New Jazz Releases – 01/06/2025
By Russell Perry
Allegra Levy
The year-end holidays are a slow time for jazz releases so this is a short list this week. There are a couple of stand-outs. Singer Allegra Levy is out with an all-woman quartet and saxophonist Jessica Jones brings her cordless two-tenor quartet to an edgy set. Ryan Middagh has a new release with a sax-heavy big band. Give these a listen.
Stemeseder Lillinger featuring Craig Taborn – Umbra III (Intakt Records, releases 01/17/2025). Craig Taborn – piano, Elias Stemeseder – spinet / synthesizer / effects, Christian Lillinger – drums / samp / synthesizer.
Pianist / electronic musician Elias Stemeseder and drummer Christian Lillinger (both also composers) are in the midst of a series of discs that feature guest artists joining their duo. This time out the guest is pianist Craig Taborn (Chris Potter, Ches Smith, Junk Magic) and the offering is a live improvised trio recording.
Dave Stryker with Stryker Strings – Goes To The Movies (Strikezone Records, releases 01/10/2025). Mark Buselli – flugelhorn, Jim Pugh – trombone, Greg Ward – alto saxophone, Xavier Davis – piano / Fender Rhodes, Dave Stryker – guitar, Sara Caswell – violin, Jeremy Allen – bass, McClenty Hunter – drums.
Guitarist Dave Stryker is on a roll coming out with a new disc every year, sometimes with his trio (Prime, 2023), other times with a guest string quartet (As We Are, 2022), a sax player (Bob Mintzer, Groove Street, 2024) or a big band WDR Big Band on Blue Soul, 2020). Of all these explorations, this might be my least favorite, which is too bad. The charts are by Brent Wallarab whose 2023 The Gennett Suite was a knock-out. The set list is composed of eleven fine and familiar compositions, but the strings suck the life out of them.
Reviews: AllAboutJazz, Paris Move, JW Vibe
Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra – Tenor Madness (Ear Up Records, releases 01/10/2025). Steve Patrick – trumpet, Tyler Jaeger – trumpet, Jeff Bailey – trumpet, Olivia Achcet – trumpet, Jonathan Salcedo – trombone, Roy Agee – trombone, Sarah Morrow – trombone, Martin McCain – bass trombone, Liam Barron – bass trombones, Alex Graham – alto saxophone, Jovan Quallo – alto saxophone, Jeff Coffin – tenor saxophone, Don Aliquo – tenor saxophone, Joel Frahm – tenor saxophone, Kevin Shinskie – alto saxophone / tenor saxophone, Jimmy Bowland – baritone saxophone. Ryan Middagh – baritone saxophone, Lindsey Miller – guitar, Pat Coil – piano, Jake Jezioro – bass, Marc Widenhofer – drums.
Nashville-native bandleader and baritone sax player Ryan Middagh has assembled a ferocious big band to record this saxophone-heavy set of four covers, one by the leader and one by alto saxophonist Alex Graham. As promised, there is a lot of tenor playing on this date from Jeff Coffin (Look For Water, preview 08/28/2023), Don Aliquo (Growth, previewed 03/12/2023), and Joel Frahm (Ernesto Cervini, Omer Avital). Singer Jenna McLean (who is new to me) lights up Cry Me A River. Recommended.
Review: Paris Move
Allegra Levy – Out Of The Question (Steeple Chase, released 01/06/2025). Carmen Staaf – piano / Fender Rhodes, Mimi Jones – bass, Allison Miller – drums / shaker, Allegra Levy – vocals with Roxy Coss – tenor saxophone / soprano saxophone, Andrew Baird – guitar / ukelele, Aubrey Johnson – background vocal.
Vocalist Allegra Levy has recorded a well-chosen set of musical questions with a fine band of women players – Carmen Staff on piano, Mimi Jones on bass and (in a tour de force performance) Allison Miller on drums. Levy brings to mind somewhat forgotten singers from the forties and fifties – Julie London and Chris Connor. It isn’t surprising to see Cole Porter (What Is This thing Called Love?) and Irving Berlin (How Deep Is The Ocean?) in the set list, but that list expands to include Benny Golson (Are You Real?) and Horace Silver (Que Pasa?) and then further to Carole King (Will You Still Love Me Tomnorrow?) and a very bluesy cover of The Clash (Should I Stay Or Should I Go?). Check out the tenor work from Roxy Coss on the Golson and Silver selections! Highly recommended.
Reviews: Making A Scene, Paris Move
Jessica Jones Quartet – Edible Flowers (Reva Records, released 01/03/2024). Jessica Jones – tenor saxophone, Tony Jones – tenor saxophone, Stomu Takeishi – bass, Deszon Claiborne – drums.
Saxophone parters Jessica and Tony Jones (Hearing Into The Future, previewed 02/05/2024) are back with a cordless quartet date of two covers and four by the saxophonists. There is a looseness and edge to the proceedings that brings Ornate Coleman to mind. Recommended.
Reviews: AllAboutJazz, Scope Magazine, Paris Move, Making A Scene
Doug MacDonald – Santa Monica Session (DMAC Music, released 01/01/2025). Bill Cantos – piano / organ / Rhodes, Doug MacDonald – guitar, Hussain Jiffry – bass, Kevin Winard – drums / percussion.
Southern California guitarist Doug McDonald has been busy. This is the third release from him that I’ve seen in the past 9 months (Live at Rancho Mirage, previewed 12/09/2024 & Sextet Session, previewed 03/11/2024). This time out he has a piano – guitar – bass – drums quartet performing three originals and five covers. As always, a fine player with solid charts.
Reviews: The JW Vibe, Scope Magazine, AllAboutJazz
Groovology – Almost Home (Sugartown Records, released 01/01/2025). Aaron Aranita – woodwinds / piano, David Yamasake – guitar, Ernie Provencher – bass, Scott Shafer – drums, Sandra Tsukiyama – vocals.
For their debut release, Honolulu quartet Groovology has recorded a set of eleven originals by the veteran band members. The set has a cool and comfortable vibe.
Reviews: Scope Magazine, Paris Move, JW Vibe
Jacopo Ferrazza – Prometheus (Self Produced, released 01/2025). Enrico Zanisi – piano / synthesizers, Livia De Romanis – cello, Jacopo Ferrazza – bass / synthesizers, Valerio Vantaggio – drums, Alessandra Diodati – vocals.
Italian bassist Jacopo Ferrazza has released a very cinematic set of originals with a keyboards – bass – cello – drums – vocals quintet.
I hope you find something here to fill a quiet snow day.
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
