A record as unique as its title – a set led by saxophonist Devin Brahja Waldman, but done with a soaring ensemble spirit that takes us back to 70s material by Eddie Gale or The Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe! Part of the record's charm is the presence of vocals from Janice Lowe – a singer who rises and falls with the pulsating rhythms of the record, which get a lot of inspiration from the basswork of Luke Stewart, who's got a very spiritual vibe here. The lineup also includes tenor from James Brandon Lewis, who's as powerful here as on any of his dates as a leader – and additional elements include flute, bass clarinet, piano, trumpet, and drums – working in well-crafted arrangements by Brahja, filled with spirit and soul. Titles include "Accessibility Of Soul", "Sorcery Of Terminology", "Querencia", and "Watermelancholia". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as trippy as its cover – crisp modern jazz at the core, but served up in ways that often have the waves of sonic activity flowing nicely in all these criss-crossing directions – which makes for a sound that's surprisingly dense, but never too dark or murky at all! The core group features Sam Shalabi on guitar, Morgan Moore on basses, Liam O'Neill on drums, and Devin Brahja Waldman on alto, keyboards, and piano – the latter of whom has a style that shifts up throughout the performance, really keeping things interesting in terms of the palette of sounds! The alto lines are especially nice, and carve some deeply soulful lines on the set – and on one track, Janice Lowe joins the group on flute and voice, and on another, Ala Dehghan joins on voice. Titles include "Jitters", "Care", "Medicine Woman Meets Father Sky", "Apollo-gy", and "Nooo". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as political as you might expect from its title, and a great collaboration between bassist William Parker and spoken word artist Patricia Nicholson! Make no mistake, the set's a jazz record first, with Nicholson's words added in over the top – as the rest of the group features superb contributions from James Brandon Lewis on tenor, Davin Brahja Waldman on alto, and either Gerald Cleaver or Francesco Mela on drums – a core combo that would be great enough on its own! Melanie Dyer adds in some stunning viola lines to the record in a few spots – and titles include "Little Black Kid With The Swollen Stomach", "Struggle", "Wilted Light As Flower", "No Joke", and "Flare Up". CD