New Jazz Releases – 07/07/2025
By Russell Perry
Olga Amelchecko
This week brings us three beautiful saxophone-led releases – two from tenorists Nicole Glover and Jacob Chung, and a third from altoist Olga Amelchecnko. Chicago’s Calligram Records brings us a new disc from founder / trumpeter Chad McCullough and one from Nova Scotia guitarist Kevin Brunkhorst. And finally, after a decade’s wait we have a new big band disc from John Yao.
Olga Amelchenko – Howling Silence (Edition Records, release 07/11/2025). Olga Amelchenko – alto saxophone, Enzo Carniel – piano, Matthew Stevens – guitar, Etienne Renard – double bass, Jesus Vega – drums.
Russian-born, Paris-based altoist Olga Amelchenko has brought us a lovely record from an alto – piano – guitar – bass – drums quintet. Amelchenko has a searching tone and soft attack in the service of eight original compositions. There is often something quite spiritual in the way she presents her songs. Highly recommended.
Kathy Sanborn – Romance Language (Pacific Coast Jazz, release 07/11/2025. Wayne Ricci – trumpet, Kathy Sanborn – vocals / piano / keyboards.
Singer Kathy Sanborn brings her smokey voice and clever songwriting chops to a set of ten sophisticated original tunes.There are only two players on this release, Wayne Ricci on very sympathetic trumpet and the leader on all other instruments. She might have been better served with a full band at her disposal. Singing in English, French and Italian, Sanborn’s voice and writing are the stars of this disc.
Review: Making A Scene, AllAboutJazz
John Yao and His 17 Piece Instrument – Points In Time (See Tao Recordings, release 07/11/2025). Nick Marchione, John Lake, David Neves, David Smith – trumpets, Matt McDonald, Nick Vayenas, Sam Blakeslee, Max Seigel – trombones, Billy Drewes – alto saxophone / soprano saxophone, Hashem Assadulahi – alto saxophone, Rich Perry – tenor saxophone, Tim Armacost – tenor saxophone, Carl Maraghi – baritone saxophone, Hyuna Park – piano, Robert Sabin – bass, Andy Watson – drums.
Twenty years after arriving in New York and ten years after his big band debut, Flip Flop, trombonist / band leader has put out a new large ensemble recording of eight original compositions. Yao is particularly skilled in layering the fourteen horns to create multiple settings and moods for the music. Recommended.
Review: Paris Move, AllAboutJazz
Kevin Brunkhorst – After The Fire (Calligram Records, release 07/11/2025). Paul Tynan – trumpet / flugelhorn, Kenji Omae – tenor saxophone, Kevin Brunkhorst – acoustic guitar / electric guitar, Tom Easley – bass, Tom Roach – drums.
Guitarist Kevin Brunkhorst and a quintet of his Nova Scotia jazz compatriots have brought us this solid mainstream piece with seven original compositions. The front line of Paul Tynan on trumpet and Kenji Omae on tenor, both new to me, play beautifully together. Brunkhorst is a fluid guitarist with a great sound, especially when playing acoustic guitar. Recommended.
Chad McCullough / Gordan Spasovski / Kiril Tufekcievski / Victor Filipovski – Transverse(Calligram Records, release 07/11/2025). Chad McCullough – trumpet / flugelhorn, Gordan Spasovski – piano, Kiril Tufekcievski – bass, Victor Filipovski – drums.
Chicago trumpeter Chad McCullough has been playing with a trio of Macedonian musicians for the past six years, now recording a set of tunes written for the ensemble and marrying mainstream jazz sensibilities with regional folk themes. Virtuosic playing in support of fine writing for the ensemble by its members. Recommended.
Review: AllAboutJazz
Jose Gobbo Trio – Confluence (Calligram Records, release 07/11/2025). Jose Gobbo – guitar, Max Beckman – bass, Jay Ferguson – drums.
Brazilian-born Illinois-based guitarist Jose Gobbo brings back the trio from his last release (Current, 2024) for another soft-focussed set that recalls the spirit of early Bossa Nova without being slavish or repetitive.
Allan Harris – The Poetry Of Jazz (Live At The Blue Llama Records, release 07/11/2025). John Di Martino – piano, Alan Grubner – violin, Jay White – bass, Sylvia Cuenca – drums, Allan Harris – vocals / guitar.
Singer / guitarist Allen Harris has recorded a second release from Ann Arbor’s Blue Llama club (Live At The Blue Llama Jazz Club, previewed 08/14/2023). A charismatic performer, Harris pairs classic poetry (Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Dylan Thomas) with songs from the jazz canon and his own compositions.
Review: New World ’n’ Jazz
Kieran Brown – Loving You (Cellar Music, release 07/11/2025). Tony Glausi – trumpet, Jacob Melsha – trombone, Jarien Jamanila – alto saxophone, Chris Lewis – tenor saxophone, Tyler Henderson – piano, Aaron Matson – guitar, Isabella Geis – violin 1, Emma Richman – violin 2, Cameren Williams- viola, Iona Batchelder – cello, Eytan Schillinger – electric bass, Joey Ranieri – bass, Joe Peri – drums, Kieran Brown – vocals, Nathan Farrel – vocals.
The fresh-voiced debut from singer Kieran Brown rounds up s set of familiar standards plus one of her own. She shows a lot of potential.
Review: Paris Move, Making A Scene, Jazz Weekly
Jacob Chung – Live At Frankie’s Jazz Club (Cellar Music, release 07/11/2025). Jacob Chung – tenor saxophone, Tyler Henderson – piano, Caleb Tobackman – bass, Hank Alen Barfield – drums.
Toronto-native, New York-based tenor player Jacob Chung (The Sage, previewed 11/25/2025) recorded this live date at the end of a coast-to-coast tour with the Tyler Henderson Trio (Love Endures, previewed 06/09/2025,) two of whom – pianist Henderson and bassist Caleb Tobackman – graced his previous outing. Chung plays a muscular tenor, equally comfortable in soul jazz stroll or a racing bebop romp. Recommended.
Jason Kao Hwang – Myths Of Origin For Improvising String Orchestra And Drum Set (True Sound, release 07/07/2025). Charles Burnham, Ben Sutin, Gwen Laster, Keir GoGwilt, Johnna Wu, Tom Swafford, Rosi Hertlein, Mark Chung, Gabby Fluke-Mogul, Elena Moon Park – violins, Ginger Dolden, Melanie Dyer, Judith Insell, Pete Lanctot, Eric Salazar – violas, Dara Bloom, Kirin McElwain, Lester St. Louis, Tomas Ulrich – cello, Che Chen, Anders Nilsson, Hans Tammen – guitar, Ken Filiano – bass, Andrew Drury – drums.
Working with a large string ensemble, conductor / composer Jason Kao Hwang (William Parker) uses a range of signals to guide live collective improvisation in the context of a score.
Royce Campbell / Bob Bowen / Jim Howe – Three-Way Conversation (Trio Records, release 07/04/2025). Royce Campbell – guitar, Bob Bowen – bass, Jim Howe – drums.
Three great players from Charlottesville re-unite for a two-CD set of free improvisations. The depth of their engagement with the jazz idiom (and music, more broadly) comes through in the catalog of grooves and influences that sparkle out of these collaborations. To represent the range of this work, check out Experience The Experience – an homage, apparently, to Jimi, Noel and Mitch. This is the first time I have heard any of these players in this kind of setting and they seem completely comfortable.
Nicole Glover – Memories, Dreams, Reflections (Savant Records, release 06/27/2025). Nicole Glover – tenor saxophone, Tyrone Allen II – bass, Kayvon Gordon – drums with Lester St. Louis – cello.
Tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover (Plays, previewed 04/23/2024) once again features the chordless trio from the last release, to great effect – Tyrone Allen II on bass (Miki Yamanaka, Adam O’Farrill) and Kayvon Gordon on drums (Simón Willson, Kevin Sun, Neta Raanan.). Glover uses the spare setting as a launch pad for her most exploratory work yet. She is a terrific player in support of a creative selection of material – not just your typical standards date. Highly recommended.
Review: Marlbank
Nicholas Payton – Notes From A Zen Gangster (Paytone Records, release 05/21/2025). Nicholas Payton – trumpet / flugelhorn / bass / Rhodes / Hammond B3 / piano / animo / Moon Lander steel tongue drum / looper / vocal, Sasha Masakowski – looper / vocals.
Trumpeter Nicholas Payton a long time back walked away from the virtuosic post-bop that formed his early reputation. Along the way he rejected the descriptor “Jazz” in favor of “Black American Music” – #BAM for short. This release is a wandering meditation performed largely with Payton on all instruments.
Not quite as many releases this week, but some definitely worth committing your ear space.
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
