Wonderfully evocative work from Egberto Gismonti – a set based around the music of Hecto Villa-Lobos, but taken to much more creatively modern territory! The older compositions are a wonderful match for Gismonti's free-thinking approach to music – and the tunes are really opened up with a sense of soaring that you won't find in other Villa-Lobos recordings – a bit of jazz, plus more complicated flourishes as well. The group's a small combo – with instrumentation that includes flutes, soprano sax, percussion, and xylophone – and Gismonti himself plays both piano and keyboards, bringing a bit of an electric feel at times. Titles include "Dansa", "Bachiana No 5", "Cantiga", "O Trenzinho Do Caipira", and "Pobre Cega". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

John Zorn on saxophone, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass, and Joey Baron on drums. CD

One of the most compelling albums ever recorded by British alto genius Joe Harriott – a very unusual record that has him working with guitarist Amanico D'Silva, in a style that's got some wonderful modal undertones! The feel here is a bit like Harriott's work with Michael Garrick – minus piano, of course – as he and D'Silva work through some tunes that are long, filled with complicated rhythms, yet still have a magically dancing sound. The mood shifts a bit from track to track – as Norma Winstone comes in for wordless vocals on two numbers, and Ian Carr blows a bit on one tune – and there's one short track on the record that only features Harriott's alto next to a bit of drums. Great stuff all around – with titles that include "NNNT", "Hum Donon", "Jaipur", "Stephano's Dance", and "Ballad For Goa". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully crafted quartet session from trumpeter Win Pongsakorn – an up-and-coming younger musician who we're sure to be hearing more from in years to come! Win's got an impeccable sound on his horns – which here also include flugelhorn, blown with the kind of cool, compressed energy that we might associate with Art Farmer at his best – but also with a bit more bite, which may well come from the strong group backing from David Hazeltine on piano and Fender Rhodes, Paolo Benedetti on bass, and Jason Brown on drums. We don't hear Hazeltine often on Fender Rhodes, and his work on the instrument is great here – on a set of tunes that includes a fair bit of originals by Pongsakorn, plus a few set to his arrangements too. Titles include "Caipirinha", "Time Has Changed", "Hummingbirds At Balata Garden", "Pensri", "Man In The Mirror", and "Imagination". CD

Another fine effort from the Chicago Underground Duo – multi-instrumentalists Chad Talyor and Rob Mazurek – and like the duo's earlier work on Thrill Jockey, it's a wonderful listen, that traipses through elements of Don Cherry-like jazz experimentation, and percussive, minimalist avant rock! The sound is uncategorizable in the best sense, and the duo has chops that devour most of their contempories. Another great one! Mazurek works on cornet, organ, celest, piano, harpsichord and more, and Taylor is drums, perussion, gongs vibe and more. Tracks include "In Praise Of Shadows", "Falling Awake", "The Glass House", "Cities Without Citadels", "Pangea", "Funeral Of Dreams" and "The Light Between". CD

Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet and flugelhorn, Damage Edson Mbaisa on saxophone, percussion and vocals, Zivanai Wilberforce Masanga on trumpet, vocals, and keyboards, William Roper on tuba, David Philipson on bansuri, Henry Kaiser, Joshua Dube, Woody and Lee Aplanalp on guitar, Chakaipa Mhembere, Ngoni Makombe, and Zivai Guveya on mbira, Christopher Muchabaiwa and Ollie Elder on bass, Gordin Mapika and Sonship Theus on drums, William Mapfumo on percussion, and Lancelot Mapfumo on congas and vocals, with vocals from Memory Makuri, Rosa Sande, and Thomas Mapfumo. CD

Maybe the most jazz-based record we've ever heard from Misha Panfilov – a set that still has all the great funky and spacey elements of his other records, yet which uses an expanded lineup to really deepen the soul of the album! The tracks are long, and have a soulful vibe that's wonderful – maybe in that late 60s moment when hardbop was moving past more familiar modes on labels like Blue Note and Prestige, but touched with slight spiritual currents too – in a group that mixes trumpet, flute, tenor, piano, bass, drums, and percussion with Misha's own leadership, percussion, and even some very cool steel guitar. Titles include "Draw Us Here", "Ravin", "Caipirinha", and "Dryland". (Deep Funk, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album