Features Jimmy Ponder on guitar – plus a guest appearance by Melvin Sparks! CD

A fantastic follow-up to the initial Americana album from tenorist JD Allen – one that's got a similarly lean vibe as the first, and which continues with a new level of righteous energy in Allen's music! The titles of the songs seem to imply deeper currents from the south, but rather than rehashed blues themes, the music instead really takes off in a very different direction – full of brooding ruminations and righteous expressions – which this time around also feature some very bold work from Charlie Hunter on guitar, in a raspy voice that's very different than his older music. Allen's great on tenor, and the rest of the group features Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – on titles that include "The Werk Song", "You Don't Know Me", "Irene", "Up South", "A Mouthful Of Forever", and "The Battle Of Blair Mountain". CD

Jazzy takes on tunes that you'd know from famous film soundtracks – served up in a special way that not just draws from the talents of leader Richard Baratta on drums, but also heavily from pianist Bill O'Connell, who handled most of the arrangements for the set! There's a strong Latin jazz vibe to the set that reminds us a lot of O'Connell's own records – with Baratta on percussion alongside his drums, and added percussion and congas from Paul Rossman – in a group that also features Vincent Herring on alto, Paul Bollenback on guitar, and Michael Goetz on bass. Most tunes are familiar, but the arrangements are mighty fresh , and really open things up – on tunes that include "Last Tango In Paris", "Soul Bossa Nova", "Pure Imagination", "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "You've Got A Friend In Me", "Out Of This World", and "Pink Panther". CD

Jazzy takes on tunes that you'd know from famous film soundtracks – served up in a special way that not just draws from the talents of leader Richard Baratta on drums, but also heavily from pianist Bill O'Connell, who handled most of the arrangements for the set! There's a strong Latin jazz vibe to the set that reminds us a lot of O'Connell's own records – with Baratta on percussion alongside his drums, and added percussion and congas from Paul Rossman – in a group that also features Vincent Herring on alto, Paul Bollenback on guitar, and Michael Goetz on bass. Most tunes are familiar, but the arrangements are mighty fresh , and really open things up – on tunes that include "Last Tango In Paris", "Soul Bossa Nova", "Pure Imagination", "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "You've Got A Friend In Me", "Out Of This World", and "Pink Panther". CD

Charles Earland on Hammond organ – with Carlos Garnett on tenor saxophone, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Eric Sealls on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Gary Fritz on percussion. CD

Winard Harper on drums, Brian Horton on saxophone, Patrick Rickman on trumpet, Jeb Patton on piano, Ameen Saleem on bass, and Kevin Jones and Scott Harper on percussion. CD

A warmly well-rounded set of organ jazz from Bill Heid – maybe not the biggest player on the Hammond B3, but one who's been slowly building up an excellent legacy of records like this! There's an understated grace to the way that Bill handles the instrument – he's not out to blow the top off the Hammond, but has this command of color, tone, and timing that's really wonderful – served up in mostly trio format with Perry Hughes on guitar and Randy Gelispie on drums! Heid has a way of going deep right at the start of a tune, then continuing to keep things crisp and cool – a special sort of tone that's very much his own. He also sings a bit on two tracks, Kevin Bujo Jones joins the group on percussion on three cuts, and titles include the originals "Dealin Wid It", "Four To One", "It's A Living", "Minor Worm", "Naughty Little Puppy", and "Samba Cat". CD

A wonderful testament to the soul and sensitivity of the music of John Hicks – a loving tribute to the late, great pianist – handled here by some of his closest jazz associates! Even without Hicks' compositions, the group would be great enough – but given that John's musical legacy lives on in the songs, there's a deeper sense of feeling here that really unites the music – a rich extension of that flowing, spiritual side of his music that first flowered most strongly in the 70s, then continued to please us for years in a series of excellent later albums. Elis Wood-Hicks delivers some great work on flute throughout the set – and other players include Craig Handy on tenor and soprano, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, and core rhythm from Larry Willis on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Steve Williams on drums. Willis' later tones on the keys are a wonderful complement to Hicks' tunes, and Lundy's bass is always an element that makes a set great – and continues that legacy here. Titles include "Mind Wine", "After The Morning", "Blues In The Pocket", "Single Petal Of A Rose","Avotcja", and "Yemenja". CD

Houston Person on tenor saxophone, Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond B3 organ, Rodney Jones on guitar, Tracy Wormworth on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums. CD

... CD

David Sanchez on tenor saxophone, Michael Rodriguez on trumpet and flugelhorn, Robert Rodriguez on piano, Carlos Henriquez and Ricardo Rodriguez on bass, and Antonio Sanchez on drums. CD

A record that seems to bristle with color and life throughout – a surprisingly strong pairing of the tenor of Jim Snidero and the guitar of Kurt Rosenwinkel – the latter of whom seems to have a bit more bite than usual, but also seems to infect Snidero's horn with his innate sense of color! The rest of the lineup is equally great – a superb core trio with Orrin Evans on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – and the blend of Farnsworth and Evans seems to bring in a new freshness to each of them as well. Titles include "Obsession", "Pat", "Nowhere To Hide", "Little Falls", "Search For Peace", "Infinity", and "Far Away". CD

A fantastic follow-up to the initial Americana album from tenorist JD Allen – one that's got a similarly lean vibe as the first, and which continues with a new level of righteous energy in Allen's music! The titles of the songs seem to imply deeper currents from the south, but rather than rehashed blues themes, the music instead really takes off in a very different direction – full of brooding ruminations and righteous expressions – which this time around also feature some very bold work from Charlie Hunter on guitar, in a raspy voice that's very different than his older music. Allen's great on tenor, and the rest of the group features Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – on titles that include "The Werk Song", "You Don't Know Me", "Irene", "Up South", "A Mouthful Of Forever", and "The Battle Of Blair Mountain". CD

Jerry Bergonzi on tenor sax, Renato Chicco on piano, Dave Santoro on bass, and Andrea Michelutti. CD

Pianist Danny Grissett is fantastic here – not just bursting out with so many deft colors and changes on both piano and Fender Rhodes, but also really showing some great strengths as a leader too! One of those strengths is the way he puts together the tunes – especially the more familiar numbers, which feel completely fresh here – augmented by some wonderful work on both soprano and tenor sax from Dayna Stephens, who's almost the co-star of the record – especially when he takes on a tune from the lead! The quartet's balanced out nicely by Bill Stewart on drums and Vicente Archer on bass – all players who really seem to "get" each other in the best way possible. In addition to Grissett's original tunes "Renatus", "Lament For Bobby", "Digital Big Foot", and "A Friend Indeed" – the set also features versions of "Just Enough", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Detour Ahead", and "Gallop's Gallop". CD

Features Vincent Herring on alto and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. CD

Alan Broadbent on piano, Harvie S on bass, and Billy Mintz on drums. CD

Wayne Escoffery on tenor and soprano sax, Joe Locke on vibes, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

Maybe one of the most unique efforts in the "Latin Side" series from trombonist Conrad Herwig – as the combination of Latin rhythms and the music of Charles Mingus isn't one that we can easily imagine – yet one that sounds really wonderful as things come together on the album! Herwig always has a way of bringing new depth and vision to the work of key jazz composers – and although other efforts are in more familiar territory for the tunes, here the music really takes flight with all these new colors and inflections – as the leader blows alongside Randy Brecker and Alex Sipiagin on trumpets, Bill O'Connell on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Craig Handy on tenor, flute, and bass clarinet! There's a bit of congas on the album too, Ruben Blades provides narration on a remake of "Don't Let It Happen Here" – and other titles include "Gunslinging Bird", "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love", "Better Get Hit In Your Soul", "All The Things You Could Be Now", "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", and "Boogie Stop Shuffle". CD

Eric Reed's no stranger to the music of Thelonious Monk, but this time around he's got a great approach – a fresh take on these modern classics, served up in soulful ways that definitely fit the "baddest" spirit of the title! There's even more of a rhythmic focus here than in the original compositions – served up with heavy drums from Henry Cole and bass from Matt Clohesy – and topped with bold leads from Seamus Blake on tenor and Etienne Charles on trumpet – both of whom further emphasize the soulfulness of Reed's arrangements. Jose James sings on a version of "Round Midnight" – and other instrumental tunes include "Epistrophy", "Green Chimneys", "Bright Mississippi", "Monk Beurre Rouge", and "Evidence" – as well as Reed's own "The Baddest Monk". CD

Eric Reed on piano, Ben Wolfe on bass, and McClenty Hunter on drums. CD

Detroit soul savant Dwele returns with a sophomore effort for Virgin – and it's even better than the stellar debut! We're very happy to report that Dwele appears to be in full control of the material – the set is self-produced with a warm, uncluttered sound that focuses on his uniquely soulful vocal and compelling beats and keys – largely played by Dwele himself! He's the whole package – supporting his vocals with keys, Rhodes, guitar, bass and the occasional trumpet – and he plays it all with only a handful of guests. It's a rewarding effort – and fully delivers on earlier promise! 15 tracks in all: "Holla", "A Pimp's Dream", "Know Your Name", "Flapjacks", "Caught Up", "Continuation", "Keep On" feat Slum Village, "Some Kinda" feat Antwan Gardner, "Old Lovas" and more! CD

Music from MRI, Luomo, Data 80, Astrobal, Sylk 130 Feat. Twyla, Dub Taylor With Chilleeda, Metro Aera, Decomposed Subsonic, Swayzak, Care, Data 80,Mathias Schaffhauser, Akufen, and Savant DJ. CD

Music from Chris Clay, The Serious Brothers, The Stompers, Bobby Salvatore, Mona Savant, The Barefoot Man, Amos & Arabella Mel Blanc, Dora Bryan, Nick Nack & Patty Wack, The Ravens, and more - 29 tracks in all! CD