Silent film score by trumpeter Dave Douglas – with Jamie Saft on wurlitzer, Marcus Strickland on saxophones, Brad Jones on bass, Gene Lake on drums, and DJ Olive on turntables. Tracks include "Just Another Murder", "Fatty's Day Off", "Famous Players", and "Barnyard Flirtations" – plus a DVD featuring the original 1916 Fatty Arbuckle movie "Fatty & Mabel Adrift" with score by Douglas. CD

A beautiful little record from Matt Ulery – double-length in size, and even more than double in terms of feeling and depth! Matt's a figure on the Chicago scene – and in a way, his music represents the return to arrangements in the city's recent avant jazz world – yet his music is also even more compellingly concise, and handled with a strong ear towards thoughtful, tuneful compositions that have fluid, expressive feel – hardly outside at all, although always with an edge – and handled with a soundtrack-like sense of color and scene. In a way, there's almost a Kip Hanrahan sort of vibe to the music – especially in the way it goes way past familiar jazz – especially on the few vocals numbers, which feature lyrics sung by the lovely Grazyna Agusick. Other musicians include Ulery on bass, Ben Lewis on piano, Zach Brock on violin, James Davis on trumpet, Matthew Duval on vibes, and Jon Deitmeyer on drums. Titles include "Dark Harvest", "Processional", "By A Little Light", "To Lose Your Mind", "Wilder Years", "Sow The Deep Seeds", and "To The Brim". CD

Features Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes and Donny McCaslin on tenor sax! CD

With Adam O'Farrill, Jake Henry, John Lake, Kenny Warren on trumpet and flugelhorn. CD

Includes work by Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes and Donny McCaslin on tenor! CD

Kaisa Maensivu on bass, Tivon Pennicott on tenor sax, Sasha Berliner on ivbes, Max Light on guitar, Eden Ladin on piano, and Joe Peri on drums. CD

Really great stuff from bassist Matt Ulery – a player with an imagination as rich as his sound, and an artist who's really becoming a force on the scene here in Chicago! Matt works here in that mix of arrangements and freedom used by some of his contemporaries on the left side of the scene – but he's also got a wider vision, too – one that has the longer pieces stretching out with a compositional vision that goes way beyond just small combo jazz – a really wonderful sense of tones, timings, and layers – served up by a quintet that includes Geoff Bradfield on bass clarinet, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Rob Clearfield on piano and accordion, and Jon Dellemyer on drums. The mix of bass clarinet and trumpet is wonderful – all fluttery and shimmery over the blocky rhythms of the group – and the record has a bold sense of energy that never lets up. Titles include "In Every Lonely Chamber", "Coriander", "Over Under Other", "My Favorite Stranger", "Carefree", and "All The Riven". CD

One of the best albums we've heard in years from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a really in the pocket session that's filled with rhythmic intensity, and some of the boldest music we've heard from Dave in years! There's plenty of edges to the set – especially the trumpet of Douglas and tenor of Jon Irabgon – but there's also a groove to many numbers too – a kind of forward-rolling energy that really takes the whole thing to great points throughout the set, and which makes a great progression from the somber tone of Dave's last album – almost a musical rebirth of sorts! Crack rhythms flow from the trio of Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and titles include "Time Travel", "Beware Of Doug", "Little Feet", "Garden State", and "Bridge To Nowhere". CD

Wonderfully rich sounds from composer/arranger David Sanford – a tribute to the late Lester Bowie, of Art Ensemble fame – presented here with some trumpet contributions from Hugh Ragin, who does a might good job of stepping into Lester's mighty large shadow! Yet Ragin is only one of a number of strong soloists here – in a lineup that also includes work from Ted Levine on alto, Jim Messbauer and Mike Christianson on trombone, Ana Webber and Geoff Vidal on tenor, and Dave Fabris on guitar – just a handful of the musicians who step out and provide their own voices amidst the darkly-shaded pieces in the set, which work together to provide a sonic tapestry that seems to take us from Bowie's early years, to his time in the AACM, to some of his better-known projects of later years too. Titles include "Soldier & The CEO", "V Reel", "Popit", "Woman In Shadows", "Subtraf", and "Full Immersion". CD

Greg Ward's group here is named 10 Tongues – a great label for an ensemble that's overflowing with individual voices on their instruments – less a big band than a combo that can bring together so many different tones and colors at once! Ward himself is wonderful on alto, but maybe even more impressive as both the leader and composer here – writing in this fresh voice that's extremely positive and uplifting, but without ever resorting to any cloying cliches – and the group seems to respond by playing his music with a sense of joy and discovery at each new twist and turn! Players include Keefe Jackson on baritone and tenor, Tim Haldeman on tenor, Ben LaMar Gay on cornet, Russ Johnson on trumpet, Norman Palm on trombone, Christopher Davis on bass trombone, Jason Roebke on bass, Marcus Evans on drums, and Dennis Luxion on piano – on titles that include "Singular Serenade", "Daybreak", "Grit", "With All Your Sorry Sing A Song Of Jubilation", "Dialogue Of The Black Saint", and "Gather Round The Revolution Is At Hand". CD