New Jazz Releases – 01/05/2026
By Russell Perry
“Jos”
Happy New Year.
After several weeks of sparse activity from the artists we care about, we have some of the last discs from 2025. Robert Jospé, a leading player on the Charlottesville scene has a terrific new disc out. Other highlights this week are a wonderful quintet disc from Lisa Hilton that would have been on my list of 2025 favorites, if it had gotten here in time and a late 2024 release from sometime Charlottesville bassist Chris Monson. And the fiftieth anniversary reissue of Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert.
Robert Jospé Quartet – The Night Sky (Self Produced, release 01/24/2026). Daniel Clarke – piano / keyboards, Chris Whiteman – guitar, Paul Langosch – bass, Robert Jospé – drums / percussion.
Percussion master Robert “Jos” Jospé and his Central Virginia-based quartet have released a fine set of eight Jospé originals plus one by extraordinary pianist Daniel Clarke (John D’earth, Charles Owens, Brian Jones) and two covers. It’s been a while, but worth the wait – this is Jos’s best work in a while – beautiful tunes well-played, featuring an underlayment of rich polyrhythms from the kit with steady rhythmic and melodic support from veteran bassist Paul Langosh (Royce Campbell, Tony Bennett). Wait until you hear Langosch present the melody on Bernstein’s Some Other Time. Around Charlottesville, we most often hear Jos in a piano trio and that venerable format is expanded here with the welcome addition of Chris Whitman (Veronica Swift, Royce Campell) on guitar. This quartet will be performing a free show at the PVCC V. Earl Dickenson Building at 7:30 on 01/24/2026. Highly Recommended.
Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert (ECM, release 12/15/2025). Keith Jarrett – piano.
Fifty years ago, one evening in Köln, magic happened. Keith Jarrett played a solo piano performance. ECM captured it on tape and released it. Even casual listeners in 1975 knew that something remarkable had happened. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Köln Concert, a remastered version has been released and it is every bit as amazing now as it was then. When I just listened through the four tracks, I was as spellbound as I was in my youth. This is one of the seminal texts of our jazz journey and one of the most repeated stories (witness the film Köln 75). Everyone should hear this. Highly recommended.
Al Muirhead – Still Cookin’ at 90: The Canada Sessions, Vol. 2 (Chronograph Records, release 12/12/2025). Al Muirhead – trumpet / flugelhorn / bass trumpet, Jens Lindemann – flugelhorn, Robi Botos – piano, Will Bonness – piano, Mark Limacher – piano, Hilario Duran – piano, Kristian Alexandrov – piano, Jocelyn Gould – guitar / vocals, Mike Downes – bass, Caity Gyorgy – vocals.
Under-recorded until his eighties, Canadian trumpeter Al Muirhead continues his late career renaissance at 90. The program is eight standards taken at a walk.
Review: Calgary Herald, AllAboutJazz
Keith Oxman – Home (Capri Records, release 12/12/2025) Derek Banach – trumpet, Keith Oxman – tenor saxophone, Clint Dadian – guitar, Bill McCrossen – bass, Todd Reid – drums.
Denver-based tenor player Keith Oxman (Jazz Worms, Charles McPherson, Curtis Fuller) and his quintet of fellow Denver-based players has released a set of eleven originals and a pair of covers. Mostly in a hard bop vein, the set shifts latin on occasion.
Review: Patamus Redux, Paris Move
Thomas Strønen & Time Is A Blind Guide – Off Stillness(ECM, release 12/05/2025). Ayumi Tanaka – piano, Håkon Aase – violin, Leo Svensson Sandler – viloincello, Ole Morten Vågan – double bass, Thomas Strønen – drums.
In its third outing, Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen’s acoustic quintet continues down a quiet and challenging path. The piano – violin – cello – bass – drums quintet brings an avant-garde chamber jazz approach to a set of seven originals.
Review: ECM Reviews, Jazz Views, The Big Takeover
Lisa Hilton – Extended Daydream (Ruby Slippers Productions, release 11/28/2025). Igmar Thomas – trumpet, JD Allen – tenor saxophone, Lisa Hilton – piano, Luques Curtis – bass, Rudy Royston – drums.
Since 2018, Malibu-based pianist Lisa Hilton has released discs annually, alternating between trio sets with bassist Luques Curtis (Conrad Herwig, Harold López-Nussa, Zaccai Curtis) and (mostly) drummer Rudy Royston (many Posi-Tone releases) and quartet sets with either JD Allen (Love Letters, previewed 10/06/2025) on tenor or Igmar Thomas (Like A Tree It Grows, previewed 04/14/2025) on trumpet. Now she has released what sounds like her greatest work so far with a quintet of all five players. Once again she presents her fine composing chops with nine originals, coupled with Miles Davis’s So What (brilliant!) and Billie Eilish’s Wildflower. This one is on repeat. Highly recommended.
Review: AllAboutJazz, Jazz Weekly
Kevin Brown – Adventus(Jeru Jazz Records, release11/25/2025). Andy Schlinder – tenor saxophone / soprano saxophone, Matt Peterson – piano / keyboard, Kevin Brown – guitar, James Ross – upright bass / electric bass, Lucas Gillan – drums.
Guitarist Kevin Brown attempts to recapture the traditional role of Advent (the four weeks prior to Christmas) as a period of quiet reflection. Drawing from ancient Christian texts, carols and hymns, Brown develops some beautiful and well-played themes that will be unfamiliar to many jazz listeners (except for a lovely take on the perennial chestnut O Come, O Come Emmanuel.) Recommended.
Review: Static
Carl Ross – Distant Colors (Jazz Hang Records, release 11/18/2025). Austie Robinson – trumpet, Ray Smith – flute / tenor saxophone, Jeff Carlsen – soprano saxophone, Steve Erickson – piano, John Blasucci – piano / keyboard, Carl Ross – guitar / bass, Matt Larson – bass, Jay Lawrence – drums, Shane Jones – steel pan, Carlitos Arroyo – percussion.
Trinidad-born Utah-based bassist / guitarist Carl Ross has produced a mostly soft-focussed set of original compositions ranging from blues and bossa nova to pan-Caribbean steel pan strolls. The standout moments tend to focus around the flute of player and entrepreneur Ray Smith – owner of Salt Lake City’s Jazz Hang Records.
Angela Verbrugge – In The Wonder Of The Night (G² Records, release 10/10/2025). Ray Gallon – piano, Angela Verbrugge – vocals.
Vocalist Angela Verbrugge joins pianist Ray Gallon (Grand Company, previewed 11/13/2023)for a comfortable set of five originals and seven covers. Verbrugge has a lovely voice and the pair complement each other nicely.
Review: Jazz Weekly
Rick Keller – Heroes (Vegas Records, release 08/11/2025). Ramiro Nasello – trumpet, Evan Taylor – trumpet, Daniel Falcone – trumpet, Gil Kaupp – trumpet, Rick Keller – tenor saxophone / soprano saxophone / organ / flute, Dave Siegel – piano synths, Bill Zappia – Rhodes, Bill Zappia – piano, James Whiting – vibraphone / percussion, Nick Mancini – vibraphone, Camilo Velandia – guitar, Sean Carbone – guitar, Steven Lee – guitar, Camilo Velandia – guitar, John Belzaguy – bass, Eric England – bass, Dan Lutz – bass, Alex Bailey – drums, Alfredo Lopez – bass, Dave Ostrem – bass, Jakubu Griffin – drums, Andy Sanesi – drums, Tim Sellars percussion, Joseph Ott – vocals, Matt Seward – vocals, Carmen Gillo – vocals / guitar, Gary Fowler – vocals.
Las Vegas multi-reedist Rick Keller has enlisted a cast of thousands to pay tribute to his heroes (Pat Metheny, Don Grolnick, Weather Report, Brecker Brother, Herbie Hancock and Headhunters, etc.) is a synth-washed set of neo-fusion.
Kris Monson – Option To Extend (Self Produced, release 12/27/2024). Jasper Dutz – reeds, Max Light – guitar, Kris Monson – bass, Kofi Shepsu – drums.
New York bassist Kris Monson, an alum of the UVa Jazz Ensemble, released this set at the end of 2024 and it just reached my ears. Monson gave us a preview of a couple of tunes several of years ago and the final result lives up to the preview. Joined by confident multi-reedist Jasper Dutz (Ever After, previewed 06/17/2024), guitarist Max Light (Rico Jones, John Sturino, Kevin Sun) and drummer Kofi Shepsu (Triogram, release 09/25/2023), Monson tackles six originals and one derived from Lee Morgan’s Sidewinder. Recommended.
I’m excited about another year of jazz releases!
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
