New Jazz Releases – 10/13/2025
By Russell Perry
Charles Lloyd
Imagine my delight – terrific tenor-lead releases from Mark Turner, Charles Lloyd (he keeps going!), and Grant Stewart. In addition Ledisi scores on a tribute to Diana Washington and percussionist Juan Pastor brings back his Chicago ensemble Chinchano. Finally, a two-decade-old set from John Taylor has been found for our further appreciation of his great gifts.
Christopher McBride & The Whole Proof – The Hang, The Hustle, The Path (CR McBride Music, release 10/13/2025). Josh Evans – trumpet, Wayne Tucker – trumpet, Christopher McBride – saxophone, Jon Thomas – piano / keyboards / organ, Marcus Machado – guitar, Barry Stephenson – acoustic bass / electric bass, Michael Piolet – drums, Charles Turner – vocals, J Hoard – vocals, DJ Skaz Digga.
New York altoist Christopher McBride (Ramon, previewed 01/30/2023) moves effortlessly from a deep bebop place to fluid Neo-soul and many points in between in this well played release. The program consists of eleven original and very personal compositions paired with one cover of Sade and one of Horace Silver (Funky Good Senor Blues).
Review:Paris Move
Petter Eldh – Projekt Drums vol. II (Edition Records, release 10/10/2025). Alistair Payne – trumpets, Nabou Claerhout – trombones, Ketija Ringa Karahona – flutes, Petter Eldh – double bass / electric bass / guitar / synthesizer / sampler / Fender Rhodes / piano with Savannah Harris – drums, Richard Spaven – drums, James Maddren – drums, Kit Downes – piano / Hammond organ, Per “Texas” Johansson – contrabass clarinet.
Four years after his previous Project Drums, bassist / producer Petter Eldh (Kannaste4, Gard Nilssen, Django Bates) has released Volume II featuring three drummers in a hip-hop / beat-science adjacent set.
Review: UK Vibe
Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble – Groove In The Face Of Adversity (Mack Avenue, release 10/10/2025). John Douglas – trumpet, Dave McMurrey – saxophone / flute, Luis Resto – keyboards, Wayne Gerard – guitar, Don Was – bass, Jeff Canady – drums, Mahindi Masai – percussion, Steffanie Christian – vocals
Blue Note Records President Don Was started as a musician in Detroit and now he has returned to those roots, releasing his debut as a leader (and it’s on Mack Avenue, which is puzzling). He plays bass in the company of an octet of Detroit players who take on a repertoire that includes compositions from Hank Williams and Curtis Mayfield in addition to Kenny Barron. Lots of soul jazz levened with funk and Motown – in fact the proceedings are so diverse that they defy categorization. Multi-reedist Dave McMurrey is strong and the vocalist Steffanie Christine lifts the roof off, bringing Sharon Jones favorably to mind.
Review: Glide Magazine, Paris Move
Mark Turner – Reflections On: The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man (Giant Step Arts, release 10/10/2025). Jason Palmer – trumpet, Mark Turner – tenor saxophone / narration, David Virelles – piano / profit / organ, Matt Brewer – acoustic bass / electric bass, Nasheet Waits – drums.
Using James Weldon Johnson’s 1912 novel The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man as a point of departure, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner (Live at the Village Vanguard, previewed 08/21/2023) has written a suite, many of the sections of which start with a recitation by Turner from the book. Johnson’s text explores the racial identity of a black composer who can (and does) pass for white. Trumpeter Jason Palmer (The Cross Over: Live in Brooklyn, previewed 12/09/2024), a regular collaborator, is back completing a very compatable front line. Turner is is fine form, composing elegantly and soloing persuasively. Highly Recommended.
Review: The Big Takeover, Paris Move
Carole Nelson – Through The Storm (Livia Records, release 10/10/2025). Carole Nelson – piano / Fender Rhodes / alto saxophone, Cormac O’Brien – bass, Dominic Mullan – drums.
Irish pianist Carole Nelson has brought us an impressionistic and sensitive piano trio set. On a couple of tracks, she doubles on alto, somewhat unnecessarily. The program is all composed by the pianist.
Review: Marlbank
Charles Lloyd – Figure In Blue (Blue Note Records, release10/10/2025). Charles Lloyd – tenor saxophone / tárogató, Jason Moran – piano, Marvin Sewell – guitar.
Rarely has tenor giant Charles Lloyd recorded in a tenor – piano – guitar trio (notably with guitarist Anthony Wilson and pianist Gerald Clayton on 2022’s Trio: Oceans). In this case, he has enlisted frequent collaborator pianist Jason Moran and guitarist Marvin Sewell who brought the blues to several Cassandra Wilson releases from 1997 – 2010. This is an amazing trio with deep emotion pouring from song after song. For many of us, Lloyd’s 2024 double release (The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow) seemed like it might be the culmination of a long and productive output, but he is back in fine form at 87. Beautiful. Highly recommended.
Review: UK Jazz News, Everything Jazz, Glide Magazine
Grant Stewart – Next Spring (Cellar Music, release 10/10/2025). Grant Stewart – tenor saxophone, Tardo Hammer – piano, Paul Sikivie – bass, Phil Stewart – drums.
Canadian saxophonist Grant Stewart continues to prowl through the big-toned tenor world of Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins. His tenor quartet takes on standards from Jerome Kern (I Won’t Dance) and Vincent Youmans (I Know that You Know) along side of modern jazz chestnuts from Monk (Introspection), Wayne Shorter (Nefertiti) and Barry Harris (Father Flanagan). Regular readers of these notes or listeners to my broadcasts have figured out that I am a sucker for a big toned tenor quartet and this one fits the bill. Recommended.
Review: Papatamus Redux
Tom Cohen – Embraceable Brazil (Versa Records, release 10/10/2025). Cast of thousands.
Philadelphia drummer Tom Cohen has been accumulating tracks for a number of years with various players as they came available, all with his personal take on various Brazilian musical forms.
Sylvie Courvoisier – Wadada Leo Smith – Angel Falls (Intakt Records, release 10/03/2025). Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet, Sylvie Courvoisier – piano.
Swiss pianist and AACM-denizen trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith have recorded previously (in a trio which remains unreleased,) so there is a solid familiarity which come out strongly on this duet date. Apparently, the recording was made in a single take and is presented in the order of the recording date. Both artists are masters of space, giving their collaboration a quiet and pensive vibe.
Review: Jazz Trail, Jazz Views, AllAboutJazz
Ledisi – For Dinah (Candid, release 10/03/2025). Frank Greene, Freddie Hendrix, Alex Norris, Nabate Isles – trumpet, James Burton III, Michael Dease, Steve Davis – trombone, Douglas Purviance – bass trombone, Todd Bashore, Ron Blake, Dan Pratt, Steve Wilson – saxophones, Carl Maraghi – baritone saxophone, Xavier Davis – piano, Michael King – piano, Rodney Jones – guitar, Christian McBride – bass, Hunter McClenty – drums, Ledisi – vocals, with Paul Jackson, Jr – guitar, Antoine Silverman – violin / viola, Yuko Naito-Gotay – violin / viola, Lisa Matricardi – violin / viola, Sarah Hewitt-Roth – cello, Gregory Porter – vocals.
Pop singer Ledisi channels Dinah Washington’s genre-bending music that bridged jazz, RnB, blues and pop in the 50s, creating a model for Aretha Franklin. Ledisi’s rather short set brings us five selections with piano trio (two of those with string quartet), two roaring big band tracks and a duet with guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr. Ledisi’s loving homage to her muse is co-produced by Christian McBride who made sure that everything was pitch perfect. Some great pipes coupled to solid arrangements. Recommended.
Review: Paris Move
Juan Pastor’s Chinchano – Memorias (Calligram Records, release 10/03/2025). Dustin Laurenzi – tenor saxophone, Stu Mindeman – piano, Matty Ulery – bass, Juan Pastor – drums / cajón, Gian Luiggi Cortez Mejia – congas / cajón / bell / cajita with Jose “Pepe” Mantero – castanets.
Peru-born, Chicago-based percussionist Juan Pastor has released his fourth album with his band Chinchano (Chachito, previewed 05/01/2023) with the lineup of tenor – piano – bass – percussion augmented with an additional percussionist. Expect a rich palate of rhythms and some lovely ensemble playing. Recommended..
Review: Paris Move
Mike Clark – Itai Doshin (Wide Hive Records, release 10/03/2025). Eddie Henderson – trumpet, Craig Handy – tenor saxophone, Patrice Rushen – piano, Henry “The Skipper” Franklin – bass, Mike Clark – drums.
Drummer Mike Clark (Standard Deviations, previewed 06/23/2025) comes from a deep funk place (Herbie Hancock, Headhunters), but in this outing he aims more to the jazz mainstream with an excellent West Coast band including venerable trumpeter Eddie Henderson (Steve Davis, Gerald Cannon, The Cookers), saxophonist Craig Hardy (Brian Lynch, Conrad Herwig) and pianist Patrice Rushen (Lakecia Benjamin, Gerry Gibbs, Carmen Lundy). Rushen is particularly strong on piano.
Review: PostGenre, Papatamus Redux
John Taylor – Tramonto (ECM, release 9/19/2025). John Taylor – piano, Marc Johnson – bass, Joey Baron – drums.
Under-recognized British pianist John Taylor passed away a decade ago, leaving a modest discography of important work. He is perhaps best known for his trio Azimuth with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and singer (and wife) Norma Winstone. The trio here, with American bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron would go on from this live date in January 2002 to record the outstanding disc Rosslyn, several months later, earning them a place in Morton and Cook’s Penguin Guide 1001. The program consists of three originals plus one each by Ralph Towner and Steve Swallow. Recommended.
Review: Marlbank, UK Jazz News, UK Vibe, AllAboutJazz
Tony Thomas Three – Get With This! (Southern Groove, release 09/19/2025). Tony Thomas – organ, Charlton Johnson – guitar, Ken Coomer – drums with Kirk Whalum – saxophone.
Straight-ahead old-school organ – guitar – drums trio spiced up with Kirk Whalum on tenor on one track. I cannot say that I had ever heard a jazz rendition of John Fogerty’s Bad Moon Rising before.
The following releases, received and previewed first as digital only releases, have now been added to the CD collection on the New Releases shelf.
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.
Lizzy & The Triggermen – Live at Joe’s Pub: April 6, 2024 (Self Produced, release 04/18/2025). Gordon Au – trumpet, John Allred – trombone, Nate Ketner – alto saxophone / clarinet, Ricky Alexander – tenor saxophone / baritone saxophone / clarinet, Chris Dawson – piano, Luca Pino – guitar, Bobby Hawk – violin, Gary Wicks – upright bass, Anthony Ty Johnson – drums, Lizzy Shaps – vocals.
See you on Saturday 10/16 for the CJS / WTJU presentation of the JD Allen Trio.
Russell Perry
Jazz at 100 Now!
If your music isn’t changing your life, you’ve simply picked the wrong songs. – Ted Gioia
