New Jazz Releases – 07/06/2026
By Russell Perry
Álvaro Torres
Happy Independence Day 2026. Let’s hope that was the hottest week of the year and that the summer is more hospitable going forward. Memorable releases this week from bassist Steve Swallow, guitarists Zacc Harris and Roni Ben-Hur, and pianist Álvaro Torres.
Ran Blake & Dominique Eade – Roots & Byways (Sunnyside, release 07/03/2026). Ran Blake – piano, Dominique Eade – vocals.
Following on their two previous duet releases (Whirlpool – 2011, Town and Country – 2017), pianist Ran Blake and vocalist Dominique Eade have released another set of diverse selections from the pop and jazz worlds performed in their own eccentric way. Abe Goldstein wrote succinctly on the Papatamus Redux site, “Sixty-four years after its release on RCA Records, Ran Blake and Jeanne Lee’s classic Newest Sound Around sets the tone for Blake’s third collaboration with vocalist Dominique Eade. The duo reinterprets a selection of 16 tunes covering a range of styles and genres in a manner that is still the newest sound around.”
Review: Paris Move, Papatamus Redux
Seamus Blake – EH! – Plays The Music Of Eddie Harris (Cellar Music, release 07/03/2026). Seamus Blake – tenor saxophone / EWI / effects / vocals, Sam Yahel – Hammond B3 organ / piano / clavinet / Fender Rhodes, Tim Lefebvre – electric bass, Corey Fonville – drums, Dawn Pemberton – vocals.
Eddie Harris (1934 – 1996) was a Chicago soul jazz tenor saxophonist who pioneered the use of the electric Veritone sax during his heyday in the 60s and 70s. Saxophonist Seamus Blake (Alexander Claffy, Joe Sanders) has paid tribute to Harris with a sax quartet featuring keyboardist Sam Yahel (Quiet Flow, previewed 04/24/2026) and Richmond drummer Corey Fonville (What Day Is It, previewed 06/15/2026). Not surprisingly, Blake focusses on the EWI (electronic wind instrument) to update Harris’s signature sound. Funky boogaloo.
Review: Paris Move, Jazz Weekly
Steve Swallow – Winter Songs (ECM, release 06/26/2026). Mike Rodriguez – trumpet, Chris Cheek – tenor saxophone, Gil Goldstein – piano, Steve Cardenas – guitar, Steve Swallow – bass, Adam Nussbaum – drums.
After a thirteen-year wait, bassist Steve Swallow (Carla Bley, John Scofield) returns as a leader with a trumpet – tenor sextet of first-rate and familiar players. Swallow composed nine new originals for the date, ranging in tempo from a stroll to a crawl. The overall peaceful vibe is reinforced by relaxed and sensitive contributions from trumpeter Mike Rodriguez (Pathways, previewed 03/30/2026) and tenorist Chris Cheek (Guillermo Klein, Marta Sanchez). Recommended
Review: UK Jazz News, UK Vibe, Jazz Views
Nduduzo Makhathini – The Myth We Choose (Blue Note, release 06/26/2026). Nduduzo Makhathini – piano / vocals / vocoder / synthesizer, Dalisu Ndlazi – double bass, Lukmil Perez – drums with Robin Fassie – trumpet, Shabaka – flute, Omagugu – vocals, Ayanda Sikade – drums, Muneyi – vocals, Keenan Ahrends – guitar, Black Coffee – drum programming, Thando Zide – vocals.
Pianist Nduduzo Makhathini (uNomkhubulwane, previewed 05/20/2024) continues to offer a spiritual take on Afro-jazz making me wish that I could translate the lyrics to follow the theme of myth-making that seems to pervade the music. With his South-African trio, Makhathini delivers thirteen lyrical originals that vary in tempo and intensity and provide a setting for several vocalists and guest instrumentalists, of whom Shabaka (Hutchings) is the most familiar. Recommended.
Review: Glide Magazine, Jazz Trail, Jazz Times
Douyé – Stay With Me (Groove Note Music Records, release 06/26/2026). George Cables – piano, Sean Conly – bass, Jerome Jenning – drums, Douyé – vocals with Craig Handy – saxophone, Joe Magnarelli – trumpet, John Bailey – trumpet, Kye Palmer – trumpet, Barclay Moffitt – saxophone, Mina Choi – piano, Edwin Lingston – bass, Clayton Cameron – drums.
Nigerian-born singer Douyé (The Golden Sèkèrè, previewed 07/03/2023) has released another set of standards with three original tracks this time. Last time out she spiced up the set with African polyrhythms and Afro-Beat sensibilities. She plays it straight this time under the elegant hands of pianist / arranger George Cables (I Hear Echoes, previewed 11/25/2024). The piano trio is supplemented by several horn players who add immeasurably to the proceedings.
Review: Paris Move
Zacc Harris – American Reckoning (Shifting Paradigm, release 06/26/2026). Zacc Harris – guitars, Matt Peterson – bass, Lars-Erik Larson – drums.
Inevitably, any guitarist interpreting an Americana playlist from a jazz perspective will face comparison to the deep catalog of Bill Frisell, who has been most influential in broadening the scope of the jazz canon. Minneapolis guitarist Zacc Harris fares well under this scrutiny. Sticking with a stripped-down guitar trio for most of the disc, Harris finds new life in familiar tunes like Amazing Grace, House of the Rising Sun, Hard Times and You Are My Sunshine. Harris finishes the set with two Dylan compositions – a trio version of I Shall Be Released and a solo version of Masters of War. Recommended.
Review: UK VIbe
Roni Ben-Hur – Abriendo Puertas (Dot Time Records, release 06/26/2026). Alejandro Falcón – piano, Roni Ben-Hur – guitar, Pedro Pablo Gutiérrez – acoustic bass, Ruy López-Nussa – drums, Octavio Rodríguez Rivera – percussion with Emir Santa Cruz – tenor saxophone, Osdalgia Lesmes – vocals.
For the second volume in Dot Time Records Cuban Notes series (see Alejandro Falcón – Falcón In Blue, previewed 05/04/2026), New York guitarist Roni Ben-Hur (Stories, 2021) has recorded a piano – guitar – bass – drums – percussion quintet date with Emir Santa Cruz guesting on tenor on four tracks and Osdalgia Lesmes singing on two. Cuban pianist Alejandro Falcón, who wrote four of the seven tracks, anchors the Havana-recorded set and in many ways, this set can be heard as a continuation of the piano – guitar dialog begun on the pianists’ last release. Recommended.
Review: Wright About Jazz
Colin Heshmat – Elastic Groove (HMC Records, release 06/23/2026). Ryo Sasaki – trumpet, Colin Heshmat – piano, Yuma Takagi – bass, Ben Cliness – drums.
Pianist Colin Heshmat’s debut features a tight quartet in a decidedly mainstream setting. Heshmat’s writing is featured as the program consists of eight originals and three covers, including a sweet version of Kenny Durham’s Blue Bossa. Strong debut.
Review: Skope Magazine
Tom Ricci – Happening In Buenos Aires (Self Produced, release 06/20/2026). Pablo Sanguinetti – piano, Tom Ricci – guitar, Bruno Migotto – double bass, Oscar Giunta – drums.
Argentinian-born, Southern California-based singer / guitarist Tom Ricci (So Amor, previewed 12/08/2025) returns home to Argentina for a live piano – guitar/vocals – bass – drums set with a local pick up band. Heartfelt.
Review: JW Vibe, Making A Scene
Duchess – A Marvelous Party (Anzic Records, release 06/12/2026). Summer Camargo – trumpet, Nick Finzer – trombone, Erica von Kleist – alto saxophone / soprano saxophone, Jason Rigby – tenor saxophone, Owen Broder – baritone saxophone, Michael Cabe – piano, Jesse Lewis – guitar, Matt Aronoff – bass, Jared Schonig – drums, Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, Melissa Stylianou – vocals.
Backed by a terrific five-horn front line, tight-harmony New York vocal group Duchess is back from a six-year recording hiatus with a set of standards channeling the sound of the Boswell Sisters. Arranger Obed Ben-Ari has created a swinging setting for the remarkably tight vocal group.
Review: UK Jazz News, Jazz Journal, Jazz Times
The Amstel Jazz Ensemble – First State Blues (Summit Records, release 06/05/2026). Todd Groves – soprano saxophone / alto saxophone / tenor saxophone / flute, Bruce Tychinski – trombone, Dave Bozenhard – guitar, Miles Brown – bass, Tom Palmer – drums / piano.
A faculty quintet from the University of Delaware pays tribute to their state with three pieces by the state’s most famous jazz player, Clifford Brown, and seven tracks by the participants celebrating aspects of their home. The combination of sax – trombone – guitar results in some beautiful harmonies and ensemble passages. These are skilled players writing and playing straight up post-bop with facility.
Dan Crisci – Scenes Along The Way (Self Produced, release 05/29/2026). Dan Crisci – piano, Craig Akin / Sue Williams – bass, Nick Scheuble – drums with Rick Savage – trumpet.
Pianist Dan Crisci composes for film and TV. His new release consists of three pieces for piano trio and six for trumpet – piano quartet. Seemingly, these stylistically-diverse compositions set moods or establish characters within narratives to which we are not privy. These are all players unknown to me.
Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces – Fool’s Fate (Hipsync Records, release 05/06/2026). James DeJoie – alto saxophone, Rik Wright – guitar, Geoff Harper – bass, Greg Campbell – drums / percussion with Katt Hernandez – violin.
Seattle guitarist Rick Wright and his alto – guitar – bass – drums quartet present a set of seven originals blending jazz, rock and cinematic sweep. At its best, the quartet provides sweeping textures and hazy atmospheres.
Review: Paris Move, Jazz Weekly
Gabrielle Cavassa – Diavola(Blue Note Records, release 05/01/2026). Joshua Redman – tenor saxophone, Paul Cornish – piano, Jeff Parker – guitar, Larry Grenadier – bass, Brian Blade – drums.
Surrounded by first-rate jazz players, vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa (Joshua Redman) brings her intimate whisper-soft delivery to a mostly pop recording.
Review: UK Vibe, Glide Magazine
Álvaro Torres Trio – Mairena (Fresh Sounds Records, release 04/30/2026). Álvaro Torres – piano, Masa Kamaguchi – double bass, Kresten Osgood – drums.
The Spanish-born and New York-based pianist Álvaro Torres acknowledges influences as broad as Ornette, Paul Bley, Brahms and Spanish flamenco. His tidy trio sails through five originals and a cover of Cole Porter (!). Torres writes for passages of freedom and control, tumbling sometimes from one to the other. This is the leader’s fourth release since his 2019 debut, although this serves as my introduction to him. I look forward to hearing more. Recommended.
Review: AllAboutJazz, PostGenre
Judith Berkson Trio – Thee They Thy (ECM, release 04/24/2026). Judith Berkson – piano / voice, Trevor Dunn – double bass, Gerald Clever – drums.
Cantor and pianist Judith Berkson brings us a trio set of idiosyncratic and personal compositions with a modest vocal contribution.
Review: UK Vibe, ECM Reviews, Jazz Views
Shunzo Ohno – Live at Joe’s Pub (Pulsebeats Records, release 04/17/2026). Shunzo Ohno – trumpet, Clifford Carter – piano / keyboards, Noah Rott – piano / keyboards, Quintin Zoto – guitar, Francois Jacob – guitar, Sasha Ono – cello, Emily Garrison – violin, Yoojin Park – violin, Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim – violin, Rachel Lanskey – viola, Molly Goldman – viola, Jay Julio – viola, Leo Traversa – bass, Yoshi Waki – bass, Jeremiah Edwards – bass, Thierry Arpino – drums, Jerome Jennings – drums.
Trumpeter Shunzo Ohno is a veteran indifferent acoustics and a preponderance of strings.
Review: AllAboutJazz, Jazz Views, UK Vibe
Stella Heath – For Billie(Matterhorn Records, release (03/18/2026). Clint Baker – trumpet, Johnny Bones – soprano saxophone / alto saxophone / tenor saxophone, Robert Eflfman – clarinet / tenor saxophone / flute, Neil Fontano – piano / tambourine / whistle, Victor Wong – guitar, Daniel Fabricant – drums / trombone, Stella Heath – vocals.
In her debut, Bay-area singer Stella Heath tackles the repertoire of Billie Holiday. Although a strong and expressive singer, for musical context, Heath chose a retro 30s vibe that doesn’t add much to our appreciation of this material.
Review: Paris Move
Bill Connors – Of Mist And Melting (ECM, release 02/12/2026). Jan Garbarek – saxophones, Bill Cpnnors – guitar, Gary Peacock – bass, Jack DeJohnette – drums.
Return To Forever guitarist Bill Connors switched to acoustic guitar for three ECM leader dates in the 70s – two solo recordings and this 1977 quartet. And what a quartet it is – Jan Garbarek on tenor / soprano, Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Standing out among his more fusion-oriented recordings, this one is generally quiet and beautiful.
Review: UK Vibe, Jazz Views
Enjoy!
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
