The great CD release of two previous albums from this hip contemporary combo – two vinyl albums back to back on a single CD! Both albums have a fantastic blend of jazz, contemporary soul, and hip hop – served up by a group who can really get the sound right – Terrace Martin on keyboards and alto, Robert Glasper on keyboards, Kamasi Washington on tenor, and 9th Wonder on beats! Vocals on most tracks are by Phoelix, who really helps give the instrumentation some focus – yet the jazz component of the record is never buried under the lyrics, as the players get plenty of space to do their thing – with a vibe that's a bit like some of Glasper's Black Radio project, yet given much more the kind of cool Crenshaw vibe that we've loved in Martin's previous records. All four artists are credited with songwriting and production and you can really hear that balance in the sound – on tracks that include "Love You Bad", "Sleepless Nights", "The Mighty Tree", "Freeze Tag", "Luv U", "Sleepless Nights", and "From My Heart & Soul". The Dessert album offers up a reworked version of the core record – with titles that are partly remixes, partly reworks – with guest appearances from Snoop Dog, Cordae, Herbie Hancock, Reuben Vincent, and others! CD

Maybe the best work so far from this really wonderful group – a magnificent match of the keyboards of Robert Glasper, the saxophones of Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, and the superb production talents of 9th Wonder – all working together in a stunning blend of jazz, soul, funk, and hip hop! The tunes have a sharpness and focus that's even more powerful than previous work by the lineup – like they've really found that special space where the all-stars can come together in a united voice that really soars – working with key contributions from Phoelix on vocals, alongside Arin Ray and Ant Clemons. Titles include "Insane", "Watts Renaissance", "For Granted", "Secure", "Can't Go", "The Lower East Side", "Love Love", and "Answered Prayer". CD

Maybe the best work so far from this really wonderful group – a magnificent match of the keyboards of Robert Glasper, the saxophones of Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, and the superb production talents of 9th Wonder – all working together in a stunning blend of jazz, soul, funk, and hip hop! The tunes have a sharpness and focus that's even more powerful than previous work by the lineup – like they've really found that special space where the all-stars can come together in a united voice that really soars – working with key contributions from Phoelix on vocals, alongside Arin Ray and Ant Clemons. Titles include "Insane", "Watts Renaissance", "For Granted", "Secure", "Can't Go", "The Lower East Side", "Love Love", and "Answered Prayer". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from Robert Glasper – easily one of our favorite fresh jazz talents of the past decade or so! There's really nobody like Glasper, and you'll hear that from the very first notes of this set – a flurry of marvelously blocky chords – wrapped together in these waves of sound that are completely seductive – complex at one point, but perfectly organic at another – almost to the piano what Coltrane was to the tenor – although Glasper's sound is nothing like Coltrane – if that won't confuse you enough! The rhythms leap along with Robert's piano in an equally joyous way – stretching out, finding new space, and taking the music into rich new territory – more than enough to make this record one of Blue Note's best so far of the 21st Century. Titles include "G & B", "Of Dreams To Come", "FTB", "One For Grew", "Tribute", and "Maiden Voyage/Everything Is In The Right Place". LP, Vinyl record album

An all-star record from three contemporary forces in soul, hip hop, and jazz – yet one that's also got a nicely lean vibe as well – as the whole thing focuses on the best strengths of all three talents involved! Much of the music features Karriem Riggins on drums, Robert Glasper on keyboards, and Common delivering lyrics – usually with a style that's much more compact and down to earth than some of his own records of the past few decades! Glasper's right at home in the setting, and really helps set the tone – and singer Samora Pinderhughes is on many tracks, balancing out Common's rhymes with her vocals. Other guest singers include Bilal and Brandy – and titles include "Black Kennedy", "Practice", "Fly Away", "Aya", "Let Go", "The Time", "Optimistic", and "No Apologies". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of an amazing new chapter in the career of Robert Glasper – one that would soon set the tone for a number of other records to come! This set features loads of Glasper's enigmatic piano lines – those fluid, elliptical sounds that are always filled with plenty of soul and imagination – matched here with guest vocals from a host of key talents – including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and Lupe Fiasco! The blend is surprisingly wonderful – not a sell out at all, but a way for Glasper's music to reach a rich new level of expression – as the vocals really help the instrumental elements come alive – and unlock this side of Robert's potential that was always lurking in the background. One of the best musical moments from Blue Note at the time – with titles that include "Always Shine", "Move Love", "Ah Yeah", "Lift Off", "Afro Blue", "Cherish The Day", "Black Radio", and "Letter To Hermione". Japanese pressing includes the bonus track "Twice". CD

Maybe the most righteous music we've ever heard from keyboardist Robert Glasper – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his legacy of albums over the years! This project feels different than the previous Black Radio releases by Glasper – different than his initial blending of jazz modes and contemporary soul – and maybe more strongly driven by mission and purpose, with a quality that really comes through right from the very first note! Glasper's piano and keyboards still have that strong sense of shape we love so much – but they're maybe more heady and serious, and really set a fantastic tone for the album's many contributions from important voices like Esperanza Spaulding, BJ The Chicago Kid, Amir Sulaiman, Lalah Hathaway, Common, Posdnuos, Q Tip, Gregory Porter, Ledisi, HER, and others – a lineup who really elevate the already-sublime tone of the record. We've always found inspiration in the music of Robert Glasper – but it's also an amazing thing to see him rise to an almost statesman-like position with a project like this – on titles that include "Black Superhero", "Shine", "Why We Speak", "Better Than I Imagined", "Everybody Love", "It Don't Matter", "Heaven's Here", "Forever", and a surprisingly strong cover of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of genius from pianist Robert Glasper – a set recorded early in his career, and one that set the tone for all the greatness to come! Glasper's already a completely unique musician on his instrument – moving with these flowing waves of sound that turned out to be an inspiration for so many other younger musicians to come, but which here still sound the best in the hands of the originator – rolling forward with this soulful energy that's very different than anything that came before, and which still never fails to blow us away! The core trio features Vincente Archer on bass and Damion Reid on drums – and the set features guest vocals from Bilal on "Chant" and "I Remember" – and guest tenor from Mark Turner on "Riot" and "Rise & Shine". Other tracks include "Enoch's Meditation", "Canvas", "Portrait Of An Angel", "North Portland", and "Jelly's Da Beener". CD

Continuing genius from the great Robert Glasper – a set that has the keyboardist going back to basics, and working in just a trio mode – live in the studio, and with stunning sound! Robert plays acoustic piano, but as with his early years, he's got this fluidity that really makes it feel like electric at times – a way of using the standard keys as if they belonged to a Fender Rhodes – a sound that comes across especially well with the snapping drums of Diamond Read, and round acoustic basslines from Vincent Archer. If you weren't hip to Glasper at this earlier mode in his career, you'll find plenty to love here – especially as some of the tunes are reworks of the sorts of music he'd do with his Black Radio project, but served up here in a mostly instrumental mode. The album does feature one guest appearance from Harry Belafonte – who's really amazing on a spoken part for "Got Over" – and other titles include "Reckoner", "I Don't Even Care", "In Case You Forgot", "The Worst", "So Beautiful", "I'm Dying Of Thirst", and "Levels". Includes the bonus track "Dillalude 3". CD

The first official release of this debut solo album from Tiombe Lockheart – originally distributed via shows when she was a member of the Platinum Pied Pipers, and still a completely winning bit of spacey soul – with a vibe that really prefaces so much energy on the west coast in more recent years! Tiombe gets help on beats from Bilal, drums from Otis Brown Jr, and piano from Robert Glasper – but it's also very clear that the music is all very much her own – this spacey melange of influences from hip hop and soul, woven together in very deep textures, and topped with her beautifully crispy vocal approach! Titles include "California Dreaming", "Tip Of My Tongue", "You Need Me", "Mr Johnnie Walker", "Working Girls Suicide", "Sexy Suzy On A Sunday 1.5", and "GP". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A stunning supergroup from the contemporary scene on the west coast – heard here on a live set that's every bit as wonderful as the studio album that marked their debut! You'll probably know every player here from albums under their own names, and the group is every bit as great as the sum of its parts – Robert Glasper on keyboards, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth, Justin Tyson on drums, and Terrace Martin on keyboards and a bit of vocals – all coming together with a sort of crispy, contemporary energy – all live, but with a future-thinking approach to jazz that's really beautiful. Titles include "Perspectives/Postpartum", "How Much A Dollar Cost", "Change Of Tone", "Respond", "Been On My Mind", and "Resting Warrior". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of an amazing new chapter in the career of Robert Glasper – one that would soon set the tone for a number of other records to come! This set features loads of Glasper's enigmatic piano lines – those fluid, elliptical sounds that are always filled with plenty of soul and imagination – matched here with guest vocals from a host of key talents – including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and Lupe Fiasco! The blend is surprisingly wonderful – not a sell out at all, but a way for Glasper's music to reach a rich new level of expression – as the vocals really help the instrumental elements come alive – and unlock this side of Robert's potential that was always lurking in the background. One of the best musical moments from Blue Note at the time – with titles that include "Always Shine", "Move Love", "Ah Yeah", "Lift Off", "Afro Blue", "Cherish The Day", "Black Radio", and "Letter To Hermione". Deluxe edition features great bonus material – the cuts "Twice", "Love Supreme", and "Fever" – plus the full work of the Recovered Remix EP – including "The Consequences Of Jealousy (Georgia Anne Muldrow's sassy geemix)", "Letter To Hermoine (Robert Glasper and Jewels rmx)", "Dillalude #2", "Twice (?uestlove's twice baked rmx)", "Black Radio (Pete Rock rmx)", and "Afro Blue (9th Wonder's blue light basement rmx)". CD

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

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". CD

A hell of a record from Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas – an artist we already loved before, but who's really stepping forth boldly with this release! Freitas has a way with the piano that's unlike anyone else we can think of – that freshness we maybe first felt when hearing a player like Robert Glasper many years back – and he works in a trio setting at a level that completely transforms the format – thanks in part to the very inventive assistance he gets from Jean Elton on bass and Hugo Medeiros on drums and percussion! If you think Freitas looks righteous on the cover, just wait until you hear his music – as he's definitely the real deal, and bound to be a big force in the jazz generation to come. Titles include "Malakoff", "Nascimento", "Sankofa", "Ayeye", "Vila Bela", "Baquaqua", and "Cazumba". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that really helped push guitarist Ronny Jordan over the top – a set that took that sharp, clean sound that made him the 90s heir to the funky Grant Green sound – and updated it nicely with some help from DJ Krush! The record is one of the most successful blends of jazz and hip hop from the time – one of the few that really gets things right, and which knows when to lean into soul as well – and is maybe a key part of an early legacy that would later flourish in Blue Note projects from artists like Madlib and Robert Glasper! Titles include the killer "The Jackal (the illest mix)", which has Dana Bryant delivering a very hip spoken part – plus "S**t Goes Down (but I phunked up mix)", "Love I Never Had It So Good", "Season For Change (dawn of the season mix)", "Bad Brother (how ya like my wheel mix)", and a great remake of "So What (tuff n smooth mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Terrace Martin, and a set that already has him stretching out and building bridges between scenes and genres – at a level that has continued to make him one of the real giants of the west coast scene! The record's never just about Terrace's keys or saxophone – although his work on both are totally great – and instead, there's an equal presence here from the guests – Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, or artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Ty Dolla Sign, Musiq Soulchild, and others on vocals – balancing hip hop and soul with Martin's jazz at the core, as he awakes new ears sounds they never would have discovered otherwise! Titles include "Triangle Ship", "No Wrong No Right", "Over Time", "Watch U Sleep", "Something Else", "You're The One", "I'm For Real", "Gone", and "Motivation". LP, Vinyl record album

Terrace Martin is an artist who just keeps on getting deeper and deeper over the years – an already-great jazz musician, but one who's widened his scope to touch on broader currents of soul and hip hop – all of which really open up with the jazz-based energy at the core! At some level, this record might be to Martin's career what the Black Radio project was to Robert Glasper – as Terrace opens the door to all-star guests who include Kim Burrell, Leon Bridges, Ty Dolla $ign, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, and even Glasper himself – while also finding space to serve up a few key tracks on his own, without any guests – tracks that may well be some of our favorite on the album. Titles include "Turning Poison Into Medicine", "Drones", "Leave Us Be", "Don't Let Go", "Listen", "Sick Of Cryin", "Leimert Park", "Tapped", and "Griots Of The Crenshaw District". LP, Vinyl record album

A piano trio, but one with a very modern ear – a group from that school of groups who've emerged in the years after the early recordings of Robert Glasper – graced with a very similar 21st Century sense of rhythm and sound! It's clear that these guys grew up on more than jazz, as the way they put together the tunes is very fresh and untraditional – yet also not overly gimmicky, as in some of the bigger-name crossover trios of the past decade or so. The trio features Gael Bourgeault on Fender Rhodes and piano, Leo Debroise on bass, and Victor Dubois on drums – and the set also features guest guitar, trumpet, and vocals from a female singer – who each appear on different tracks. Titles include "Half Moon Night", "777", "LGFI", "Kamalodo", "Pedrocha", and "Catamandelo". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic trio set from pianist Takeshi Obayashi – a player you might know from work with Jose James and Takuya Kuroda, but one who really steps out here strongly in a trio setting! Part of the record's strength is the rhythm help – as Ben Williams plays bass and Nate Smith plays drums – both musicians who have a round, chunky sort of groove that works perfectly with Obayashi's piano as he spins out strongly soulful tunes that offer up a vision of jazz piano trio energy in the post-Robert Glasper world! All players contribute equally to the sound – and Williams is especially great – on titles that include "Konbini Confessions", "Black Label", "The Big News", "Ngroove", "Beyond Affinity", and "Bop Boom". CD

A whole new side of Charles Tolliver's talents – a majestic big band album, with Charles' trumpet right out front in the lead! At some level, the album's an extension of Tolliver's larger group projects with Music Inc back in the 70s – but at another level, the feel here is totally different – much more complex and dynamic, with a rich array of colors and tones we'd never heard before in his work! The group's definitely a big band – with a full brace of trumpets, trombones, and saxes – all working together in very tight formation to realize Tolliver's musical vision. Solos are by Charles on trumpet on most tracks, plus Bill Saxton and Billy Harper on tenor, Staffort Hunter on trombone, Todd Bashore on alto sax, and Robert Glasper and Stanley Cowell on piano. Titles include "With Love", "Rejoicin", "Mournin Variations", "Right Now", "Suspicion", and "Hit The Spot". CD

Wax Poetics goes nearly all hip hop for this issue – covering original game-changers and the best contemporary revisionists alike – with cover features on Nas, Danny Brown, Master P and his No Limit legacy, and Shabazz Palaces! Wax Poetics, tasked with following up their decade milestone issue, pulls that off brilliantly here. It's got one of the best, realest interviews with Nas we've ever read, a great look at Master P's No Limit and the Beats By The Pound production empire, a resurgent El-P, the legendary Kurtis Blow, Killer Mike, Oddisee, THEESatisfaction, Cities Aviv, modern jazz great Robert Glasper and much more! Magazine

A wonderfully genre-hopping collection – put together by Toru Hashimoto, the man behind such incredible Japanese series as the Free Soul, Cafe Apres Midi, and Suburbia compilations for many different labels! Toru really lives up to his legend here, and mixes music from different scenes and styles, but in a way that not only makes total sense – but also seems to have the tracks resonate even more strongly in the company of each other – moving from soul to bossa, jazz, vocal, and even hip hop cuts! Titles include "It's You" by Joyce Cooking, "I've Got You Under My Skin" by G9 Group, "Persian Love" by Holger Czukay, "Never Did I Stop Loving You" by Alice Clark, "What Else Can I Say" by Ingram, "Another Day" by Precise Hero, "NYC Tonight (version voc Shintaro Sakamoto)" by Dump, "Beautiful Love" by Myron & the Works with Meshell Ndegeocello and Robert Glasper, "Just The Way You Are" by Meta Roos & Nippe Sylwens Band, "Little Girl Lost" by Penny Goodwin, "Hunk Of Heaven" by Lemuria, "Why Don't We Fall In Love" by John Valenti, "Love Oh Love" by Vince Andrews, "You've Got To Have Freedom" by Pharoah Sanders, and "In All The Wrong Places" by Kero One. CD

Keyon Harrold continues his rise from standard jazz into the realm of soulful superstar – working here with a great array of guests, and also creating a sound that's a fantastic blend of his own work on trumpet and some larger currents of soul and R&B! At some level, the record's almost Harrold's equivalent of the Black Radio projects from pianist Robert Glasper – and maybe no surprise, Glasper's in the lineup of guests here – alongside Laura Mvula, PJ Morton, Common, Jean Baylor, and others – all participants who find just the right spot in the music, yet leave plenty of room for Keyon to blow some solos in a way that mark his role as the visionary leader of the proceedings. Titles include "Beautiful Day", "Well Walk Now", "Don't Lie", "Foreverland", "Find Your Peace", "Gotta Go", "Pictures", and "The Intellectual". CD

Keyon Harrold continues his rise from standard jazz into the realm of soulful superstar – working here with a great array of guests, and also creating a sound that's a fantastic blend of his own work on trumpet and some larger currents of soul and R&B! At some level, the record's almost Harrold's equivalent of the Black Radio projects from pianist Robert Glasper – and maybe no surprise, Glasper's in the lineup of guests here – alongside Laura Mvula, PJ Morton, Common, Jean Baylor, and others – all participants who find just the right spot in the music, yet leave plenty of room for Keyon to blow some solos in a way that mark his role as the visionary leader of the proceedings. Titles include "Beautiful Day", "Well Walk Now", "Don't Lie", "Foreverland", "Find Your Peace", "Gotta Go", "Pictures", and "The Intellectual". LP, Vinyl record album

That's Thelonious Monk on the cover, getting an egg yolk removed from his head – and while that image may seem a bit sacrilegious, it's also a great way to portray the sound of this unusual Japanese group! Wonk have a sound that's begun in jazz, but quickly taken to much farther-out territory – maybe part of the funk, cosmic, and soulful currents you'll know in the music of Robert Glasper in recent years – but with even trippier, more abstract moments at times – as acoustic instrumentation comes into play with some hip hop-styled production, but always with a warmly beating heart that really holds the record together! The core group features keyboards, bass, and drums – plus vocals from Kento Nagatsuka on some tracks – and the album also features guest appearances by a few MCs, who further help extend the righteous vibe of the music. Wonderfully fresh, and with a sense of variety that really rewards deeper listening – on titles that include "RdNet", "Savior", "DOF", "Minton", "1914", "Glory", and "Emly". CD

A brilliant creative leap for singer/rhymer/producer Anderson .Paak as a solo star – released months after his standout, near show-stealing moments on Dr. Dre's Compton record! .Paak's proved himself a stellar collaborator many times over by the time Malibu dropped, and here he proves a stellar host – but make no mistake, Malibu is his show, and a REALLY strong one. Contemporary hip hop soul with grit and heart – with appearances by BJ The Chicago Kid, Robert Glasper, Rapsody, The Game, Talib Kweli and more on the mic, plus guest production by Madlib, Hi-Tek and others. Includes "The Bird", "Heart Don't Stand A Chance", "The Waters" with BJ The Chicago Kid, "Put Me Thru", "Without You" feat Rapsody, "Room In Here" feat The Game & Sonyae Elise, "Celebrate", "Come Down", "Your Prime", "The Dreamer" with Talib Kweli & Timan Family Choir and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Wax Poetics goes nearly all hip hop for this issue – covering original game-changers and the best contemporary revisionists alike – with cover features on Nas, Danny Brown, Master P and his No Limit legacy, and Shabazz Palaces! Wax Poetics, tasked with following up their decade milestone issue, pulls that off brilliantly here. It's got one of the best, realest interviews with Nas we've ever read, a great look at Master P's No Limit and the Beats By The Pound production empire, a resurgent El-P, the legendary Kurtis Blow, Killer Mike, Oddisee, THEESatisfaction, Cities Aviv, modern jazz great Robert Glasper and much more! Magazine

Trumpeter Keyon Harrold starts out this album with an inspirational message from his mother taken from his voicemail – then draws from that message to create one of his most amazing albums to date! Harrold's already been part of a strong underground scene for years – but here, he's clearly ready to burst forth and win over everyone else's ears – mixing his strong solo talents with a more spacious vision of presentation that sometimes uses larger strings, sometimes brings in a bit of vocals, and sometimes returns to the core energy of a combo! Harrold produced the record himself, and was clearly given a lot of space to get things right – something that's not often the case in the jazz industry these days, unless you're Robert Glasper – and he welcomes some great creative talents to the project – including Bilal , Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pharoahe Monch, Josh David Barrett, and even Glasper himself. Titles include "Ethereal Souls", "Her Beauty Through My Eyes", "Stay This Way", "When Will It Stop", "MB Lament", "The Mugician", "Bubba Rides Again", "Circus Show", and "Broken News". CD

An amazing debut from bassist Derrick Hodge – an artist we've loved for his work in the Robert Glaper Experiment, and his previous performances with Terence Blanchard, Common, and Maxwell! Hodge has a deep, round sound that really bridges different worlds of jazz and soul – and while his resume of previous work is very impressive, his sound here is something new altogether – a spacious groove that often puts the bass right out in front, sometimes loping gently alongside keyboards, sometimes finding this special space that's airy, yet never too ethereal – a really fresh, soulful sort of style! Hod plays a bit of keyboards on the record too – and other musicians include both Robert Glasper and James Poyser on keyboards, Chris Dave on drums and percussion, Keyon Harold on trumpet, and Common on guest vocals on one track. Titles include "Live Today", "Dances With Ancestors", "Anthem In 7", "Still The One", "The Real", and "Table Jawn". CD

Beautiful trio work from pianist Vijay Iyer – a record that's filled with the sorts of chunky rhythmic lines we love so much in his playing! The album's got Iyer working much more at a familiar level than his more electronic album for ECM – with that sort of warmth and joy that's really brought new life to the piano trio format through his recordings – the best of which we might put up there with our early favorites from Robert Glasper. The group features Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums – and titles include "Blood Count", "Break Stuff", "Taking Flight", "Work", "Wrens", and "Mystery Woman". CD

A jaw-dropper from Terrace Martin – the kind of record that sneaks on the market under everyone's ears, but will no doubt be one of those sets we'll all go back to again and again over the years! Martin's got a beautifully fresh take on funky jazz – steeped somewhat in the classic inspiration of the 70s era, but with a distinctly 21st Century execution – with crispy edges, cosmic currents, and a chunky approach to rhythm that makes the whole thing come across with a really subtle sort of power! The album's overflowing with guests – including Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Kamasai Washington, Keyon Harrold, and Laylah Hathaway – but there's also a core energy that's all Terrace's own, with lots of snakey keyboards that weave these magical tonal patterns in a wonderful way. Brilliant, and completely captivating – with tracks that include "Push", "Curly Martin", "Never Enough", "Turkey Taco", "Tribe Called West", "Think Of You", "Bromalia", and "Valdez Off Crenshaw" – a nice remake of the Donny Hathaway classic "Valdez In The Country". LP, Vinyl record album