A fantastic follow-up to the initial Americana album from tenorist JD Allen – one that's got a similarly lean vibe as the first, and which continues with a new level of righteous energy in Allen's music! The titles of the songs seem to imply deeper currents from the south, but rather than rehashed blues themes, the music instead really takes off in a very different direction – full of brooding ruminations and righteous expressions – which this time around also feature some very bold work from Charlie Hunter on guitar, in a raspy voice that's very different than his older music. Allen's great on tenor, and the rest of the group features Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – on titles that include "The Werk Song", "You Don't Know Me", "Irene", "Up South", "A Mouthful Of Forever", and "The Battle Of Blair Mountain". CD

A really powerful solo album from JD Allen – maybe the first we've ever heard from the tenor saxophonist, and a set that's got a very different vibe than some of his recent outings with groups! Allen recorded the music during the height of lockdown in 2020, at a time when he'd had to step back from performing live and collaborating with others – a moment he used to get back to basics on his instrument, and begin to re-explore all the things that first made being a saxophonist so important to him. There's definitely a sense of isolation and melancholy here – as you might expect – but there's also a feeling of hope and new inspiration, a quiet message from a dark time that's great to have on record. Titles include "Nyla's Sky", "Maude", "OTR", "Vernetta", "Queen City", "Gem & Eye", "Kristian With A K", and "Wildwood Flower". CD

Extremely angular work from tenorist JD Allen – working here with a quartet that's as loose on rhythms as he is on his saxophone solos – coming together in a style that's freewheeling and open-minded! The group features a strong element in the guitar of Liberty Ellman – used in ways that are sometimes quite subtle – with notes that ring out almost in the background of the work on drums by Rudy Royston, and the wonderfully powerful bass of Gregg August – whose force works in nice contrast to the more elliptical sounds coming from the drums and guitar. Allen's horn hangs somewhere in a space between both forces – shifting effortlessly through space, and twisting and turning in the process – serving up fantastic flurries of dark-edged sound on the album's long tracks. Royston is amazing – the album's a great testament to his growing power in recent years – and titles include "Daedalus", "Ghost Dance"," Heureux", "Radio Flyer", "Sitting Bull", and "The Angelus Bell". CD

We're not entirely sure what happened to saxophonist JD Allen in recent years – but he's become an even bolder, more experimental player in his music – really augmenting an already-great legacy of albums with fresh new projects like this! The album continues that darker, more powerful approach that Allen has brought to recent records – and also takes it into new territory too, as he works in a lean trio with Gwilym Jones on drums and Alex Bonney on electronics and effects – the latter of which are used in these ways that are really subtle, but really great – shaping things almost in the background while Allen delivers searing tenor parts over the top! The set was recorded in London, and maybe catches some fire from the current experiments on that scene – on titles that include "The Revelator", "Know Dogs Allowed", "The Night Of Swords", "See It Say It Sorted", "Boom Bap", and "This". CD

Jazzy takes on tunes that you'd know from famous film soundtracks – served up in a special way that not just draws from the talents of leader Richard Baratta on drums, but also heavily from pianist Bill O'Connell, who handled most of the arrangements for the set! There's a strong Latin jazz vibe to the set that reminds us a lot of O'Connell's own records – with Baratta on percussion alongside his drums, and added percussion and congas from Paul Rossman – in a group that also features Vincent Herring on alto, Paul Bollenback on guitar, and Michael Goetz on bass. Most tunes are familiar, but the arrangements are mighty fresh , and really open things up – on tunes that include "Last Tango In Paris", "Soul Bossa Nova", "Pure Imagination", "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "You've Got A Friend In Me", "Out Of This World", and "Pink Panther". CD

The rich tenor sound of Jerry Bergonzi sounds wonderful here – set up strongly next to the guitar work of Sheryl Bailey, a player with a loose, open style that really mixes well with Jerry's own! The duo have a way of really moving past any familiar guitar/tenor pairing – into a world of colors and flowing tones that's completely captivating throughout, and delivered in a way that makes us fans of Bergonzi all over again, constantly amazed at his ability to open up different chapters in his career, while never failing to deliver the goods. The lineup also features Phil Grenadier on trumpet, Harvie S on bass, and Luther Gray on drums – and titles include "Obama", "Czech Mate", "Double Billed", "Extra Extra", "Loudzee", "Separated", and "The Truth". CD

The title's a great one for this album – not just because tenorist Jerry Bergonzi always seems to have this forward-thinking, linear quality about his work – but also because his talents here intersect strongly with the alto sax of Dick Oatts! The pair really create some magic here – a balance between Bergonzi's bold tone and that raspier, more personal sound of Oatts – wrapped up beautifully with bass from Dave Santoro and drums from Andrea Michelutti – no piano at all, which only seems to further the fluid quality of the saxophones! There's a loose, free swing to the record – a quality that's still quite rhythmic, but which opens up without the piano and lets the saxophonists get very expressive – sparking stunning lines on original Bergonzi tracks that include "Creature Feature", "Tanzania", "Dig Oatts", "Itchy", "Arbonius Unt", and "Horton's Lament". CD

Jerry Bergonzi on tenor saxophone, Bruce Barth on piano, Dave Santoro on bass, and Andrea Michelutti on drums. CD

Jerry Bergonzi on tenor sax, John Abercrombie on guitar, Dave Santoro on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. CD

Arthur Blythe on alto saxophone with Gust William Tsilis on concert grand marimba, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. CD

The genius of Joe Chambers knows no bounds – and record after record, his recent stretch has really continued to blow our mind! Chambers was always a hell of a talent back in the day – even at his start as a 60s Blue Note sideman – but in the past decade or so, he's really found his voice – and shows a talent for larger-concept projects that's really amazing – such as this project with his Moving Pictures Orchestra! The group's a largeish jazz ensemble with some top-shelf players – and they work together on Chambers arrangements that definitely have a cinematic feel – but there's also a richer jazz-based approach too – one that almost reminds us of classic charts from Gil Evans or Ralph Burns. Players include Craig Handy on tenor and soprano sax, David Weiss and Frank Greene on trumpets, Conrad Herwig and Steve Davis on trombones, Xavier Davis on piano, Steve Berrios on percussion, Dwayne Burno on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums and vibes. Titles include the "Moving Pictures Suite", plus "Lonesome Lover", "Power To The People", "Theme From M Squad", and "Mendacity" – which features vocals from Nicole Guiland. CD

Wayne Escoffery on tenor sax, Tom Harrell on trumpet, Joe Locke on vibes and marimba, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Lewis Nash or Jonathan Blake on drums. CD

Wayne Escoffery on tenor and soprano sax, Joe Locke on vibes, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

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Louis Hayes is not just a great drummer, he's also a hell of a leader too – the kind that always seems to know how to pick the right players for a really special sort of sound – and create a vibe that really sets his records apart from the rest! That quality is definitely in place here – as Louis leads a cool quintet with Abraham Burton on tenor, Steve Nelson on vibes, David Hazeltine on piano, and Dezron Douglas on bass – all leaders and all-stars on their own, but coming together here in a wonderfully cohesive group to express Hayes' vision. Years back, Louis worked with Horace Silver – and at some level, he's got a similar genius of his own in the front of a group – as you'll hear here on titles that include "Is That So", "Mellow D", "Nefertiti", "Ugetsu", "Scarborough Fair", "Exactly Right", and "So Many Stars". CD

Louis Hayes is not just a great drummer, he's also a hell of a leader too – the kind that always seems to know how to pick the right players for a really special sort of sound – and create a vibe that really sets his records apart from the rest! That quality is definitely in place here – as Louis leads a cool quintet with Abraham Burton on tenor, Steve Nelson on vibes, David Hazeltine on piano, and Dezron Douglas on bass – all leaders and all-stars on their own, but coming together here in a wonderfully cohesive group to express Hayes' vision. Years back, Louis worked with Horace Silver – and at some level, he's got a similar genius of his own in the front of a group – as you'll hear here on titles that include "Is That So", "Mellow D", "Nefertiti", "Ugetsu", "Scarborough Fair", "Exactly Right", and "So Many Stars". CD

Features Vincent Herring on alto and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. CD

A warmly well-rounded set of organ jazz from Bill Heid – maybe not the biggest player on the Hammond B3, but one who's been slowly building up an excellent legacy of records like this! There's an understated grace to the way that Bill handles the instrument – he's not out to blow the top off the Hammond, but has this command of color, tone, and timing that's really wonderful – served up in mostly trio format with Perry Hughes on guitar and Randy Gelispie on drums! Heid has a way of going deep right at the start of a tune, then continuing to keep things crisp and cool – a special sort of tone that's very much his own. He also sings a bit on two tracks, Kevin Bujo Jones joins the group on percussion on three cuts, and titles include the originals "Dealin Wid It", "Four To One", "It's A Living", "Minor Worm", "Naughty Little Puppy", and "Samba Cat". CD

Features Eric Alexander on tenor, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Joe Farnsworth on drums! CD

A cracker of a set from Ray Mantilla – served up in that special approach to Latin jazz that's made Mantilla such a great leader for the past few decades! Ray's percussion is firmly at the helm of the set, but the group's definitely a jazz one through and through – graced with excellent work from Willie Williams on tenor and soprano sax, flute and baritone sax from Enrique Fernandez, and bold trumpet lines from Guido Gonzalez on a few tracks too! And while the solos are really rich and strong, the rhythms are definitely the core that drives the whole set strongly – not just Mantilla's percussion, but also bold, blocky piano lines from Edy Martinez, rolling acoustic bass from Chucho Martinez, and some drums from Bill Elder. Both Edy Martinez and Williams helped out with arrangements – and titles include "Andean Fantasy", "Psalm 107", "Sonando Puerto Rico", "Homanaje A San Rafael", "The Simple Life", and "New Moon". CD