New Jazz Releases – 06/02/2025
By Russell Perry
James Brandon Lewis
Some very wonderful releases this week. James Brandon Lewis has released what will likely be a competitor for the best album of the year! We have a strong new release from veteran Marty Ehrlich with a long-standing trio. Ryan Truesdell leads a big band playing Gil Evans arrangements, some unrecorded until now. Baritone newcomer Saul Dautch makes a strong debut. Pete McGuinness and Ben Sidran are each back with strong outings and a Swedish band with roots back to Don Cherry blew me away. Enjoy.
Carol Liebowitz & Nick Lyons – The Inner Senses (Steeplechase / Look Out, release 06/01/2025). Nick Lyons – alto saxophone, Carol – Liebowitz piano.
Pianist Carol Liebowitz was mentored by Connie Crothers, who was mentored in turn by Lennie Tristano and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. While in his heyday in the 40s and 50s Tristano only forayed briefly into the world of free improvisation, at this long separation, Liebowitz and her collaborator altoist Nick Lyons live almost exclusively in that musical world and beautifully so.
Review: AllAboutJazz
James Brandon Lewis – Abstraction Is Deliverance (Intact Records, release 05/30/2025). James Brandon Lewis – tenor saxophone, Aruán Ortiz – piano, Brad Jones – bass, Chad Taylor – drums.
James Brandon Lewis is one of the most powerful tenor players on the scene. Back with his long-standing colleagues for his fifth quartet recording, he unleashes perhaps his most powerful spiritual offering yet. Count on Filipe Freitas (Jazz Trail) to capture the moment, “This jaw-dropping recording, both technically immaculate and artistically impressive, mesmerizes from beginning to end, inviting the listener to soar in spirit and thought. With this release, Lewis’s acclaimed quartet brushes against celestial perfection.” For those of you who were there for Lewis’s performance with Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble performance in February, you have some idea what is in store. Highly recommended.
Review: Jazz Trail, AllAboutJazz, Something Else!
Marty Ehrlich Trio Exaltation – Images of Time (Sunnyside Records, release 05/30/2025). Marty Ehrlich – alto saxophone / tenor saxophone, John Hébert – bass, Nasheet Waits – drums.
Saxophonist Marty Ehrlich returns to the sax – bass – drums format from time-to-time and here he is, after a seven-year hiatus, with bassist John Hébert and drummer Nasheet Waits. The program includes seven Ehrlich compositions and two by his former collaborator, the late Andrew Hill (including a loving rendition of Dusk.). As always, expect Ehrlich to search for new sounds on the horn. Recommended.
Review: Making A Scene, Jazz Trail
Glenn Dickson & Bob Familiar – All The Light Of Our Sphere (Sounds Familiar, release 05/30/2025) . Glenn Dickson – clarinet, Bob Familiar – Rhodes / electronics.
Klezmer clarinet-master Gleason Dickson has paired with post-punk electronics wizard Bob Familiar for a disc that explores the inherent tonal contrast within an ambient setting.
Review: Paris Move, Jazz Views
Mike Prigodich – Stage Magic (Mexican Mocha Music, release 05/30/2025). John Nastos – saxophone, Mike Prigodich – piano, Damian Erskine – bass, Reinhardt Melz – drums, Carmelo Torres – percussion.
There is a fusion vibe to this recording without the electronic excess, reminding me of Chick Corea back in the day. The music is busy and dense, well played by a quintet that sounds like more than five players much of the time.
Review: Paris Move
Ryan Truesdell – Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard, Vol. 2 (Outside In Music, release 05/30/2025). Augie Haas, Greg Gisbert, Mat Jodrell – trumpets, Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes, George Flynn – trombones, Adam Unsworth, David Peel – French horns, Marcus Rojas – tuba, Steve Kenyon, Steve Wilson, Dave Pietro, Donny McCaslin, Scott Robinson, Brian Landrus, Tom Christensen, Alben Banta – woodwinds, James Chirillo – guitar, Frank Kimbrough – piano, Lois Martin – viola, Jay Anderson – bass, Lewis Nash – drums, Wendy Giles – voice.
Ryan Truesdell has released another homage to his mentor Gil Evans, consisting of eight Evans charts (four unrecorded) performed in a live setting. These recordings date to 2014 allowing us to hear the late Frank Kimbrough on piano, especially on the Evans classic The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men (from Great Jazz Standards – 1959). Evans wrote dense and beautiful charts and Truesdell interprets them with skill and affection. Highly recommended.
Review: Paris Move, AllAboutJazz, Jazz Views
Brad Turner – It’s All So (Cellar Music, release 05/30/2025). Brad Turner – piano, Darren Radtke – bass, Bernie Arai – drums, Jack Duncan – percussion.
Canadian pianist Brad Turner recorded his last (The Magnificent, previewed 10/23/2023) with an international group of well-known players (Peter Bernstein – guitar, Neil Swainson – bass, Quincy Davis – drums) and this time out settles in with a familiar group of Vancouver-based players. Turner also played trumpet on the last recording but focuses exclusively on the piano this time and a fine pianist he is. Seven original compositions plus one Cole Porter cover are presented in trio and quartet form (with the welcome addition of congas.)
Saul Dautch – Music For The People (Doubleton Records, releases 05/30/2025). Noah Halpern – trumpet, Saul Dautch – baritone saxophone, Miki Yamanaka – piano, Louie Leager – bass, Hank Allen-Barfield – drums.
Brooklyn-based baritonist Saul Dautch leads a bari – trumpet quintet in a straight-up hard bop debut. Dautch studied with Jeff Rupert in Florida (making a brief appearance with Veronica Swift on Let’s Sail Away, 2017). Pianist Mimi Yamanaka (Chance, previewed 10/07/2024) anchors the ensemble, especially on the ballads, but solid throughout. Great vibe, recommended.
Madre Vaca – Yukon (Madre Vaca Records, release 05/26/2025). Jonah Pierre – piano / keyboards, Jarrett Carter – guitar, Thomas Milovac – bass, Benjamin Shorstein – drums.
I am new to Jacksonville-based Madre Vaca, despite five previous outings, often with larger ensembles than the quartet included here. Listen for flashes of bebop, fusion, ballads, and cinema all from a mostly electric place.
Review: Jazz Views
Masha Campagne – Alegre Menina (Impetus Records, release 05/26/2025). Erik Jekabson – trumpet, Natalie Cressman – trombone, Gary Meek – flute / soprano saxophone, Mary Fettig – flute, Zack Pitt-Smith – tenor saxophone. Frank Martin – piano, Ricardo Peixote – acoustic guitar / electric guitar / 12-string guitar, Julio Lemos – 7-string guitar, Lula Glavão – acoustic guitar, Scott Thompson – electric bass; Guto Wirtti – acoustic bass, Rafael Barata – drums, Brian Rice – percussion, Masha Campagne, vocals / percussion.
Russian-born Bay Area vocalist Masha Campagne has produced a laid back set of Brazilian tunes, many, but not all, familiar. Ably supported by piano, guitars and percussion, she adds spice to four selections with flute, soprano or full horn section. Campagne has a lovely voice with a confident delivery.
Review: Paris Move, Jazz Weekly, Jazz Sensibilities
Irène Schweizer / Rüdiger Carl / Johnny Dyani / Han Benning – Irène’s Hot Four (Intact Records, release 05/23/2025). Rüdiger Carl – saxophone / clarinet / accordion, Irène Schweizer – piano, Johnny Dyani – bass / vocals, Han Bennink – drums / percussion / megaphone.
This recording from 1981 documents a short-lived Dutch improvisational ensemble playing the compositions of recently deceased pianist Irène Schweizer. The set features saxophonist Rüdiger Carl, drummer Han Bennink and ex-pat bassist Johnny Dyani (once of the ground-breaking mixed-race South African sextet the Blue Notes).
Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra – Mixed Bag(Summit Records DCD834, release 05/23/2025). Jon Owens and Tony Kadleck, Hollis “Bud” Burridge, Chris Rogers – trumpets / flugelhorns, Bruce Eidem, Mark Patterson, Matt Haviland, Jeff Nelson – trombones, Chris Kome – French horn, Dave Pietro, Mark Phaneuf, Tom Christensen, Rob Middleton, Dave Riekenberg – reeds, Steve Kenyon – flute, Mike Holober – piano, Bill Charlap – piano, Pete McCann – guitar, Mark Wade – bass, Scott Neumann – drums, Pete McGuinness – vocals / bandleader.
Bandleader / vocalist Pete McGuinness was a first class trombone player until a rare neurological disorder robbed him of his embouchure. But he is back leading a big band, composing four of the selections and singing on three tunes. His singing has been compared to Chet Baker, but I hear Mel Torme (whose singing I greatly admire, despite his having faded into the shroud of memory as terminally old-school). This is a first-rate band, enlivened by Bill Charlap on piano and countless skilled soloists. Recommended.
Review: Paris Move, Jazz Weekly, AllAboutJazz
Cosmic Ear – Traces (We Jazz Records, release 05/23/2025). Goran Kajfeš – trumpet / pocket trumpet / synth / electronics / percussion, Mats Gustafsson – tenor saxophone / flute / slide flute / Ab clarinet / live electronics / organ / harmonica, Christer Bothén – donso n’goni / bass clarinet / contra bass clarinet / piano, Kansan Zetterberg – bass / donso n’goni, Juan Romero – congas / berimbau / percussion, with Marianne N´Lemwo – karignan.
Don Cherry moved to Sweden in the 60s and began playing with regional players in a variety of settings. Among these players was multi-instrumentalist Christer Bothén, who anchors this new recording at 85. Referencing the brass – reeds front line of the classic Coleman – Cherry ensembles, spiritual jazz, world fusion music and free jazz, this sextet channels many of the salient strands that made up the complex weave of Cherry’s music over time. So much to love here. Highly recommended.
Review: Soundohm, The Free Jazz Collective, UK Vibe
Ben Sidran – Are We There Yet, Live At The Sunside (Bonsai / Nardis, release 05/16/2025). Rick Margitza – saxophone, Ben Sidran – piano / voice, Romain Roussouliere – guitar, Billy Peterson – acoustic bass, Max Darmon – electric bass / voice, Leo Sidran – drums / voice, Moses Patrou – percussion / voice.
It is an oft-repeated truism that pianist / vocalist Ben Sudan is the spiritual son of Mose Allison. That association is as strong as ever on the new release of eight originals plus covers of Duke Ellington, Jimmy Witherspoon, and (of course) Mose Allison. Topical tunes for difficult times. Recommended.
Mike Thompson – 6th Avenue (Hexproof Records, 05/16/2025). Bijon Watson, Jeff Claassen, Sean Lee, Dan Rosenthal – trumpets, Randy Piggery, Bob Pilkington, Brian Martin, Leslie Havens – trombones, Sarpay Ozcagatay – flue, Ian Buss, Kyle Leonard, Mike Caudill, Mark Early, Melanie Howell-Brooks – reeds, Mark Shilansky – piano, Sal DiFusco – guitar, Greg Loughman – bass, Mark Walker – drums, Charlise Vermaak – voice.
Recorded five years ago when band leader Mike Thompson was in his mid-twenties and just now released, this big band debut shows promise. The six standards (Kern / Hammerstein, Porter, Jobim) are well chosen and well scripted. The four original compositions perhaps need further development.
Review: Paris Move, AllAboutJazz
BeatleJazz – Reunion (Yama Records, release 05/12/2025) Dave Kikoski – piano, Boris Kazlov – bass, Brian Melvin – drums.
A solid trio of pianist Dave Kikoski (Alex Claffy, Roy Haynes, “Tain” Watts), bassist Boris Kozlov (dozens of Posi-Tone Records releases), drummer Brian Melvin (Transformation, previewed 01/29/2024) has interpreted Beatles classics in a pretty straight-forward fashion.
Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra – Still Blooming (Verve Records, release 04/25/2025). Jeff Goldblum – piano, Ariana Grande – vocals, Cynthia Erivo – vocals, Scarlett Johansson – vocals, Maiya Sykes – vocals.
Jeff Goldblum, better known as the popular actor, has a side hustle as a pianist and bandleader. His latest with a big band is not just a vanity project, but a serious piece work. Goldblum has brought a set of well-known singers (Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson, Maiya Sykes) to guest on one track each, but it is the instrumental pieces (e.g. Sonny Clark’s Blue Minor, Monk’s Bye-Ya, Bud Powell’s Bouncing With Bud) that define this effort.
I hope you find something to make your life more fulfilled. Short of that, maybe some music you like.
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
