A trio date with John Patitucci on bass and Jeff Tain Watts on drums! CD

With Boris Kozlov on bass, Jeff Watts on drums, and Seamus Blake on tenor sax. CD

David Kikoski on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. CD

David Kikoski on piano, David Carpenter on bass, Gary Novak on drums, and Bob Sheppard on saxophone. CD

Dave Kikoski on piano, Essiet Essiet on bass, and Al Foster on drums. CD

Dave Kikoski on piano, Seamus Blake on tenor saxophone, Scott Colley on bass, and Jeff Tain Watts on drums. CD

With Seamus Blake on tenor saxophone. CD

Featuring Bob Berg on saxophones, Chick Corea on piano, David Kikoski and Jim Beard on piano and Rhodes piano, James Genus on bass, and Dennis Chambers on drums. CD

Wayne Escoffery has some great guests on this record – but honestly, the work at the core is more than great enough on its own – as Escoffery has a way of blowing beautifully alongside the piano and Rhodes of David Kikoski, bass of Ugonna Okegwo, and drums of Mark Whitfield Jr – a wonderfully soulful group who seem to push his tenor into these bold, snakey lines that are completely seductive! Then, on key tracks the group's joined by guests – the vocals of Gregory Porter on a great version of "Rivers Of Babylon" and the track "My Truth", and appearances at other points from Tom Harrell on trumpet and Mike Moreno on guitar. Other titles include "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Sincerely Yours", "Dear John", and "Song Of Serenity". CD

Pat Martino on guitar, David Kikoski on piano, John Patitucci on bass, Scott Allan Robinson on drums, and Daniel Sadownick on percussion. Titles include "Four On Six", "Groove Yard", "Road Song", "If I Should Lose You", and "Full House". CD

A set with maybe the most striking cover image that Monday Michiru's given us in years – and a record that really delivers on that promise, too – filled with really captivating tunes that represent a new high level in Monday's already-high career! There's a depth and maturity to the record that we never would have guessed when we first fell in love with her music – and we thought she was already pretty darn deep way back then – as Monday delivers hers vocals alongside musical complexity that takes strong advantage of the many great guest jazz musicians in the lineup – players who include Misha Tsiganov and David Kikoski on Fender Rhodes, Gil Goldstein on piano, Lew Tabackin on flute, and Steve Wilson on soprano sax. But at the center of it all is Monday – far more a jazz singer in recent years than the soul artist of her start – but balancing the spirit of both worlds beautifully, and with command of her vocal instrument that's completely stunning! Where most singers seem to get a bit more casual about their craft over the years, Michiru's just continued to master her natural instrument with a fantastic range and wonderfully expressive quality. Titles include "Ombre Of Time", "Pivot", "Cycles", "The Sound", "Ringo Oiwake", "Hope Pretend To Sleep", "Rise Above", "Life", and "Gossamer's Touch" – plus "Untethered", which features some great guest work from Ursula Rucker! LP, Vinyl record album

Bob Berg on tenor & soprano saxophone, David Kikoski on piano, Ed Howard on bass, Gary Novak on drums, Randy Brecker on trumpet & flugelhirn & Mike Stern on guitar. CD

Bob Berg on saxophone, Mike Stern on guitar, Don Grolnick or David Kikoski on piano, Jeff Andrews on bass, and Dennis Chambers on drums. CD

Features Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and flugelhorn, Gary Thomas on tenor sax and flute, David Kikoski on piano and Fender Rhodes, Ed Howard on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. CD

Features Blake on tenor, Dave Kikoski on piano, and Lage Lund on guitar! CD

With David Sanchex on tenor sax, Kenny Garrett on alto and soprano sax, Graham Haynes on flugelhorn, and David Kikoski on piano. CD

Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Dave Kikoski on piano and Fender Rhodes, Ed Howard on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. CD

A tribute to the music of Charlie Parker – but a set that sparkles more from the individual inspiration of the three alto giants in the lead – a great lineup that features Gary Bartz, Bobby Watson, and Vincent Herring! The tracks are long, with great lead passages that have all three horns soaring together, then individual solos from each player – and although the songs include a number of classics from the Charlie Parker songbook, the album also features original tunes by Herring and Watson, and another by Jackie McLean – maybe marking the whole thing as being very much in the spirit of its title – a look back at a century that's felt the influence of Bird, with all the alto sax changes that have taken place in the time since his passing. The rhythm trio is excellent too – David Kikoski on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, and Carl Allen on drums – and titles include "Bird-Ish", "Klactoveedsedstene", "The Hymn", "Folklore", "Bird Lives", and "Yardbird Suite". CD

A stunning reinvention of the music of Charles Mingus – still very much with all the fire and spirit of the great one's original intent – but taken to new territory here in the hands of Frank Lacy! Lacy is every bit the same sort of visionary leader as Mingus – and although he plays a hell of a trombone, he acts here mostly as a singer and director of a sublime large ensemble that features Jack Walrath and Lew Soloff on trumpets, Wayne Escoffery and Craig Handy on tenors, Conrad Herwig and Earl McIntyre on trombones, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, and David Kikoski and Helen Sung on piano. Frank's voice is warmly raspy, and deeply personal – just right for the straining tension that often comes from the best Mingus music – that yearning for expression that continues to make his sound so powerful. Lyrics here are penned by Mingus himself – plus Langston Hughes, Joni Mitchell, and Elvis Costello – and titles include "Weird Nightmare", "Consider Me", "Eclipse", "Chair In The Sky", "Noonlight", "Dry Cleaner From Des Moines", and "Sweet Sucker Dance". CD

Brian Lynch, Pete Rodriguez, and Tony Lujan on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto saxophone, Conrad Herwig and Luis Bonilla on trombone, Chris Washburne on tuba, David Kikoski on piano, Essiet Okon Essiet and John Benitez on bass, Adam Cruz and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums, and Milton Cardona on congas. CD