New Jazz Releases – 05/18/2026
By Russell Perry
Hamilton De Holanda
Good News – A ton of new jazz this week. Among those that tickle my ear drums are a live quintet date from trumpeter Ted Chubb, another great record from New York denizen bassist Ben Wolfe, a return to form from veteran Dave Douglas with a great band, mega-funk from the NOLA all-star trio The Breaks, and last year’s Latin Jazz Grammy winner from Hamilton de Holanda.
Hayes Greenfield – Painting In Sound (Sunnyside Records, release 05/15/2026). Hayes Greenfield – alto saxophone / soprano saxophone, C flute / alto flute, bass clarinet / alto clarinet / kalimba / harmonica / voice / effect pedals / loopers.
The new “solo” release from multi-reedist (and more) Hayes Greenfield is, as the title says, a Painting in Sound. Greenfield loops and alters the sounds of multiple instruments into a rich tapestry.
Review: The Big Takeover, Brooklyn Rail
Adam Rudolph – Sunrise (Meta Records, release 05/15/2026). Kaoru Watanabe – noh kan / fue flute / c flute / taiko / vocals / electric koto, Alexis Marcelo – acoustic piano / electric keyboards / melodica / percussion, Adam Rudolph – handrumset / kongos / djembe / tarija, electronic processing / fender rhodes piano / glockenspiel / thumb piano / overtone flutes / mouth bow / mbuti harp / cup gongs / vocals / percussion with Stephen Haynes – cornet / flugelhorn / conch shell.
Percussionist Adam Rudolf (Dave Liebman, Tyshawn Sorey, Leni Stern) plays a myriad of instruments with flutist Kaori Watanabe and pianist Alexis Marcelo in a quiet set that brings us more atmosphere than melody. Brass player Stephen Haynes joins in for three tracks.
Nite Bjuti – MINWI (Intakt Records, release 05/15/2026). Candice Hoyes – vocals / pedals, Mimi Jones – bass / vocals / pedals, Val Jeanty – drums / electronics.
Nite Bjuti (Nite Bjuti, previewed 07/24/2023), a collaborative of vocalist Candice Hoyes, bassist Mimi Jones (Allegra Levy, Leap Day Trio) and percussionist Val Jeanty (Carolyn Davis, Kris Davis), is back with another set of original compositions, once again more polemic than melodic. These artists have created one of those rare things – a sound unique to them.
Chris Hazelton – In Rotation (Cellar Music, release 05/15/2026). Brett Jackson – tenor saxophone / baritone saxophone, Chris Hazelton – Hammond B-3 Organ, Peter Schlamb – vibraphone, John Kizilarmut – drums.
Last Time out (After Dark, previewed 08/28/2023) Kansas City organist Chris Hazelton was in an organ – baritone – guitar – drums quartet. This time around he sticks with Brett Jackson on sax, both tenor and baritone, and John Kizilamut on drums but trades out guitar for (very shimmery) vibes for an unusual sound. In addition to three original tracks, Hazelton covers a handful of modern jazz classics from Tadd Dameron, Lee Morgan, Billy Strayhorn, Horace Silver and Jimmy Heath.
Ted Chubb – Live At The Statuary (Circle 9 Records, release 05/15/2026). Ted Chubb – trumpet, Bruce Williams – alto saxophone, Oscar Perez – piano / Fender Rhodes, Tom DiCarlo – upright bass, Jerome Jennings – drums / cymbals.
Trumpeter Ted Chubb is the co-owner (with his wife Rachel Ryll)of the Jersey City live/work/present space – The Sanctuary. This live quintet date is the first that I have heard from Chubb (as far as I know). He is a strong trumpet player and composer (six of the nine tracks). Joining Chubb in the front line is the well-matched alto of Bruce Williams (Altin Sencalar, Buster Williams, Fred Hersch). Straight-ahead and recommended.
Alexander Hawkins – No Nation But Imagination (Intakt Records, release 05/15/2026). Nicole Mitchell – flute, Alexander Hawkins – piano / synthesizer, Rhodri Davies – harp, Hamid Drake – drums, Matthew Wright – turntables / live sampling
British Pianist / composer Alexander Hawkins brings us a quintet set featuring UVa faculty member / flutist Nicole Mitchell (Bamako-Chicago Sound System, previewed 08/12/2024) and master percussionist Hamid Drake (William Parker). Two pieces appear to have been improvised / written by the quintet in the studio and the balance are composed by the leader. Challenging music from the avant-jazz side of things.
David Sánchez – Tambó (Ropeadope, release 05/15/2026). David Sánchez – tenor saxophone / percussion, Luis Perdomo – piano, Ricky Rodriguez – bass / double bass, Tony Escape – drums, Camilo Molina – percussion / barril drum, Jhan Lee Aponte – barril drum, Franklin Tejedor – alegre drum.
Puerto Rican tenor saxophonist David Sánchez has released his first disc as a leader since 2019, drawing inspiration this time from Columbia in addition to his native country. The ensemble is percussion-rich with four percussionists added to a tenor – piano – bass trio, giving it a chattering vibe for much of the record, over which Sánchez and pianist Luis Perdomo (Miguel Zenon, Tom Harrell, Jamie Baum) make the most of the solo space.
Kemuel Roig – Both Sides Now (Life In Music, release 05/15/2026). Kemuel Roig – piano.
Cuban-native pianist Kemuel Roig (Brian Lynch, Al Di Meola) has produced a quiet, stately and lovely solo recording, which includes four Latin / South American standards but is, in no way, a “Latin Jazz” record.
Ben Wolfe – Any Time After Now (Resident Arts Records, release 05/15/2026). Chris Lewis – tenor saxophone, Sullivan Fortner – piano, Joel Ross – vibraphone, Ben Wolfe – bass, Aaron Kimmel – drums.
Bassist Ben Wolfe is back with a new ensemble with some familiar players of whom pianist Sullivan Fortner (Lauren Henderson, Tyreek McDole, Lage Lund) and vibraphonist Joel Ross (Nublues, previewed 02/12/2024) are the most well known. Equally important to the sound of this ensemble is tenor saxophonist Chris Lewis (Sean Mason, Caelen Cardello, James Zito, Brandon Sanders). Wolfe’s compositions tend to be mid-tempo cool affairs although he slows down to ballad pace when it suits him. His choice of material favors the kind of interplay that he seeks, with the piano – vibes combination especially powerful. Highly recommended.
Review: Jazz Views, UK Vibe, Paris Move
Sharon Minemoto – Goodbye Strawberry Hill (Cellar Music, release 05/08/2026). Jon Bentley – tenor saxophone, Sharon Minemoto – piano, Darren Radtke – bass, Bernie Arai – drums / Hotchiku.
Pianist Sharon Minemoto brings back the quartet from her last release (Dark Night, Bright Stars, previewed 10/23/2023) for a programatic set chronicling her family’s interment and departure from Canada during the racist response to Japanese aggression in WWII. As before, the strong ensemble rotates around the powerful tenor of Jon Bentley (Go Ahead!, previewed 03/24/2025). Straight ahead and emotional.
Review: AllAboutJazz
Judith Berkson – TheeTheyThy (ECM, release 05/01/2026). Judith Berkson – piano / vocals, Trevor Dunn – bass, Gerald Cleaver – drums.
Pianist / vocalist Judith Berkson is joined by bassist Trevor Dunn (Trio Convulsant – Séances, 2022) and drummer Gerald Cleaver (Miroslav Vitous, Darius Jones, East Axis) in a set of nine pieces by the leader and one by Cleaver. Berkson’s voice is remarkable for its range and capacity for large interval jumps.
Dave Douglas – Transcend (Greenleaf, release 04/24/2026). Dave Douglas – trumpet, James Brandon Lewis – tenor sax, Rafiq Bhatia – guitar, Tomeka Reid, – cello, Ian Chang – drums.
Trumpeter Dave Douglas continues to be musically restless, bringing us a new collaborator, cellist Tomeka Reid (Dance! Skip! Hop! – 2026). The rest of the ensemble including tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis (Abstraction Is Deliverance, previewed 06/02/2025) were on the last release, which included four tracks by Billy Strayhorn (Gifts, previewed 05/13/2024). This time Douglas tackles the legacy of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts and while he covers three of Duke’s songs, the other six tracks are Douglas’s response to these important works. Recommended.
Review: Paris Move, The Big Takeover, AllAboutJazz
Matteo Mancuso – Route 96 (Music Theories Recordings, release 04/24/2026). Matteo Mancuso – guitar, Riccardo Oliva -bass, Gianluca Pellerito – drums.
In his second release, young Sicilian guitarist Matteo Mancuso continues to scorch and shred. More jazz – rock fusion than mainstream, certainly, but you can see why Mancuso appears on the cover of every guitar magazine. What a remarkable player.
Review: Ramzine, Sea of Tranquility
Udeigwe – Four Lemmas (LU Factors, release 04/14/2026). Steph Clement – trumpet, Wayne Tucker – trumpet, Lawrence Udeigwe – vocals / piano / keyboards, Rade Bema – bass, Josh Green – drums.
Singer / pianist Lawrence Udeigwe brings us a suite based on arcane discussions of mathematics as metaphors for life. Full appreciation will take some study, but you can stop with just letting the grooves get to you.
Danny Sinoff – Make Someone Happy (Cellar Music, release 04/10/2026). Joe Magnarelli – trumpet, Jerry Weldon – tenor saxophone, Tyler Henderson – piano, Dan Wilson – guitar, Ben Wolfe – bass, Ulysses Owens Jr – drums, Danny Sinoff – piano / vocal with Benny Benack III – trumpet / vocal.
Vocalist Danny Sinoff brings an all-star ensemble to his debut recording. He is a mature vocalist with more than a little Sinatra in him, tackling a set of very familiar standards.
The Breaks – The Breaks (Color Red, release 02/12/2026). Robert Walter – Hammond organ, Eddie Roberts – guitar, Stanton Moore – drums with Brad Walker – saxophone, John Michael Bradford – trumpet, Big Sam Williams – trombone, Pedro Segundo – percussion.
NOLA denizens B-3 master Robert Walker (The Greyboy Allstars), guitarist Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), and drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic) are the core trio behind the mega-funk sound of The Breaks. The Juddermeister was convinced that I would not find this groove but on the contrary, there is a cohesion and power to the trio that is irresistible. What would New Orleans be without the funk. Toss in a top NOLA horn-section and you’ve got a winner. Recommended.
Review: Medium
Hamilton De Holanda Trio – Live In NYC (Sony Music Brazil, release 05/20/2025). Hamilton de Holanda – 10 string bandolin, Salomão Soares – keyboard / Moog, Thiago Big Rabello – drums with Chris Potter – tenor saxophone.
Bandolin (a 10-string Brazilian mandolin) player Hamilton De Holanda mixes traditional chora, samba and modern jazz into a personal music that features his virtuoso playing. Recorded at Dizzy’s with his bandolin – piano – drums trio, De Holanda enriches the stew with Chris Potter’s tenor on three tracks. This release won the 2025 Grammy for the Best Latin Jazz Album, although it is just reaching our library. The honor was well-deserved. Recommended.
Take your music (and your radio) outside and enjoy the weather!
And remember that the Charlottesville Jazz Society is bringing us the Charlottesville Jazz Fest June 4 – 7. Get your tickets now!
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
