... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most ambitious album to date from saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins – a largeform project that expands on his previous music in great ways, and really opens up with a visionary quality that we never would have expected a few short years ago! The album's title is a key reference from the Civil Rights era – and the set mixes longer tracks with shorter interludes, almost working as an audio version of a larger piece intended for the stage – with vocals from Ganavya, June McDoom, Yaw Agyeman, and Cecile McLorin Salvant – and a core combo that features Micah Thomas on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums. There's also guest work from Marvin Sewell on guitar and Chris Dave on drums – and titles include "Everything", "Dark Eyes Smile", "Afterlife Residence Time", "If That Blood Runs East", "Blues Blood", and "Matte Glaze". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most ambitious album to date from saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins – a largeform project that expands on his previous music in great ways, and really opens up with a visionary quality that we never would have expected a few short years ago! The album's title is a key reference from the Civil Rights era – and the set mixes longer tracks with shorter interludes, almost working as an audio version of a larger piece intended for the stage – with vocals from Ganavya, June McDoom, Yaw Agyeman, and Cecile McLorin Salvant – and a core combo that features Micah Thomas on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums. There's also guest work from Marvin Sewell on guitar and Chris Dave on drums – and titles include "Everything", "Dark Eyes Smile", "Afterlife Residence Time", "If That Blood Runs East", "Blues Blood", and "Matte Glaze". CD

A fantastic debut from saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins – a record that's maybe been a long time coming, given the different scenes and settings in which Wilkins has played in recent years – and a set that brims over with a sense of expectation right from the very first note! Wilkins is fantastic on alto – blowing with a fleetness and fluidity that mark a very unique voice on the instrument – but the sound of the record is one that comes strongly from all the elements hitting at once – rich colors from the piano of Micah Thomas, deft bass work from Daryl Johns, and this balance of openness and focus from the drums of Kweku Sumbry – a bold rhythmist who really helps give the album a special shape. Tunes are all original, with a subtle power throughout – and titles include "Grace & Mercy", "Ferguson", "The Dreamer", "Warriors", "Mary Turner", and "Omega". CD

Fantastic work from Immanuel Wilkins – only the second album from the young alto player, but a set that shows that he's clearly becoming one of the rising stars on Blue Note! Wilkins originally hails from Philly, and the record has some of that boundless creativity that we've always loved in the city's scene – a fire that's kept the spiritual experiments of the 70s strong, but also finds new ways of expression – which you'll definitely hear in the way that Immanuel handles his alto – bringing a fluid richness to his solos, at a level that most folks expect on a tenor! The rest of the group matches his energy wonderfully – a core quartet with Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums – joined by guest work Elena Pinderhughes on flute and the Farafina Kan percussion ensemble. Titles include "Emanation", "Fugitive Ritual Selah", "Shadow", "Witness", "Lift", and "Don't Break". CD

Features Blue Note labelmates Julian Lage, Immanuel Wilkins, and Ambrose Akinmusire! CD

The music of vibist Joel Ross just keeps getting better and better with each new release – and on this set, he showcases a strong balance of sounds – really able to push the edges at some points, while also managing a soulful swing at others too! There's some key work on the album from labelmate Immanuel Wilkins, whose alto sax has a sharpness that's a great counterpart to the warmer, more chromatic elements from Ross' vibes – and other members of the core group include Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, Jeremy Corren on piano, and Jeremy Dutton on drums – mostly working together throughout, although joined by the flute of Gabrielle Garo on a few tracks too. Titles include great remakes of the Coltrane tunes "Equinox" and "Central Park West", plus the originals "Early", "Nublues", "Mellowdee", "Chant", "Ya Know", and "What Am I Waiting For". CD

A record with many moods from the legendary pianist Kenny Barron – a set that can be mellow at one moment, frenzied the next – dark at points, and glow with a warm inner light at others! Kenny's got a great group on the session – the excellent Immanuel Wilkins on alto, whose playing really brings a lot of the sonic shifts to the record – plus Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums – a core quartet who are also joined by the vibes of Steve Nelson on a number of tracks – an element that only serves to bring in an even greater range of color, with that wonderful approach that makes Nelson's own records so wonderful. Two tracks are a bit more spare – one a duet between Barron and Blake, another between the pianist and Wilkins – and titles include "Scratch", "Innocence", "Tragic Magic", "Beyond This Place", "Sunset", "Blues On Stratford Road", and "The Nearness Of You". CD

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with many moods from the legendary pianist Kenny Barron – a set that can be mellow at one moment, frenzied the next – dark at points, and glow with a warm inner light at others! Kenny's got a great group on the session – the excellent Immanuel Wilkins on alto, whose playing really brings a lot of the sonic shifts to the record – plus Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums – a core quartet who are also joined by the vibes of Steve Nelson on a number of tracks – an element that only serves to bring in an even greater range of color, with that wonderful approach that makes Nelson's own records so wonderful. Two tracks are a bit more spare – one a duet between Barron and Blake, another between the pianist and Wilkins – and titles include "Scratch", "Innocence", "Tragic Magic", "Beyond This Place", "Sunset", "Blues On Stratford Road", and "The Nearness Of You". Vinyl version features two bonus tracks – "Dewdrop" and "You've Changed". LP, Vinyl record album

Really beautiful work from Johnathan Blake – a record that shows just how strongly Blake seems to be finding his voice with each new release! The set's got this richly visionary quality that goes beyond the leader's work on drums – and instead has a unified focus that comes from a really strong group of contemporary young lions – including Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Joel Ross on vibes, David Virelles on piano, and Dezron Douglas on bass – most of them strong leaders on their own, but putting aside ego to fuse together wonderfully here! The blend of vibes, piano, and alto is especially great – and titles include "Muna & Johna's Playtime", "A Slight Taste", "Tears I Cannot Hide", "Tiempos", "Groundhog Day", and "Out Of Sight Out Of Mind". CD

The music of vibist Joel Ross just keeps getting better and better with each new release – and on this set, he showcases a strong balance of sounds – really able to push the edges at some points, while also managing a soulful swing at others too! There's some key work on the album from labelmate Immanuel Wilkins, whose alto sax has a sharpness that's a great counterpart to the warmer, more chromatic elements from Ross' vibes – and other members of the core group include Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, Jeremy Corren on piano, and Jeremy Dutton on drums – mostly working together throughout, although joined by the flute of Gabrielle Garo on a few tracks too. Titles include great remakes of the Coltrane tunes "Equinox" and "Central Park West", plus the originals "Early", "Nublues", "Mellowdee", "Chant", "Ya Know", and "What Am I Waiting For". CD

The music of vibist Joel Ross just keeps getting better and better with each new release – and on this set, he showcases a strong balance of sounds – really able to push the edges at some points, while also managing a soulful swing at others too! There's some key work on the album from labelmate Immanuel Wilkins, whose alto sax has a sharpness that's a great counterpart to the warmer, more chromatic elements from Ross' vibes – and other members of the core group include Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, Jeremy Corren on piano, and Jeremy Dutton on drums – mostly working together throughout, although joined by the flute of Gabrielle Garo on a few tracks too. Titles include great remakes of the Coltrane tunes "Equinox" and "Central Park West", plus the originals "Early", "Nublues", "Mellowdee", "Chant", "Ya Know", and "What Am I Waiting For". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from vibist Joel Ross – a player who's just starting to blossom as a leader, and who's clearly on the right path! The sound is wonderfully rich – not just vibes from Ross, but especially nice work from bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, who's a really key part of the sound here – blended with warm piano lines from Jeremy Corren, subtle drums from Jeremy Dutton, and alto from Immanuel Wilkins – all players who seem instantly linked together in their sense of sound, and who work with Joel to make the kind of record that should really get him the attention he deserves! There's this slow-burning majesty to the record – both in composition and performance – a sound that's sophisticated, but very organic – and a very different setting for the use of vibes in jazz. Brandee Younger plays harp on a few tracks too – another plus in our book – and titles include "Vartha", "Marsheland", "Waiting On A Solemn Reminiscence", "Home", "More", "Calling", "King's Loop", and "Dream". CD