New Jazz Releasaes – 11/10/2025
By Russell Perry
Scott Silbert
Two vibraphonists caught my ear this week – new releases from Mark Sherman and Mike Freeman. Tenor saxophonist Scott Silbert paid tribute to the centennial of Zoot Sims. Pianist Aaron Parks steps back from his recent “post-jazz” work for a release “in the tradition.” Chicago’s Sam Pilnick Nonet Project has a new release with Emily Kuhn. And, especially for the Juddermeister, a cleaned up release of Danny Gatton live in 1987.
Sam Pilnick Nonet Project – The Project(Sam Pilnick Music, release 11/07/2025). Emily Kuhn – trumpet, Andrew Meyer – trombone, Sam Pilnick – tenor saxophone, Natalie Lande – alto saxophone, Ted Hogarth – baritone saxophone, Grayson Nye – piano / keyboard, Andrew Sudhibhasilp – guitar, Mary Halm – upright bass / electric bass, Ethan Bouwsma – drums.
With his Chicago-based nonet of eight years, tenor saxophonist Sam Pilnick has recorded a program of five originals plus Monk’s Pannonica, all presented with moving and facile arrangements. I love this format, like a lean big band of five horns and five rhythm from which Pilnick creates lovely textures and layers. Note Charlottesville-bred trumpeter Emily Kuhn in the ensemble. Recommended.
Review: Jazz Weekly, UK Vibe
Jonah Parzen-Johnson & Lau Nau – A Few We Remember (We Jazz Records, release 11/07/2025). Jonah Parzen-Johnson – baritone saxophone, Laura Naukkarinen AKA Lau Nau – electronics.
Brooklyn baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson has teamed with Finnish composer / electronics player Lau Nau, aka Laura Naukkarinen, for a set of improvised duets based on narrative scores. Ambient and knotty by turns.
Mark Sherman – Bop Contest (Mile High Records, release 11/07/2025). Donald Vega – piano, Mark Sherman – vibraphone, Ron Carter – bass, Carl Allen – drums with Joe Magnarelli – trumpet.
Vibraphonist / pianist Mark Sherman swings through a program of two tasteful originals and a well-selected suite of covers (Oliver Nelson, Cedar Walton, Hoagy Carmichael). Backing up Sherman is an excellent rhythm section of pianist Donald Vega (As I Travel, previewed 10/23/2023), drummer CarlAllen (Tippin’, previewed 01/20/2025) and the most recorded bassist in jazz history…. Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli (Robert Edwards, Mike Melito, Nick Green, Diego Rivera) joins in on the two originals. Recommended.
Review: Paris Move, AllAboutJazz
Raphaël Pannier – Live In St. Louis, Senegal (Miel Music, release 11/07/2025). Yosvany Terry – saxophone, Thomas Enhco – piano, François Moutin – bass, Raphaël Pannier – drums, Khadim Niang, Mouhamed Niang, Cheikh Ndiaye Baba, Abdou Salam Sy, Bathie Gueye, Fallou Gueye, Papa Madiodio Niang, Yoro Niang – percussion.
French drummer Raphaël Pannier took a French / Cuban tenor quartet to Sengal where they recorded a live date with eight West African drummers. The result is polyrhythm heaven. In addition to original themes from the Sabar Drummers, the set includes covers from Brubeck (Take Five), Trane (Naima), and Ornette (Lonely Woman).
Review: Paris Move
James Suggs – For All We Know (Arbors Records, release 11/07/2025). James Suggs – trumpet / flugelhorn, Jeremy Carter – tenor saxophone, Seth Finch – piano / Rhodes, Alejandro Arenas – bass / bass synthesizer, Herlin Riley – drums with Brandon Conley – trumpet, Alison Nash – vocals.
Lots going on in the second release from trumpeter James Suggs – New Orleans, blues, soul and pop classics.
Review: AllAboutJazz
Aaron Parks – By All Means (Blue Note – release 11/07/2025). Ben Solomon – tenor saxophone, Aaron Parks – piano, Ben Street – bass, Billy Hart – drums.
In recent years, Aaron Parks has applied a lot of his creative energy to the post-jazz quartet Little Big (Little Big III, previewed 10/21/2025). Now, he has reassembled his piano trio from 2017’s Find A Way (ECM) with Ben Street on bass (Eric McPherson, Jaleel Shaw, Billy Hart) and Billy Hart on drums (Just, previewed 03/03/2025) to which he has added tenor saxophonist Ben Solomon (Echolocation, previewed 09/02/2024). Solidly “in the tradition,” shadows of Trane, Bill Evans and hard bop inform the well-played program of seven original compositions. Recommended.
Bob Holz – Honoring Larry Cornell (MVD audio, release 11/07/2025). Jesse Collins – saxophone, John Viavattine Sr – saxophone, Dave Solazo – keyboards, Larry Coryell – guitar, John Viavattine Jr – bass, Bob Holz – drums, John Heard – percussion with Tori Higley – vocals, Skip Murphy – harmonica.
This live date under the name of drummer Bob Holz is a showcase for guitarist Larry Coryell late in his career – two years before his passing in 2017. I doubt this will be remembered as an important entry in his discography.
Thomas Morgan – Around You Is A Forest (Loveland Music, release 11/07/2025). Ambrose Akinmusire – trumpet, Immanuel Wilkins – alto saxophone, Henry Threadgill – flutes, Craig Taborn – Farfisa organ / Fender Rhodes / synthesizers / field recordings, Bill Frisell – guitars, Dan Weiss – tabla, Gerald Cleaver – drums, Gary Snyder – voice, Thomas Morgan – bass / WOODS virtual instrument.
For his debut as a leader, bassist Thomas Morgan (Jakob Bro, Haying Lyou, Giovanni Guidi, Bill Frisell) has introduced WOODS, a virtual string instrument which he plays in addition to the acoustic bass for which he is known. Each track is a duet with another player from Henry Threadgill and Immanuel Wilkins to Dan Wiess & Gerald Cleaver.
Lafayette Harris, Jr – All In Good Time (Savant, release 11/07/2025). Lafayette Harris, Jr – piano, Kenny Davis – bass, Jerome Jennings – drums with Jeremy Pelt – trumpet, Houston Person – tenor saxophone.
Baltimore-bred, Manhattan-based pianist Lafayette Harris, Jr. (Swinging Up In Harlem, previewed 03/27/2023) is back with a new trio, playing a mix of covers (not all familiar) and three originals. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt (Woven, previewed 02/17/2025) joins in for three tunes and tenor saxophonist / producer Houston Person (Joe Alterman, Emmet Cohen, Keith Oxman) makes it a quintet on one track.
Pat Thomas – Hikmah (Tao Forms, release 11/07/2025). Pat Thomas – piano.
UK pianist Pat Thomas has delivered an idiosyncratic and singular work of edgy beauty in this set of eight original compositions that span from the meditative to the abstract.
Review: AllAboutJazz, Avant Music News
The Scott Silbert Quartet – Dream Dancing: Celebrating Zoot Sims at 100 (Scott Silbert Music, release 11/03/2025). Scott Silbert – tenor saxophone / soprano saxophone, Robert Redd – piano, Amy Shook – bass, Chuck Redd – drums.
Saxophonist Steve Silbert, late of the Navy Commodores big band and currently of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, has recorded a tribute to Zoot Sims on the centennial of his birth in 1925. With a well-matched quartet, Silbert captures the profound warmth and deep-in-the-pocket swing of the tenor maestro. Straight ahead and lush, this set is comfortable and welcome. Highly recommended.
Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Cookin’ The Books (Soul Messin’, release 10/31/2025). Jake Mason – Hammond organ, Dan West – guitar, Ivan Khatchoyan – drums with Rohan Wallis – trumpet, Jake Mason – saxophones / guitar / bass / glockenspiel / keyboards, Dan West – Moog synthesiser / bass, Madeleine Jevons – violin, Cameron Jamieson – violin, Andrew Crothers – viola, Gemma Kneale – cello, Salva Persico – percussion, Ivan Khatchoyan – percussion, Raleigh Williams – background vocals.
Australia-based Hammond B3-focussed soul-funk outfit polishes the dance floor with a slab of dirty grooves. “‘Cause it’s your duty to shake your booty.”
The Flying Horse Band – Unbridled: The Flying Horse Big Band Meets George Garzone (Flying Horse Records, release 10/24/2025). George Garzone – tenor saxophone.
Saxophonist Jeff Rupert (It Gets Better, previewed 09/16/2024) leads the student big band from the University of Central Florida through a high energy set featuring regular collaborator tenor player George Garzone (Spike Wilner, Claire Daly, Gaia Wilmer). Rupert furnished three of the seven compositions, with two from John Coltrane.
Danny Gatton and Funhouse – Live At The Holiday Inn 1987 (Gress Records, release 08/29/2025). Chris Battistone – trumpet, Danny Gatton – guitar, John Previti – bass, Barry Hart – drums.
A decade after guitar slinger Danny Gatton recorded his legendary two volumes of Redneck Jazz Explosion, he was captured live at a Tysons Corner Holiday Inn (really!) in 1987, playing jazz for the Sunday brunch set (again, really!). These recordings have been available on YouTube for a while, although with compromised audio. Now they are cleaned up and the sound is remarkably good. The playing, on the other hand, is quite amazing. While his bread and butter was rockabilly, Gatton could play anything and one wonders what he would have left behind if his primary focus was jazz. Gatton and a lean trumpet – guitar – bass – drums quartet sizzle through a set of eleven familiar modern jazz themes. Highly recommended.
Review: Jazz Journal, Guitar World
Mike Freeman – Circles In A Yellow Room (VOF Recordings, release 07/24/2025). Guido Gonzalez – trumpet / flugelhorn, Jim Gailloreto – tenor saxophone / bass clarinet, Mike Freeman – vibraphone / marimba / triangle / tamborine / sleigh bells / flapper toys / owl whistle / kalimba / hand claps, Reuben Rodriguez – bass, Joel Mateo – drums, Roberto Quintero – congas / bongos / guiro / maracas / shakers.
Vibraphonist Mike Freeman captures a very Cal Tjader kind of vibe (so to speak) with a set of ten self-composed tracks featuring a sweet Latin beat driven by the percussion section of drummer Joel Mateo (David Schumacher & Cubeye, Chemo Corniel) and percussionist Roberto Quintero (Marlon Simon, Christian Sands). The quintet either features trumpet or tenor over a vibes – bass – drums – percussion base. Recommended.
Review: AllAboutJazz
Stella Cole – ‘Til There Was You (Decca Records, release 08/22/2025). Alan Broadbent – piano, Michael Miglore – bass, Hank Allen-Barfield – drums, Stella Cole – vocal with Antoine Silverman, Ann Lehmann, Encho Todorov, Matthew Lehmann, Yuko Naito, Paul Woodiel, Melissa Tong, Lisa Matricardi – violins, Jonothan Dinklage, Caleb Burhans – violas, Emily Brausa, Clarice Jensen – celli.
A very graceful debut for twenty-six year old singer and social-media phenom (or so I read) Stella Cole with a piano trio and strings. With able support from pianist and arranger Alan Broadbent (Threads Of Time, preview 07/17/2025), Cole presents ten classics from the Great American Songbook.
Review: Jazz Views, Marlbank
What a week!
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
