A spacious second set from British/Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed – a record that features dedications to feminist inspirations on every single track – but which has a soaring, righteous quality that marks Ahmed as an inspirational force of her own! The songs are long, and the music is rich in textural elements – strong trumpet solos from the leader, but also a globe's worth of contributions from other members of the contemporary London scene in which Ahmed's been making waves for the past few years! If you know the charms of the London scene in recent years, you'll have plenty to love here – and will find yourself adding Yazz to a list of artists to keep your ears on. And if you don't, this album's a great place to begin your musical discovery – on titles that include "Ruby Bridges", "Barbara", "Lahan Al-Mansour", "One Girl Among Many", and "Deeds Not Words". LP, Vinyl record album

Trombonist Clifton Anderson always makes us wait way too long between his albums as a leader – but each of his sets is definitely worth the anticipation, and seems to push Clifton's music forward a fair bit more than before! This album's a gem through and through – all original music, save one Bacharach tune – played with a core group that includes Stephen Scott on piano, Buster Williams on bass and either Ronnie Burrage or Al Foster on drums – but open to a shifting array of players who include Peter Bernstein on guitar, Antoine Roney on soprano and tenor, Rene McLean on tenor, and Victor See Yuen on percussion – players who open things up past Anderson's already-great phrasing on the trombone, which is especially striking on a few tunes that feature some less conventional instrumentation. Titles include "Nana D", "Mission Statement", "TUBC", "Sista Gemini", "Sonny Says", "Been Down This Road Before", and "Mysticancients". CD

Maybe the greatest record we've heard so far from saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin – and that's really saying a lot, as we've loved all of her other albums too! The album's a live one, and it's way more than a reimagining of her Phoenix record – as there's a soaring, vibrant, spontaneous energy to the whole thing right from from the start – a soulful spirit that even exceeds Lakecia's other performances, with a collaborative vibe that includes fantastic work from Elias Bailey on bass, Zaccai Curtis on piano, and EJ Strickland on drums – a trio who really drive the record with modal energy – plus contributions from John Scofield on guitar, Randy Brecker on trumpet, and Melodie Bey on vocals. Titles include "Amerikkan Skin", "Peace Is Possible", "Trane", "My Favorite Things", "Spirit", "New Mornings", and "Let Go". CD

We've loved the music of Mark De Clive-Lowe for many years – and he's really rewarded us with a continuing evolution of his sound and style – to a point where a record like this is nothing that we might have expected over a decade ago! The set's a live jazz performance, but still graced with some of the more cosmic touches from Mark's electronic years – and the keyboardist plays both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes – amidst a group that also includes the great Carlos Nino on percussion, Josh Johnson on alto and flute, Brandon Eugene Owens on bass, and Brandon Combs on drums – a very soulful combo who are more than willing to follow the leader on his spiritual musical journey! And the set's definitely got a spiritual vibe – tracks that spin out with inspiration from De Clive-Lowe's earlier life in Japan – but given a more contemporary, soulful style – really glowing in a way that resonates with the image on the cover. The set also features guest work from Teodross Avery on tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Bushido 1", "Memories Of Nanzenji", "Asa No Yume", "Niten Ichi", "Akatombo", and "Mizugaki". CD

Mighty funky work from The Headhunters – a group who really keep things in the same tight pocket that they had back in the 70s – while also really expressing the jazzier side of their music as well! All the players here have matured strongly – and the core energy comes from the highly rhythmic work of Bill Summers on percussion, and Mike Clark on drums – both very funky throughout! The great alto player Donald Harrison is in the group too – next to the keyboards of Kyle Roussel and bass of Chris Severin – a core group who are always on the money, and excellent at serving up a contemporary take on older jazz funk modes! Craig Handy guests on tenor on one track – "ESP" – and the title "New Levels New Devils" has vocals. All others are instrumentals, and include "Stuntman", "Attitude Of Gratitude", "Avant Clark", and "The Sandcastle Headhunter". CD

A jazz trio, but one with a very unique vibe – given that, in addition to familiar saxes, bass, and drums – the group also uses a fair bit of effects as well! The drums are often echoey and thunderous, the basslines nicely bumping, and the tones of the saxophone can go off in all sorts of directions – always tuneful, but often with darker currents too – nice little sonic twists and turns that certainly make the instrument sound different than usual! Saxophonist Warren Walker also plays a bit of keyboards too, although those often seem wrapped up with the larger electronic palette of the album – and titles include "Astoria", "We Make Our Own Holidays", "Loops", "Iron Lion", "Re: Jungle", "Musicbox", and "Glass Bottles". CD

A warmly crafted album from South African saxophonist McCoy Mrubata – not one that's sleepy, as the lullaby in the title might imply – but just nicely relaxed and mellow, in a way that has the reedman crafting some moody colors on tenor – in a lineup that features lots of great guitar work from Gary Wittner, whose chromatic contributions balance the saxophone nicely. The set also features piano from Steven Feifke, bass from Jennifer Vincent, and drums from George Gray – plus guest trombone from Siya Charles on three tracks, all of which feature either alto or clarinet from Evan Christopher. There's definitely a few bolder moments on the record, and these resonate with some of the best South African jazz grooves from years back – that cascading sense of rhythm that seems perfect for a soulful saxophone solo over the top. Titles include "Jazzy Jive", "Oh Yhini", "The White Sand Of The Flats", "Hudson Bridge Crossing", "Siyabulela", and "Tshona Khona". CD

A brilliant record and a big step for Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, at a point when he truly was stretching out creatively in a big way – seamlessly mixing classic electric jazz influences & modern electronic touches! Scott is on trumpet, his custom sirenette & reverse fluegelhorn, mixing earth-bound sounds and spacey atmosphere throughout – and the band includes Braxton Cook on alto, Lawrence Fields on piano and Rhodes, Corey King on trombone, and Corey Fonville and Joe Dyson Jr on a pretty impressive mix of drums and sampler atmosphere. It starts off strong with "Sunrise In Beijing", an impressive showcase for flautist Elena Pinderhughes, who really helps this one take flight over the spacey & stuttering percussion. Other tracks include "Twin", "Perspectives", "West Of The West", "Liberation Over Gangsterism", "Of A New Cool", "Tantric", "The Last Chieftain" and more. CD

The legendary Headhunters are still in mighty great shape after all these years – different in lineup, but still a sublime showcase for the work of Mike Clark on drums and Bill Summers on percussion – two of the core Headhunters who first worked with Herbie Hancock back in the 70s! The rest of the lineup features alto sax from Donald Harrison, plus keyboards from Kyle Roussel and bass from Chris Severin – and as with other later iterations of the group, there's a fair bit of jazz in the mix, alongside the more familiar funk of the Headhunters' own records from back in the day – a quality that's probably even more pronounced here in the live setting, which features extended tracks with plenty of room for solos! Titles include versions of "Chameleon", "Headhunter Jam", "Four String Drive", "Butterfly", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Rocking At The Mole House", and "Watermelon Man". CD

Great work from a really unique singer – a vocalist who's equally well-balanced between jazz and soul, and who uses that balance to great advantage throughout this well-crafted LP! Brenda's vocals and inflection definitely show a strong side of the understanding of the nuances you'd use in jazz – but she also works in tunes that are more soul-based, although still with a nice degree of complexity – instrumentation that changes from track to track, and which has way more going on than just beats and keyboards too. Tracks include "Marrow", "Catch Me Falling", "The Core", "Little Prayer", "Flying Lessons", "Return To Sender", and "Your Light". CD

Features Frank Catalano on tenor and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums – with Demos Petropoulos on Hammond, Scott Hesse on guitar, and guest vibes from Mike Dillon. LP, Vinyl record album

Mark De Clive-Lowe takes us to church – with a set that's easily his most soulful, spiritual record ever! The album's got a lot more acoustic elements than usual – plenty of jazz elements on tenor, flute, trumpet, and percussion – mixed with Mark's own great Fender Rhodes and other keyboards – some of which shift the sound of the acoustic instruments in the process! The shift is a bit like that taken by Jimi Tenor with his own music in recent years, but the overall sound is still very much in the soaring, cosmic territory we've always loved from Mark – but there's also a much deeper connection to the planet as well. Wonderful throughout – a great step forward for an artist we already love so much – and titles include "Sketch For Miguel", "Now Or Never", "Nova Roda", "The Mission", "Distractions", "Mason's Galaxy", "Imam", and "Sun Up Sun Down". CD

Includes the songs "Ain't Nothin' But A Party", "Walk On Gilded Splinters", "Cissy Strut", "Ruler Of My Heart", "Everything I Do Gon' Be Funky", "We Got Robbed", "Junko Parnter", "Tell It Like It Is", "Africa", and "Big Chief". CD

A totally fresh post-millennium take on the electric jazz sound of the late 70s & early 80s from Atlanta-based quartet 4 Korners – inspired by the funky fusion era, but really putting it in a timeless light of their own! We've always loved the sound that provides inspiration here – mid-to-late 70s electric keyboard jazz, carried well into the 80s by The Yellowjackets and others – so fiercely modern sounding in its time that it's now, somewhat ironically, difficult to pull off without sounding self-consciously retro. That's where the 4 Korners excel so strongly. It's fresh as can be! The players are Clarence Hill on keys, James Thompson Jr. on bass, Isaac Thomson on guitar and Jerrod Sullivan on drums – who share songwriting and production credit equally in the notes – which comes as no surprise considering how tightly it plays! Titles include "Midnight Interstate", "King's Highway", "The Dew", "Orbiting Hands", "Table For 2", "Through His Eyes", "The Great Flight", "Motions" and "Portal Of Gold". CD

Trumpeter David Weiss never fails to give us amazing music, no matter what the setting – and here, he's working with his Point Of Departure group – an ultra-hip lineup that features Myron Waldon and JD Allen on tenor sax, each taking on different parts of the record – plus guitar, bass, and drums – as well as a bit of extra Fender Rhodes from Weiss himself! As with some of David's other projects, the music is a look back at the future of modern jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – with a spotlight on amazing compositions by artists like Wayne Shorter, Kenny Cox, Joe Henderson, Tony Williams, Charles Moore, and John McLaughlin – music that was years ahead of its time when written, and which gets even more forward-thinking treatment here by the group. Rhythms are tentative and angular at some points – really allowing for shades of color between the trumpet and tenor – and other points are bolder, and unlock some deeper righteous power in the compositions. Titles include "Sanctuary", "Noh Word", "Two Faced", "Pee Wee", "Gazelle", "The Mystic Knights Of The Sea", and "Sojourn". CD

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous set from reedman Karl Martin Almqvist – blowing both tenor and soprano here in a quartet that also includes some really fantastic piano from Nduduzo Makhathini – a player we love on his own records too! As you might expect if you know Makhathini, there's some strong South African jazz elements in the mix – and a richness of piano tone that's wonderful, and only deepened by the bass of Magne Thormodsaeter – a player we don't know at all, but whose sense of tone and timing round out the whole album wonderfully! Ayanda Sikade plays drums – another great player from the South African scene – and titles include "Nordic Light"," Ababhemu", "Blauzac", "Reconciliation", "Ukubuyisana", and "Eva Johanna". CD

An incredible record – far greater than we even expected! The setup is simple: King Britt and his crew remix the tapes from 2001's experimental jazz jam session by a trio of fellow Philadelphians – drummer Ahmir Thompson (The Roots), jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine. Britt's really blown his top here – taking the original album (great in its own right), and turning it into a set of cosmic grooves that bear almost no relation to the initial work, yet still keep its soulful heart. The depth of the project is stunning – way more than just simple remix tricks, and a whole new level of expression that shows why Philly is fast becoming the music capitol of the 21st Century. Includes work by Rob Yancey, Charlie Dark, Phillip Charles, Oba Funke, Vikter Duplaix, The Randy Weston Experience, DJ Ghe, and Britt himself – with titles that include "South Street", "Paul Edwards The Orange Line (lle lfe)", "(Re)Moved (Oba Funke Far Re-Moved dub)", "Diamond Street", "Philadelphia Experiment (rmx)", "Delaware Avenue", "Miles Hit (Rob Life mix)", "Broad & Cecil B Moore", "Brown Street", and "Groover The III (the theme to massagejawn.com)". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a "revisited" session in the usual mode – but instead, maybe an important second chapter in this really wonderful project – as the material here is all from the original sessions for the album, and works together beautifully here as a full length set! As before, the lineup is fantastic – led by pianist Greg Spero, and overflowing with hip talents who include Jeff Parker on guitar, Makaya McCraven on drums, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Joel Ross on vibes – players who work alongside the bass of Darryl Jones on all numbers, who really helps set the tone for the record. Most players are on every single number, save for Ross – and rather than ape the groove of the others' work as leaders, there's a very fresh, inventive Chicago vibe going on here – on titles that include "In The Sky", "Hope Or Less", "Beauty", "Like Him", "Russian", and "Twinkles". CD

A beautiful second volume in the Heritage series from keyboard genius Mark De Clive Lowe – and one that we like even more than the first! The music here has the strong spiritual currents of the previous set, but also brings in more of the cosmic, electronic modes that we knew in Mark's initial music – a great blend of jazz with inventive rhythms, wide-ranging keyboard sounds, and even some live electronics – recorded in concert, but with the complexity of a more dynamic studio production! Other players include Teodross Avery on tenor, Josh Johnson on alto, Carlos Nino on percussion, Brando Eugene Owens on bass, and Brandon Combs on drums – and titles include "Isan", "Ryugu Jo", "Bushido II", "Mizugaki", "Mirai No Rekishi", and "O Edo Nihonbashi". CD

A mighty third chapter for this very cool group – one who issued their first two albums on the Ropeadope label, and who now bring that approach to Blue Note! As with most of the music from Aaron Parks in the past decade or so, the pianist is definitely on to something new and fresh here – working alongside the guitar of Greg Tuohey as he did on the other two Little Big sessions – but in ways that are very different than any sort of old school guitar/piano interplay! Part of the quality comes from both players sense of tone, especially Tuohey, who mixes colors and raspy edges in a way that bounce nicely off the piano – and another part comes from the rhythmic energy of bassist David Ginyard and drummer Jongkuk Kim – players who have a nicely lose, open sense of flow. Titles include "Willamina", "The Machines Say No", "Little Beginnings", "Ashe", "Delusions", "Locked Down", "Flyways", and "Heart Stories". CD

A mighty third chapter for this very cool group – one who issued their first two albums on the Ropeadope label, and who now bring that approach to Blue Note! As with most of the music from Aaron Parks in the past decade or so, the pianist is definitely on to something new and fresh here – working alongside the guitar of Greg Tuohey as he did on the other two Little Big sessions – but in ways that are very different than any sort of old school guitar/piano interplay! Part of the quality comes from both players sense of tone, especially Tuohey, who mixes colors and raspy edges in a way that bounce nicely off the piano – and another part comes from the rhythmic energy of bassist David Ginyard and drummer Jongkuk Kim – players who have a nicely lose, open sense of flow. Titles include "Willamina", "The Machines Say No", "Little Beginnings", "Ashe", "Delusions", "Locked Down", "Flyways", and "Heart Stories". LP, Vinyl record album