New Jazz Releases – 09/29/2025
By Russell Perry
Jason Charos
Don’t touch that dial. By now you are deep into a week of listening to the best jazz programming we can offer in the 2025 Jazz Fundraising Marathon. You can pledge on-line at WTJU.net – look for the “Donate” button, you know what to do!
When you come back to the present, here are some recent releases to check out. Young tenor player Brandon Suarez has made his debut with a quartet. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has released a 1995 live set. Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet has released a double album with a two live sets twenty years apart – showing why they are the B3 Quartet of the new millennium. Brian Lynch’s Holistic MusicWorks label has two excellent releases out – composer Jason Forsythe and trumpeter Jason Charos – both with Lynch guesting.
Joe Policastro Trio – Mending Wall(JeruJazz Records, release 09/19/2025). Joe Policastro – bass, Dave Miller – guitar, Mikel Avery – drums.
Chicago bassist Joe Policastro has released a third disc with his familiar trio of guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery, exploring themes of borders and identity. Mostly ballads, gentle and straight ahead.
Kat Ellis – Talking to Myself (Self Produced, release 09/19/2025). Brad Goode – trumpet, Eric Gunnison – piano, Mark Sherman – bass, Harold Sherman – drums, Kat Ellis – vocals.
In many ways, singer Kat Ellis’s debut is quite safe – repertoire, arrangements, instrumentation – but it has an edge through creatively reinterpreting the material. Ellis is commanding in her approach to rhythm and timing, floating ahead or behind the beat with freedom. Trumpeter Brad Goode (The Snake Charmer, previewed 01/27/2025) is a welcome presence, spinning delicate obligoti throughout the set.
Review: Paris Move
Brandon Suarez – Introducing (Cellar Music, release 09/19/2025). Brandon Suarez – tenor saxophone, Tyler Henderson – piano, Caleb Tobocman – bass, Jacob Smith – drums.
For his debut, Cuban-born young tenor saxophonist Brandon Suarez brings us the kind of release we expect from Vancouver’s Cellar Music. As the label continues to expand from its original geographical roots, these are young New York players, playing a straight ahead mix of bebop, mid-tempo swingers and ballads from the Great American Songbook (Richard Rogers, Frederick Loewe, Mitchell Parish, Irving Berlin) spiced by a few from modern jazz giants (Bird, Barry Harris). Suarez breaks no new ground, but reminds us of great tenor playing like the ballads of Dexter Gordon and the uptempo bebop of John Griffin. Familiar and well-done. Recommended.
Review: Papatamus Redux
Jovino Santos Neto – Maius Que Tudo: Live At Kerry Hall 1995 (Origin Records, release 09/19/2025). Hans Teuber – flute / saxophones, Jovino Santos Neto – piano, Hans Teuber – flute / saxophones, Chuck Deardorf – bass, Mark Ivester – drums.
Pianist Jovino Santos Neto resettled in Seattle in 1993 after a 15-year apprenticeship with recently deceased Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal, who is remembered here with interpretations of two of his compositions. By 1995, he had a working Quinteto of fellow faculty members from the Cornish College of the Arts, which is captured here live in their first public appearance. The Brazilian influences are subtle, but there isn’t anything subtle about Neto’s piano playing – it is forceful and moving. Recommended.
Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet – Turn It Up: Live At the Side Door (Cellar Music, release 09/19/2025). Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone, Mike LeDonne – Hammond B3 Organ, Peter Bernstein – guitar, Joe Farnworth – drums.
Mike LeDonne created the tenor – Hammond B3 – guitar – drums quartet for the 21st Century in the early 2000s with tenorist Eric Alexander (Like Sugar, previewed 09/15/2025, Eric Alexander & Vincent Herring – Split Decision, previewed 08/25/2025, Chicago to New York, previewed 05/08/2025), guitarist Peter Bernstein (Better Angels, previewed 09/09/2024) and drummer Joe Farnsworth (The Big Room, previewed 07/14/2025). Fortunately an early live date from 2004 was in the archives. Here this historical set is paired with a recent 2024 set by the same players. Everything you want in an organ quartet is here. Recommended.
Review: Jazz Weekly
James Danderfer – If Not Now (Cellar Music, release 09/19/2025). Steve Davis – trombone, Cory Weeds – tenor saxophone, James Danderfer – clarinet / bass clarinet, Miki Yamanaka – piano, Atley King – vibraphone, Tyrone Allen II – bass, Kush Abadey – drums.
The last time out with Cory Weeds, both James Danderfer and Weeds played tenor (Home Cookin’, previewed 10/30/2023). This time Danderfer reminds us what a terrific clarinet player he is, joining Weeds in a trombone – tenor – clarinet front line with Steve Davis (see Jason Forsythe, below). Few players specialize in the clarinet, with the notable exception of Greg Tardy, who also will do a tenor turn as needed. The rhythm section led is by pianist Miki Yamanaka with her regular trio-mate Tyrone Allen II on bass.
Review: Jazz Weekly
Juliet Ewing – Simply ’S Wonderful (Lexicon Classics, release 09/12/2025). Ron Drotos – piano, Tedd Firth – piano, David Finck – bass, Mark McLean – drums, Juliet Ewing – vocals
Cabaret-leaning vocalist Juliet Ewing has taken on the Gershwin Brothers’ songbook with a piano trio.
Review: Making A Scene, Jazz Weekly
Jason Forsythe – It’s About Time (Hollistic MusicWorks, release 09/05/2025). Bryan Lynch – trumpet, Steve Davis – trombone, Walt Weiskopf – tenor saxophone, Michael Weiss – piano, Ugonna Okegwa – bass, Andy Watson – drums with Kenny Rampton – trumpet, Jason Forsythe – trombone, Donny McCaslin – tenor saxophone.
New York veteran trombonist / composer Jason Forsythe was interrupted in his playing career and has focussed on composing and arranging for the past two decades. All the compositions on the new release are original and fully leveraged by an outstanding three-horn sextet. Out on Brian Lynch’s own label, trumpeter Lynch (7 X 7 X 7, previewed 11/11/2024) anchors the front line of trombonist Steve Davis (We See, previewed 11/11/2024) and tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf (Shawn Purcell, John Fedchock, Behn Gillece). Forsythe and Lynch go back NYC in the 80s, a period of acoustic jazz rediscovery and this disc captures a lot of that energy spiced by reverence for the tradition. Highly recommended.
Review: Paris Move, UK Jazz News
Jason Charos – Opening Statement (Hollistic MusicWorks, release 08/22/2025). Jason Charos – trumpet, David Mason – alto saxophone, Melvin Butler – tenor saxophone, Kendric McCallister – tenor saxophone, Connor Rohrer – piano, Carlo De Rosa – bass, Ludwig Afonso – drums with Brian Lynch – trumpet, Dafnis Prieto – drums.
Trumpeter Jason Charos has reassembled the majority of the players who were with him on Samara Joy’s 2024 release (Portrait, previewed 10/14/2024) – David Mason on alto saxophone, Kendric McCallister on tenor saxophone, Connor Rohrer on piano – and its a satisfying mix. This release is out on trumpeter Brian Lynch’s label and Lynch is a guest as befits his mentor – mentee relationship with the leader from his days at University of Miami. This band has a sweet spot in the mid-tempo hard bop swingers, but can stretch out on breathy ballads (listen for Ben Webster’s influence on tenorist McCallister) and can race through long bebop lines – all composed by the leader. Love this, start to finish. Highly recommended.
Review: Paris Move, Jazz Views
The Secret Trio – Old Friends (Anderson Audio, release 08/22/2025). Ismail Lumanovski – clarinet, Ara Dinkjian – oud, Tamer Pınarbaşı – kanun.
Macedonian-born clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski, Armenian-American oud player Ara Dinkjian and Turkish-born kanun (zither) player Tamer Pınarbaşı bring together several folk traditions in a cross cultural synthesis of substantial beauty. Jazz-adjacent and exciting.
Nicholas Payton – Triune (Smoke Sessions Records, release 10/13/2025). Nicholas Payton – trumpet / piano / Fender Rhodes / clavinet / vocals, esperanza spalding – bass / vocals, Karriem Riggins – drums with Nikki Glaspie – vocals, Ivan Neville – vocals / organ / clavinet, Erica Falls – vocals, Otis McDonald – vocals.
As time goes on Nicholas Payton (Notes From A Zen Gangster, previewed 07/07/2025) moves deliberately further and further from the musical personality that formed the foundation of his notoriety – hard blowing hard bop trumpeter. Nowadays, he is more likely to be a keyboard player and his focus is on the deep fusion of jazz, pop, RnB, and hip-hop he refers to as Black American Music (#BAM). For his latest, he reunites with bassist / singer Esperanza Spalding (Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding – Milton + Esperanza, previewed 08/26/2024) and drummer Karriem Riggins (Kandace Springs, Theo Croker). Payton has taken another step away from the music that most interests me.
David Bailis – Running Through My Mind(Self Produced, release 08/15/2025). Caroline Davis – alto saxophone, Andrew Links – piano / keyboards, David Bailis – guitar, Jordan Scannella – bass, Kenneth Salters – drums.
Brooklyn-based guitarist David Bailis (Tree Of Life, previewed 09/02/2024) has put out another release anchored in fusion and intersecting with Prog Rock from time-to-time. Chris Cheek handled the saxophone duties last time and now alto saxophonist Caroline Davis (Portals Volume 2: Returning, previewed 12/23/2025) has joined the band, for a decidedly more mainstream effort than her customary fare.
Review: Jazz Guitar Today, Making a Scene, Roots Music Report
Gino Amato – Latin Crossroads 2 (Ovation Records, release 08/13/2025). Manuel “Maneco” Ruiz – trumpet, Chris Rogers – trumpet, Doug Beavers – trombone, Juanga Lakunza – trombone, Bobby Franceschini – tenor saxophone, Itai Kriss – flute, Mitch Frohman – baritone saxophone, Gino Amato – piano, Oscar Hernández – piano, Ruben Rodriguez – bass, Vince Cherico – drums, Samuel Torres – percussion with Joe Locke – vibraphone, Lou Marini – tenor saxophone, Aaron Heick – alto saxophone / flute, Peter Reit – French horn, Leonardo Suarez-Paz – violin, Jonathan Weber – violin, Alejandra Mahave – viola, Danny Miller – cello, Tuck Lee – oboe, Alyssa Reit – harp, Ira Siegel – guitar, Aubrey Johnson, Janis Siegel, Lauren Kinhan, Kevin Osborne – voclas, KINGS RETURN: Vaughn Faison, JE McKissic, Jamall Williams Gabe Kunda – vocals.
Pianist Gino Amato has reprised the formulae of the first Latin Crossroads – Latin rhythms over familiar pop tunes (mostly) with serious jazz players in an eleven-piece band, interpreted by (mostly) jazz vocalists. Note a guest appearance by Veronica Swift on I Love Paris.
Andy Nevala – El Rumbon (The Party) (Zoho Music, release 08/08/2025). Carlos Averhoff Jr – tenor saxophone, Andy Nevala – piano, Neff Irizarry – guitar, Andy Eulau – bass, Frankie Quiñones – percussion, Emrah Kotan – drums.
Atlanta-based pianist Andy Nevala explores a wide-range of cuban folk, pop and jazz influences on a repertoire that leans to the modern jazz side of the scale (Herbie Hancock / Bennie Maupin, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane). You might think this sounds like the long-standing series of recordings from Conrad Herwig (The Latin Side of…), but this release differs in that it is piano and percussion focused, rather than Herwig’s emphasis on the multi-horn front line.
Review: Making A Scene, The Rehearsal Studio, Jazz De La Pena
The Haas Company – Thirteen Featuring Jerry Goodman (Self Produced, release 08/01/2025). Pete Drungle – keyboards, Samuel Hällkvist – electric guitar, Jerry Goodman – electric violin, Steve Haas – drums with Kirwan Brown – bass / guitar, Sean Lennon – bass.
The new release (the fourth) from The Haaz Company has everything you might have liked about jazz-rock fusion in its glory years – complex time signatures, multi-theme compositions, complexity, virtuosic soloing, speed, electricity, volume, long lines. Violinist Jerry Goodman, founding member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, joined the Haas Company as one of five violinists for their previous release (Samuel Hallvist – Song For Mimi The Haas Company Vol. 3, previewed 05/26/2025) and he has solo command of the violin chair this time.
Review: Jazz Views, Jazz Weekly
Bass clarinetist Todd Marcus was in town on 09/27/2025, sponsored by Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU and gave an amazing performance joined by clarinetist Virginia MacDonald in the front line. We have added the following discs to our collection for a more complete representation of Marcus’s remarkable discography:
Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra – Blues For Tahrir (Hypnotic Records, release 05/15/2015). Alex Norris -trumpet, Alan Ferber – trombone, Russell Kirk – alto saxophone, Gregory Tardy – tenor saxophone, Brent Birkhead – alto saxophone / flute, Todd Marcus – bass clarinet / percussion, Xavier Davis – piano, Jeff Reed – bass, Eric Kennedy – drums, Jon Seligman – percussion.
Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra – In Pursuit of the 9th Man (Hypnotic Records, release 08/02/2006). Theljon James Allen – trumpet, Reginald Cyntje – trombone, Issa Lambson – alto saxophone, Lyle Link – alto saxophone / flute, Russell Kirk – tenor saxophone, Todd Marcus – bass clarinet, Joel Holmes – piano, Jeff Allen Reed – bass, Lee Pearson – drums.
In addition, for your reference, we already have the following discs in the WTJU jazz collection:
Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra – In The Valley (Stricker Street Records, release 07/01/2022). Alex Norris – trumpet, Alan Ferber – trombone, Russell Kirk – alto saxophone, Greg Tardy – tenor saxophone, Brent Birkhead – flute / alto saxophone, Todd Marcus – bass clarinet, Xavier Davis – piano, Jeff Reed – bass, Eric Kennedy – drums.
Todd Marcus – Trio + (Stricker Street Records, release 11/15/2019). Todd Marcus – bass clarinet / clarinet, Jeff Reed – bass, Ameen Saleem – bass, Ralph Peterson – drums, Eric Kennedy – drums with Sean Jones – trumpet.
Todd Marcus – Inheritance(Hipnotic Records, release 10/22/2012). Todd Marcus – bass clarinet, George Collegan – piano, Xavier Davis – piano, Eric Wheeler – bass, Warren wolf – drums, Eric Kennedy – drums with Don Byron – clarinet, Jon Seligman – percussion.
Set these new releases aside for now and tune in to the Jazz Fundraising Marathon!
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
