New York City and Rio de Janeiro, from duo to 9-member formation. The compositions by Berger and Horta always transcend genre boundaries and incorporate influences from bossa nova, jazz, but also classical and folk music.

Following an acclaimed tribute album to Benny Goodman, the 'King of Swing', the Julian Bliss Septet returns with a new album that showcases the music of jazz legends, George and Ira Gershwin, and - by popular demand - some of Benny's compositions and much-loved tunes. The Julian Bliss Septet was formed in 2010 and quickly became known for their trademark inspiring jazz-fuelled shows which have captivated audiences across the globe. Their dazzling virtuosity, extraordinary musicianship and charming humor shines through their programmes of swing, Latin, American and jazz music. The band has played at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals around the world, including the famous Ronnie Scott's and Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Bermuda Jazz Festival and on multiple US tours to sold-out clubs and concert halls including Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York).

‘At Home’ Includes the iconic track ‘Remembering’, probably Avishai Cohen’s soundtrack to date. Avishai Cohen is an Israeli jazz double bassist, composer, singer, and arranger. He began playing the piano at 9 years old but changed to the bass guitar at the age of 14, inspired by bassist Jaco Pastorius. In 2002, Cohen founded his record label, Razdaz Recordz. "I've always been interested in several genres of music, including jazz, rock, pop, Latin and funk," says Cohen. "I'm always packed with ideas. I decided to start my own label because I'm involved in so many different projects." Cohen's signature sound is a blend of Middle Eastern, eastern European, and African-American musical idioms.