A brilliant update of the older Blue Note All-Stars concept – a set that features a tremendous lineup of the contemporary talents who've helped shape the new sound of the label in recent years – including trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, keyboardist Robert Glasper, bassist Derrick Hodge, guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott, and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. The set's produced by Glasper, and has all the open, soulful currents of his own great records for the label – but also really draws a lot from the contributions of the other heavyweights too – as they work together on a se of mostly original tunes, all with shapes and sounds that you never would have expected on Blue Note in years past. We're huge fans of this direction of the label – and appreciate the way that they've found a way to keep things creatively soulful, but without rehashing the past or resorting to easy gimmicks. There's a depth here that would have made the old school proud – and titles include "Bayyinah", "Cycling Through Reality", "Witch Hunt", "Second Light", "Freedom Dance", and "Message Of Hope" – plus a few shorter tracks dedicated to Bruce Lundvall, the always-optimistic champion who headed the label in the years before his death. CD

Michael Carvin on drums – with Marcus Strickland on saxophone, Carlton Holmes on piano, and Dezron Douglas on bass. CD

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

Mighty bold work from bassist Christian McBride – heading up the wonderful New Jawn quartet, a pianoless combo that really allows all players to shine with an unexpected sense of freedom! Drummer Nasheet Waits is helping McBride out with the rhythms – often with a touch that's nice and loose, and very open – a fluid way of moving around that seems to really encourage strong work from the trumpet of Josh Evans and tenor and bass clarinet of Marcus Strickland – both players who have a sense of structure, but are nicely loose too – really working with a sort of energy we never would have expected on a Christian McBride record many years back. Titles include "Moonchild", "Lurkers", "Dolphy Dust", "Obsequious", and "Head Bedlam". CD

Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Lionel Cordew on drums, Jeffrey Haynes on percussion, Helen Sung & George Colligan on piano & keyboards, Marcus Strickland & Tim Ries on tenor saxophone & Jeremy Pelt & Lew Soloff on trumpet. CD

Features Craig Handy and Marcus Strickland on tenor, Norbert Stachel on baritone sax and bass clarinet, Steve Davis on trombone, Xavier Davis on piano, and others. CD

The first-ever album from pianist Robert Glasper – the start of a huge legacy in jazz, and an album that has him already finding his own voice as a musician! The sound is fantastic throughout – with a core trio that has Glasper able to carve out all those blocky moments that he does so well – almost like you can really hear him breaking down and rebuilding his own soulful conception of jazz – with help from Bob Hurst on bass and Damion Reid on drums – both well-matched players who really help the album sparkle! There's lots of surprises along the way, too – vocals from Bilal on two cuts, and occasional tenor, either from Marcus Strickland or John Ellis – although the sound of the trio is more than enough. Titles include a stunning reworking of "Maiden Voyage" – and the originals "In Passing", "LNK Blues", "Don't Close Your Eyes", "Lil Tipsy", and "Mood". CD

Singer Jose James has always had a classic vibe to his vocals – but that quality is maybe put forward even more here on this well-crafted Christmas album – a set that somehow manages to bridge the gap between classic Holiday records and the more contemporary work that James has given us on recent records! The focus here is very strongly on his voice – upfront and unadorned, and presented at a level that reminds us that James has been one of the freshest new singers in jazz over the past decade or so – working with help from Aaron Parks on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Jaharis Yokely on drums – plus a few great solo spots from Marcus Strickland on tenor. Titles include the beautiful "Christmas In New York" – plus "My Favorite Things", "Christmas Day", "The Christmas Waltz", "This Christmas", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". CD

Singer Jose James has always had a classic vibe to his vocals – but that quality is maybe put forward even more here on this well-crafted Christmas album – a set that somehow manages to bridge the gap between classic Holiday records and the more contemporary work that James has given us on recent records! The focus here is very strongly on his voice – upfront and unadorned, and presented at a level that reminds us that James has been one of the freshest new singers in jazz over the past decade or so – working with help from Aaron Parks on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Jaharis Yokely on drums – plus a few great solo spots from Marcus Strickland on tenor. Titles include the beautiful "Christmas In New York" – plus "My Favorite Things", "Christmas Day", "The Christmas Waltz", "This Christmas", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty bold work from bassist Christian McBride – heading up the wonderful New Jawn quartet, a pianoless combo that really allows all players to shine with an unexpected sense of freedom! Drummer Nasheet Waits is helping McBride out with the rhythms – often with a touch that's nice and loose, and very open – a fluid way of moving around that seems to really encourage strong work from the trumpet of Josh Evans and tenor and bass clarinet of Marcus Strickland – both players who have a sense of structure, but are nicely loose too – really working with a sort of energy we never would have expected on a Christian McBride record many years back. Titles include "Moonchild", "Lurkers", "Dolphy Dust", "Obsequious", and "Head Bedlam". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice stuff – a much richer album than you might guess from the cover and title! Pino Palladino and Blake Mills have a way of making some wonderfully fresh sounds here – Palladino on a variety of basses, and Mills on reeds, guitars, and a whole host of other instruments too! The music is jazz, but of the sort that goes most strongly for the overall sound of the group's output – maybe reaching forth past the sonic experiments of early ECM, but with a very contemporary vibe, and a spirit that's much more varied and filled with surprise overall! Players shift as much as the instruments from track to track – and the set features work from Sam Gendel on poly sax (which sounds great!), plus Larry Golding on flutes and mellotron sax, Marcus Strickland on bass clarinet, and Chris Dave on drums and percussion. The sound is great – very unique, in ways that are hard to describe easily in words – with titles that include "Soundwalk", "Man From Molise", "Djurkel", "Off The Cuff", "Notes With Attachments", and "Ekute". CD

A surprisingly heavy-duty set from bassist Lonnie Plaxico – featuring a few tunes that get nice and funky, next to others that open up in a sweetly soulful mode! The drummer on the set – Lionel Cardew – has a nice kick on the kit on the more upbeat numbers, giving the group a full-on feel that really sets the stage for plenty of action. And on the mellower numbers, Plaxico's taking on more of the rhythms – curving the tunes with his warm tones on the bass, and bringing out some nice work from trumpeter Alexander Norris and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. Titles include "A Shorter Take", "Jumping Jacks", "Cachao's Dance", "Senor Silver", and "Along Came Benny". CD