Wadada Leo Smith Explores the Cosmic and Spiritual on Constellations And Hemispheres

Legendary composer, trumpeter and author Wadada Leo Smith returns with Constellations And Hemispheres, an expansive new studio album that brings together music recorded across five years and four distinct ensembles. The album arrives September 25, 2026, on CD and digitally through Burning Ambulance Music, with an LP edition to follow on Smith’s own Kabell label.

Recorded between 2017 and 2022, Constellations And Hemispheres features Smith working with an extraordinary roster of musicians, including pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, drummer Marcus Gilmore, vibraphonist Bobby Naughton, bassists Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs, drummer Pheeroan akLaff, guitarist Lamar Smith and percussionists Brian Jarawa Gray and Mauro Refosco.

The album brings together a trio, quintet, sextet and octet, with Smith using studio post-production to combine and recontextualize material from the various sessions. The centerpiece is the 22-minute “Dark Matter, Particles of Light, Mirror of the Unseen,” an expansive suite that moves between the trio and octet formations before ultimately returning to the smaller ensemble.

In this collage-like approach, Smith continues the studio experimentation explored on his 2023 digital release Fire Illuminations. Rather than treating the recording studio simply as a place to document performances, Smith views it as another compositional instrument—one capable of revealing relationships between musicians, sounds and ideas that may not be possible within a single live ensemble.

The album’s guiding concept is the movement of light through the universe. Smith describes light as having a constant flow, moving through, around or beneath whatever it encounters without ever stopping. He sought to represent that idea by assembling his different ensembles “in a horizontal fashion,” allowing the music to move organically across different configurations.

The cosmic imagery of the album—dark matter, light particles, dark energy and the canyons of Mars—ultimately leads back to Smith’s longstanding interest in humanity, nature, spirituality and social consciousness. For the composer, light is not simply an astronomical phenomenon but a force of revelation, illuminating what is hidden and exposing truths about the world and the people living in it.

That philosophical journey reaches its emotional destination with “Meditation on Love,” the album’s closing piece. After exploring the vastness of the universe, Smith turns inward, suggesting that love itself may be an even more powerful force than light.

“Love is more powerful than light,” Smith explains, “because love itself is the reason that light is possible.”

Smith’s career has long been defined by this intersection of music, spirituality and social thought. Born in Leland, Mississippi, in 1941, he grew up performing in Delta Blues and traditional bands before moving to Chicago and becoming part of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). He later developed his own concept of “Creative Music,” creating a vast body of work centered on spiritual harmony, improvisation and the relationship between social and cultural experience.

His landmark recordings include Ten Freedom Summers, America’s National Parks and String Quartets Nos. 1-12. A finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Music, Smith has received numerous honors, including a Doris Duke Artist Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Hammer Museum Mohn Award for Career Achievement, UCLA Medal and the Vision Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also named a United States Artists USA Fellow and a Mellon Arts & Practitioner Fellow at Yale, and in 2023 was selected for induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

An esteemed educator as well as a performer and composer, Smith served on the faculty of the Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts from 1994 to 2013, where he directed the African-American Improvisational Music program. He continues to teach workshops and master classes internationally and served as the Spring 2024 Fromm Foundation Visiting Lecturer on Music at Harvard University.

Constellations And Hemispheres will be available digitally and as a limited edition of 500 CDs housed in heavy-duty gatefold mini-LP sleeves manufactured by Stoughton Printing. Cover art and design are by Burning Ambulance co-founder I.A. Freeman.

The album’s five-track sequence is:

1. “Dark Energy” — 13:53
2. “Lake Tanganyika” — 2:51
3. “Dark Matter, Particles of Light, Mirror of the Unseen” — 22:06
4. “Deep Canyons on Mars” — 13:42
5. “Meditation on Love” — 6:40

With Constellations And Hemispheres, Wadada Leo Smith once again transforms improvisation into a vehicle for deeper contemplation, moving from the immense scale of the cosmos toward the most human of subjects. It is music about light, mystery, connection and ultimately the possibility of finding a way for humanity to live together.

Constellations And Hemispheres arrives September 25, 2026, through Burning Ambulance Music.

Cross-Cultural Celebration of a Brazilian Music Legend

Tokyo-based producer and composer Bajune Tobeta announces Sergio Mendes Tribute, a deeply personal, cross-cultural celebration of the late Brazilian music icon Sergio Mendes, arriving September 4, 2026 via CROIX Co., Ltd. / CROIX JAM.

The project began with the records that shaped Tobeta’s childhood: his father’s copies of Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 and Look Around. Played repeatedly on the family turntable, those albums became part of the soundtrack to Tobeta’s earliest musical memories.

Following Mendes’ passing in September 2024, Tobeta contacted Gracinha Leporace, Mendes’ wife and longtime musical collaborator, with a simple idea: to have her sing “Mas Que Nada,” Mendes’ internationally beloved signature song, once again. That initial concept gradually evolved into a full-length tribute, approved by both the Mendes family and estate.

Recorded across Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles, the album is conceived as a continuous memorial ceremony, moving from its opening overture through a series of reinterpretations before arriving at its farewell. Sessions with Gracinha Leporace were recorded at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions, while the album was mixed in part at Abbey Road Studios by Paul Pritchard and mastered by Denis Blackham.

The project brings together an impressive international cast, including Gracinha Leporace, Lisa Ono, Paula Morelenbaum, Atom Heart, Black Prez, Marianna Leporace, Filo Machado, Saigenji, Febian Reza Pane, Thais Motta, JOCA and Kazuo Yoshida.

Atom Heart contributes arrangement and programming, connecting Mendes’ Brazilian musical heritage with electronic and Latin traditions. The resulting album reflects not only the breadth of Mendes’ influence but also the longstanding cultural relationship between Brazil and Japan. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese diaspora in the world, making the project especially meaningful to Tobeta on both a personal and historical level.

For Tobeta, the tribute is another chapter in a remarkable three-decade career that has moved freely between electronic music, contemporary classical composition, game music and Brazilian music. He studied and worked alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto and has collaborated with artists including Christian Fennesz, Arto Lindsay, Joyce Moreno, and Jaques and Paula Morelenbaum. His work also includes music connected to the Katamari Damacy game series.

Sergio Mendes Tribute arrives shortly after Tobeta’s separate ambient and modern classical project Anechoic, demonstrating the producer’s continuing ability to move between vastly different musical worlds while maintaining a distinctive artistic identity.

The September 4 release date falls on the eve of the second anniversary of Mendes’ passing, giving the project an added sense of remembrance. More than a collection of covers, Sergio Mendes Tribute serves as a musical bridge between generations, cultures and genres, honoring an artist whose music helped introduce Brazilian sounds to audiences around the world.

The full 11-track album unfolds as follows:

1. Bajune Tobeta — “Abertura”
2. Gracinha Leporace & Bajune Tobeta — “Mas Que Nada” (feat. Black Prez & Marianna Leporace)
3. Bajune Tobeta — “Batucada” (feat. Lisa Ono)
4. Bajune Tobeta — “Agua de Beber” (feat. Filo Machado)
5. Saigenji — “Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)”
6. Bajune Tobeta — “Night and Day” (feat. Thais Motta & Filo Machado)
7. Febian Reza Pane — “The Look of Love”
8. Bajune Tobeta — “Inutil Paisagem” (feat. Paula Morelenbaum)
9. Bajune Tobeta — “Entreato”
10. Kazuo Yoshida — “Mas Que Nada” (feat. Thais Motta & JOCA)
11. Bajune Tobeta — “Goodnight Maestro”

Sergio Mendes Tribute will be released September 4, 2026 via CROIX Co., Ltd. / CROIX JAM.

Conrad Herwig Brings Chick Corea’s Music to the Latin Side

Multiple Grammy-nominated trombonist and composer Conrad Herwig celebrates the enduring genius of Chick Corea with The Latin Side of Chick Corea, the latest installment in his acclaimed Latin Side series, out now on Savant Records. The album marks the 30th anniversary of Herwig’s groundbreaking project and offers a vibrant, rhythmically adventurous tribute to one of jazz’s most influential composers.

Rather than treating Corea’s compositions as museum pieces, Herwig and co-arranger Bill O’Connell reimagine the music through the rich traditions of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean and Latin jazz. Familiar melodies are transformed through infectious rhythms, inventive harmonies and expansive improvisational passages, allowing the musicians to bring their own voices to Corea’s extraordinary repertoire.

The album features ten compositions spanning every stage of Corea’s remarkable career. The arrangements demonstrate just how naturally Corea’s music connects with Latin rhythms—a relationship that was part of his musical vocabulary from the beginning of his career. Corea’s early work with Mongo Santamaria and his lifelong fascination with Afro-Caribbean music provide a natural foundation for Herwig’s interpretations.

At the center of the project is the Latin Side All-Stars, an exceptional ensemble featuring Herwig on trombone, saxophonist and flutist Craig Handy, trumpeter Alex Norris and pianist and co-arranger Bill O’Connell. The rhythm section of bassist Ruben Rodriguez, drummer Robby Ameen and conga player Mauricio Herrera supplies the propulsive foundation, combining clave, swing and sophisticated rhythmic interplay.

The result is music that feels both familiar and freshly energized. Corea’s melodies remain recognizable, but Herwig’s arrangements create new pathways through them, giving the musicians room to stretch while maintaining the emotional essence of the originals.

The album has already received enthusiastic critical praise. The New York City Jazz Record noted that Herwig and O’Connell surround Corea’s melodies with “vibrant Afro-Caribbean rhythms” and “inventive harmonies,” while Marlbank praised the recording for conveying a palpable love for Corea, jazz and humanity.

UKVibe’s Mike Gates highlighted the album’s ability to avoid the reverence that can make tribute projects feel static, instead praising Herwig for doing what Corea himself encouraged throughout his career: taking great compositions somewhere unexpected. WBGO’s Gary Walker similarly points to Herwig’s deep connection to the Afro-Caribbean tradition, noting that the music receives a fresh “coat of clave.”

Herwig’s connection to this musical world runs deep. He has studied and worked with Afro-Caribbean masters including Mario Bauzá, Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente, experiences that have helped shape the distinctive sound of his Latin Side projects. Over the years, the series has explored the music of jazz giants including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Horace Silver and Charles Mingus.

Now, with Chick Corea, Herwig brings the project full circle in a celebration that feels less like looking backward than continuing Corea’s own spirit of musical exploration.

Chick Corea, who died in 2021, was one of the most innovative and influential pianists, composers and bandleaders in jazz history. His career encompassed acoustic jazz, fusion, Latin music, classical composition and experimental projects, while his work with groups including Return to Forever helped redefine the possibilities of jazz in the 1970s and beyond. Across decades of recording and performing, Corea remained committed to curiosity, collaboration and musical discovery—qualities that make this tribute particularly fitting.

With The Latin Side of Chick Corea, Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars honor that legacy by keeping the music in motion. The album doesn’t simply revisit Corea’s compositions; it allows them to breathe, swing and evolve through the language of Afro-Caribbean jazz.

The Latin Side of Chick Corea is out now on Savant Records.

Héctor Lavoe’s ¡Que sentimiento! Returns for Its 45th Anniversary on 180-Gram Vinyl

 

Craft Latino is celebrating the 45th anniversary of ¡Que sentimiento!, the sixth studio album from legendary salsa vocalist Héctor Lavoe, with a special vinyl reissue arriving October 2, 2026. Long out of print, the landmark 1981 album will return on 180-gram vinyl with all-analog (AAA) mastering, giving longtime fans and new listeners an opportunity to experience one of Lavoe’s most distinctive recordings in a premium physical format.

The release is particularly significant because ¡Que sentimiento! was Lavoe’s first—and only—album as a self-produced artist. After years of working alongside Willie Colón, the singer took greater creative control of the studio process, collaborating with childhood friend José Febles and legendary arranger Louie Ramírez as co-musical directors.

Together, they crafted a lush, expansive sound that reflected the changing landscape of salsa in the early 1980s. The album’s eight tracks include “Amor soñando,” “Lo dejé llorando,” “Juventud,” “Yo ’ta cansa,” “Soy vagabundo,” “El són,” “Seguiré mi viaje” and “No hay quien te aguante.” Sweeping arrangements, expressive vocals and Lavoe’s unmistakable storytelling give the record a timeless character.

Among the highlights is “No hay quien te aguante,” featuring sweeping string orchestration, while “Yo ’ta cansa” showcases Lavoe’s remarkable vocal agility alongside contributions from flautist Néstor Torres and pianist Gilberto “El Pulpo” Colón. “Soy vagabundo,” written by Enildo “Chino” Padrón and arranged by Luís Cruz, brings Lavoe’s celebrated storytelling abilities to the forefront.

Lavoe also puts his own personality into “Lo dejé llorando,” a classic bomba associated with Cortijo y Su Combo. “El són,” written by Rafa Benítez, provides another anthemic moment, while the emotionally charged bolero “Juventud” finds Lavoe reflecting on aging, lost youth and the inevitability of time.

Born Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1946, Lavoe moved to New York City at 17 and quickly became one of the defining voices of the emerging salsa movement. He performed with bands led by Roberto García and Kako before meeting Fania Records founder Johnny Pacheco, who introduced him to a young Willie Colón. Their partnership would become one of the most celebrated collaborations in Latin music.

Beginning in 1967, Lavoe recorded ten influential albums with the Willie Colón Orchestra, including El malo, Cosa nuestra, Asalto Navideño and Lo mato. He launched his solo career in the mid-1970s with La voz, followed by acclaimed releases including De ti depende and Comedia. His commanding delivery, improvisational wit and magnetic stage presence made him one of salsa’s most beloved soneros.

Lavoe’s influence extended far beyond his solo catalog. He appeared on more than a dozen recordings with the Fania All Stars and remained a central figure in the international rise of salsa. His legacy has been honored through streets, statues and murals in New York and Puerto Rico, while his life and music inspired stage productions, tribute recordings and films, including the 2006 feature El Cantante. In 2000, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

The 45th-anniversary edition of ¡Que sentimiento! will also be available digitally, with Hi-Res audio offered for the first time. Collectors will have an additional option with a limited-edition Rojo Amor (Red Love) vinyl pressing, restricted to just 300 copies. The special edition will be available as a standalone release or bundled with a Fania Classic Logo T-shirt.

With its return on vinyl, ¡Que sentimiento! offers a new generation the chance to rediscover a pivotal moment in Héctor Lavoe’s career—an album that captured his growing confidence as a solo artist while preserving the passion, humor and emotional depth that made his voice unforgettable.

Craft Latino’s anniversary reissue arrives October 2, 2026.

Dennis Mitcheltree’s Seeing Red Turns Strong Emotions Into Powerful Jazz

 

Saxophonist and composer Dennis Mitcheltree returns with Seeing Red, his eighth recording as a leader and an emotionally charged collection that transforms tension, reflection and human experience into deeply expressive jazz.

In a world where anger, division and confrontation seem to dominate the cultural landscape, Mitcheltree uses the color red as a starting point for something much larger. For him, red can represent destruction and conflict, but also the possibility of transformation. Seeing Red ultimately reaches beyond a single color or emotion, embracing the full spectrum of sound as a metaphor for collaboration, understanding, empathy and connection.

“Music is not monochromatic,” Mitcheltree explains, describing music as a palette capable of expressing the infinite colors of both the visible and invisible worlds. That philosophy is at the heart of the album, where sophisticated compositions and adventurous improvisation create space for four musicians to communicate on an almost instinctive level.

Mitcheltree is joined by pianist Johannes Wallmann, bassist Jesse Crawford and drummer Bill McClellan, musicians who have shared decades of musical experiences and performances. Their long history together is evident in the quartet’s chemistry, with each player bringing a distinctive voice while responding naturally to the others. The result is music that feels spontaneous yet deeply connected, driven by mutual trust, freedom and respect.

The album’s eight compositions explore an unusually broad emotional and conceptual landscape. “Far Left” turns a political phrase into a slow blues built around the needs of a tenor saxophone melody, while “Lapis Lazuli” moves between 3/4 and 4/4 with unconventional harmony beneath a deceptively familiar surface. “Undocumented Language” examines music itself as a form of communication—something that can be understood emotionally even when it cannot be written down in words.

“911,” composed from Mitcheltree’s personal experience of living in New York City on September 11, 2001, emerged spontaneously in the aftermath of that life-changing day. “Mortal Coil” draws on Shakespearean imagery surrounding mortality and the shedding of the physical body, while “Maitri” takes its name from a Sanskrit concept associated with loving-kindness, compassion and equanimity.

The deeply personal “Tai Time” was written for Mitcheltree’s teenage son Tai, himself a saxophonist, and delivers a hard-driving, fast and slightly quirky energy. Closing the collection is “Brooklyn,” a piece rooted in one of the most profound experiences of Mitcheltree’s life, with the music emerging organically during that period.

At the center of it all is Mitcheltree’s tenor saxophone, a voice critics have repeatedly praised for its warmth, adventurous spirit and sophistication. JazzTimes has described his playing as “aggressively adventurous and most expressive,” while AllMusic’s Michael G. Nastos called his tenor “soulful, swinging and street smart.” His playing on Seeing Red lives up to those descriptions, balancing powerful melodic statements with harmonic imagination and emotional directness.

Recorded at Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in New York City on December 15, 2025, Seeing Red was engineered and mixed by David Stoller and mastered by Mike Marciano at Systems Two. All eight compositions were written by Mitcheltree.

The album is also an invitation to experience jazz as something larger than entertainment: a language capable of connecting individual voices into something greater than the sum of its parts. On Seeing Red, Mitcheltree and his quartet turn personal history, social tension, spirituality and human connection into a compelling musical conversation.

Mitcheltree and his quartet will bring the music to the stage throughout the year, with upcoming performances including Silvana and Smalls in New York City, The Five Spot and other New York-area venues, followed by West Coast dates at Bird and Beckett, Soundroom, Mr. Tipples and Meyhouse Jazz. The tour concludes with a December 20 performance at The G Spot in Los Angeles.

Prince’s Timeless Opens a New Window Into His Legendary Vault

Prince’s creative legacy continues to reveal new dimensions with Timeless, a brand-new 10-track compilation drawn from rare and previously unreleased studio recordings from the legendary artist’s vault.

Spanning nearly four decades, Timeless brings together recordings from across Prince’s extraordinary career, from 1977 through 2016. The collection offers a remarkable glimpse into the evolution of an artist whose restless creativity consistently pushed the boundaries of pop, funk, soul, rock and R&B.

Prince Rogers Nelson was one of the most influential and versatile musicians of his generation. Born in Minneapolis in 1958, he emerged as a singular songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and performer, famously playing most or all of the instruments on many of his recordings. His breakthrough came with albums such as 1999 and Purple Rain, the latter becoming a cultural phenomenon and earning him an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Throughout his career, Prince refused to be confined by genre or convention, creating an extraordinary body of work that included landmark albums, groundbreaking performances and countless songs written for himself and other artists. His influence continues to resonate across popular music.

The album was meticulously mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer and producer Chris James, a former Prince engineer whose work includes HITnRUN Phase Two, Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum. His firsthand connection to Prince’s music adds another layer of significance to a project built around preserving and presenting these recordings with care.

The 10-track collection includes “I Am You,” “Tick Tick Bang,” “Heaven,” “I Wonder,” “With This Tear,” “Stone,” “Calabama,” “The Guilty Ones,” “Bestest Friend,” and a live rendition of “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?”

Together, the recordings provide an intimate look at Prince’s creative process, revealing different moments, moods and musical directions from throughout his career. Rather than simply revisiting familiar territory, Timeless expands the picture of an artist whose vault remains as fascinating as the music he released during his lifetime.

Now available on CD, Timeless offers fans another opportunity to hear Prince from unexpected angles—and to experience the depth of an artistic archive that continues to surprise decades after his earliest recordings.

Bob Holz’s Next In Line Brings Jazz Fusion’s Finest Together on a Career-Spanning Collection

Drummer, composer and producer Bob Holz will release Next In Line on November 6, 2026, a ten-track collection that celebrates the depth of his work while bringing together an extraordinary roster of jazz, fusion and contemporary instrumental talent.

Released by MVD Audio, Next In Line is billed as a “best of Bob Holz” compilation, drawing remastered selections from his eight previously released MVD Audio albums. Engineered by Dennis Moody and produced by Holz, with Rob Stathis serving as executive producer, the album offers a compelling overview of an artist whose career has been defined by musicality, versatility and collaborations with some of the most influential players in modern jazz.

Across the album, Holz shares the spotlight with an impressive cast that includes Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones, guitarists John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Mike Stern and Dean Brown, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Stanley Clarke and former Weather Report drummer Alex Acuña.

The collection opens with “Jammin Man,” a reggae-fusion workout highlighted by a blistering bass solo from Stanley Clarke. “Shooting Range” turns up the intensity with a series of traded solos featuring Larry Coryell, Randy Brecker and Steve Weingart, while “World Turned Upside Down” provides a remarkable mini-Mahavishnu Orchestra reunion, bringing together John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty and Ralphe Armstrong.

One of the album’s most personal moments is “Larry’s Blues,” Holz’s heartfelt tribute to the late Larry Coryell. Mike Stern delivers the track’s beautiful guitar work, adding another dimension to a song rooted in friendship and musical connection.

“Better Try” is another standout, pairing bassist Darryl Jones with saxophonist Brandon Fields in a polished performance that is likely to resonate strongly with smooth jazz listeners. Holz’s own drumming remains a defining presence throughout the collection. His playing combines dynamics, technical command, precision, finesse, groove and taste, reflecting the qualities that have established him as a highly regarded jazz-fusion drummer.

Holz is also a composer, and that side of his musicianship comes through on “Flat Out,” one of his original compositions featuring Randy Brecker on trumpet. Alex Acuña joins Holz on percussion, bringing together two generations of world-class rhythmic artistry.

“The Tunnel” offers another distinctive moment, featuring beautiful guitar playing from the late Dean Brown. The album concludes with “Moving Eyes,” taken from Holz’s first album, A Vision Forward, and featuring Mike Stern on guitar.

The musical lineup throughout Next In Line is extensive. In addition to Holz on drums, the album features Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Steinway, Steve Weingart, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Mike Stern, Dean Brown, Alex Machacek, Stanley Clarke, Ralphe Armstrong, Darryl Jones, Ric Fierabracci, John Viavattine Jr., Mike Schoefter, Randy Brecker, Brandon Fields, Ada Rovatti, Jesse Collins, Alex Acuña and James Moody.

The album also reflects Holz’s long-standing commitment to collaboration. He first gained significant attention through his work with guitarist Larry Coryell between 2015 and 2017 and has since performed and recorded with an impressive range of artists, including Elliot Yamin, Darryl Jones, Mike Stern, Jean-Luc Ponty, John McLaughlin, Randy Brecker, Larry Coryell, Stanley Clarke, Alex Acuña, Airto Moreira, Ralphe Armstrong, Billy Steinway, Dean Brown, Brandon Fields and Chet Catallo.

Holz’s band, A Vision Forward, has performed throughout the United States, including appearances in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester, Saratoga Springs and Syracuse. In 2023, the band performed at the Syracuse Jazz Festival.

At its core, Next In Line is more than a retrospective. It is a showcase for Bob Holz’s development as a drummer, composer and bandleader, as well as a snapshot of the remarkable musicians who have contributed to his musical journey. With ten remastered tracks spanning his catalog and performances from an extraordinary collection of jazz and fusion artists, the album offers both longtime listeners and newcomers an accessible entry point into Holz’s body of work.

Next In Line will be released November 6, 2026, on MVD Audio, a division of MVD Entertainment Group.

The album’s track list is:

1. “Jammin Man” — 5:04
2. “Shooting Range” — 4:24
3. “World Turned Upside Down” — 6:07
4. “Eleven High” — 3:21
5. “Larry’s Blues” — 6:33
6. “Flat Out” — 6:31
7. “Better Try” — 3:55
8. “The Tunnel” — 5:02
9. “Silverthorne” — 6:22
10. “Moving Eyes” — 4:19

Bob Holz uses Canopus drums and Paiste cymbals.

Peter Brendler Embraces the Present on Joyous New Album And Then, Nothing

After a decade away from releasing music as a leader, bassist and composer Peter Brendler returns with And Then, Nothing, a spirited and stylistically adventurous album built around a simple but powerful idea: be fully present in the moment. Due November 13, 2026 via Brendler’s newly launched independent imprint, Lost Song Records, the album marks both a creative rebirth and a new chapter in the veteran New York bassist’s career.

The title comes from an unlikely source: football legend Lawrence Taylor. Reflecting on his extraordinary 1986 season, which saw him win unanimous NFL MVP honors and lead the New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory, Taylor described the strange emptiness that followed the ultimate achievement: “The thrill is the chase to get to the top.” Once the game was over, he said, “And then, nothing.”

For Brendler, the sentiment resonated far beyond sports. In jazz, where musicians are constantly pursuing the next performance, recording, breakthrough or artistic milestone, he began thinking about the importance of appreciating where you are rather than perpetually chasing what comes next.

“There’s nothing in the future that we can be assured of, and the past is already gone,” Brendler explains. “So just appreciate being completely in the here and now and don’t think about what’s coming down the road.”

That philosophy permeates And Then, Nothing, Brendler’s first album as a leader since 2016. It also represents a newfound creative independence. After years of navigating the compromises that can accompany working with a record label, Brendler decided to establish his own imprint and make the album entirely on his terms. The result is a deeply personal collection drawn from music he has written and developed over the past decade, performed by a quartet of longtime friends and collaborators.

Joining Brendler are saxophonist Jon Irabagon, pianist and keyboardist Zach Lapidus, and drummer Mark Ferber. The musicians share a history that extends well beyond the recording studio. Brendler and Irabagon were housemates for a decade and have worked together in numerous settings, including the 2025 duo album Two-Part Inventions. Brendler and Ferber developed a close musical relationship through a long-running monthly residency at New York’s Bar Next Door, while Lapidus has become another trusted collaborator.

The quartet was assembled not only for its formidable musical chemistry but also because of the personal connections between its members. As life has pulled the musicians in different directions—The Bar Next Door has closed, Irabagon has relocated to the Midwest and Ferber now lives in Los Angeles—Brendler has become increasingly conscious of how fleeting creative communities can be.

Despite the geographical distance, that chemistry is unmistakable throughout the album. “More So Than Ever” opens the record with Irabagon’s exuberant tenor leading the quartet into a celebration of friendship, creativity and the privilege of making music for a living. For Brendler, the track reflects his gratitude for the life he has built through music.

Lapidus contributes the atmospheric “You’ll Be Sorry,” with Brendler using effects on his bass to create a sound inspired in part by fusion pioneers Weather Report, a shared influence among the musicians. “The Least of It” takes the opposite approach, with Ferber’s explosive drumming driving the quartet through a piece Brendler deliberately stripped down to its essential elements, creating room for some of the album’s most fiery and freewheeling interplay.

The album’s sole composition not written within the quartet is Keith Jarrett’s soulful “Country,” given a heartfelt treatment highlighted by Brendler’s bowed bass melody and Lapidus’ expressive keyboard work. “Lucky in Astoria,” originally featured on Brendler’s 2016 album Message in Motion, returns in a darker and more menacing form. The title track unfolds as a slightly off-kilter bossa nova, while the twisting “High Water Mark” takes its name from writer Hunter S. Thompson. Closing track “Since Forever” draws inspiration from Brahms before transforming that influence into something tense, knotty and distinctly contemporary.

The album’s diversity reflects Brendler’s longstanding refusal to limit himself to a single musical allegiance. His influences range from Ornette Coleman and straight-ahead Miles Davis to funk and classical music, and he gravitates toward musicians who share that openness.

“I’ve always respected and loved being around musicians who listen to Ornette Coleman one day and classical music the next, then funk or straight-ahead Miles Davis, because it’s all good,” he says.

That open-mindedness has been a defining feature of Brendler’s career. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, he has been based in New York City since 2001 and has performed extensively across the United States, Europe and Russia. His career includes appearances at major New York jazz institutions including the Blue Note, Birdland, Jazz Standard and Smalls Jazz Club, as well as collaborations with artists such as John Abercrombie, Barry Altschul, Bruce Barth, John Cowherd, Jon Irabagon, Frank Kimbrough, Ben Monder, Victor Lewis, Rich Perry, Steve Slagle and Chris Speed.

His recorded work as a leader and co-leader includes The Angle Below, a duo album with the late guitarist John Abercrombie; Outside the Line and Message in Motion for Posi-Tone Records; and Two-Part Inventions with Irabagon.

A decade in the making, And Then, Nothing finds Brendler liberated from expectations and fully engaged with the musicians, ideas and sounds that inspire him. Rather than looking toward the next milestone, the album celebrates the richness of the moment itself—a joyous, unpredictable and deeply personal statement from an artist finally free to follow wherever the music leads.

Andrew Toombs Steps Into the Spotlight with Debut Album Alloy

After more than two decades spent as a sought-after sideman, accompanist, collaborator and musical director, pianist and composer Andrew Toombs steps forward as a leader with Alloy, his long-awaited debut album. Released August 6, 2026, the nine-track collection is less a first introduction than the culmination of a lifetime spent absorbing musical traditions and developing a voice distinctly his own.

Toombs’ musical journey has crossed jazz, hip-hop, soul, gospel, blues, Latin, folk and country, and Alloy embraces that breadth without placing boundaries between genres. The album’s title captures the philosophy behind his music: different elements combined to create something stronger and uniquely individual.

“An alloy is a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength,” Toombs explains. “This is a metaphor for the musical life that I have lived.” From playing in small jazz groups to touring with major artists and performing in funk, Latin, blues, folk, country, hip-hop, R&B and gospel settings, every chapter has contributed to the musician he is today.

Produced by Toombs, Alloy features an accomplished ensemble that reflects his expansive musical vision, including drummer Makaya McCraven, bassist Junius Paul, trumpeters Maurice Brown and Marquis Hill, and three-time Grammy Award-winning poet J. Ivy. Ivy provides the spoken-word centerpiece of “Moodism,” a track that reconnects Toombs with the underground hip-hop records that broadened his musical world in the mid-1990s.

The album’s nine original compositions are deeply personal, with each revealing another part of Toombs’ musical and life experience. “The Slot,” featuring Marquis Hill, draws inspiration from the natural beauty of Ontario’s McGregor Bay, while “Past Souls” pays tribute to the musicians who influenced Toombs, particularly guitarist Wilbert Longmire and his approach to funk. “Marlou Lane” looks back to the Cincinnati street where Toombs grew up, honoring his parents and the environment that first nurtured his musical imagination.

Other pieces turn inward. “Subconscious” was sparked by an unexpected keyboard sound that led Toombs to contemplate the hidden workings of the mind, while “Untangling” follows the unpredictable paths of thought. On “Beyond,” he strips the harmony back to its essentials, gradually building around a single harmonic foundation that he describes as an “acoustic tribute to electronic music.”

Spontaneity also plays a key role in Alloy. “Unexpected Party” came together after the scheduled recording session had ended, when Toombs called the musicians back into the studio for one last, unplanned performance. The resulting jam became one of the album’s defining moments. “Off to the Races” delivers a joyful celebration of Toombs’ enduring love of swing, while “Moodism” combines his jazz sensibility with hip-hop’s poetic and rhythmic language, featuring J. Ivy and guest trumpeter Maurice Brown.

Toombs’ extraordinary range is rooted in an early start. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he began playing piano at just six years old and was performing professionally by eleven. At fourteen, he made his solo debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. He later studied at Cincinnati’s School for the Creative and Performing Arts, the Chicago College of Performing Arts and Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2007 on a full scholarship.

Over the course of his career, Toombs has performed with an impressive roster of artists spanning generations and genres, including Common, Roy Ayers, Carole King, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Faith Hill, Kenny Rogers, Bootsy Collins, Benny Golson, Dave Brubeck, Chuck D, Marquis Hill, J. Ivy and Yolanda Adams. That experience is woven throughout Alloy, where jazz tradition, soul, hip-hop and the many other influences of his career coexist naturally.

After decades spent helping shape the music of others, Andrew Toombs now takes center stage with an album that belongs entirely to him. Alloy is the sound of an artist bringing every part of his musical history into the present—and finally stepping fully into his own voice.

Eva Cassidy’s Jazz Legacy Takes Center Stage with JAZZED

Blix Street Records today announces JAZZED, an extraordinary new collection celebrating Eva Cassidy’s remarkable vocal versatility and instinctive gift for interpreting some of the greatest songs in the American jazz and popular songbook. Bringing together the full breadth of Cassidy’s jazz performances for the first time, the collection places her artistry firmly alongside the great vocalists of any era.

Spanning ten songs written across six decades of the twentieth century, JAZZED offers a fresh perspective on familiar classics, transformed through Cassidy’s unmistakable voice and deeply personal interpretive style. The result is a collection that feels both timeless and entirely new.

The first track, Duke Ellington’s iconic “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” is released today, offering listeners an immediate taste of the collection’s exuberance and sophistication.

Adding a spectacular new dimension to Cassidy’s vocals are four showstopping arrangements by composer Christopher Willis. His treatments of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Blue Skies,” “Cheek To Cheek” and “At Last” evoke the golden age of American vocal jazz, drawing on the playful, thrilling energy of the classic Sinatra-era arrangements associated with Nelson Riddle and Billy May. Elsewhere, “You’ve Changed” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” take on a more emotionally expansive character, beautifully rendered with the London Symphony Orchestra in arrangements inspired by the rich orchestral sound of Gordon Jenkins.

The ten tracks span Cassidy’s recording career from 1987 to 1996, bringing together performances that will be familiar to longtime fans while revealing new dimensions to her extraordinary artistry. Several songs originally appeared on Live at Blues Alley, while others were featured on later posthumous releases including Eva by Heart, Imagine, Walkin’ After Midnight and I Can Only Be Me. Some performances remain in their original form, four receive newly created band settings by Christopher Willis, and two retain the orchestral arrangements first heard on the acclaimed 2023 album I Can Only Be Me.

For Cassidy’s longtime admirers, JAZZED offers an opportunity to hear beloved performances in a new context. For those discovering her work for the first time, it provides a compelling introduction to a singer whose ability to move effortlessly between genres was matched only by the emotional honesty of her performances.

Transcending era, style and fashion, JAZZED is ultimately a celebration of twentieth-century American songwriting and the artistry of one of its most distinctive voices. More than a collection of jazz standards, it is a testament to Eva Cassidy’s rare ability to make every song her own—revealing why, decades after these recordings were made, her voice continues to resonate with listeners around the world.

Jonathan Crossley, David Kollar & Lukas Ligeti Explore Improvised Soundscapes on Solace

What happens when three adventurous musicians enter a room with no predetermined musical destination? On Solace, guitarist and electronic musician Jonathan Crossley, guitarist David Kollar and drummer Lukas Ligeti answer that question through a series of wholly improvised performances that move between ambient textures, pulsating electronics, experimental jazz and intricate polyrhythms.

Due September 11, 2026 from 7D Media, Solace documents a remarkable musical encounter recorded during an artistic residency at the University of Liverpool in June 2024. Rather than working from conventional compositions, Crossley, Kollar and Ligeti build the music in real time, responding to one another and allowing the pieces to develop organically.

The result occupies a fascinating space between ambient jazz, electroacoustic improvisation, experimental music and Fourth World-inspired sound. The three musicians bring very different approaches to the session, yet those differences become the source of the album's energy.

Crossley expands the traditional concept of the guitar through synthesis, digital processing and real-time electronic control. His approach transforms the instrument into something far more expansive, allowing sounds to shift from recognizable guitar gestures into abstract electronic textures. His playing becomes less about conventional guitar vocabulary and more about movement, atmosphere and spontaneous interaction.

David Kollar brings another highly individual voice to the music. His guitar work can move from tonal fragments to dense abstraction and avant-garde interplay, treating the instrument as an open-ended source of sound rather than being confined to any particular genre. The result is music that can be melodic one moment and completely unpredictable the next.

At the center of the trio's rhythmic universe is Lukas Ligeti, whose drumming draws from experimental jazz, contemporary music and world traditions. His Africa-influenced approach incorporates overlapping polyrhythms and shifting rhythmic patterns, giving the improvisations a sense of motion even when the surrounding electronics become spacious and atmospheric.

The interaction between the three musicians is what ultimately defines Solace. Instead of following a fixed musical roadmap, they respond to each other's sounds in real time. Guitars become textures, electronics become rhythmic elements, and percussion can function as both pulse and atmosphere.

The title track takes the album into even more haunting territory with the addition of Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen. His distinctive trumpet sound adds an almost otherworldly quality to “Solace,” bringing melancholy, openness and a remarkable sense of space to the trio's already expansive sonic environment.

The album opens with the 10-minute title track before moving through a series of shorter improvisations and contrasting environments. “Interlude” provides a brief transition, while “They Are Coming” introduces another extended exploration. “Freedom to Choose,” “Imagining Marrakesh” and “Games to Play” continue the album's constantly shifting journey, while the intriguingly titled “You Don't Know What to Do With Your Life” leads into “Coda” and the closing “Dub Ephemeral.”

Despite the absence of conventional song structures, Solace never feels directionless. The musicians' ability to listen and react gives the performances an internal logic. Rhythmic patterns emerge and disappear, electronic textures expand and contract, and fragments of melody surface before being transformed into something entirely different.

The recording also captures the immediacy of the project. The sessions were recorded live at the University of Liverpool by Phil Almond-Higgins on June 27 and 28, 2024, with additional recording by Crossley and Henriksen. Crossley subsequently mixed the album, with Andrew Larrabee handling mastering and Michal Kořán responsible for the artwork and design.

Two of the album's tracks, “Solace” and “They Are Coming,” are already available for purchase and streaming, offering an early glimpse into the trio's unusual musical chemistry.

For listeners drawn to ambient jazz, electroacoustic improvisation, experimental guitar, contemporary percussion and music that refuses to stay inside conventional genre boundaries, Solace promises a compelling listening experience. It is an album built not around predetermined answers, but around the possibilities that emerge when three distinctive musicians trust one another enough to simply listen, react and create.

Enzo Favata Atlantico Returns With Ritornare, A Journey Through Memory, Jazz and the Mediterranean

“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.”

Gabriel García Márquez’s words from Living to Tell the Tale provide an evocative entry point into Ritornare, the forthcoming album from Sardinian saxophonist and clarinettist Enzo Favata and his long-running Atlantico quintet. More than a collection of compositions, the album feels like an act of musical remembrance — a return to places, sounds and cultural encounters that have shaped Favata and his collaborators over decades.

Formed in 1999, Atlantico has spent more than 25 years exploring the meeting points between Mediterranean traditions, Latin American influences and African musical heritage. At the same time, the group has developed a language that draws naturally from jazz, chamber music and improvisation, creating music that is difficult to categorize yet unmistakably rooted in the musicians' Southern Italian surroundings.

For Ritornare, Favata is joined by longtime guitarist Marcello Peghin, bandoneonist Daniel Di Bonaventura, double bassist Salvatore Maltana and drummer U.T. Gandhi. Together, they create an unusually rich acoustic sound world, one that reflects not only their individual musical histories but also the shared experiences accumulated through years of touring and musical exploration.

The album marks an important new chapter for Atlantico: Ritornare is Favata's first recording for ECM, and the collaboration with legendary producer Manfred Eicher brings another dimension to the quintet's sound. Recorded at Bavaria Studios in Munich in January 2026, the album allows the musicians considerable space to explore texture, atmosphere and the subtle interplay between composed passages and improvisation.

The name Atlantico itself suggests a journey across musical and cultural borders. Sardinia serves as the group's home base, but the band's musical imagination extends across the Atlantic toward South America and beyond. During their early years, extensive touring helped deepen those connections, turning geography into a kind of musical vocabulary.

African influences are present as well, sometimes explicitly and sometimes more subtly embedded within the group's rhythms and approach to improvisation. Rather than presenting these traditions as separate ingredients, Favata and his collaborators allow them to communicate with one another, creating a musical language built around movement, discovery and cultural memory.

That idea of memory is central to Ritornare. Favata, who was born in Alghero, Sardinia, in 1956, has long been fascinated by the cultural threads connecting distant places. His music often becomes a way of revisiting those experiences — returning to places not necessarily through geography, but through sound.

Literature has played an important role in that process. The work of writers such as Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez has influenced Favata's imagination as deeply as many of his musical predecessors. Their explorations of memory, history, identity and the blurred boundaries between reality and imagination find a natural parallel in Atlantico's music.

Favata describes the group's musical landscapes as places “suspended between dream and reality,” an idea that captures the distinctive atmosphere of Ritornare. There is something familiar in the music, but it is never completely recognizable. Melodies, rhythms and textures seem to lead the listener toward something known, only to reveal another layer just beyond it.

That sense of discovery is perhaps what makes Atlantico so compelling after all these years. The musicians are not simply revisiting the musical paths they have traveled before. Each return becomes an opportunity to discover something new.

The chemistry within the quintet is crucial. Favata and Peghin's decades-long collaboration provides a strong foundation, while Di Bonaventura's bandoneon adds an unmistakable connection to South American musical traditions. Maltana's double bass and Gandhi's drumming provide both subtle propulsion and spaciousness, allowing the music to breathe and evolve organically.

As Ritornare unfolds, these individual voices become part of a larger conversation. The album is less about showcasing individual virtuosity than about creating a collective atmosphere — one in which the musicians listen as closely as they play.

The result is an album that feels simultaneously rooted and nomadic. Sardinia is never far away, but neither are the sounds and memories gathered through decades of travel. Mediterranean traditions, jazz improvisation, chamber-like interaction and echoes of distant cultures coexist naturally, without feeling forced or overly conceptual.

For Atlantico, returning does not mean going backward. It means looking again, remembering differently and discovering new possibilities within familiar territory. On Ritornare, Enzo Favata and his longtime collaborators turn that idea into music, creating an intimate yet expansive journey through memory, place and imagination.

Recorded in Munich in January 2026 and produced by Manfred Eicher, Ritornare will be released by ECM on September 18, 2026. For listeners who appreciate jazz that exists comfortably between traditions and genres, it promises to be a particularly intriguing chapter in the remarkable story of Enzo Favata's Atlantico.

Stephan Moccio Returns to His Melodic Roots With Scenes From A Velvet Room

Stephan Moccio has spent decades creating unforgettable melodies, moving effortlessly between the worlds of piano, songwriting, and composition. With his new album Scenes From A Velvet Room, the acclaimed artist returns to a defining chapter of his journey — the years when he honed his craft behind a piano six nights a week in the lobby of the Four Seasons Toronto.

A deeply personal reflection on his formative years, Scenes From A Velvet Room serves as a musical time capsule, capturing the elegance, intimacy, and emotional nuance of those early performances. Across twelve tracks, Moccio revisits his melodic foundation, blending jazz and classical influences into a collection that feels both timeless and deeply connected to memory.

The album’s standout track, “I Break Everything I Love,” offers a glimpse into the cinematic world Moccio creates, pairing delicate piano textures with a sweeping emotional landscape. The accompanying visualizer brings the song’s atmosphere to life, inviting listeners into the intimate world behind the music.

The release follows “Opaline,” a luminous jazz composition featuring legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Known for his work with artists including Herbie Hancock and The Grateful Dead, Marsalis brings a rich, expressive voice to the track, complementing Moccio’s understated piano with a sense of warmth and emotional depth.

For Moccio, this album arrives after a period of reflection following a remarkable career spent crafting some of popular music’s most recognizable melodies. His songwriting credits include global hits such as Celine Dion’s “A New Day Has Come,” Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball,” The Weeknd’s “Earned It,” and “I Believe,” the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Rather than looking back on those achievements alone, Moccio turns his attention to the years before worldwide recognition — a time when he was absorbing every lesson from performing nightly for the guests of Toronto’s Four Seasons. The experience became a masterclass in connection, atmosphere, and storytelling.

The coveted hotel residency taught Moccio how to understand a room, shape a mood, and create moments that felt effortless. It was less about being in the spotlight and more about learning the subtle art of supporting an experience through music.

“I was the guy who was always behind the scenes,” Moccio reflects, recognizing the journey from quiet observer to celebrated composer and performer.

With Scenes From A Velvet Room, Stephan Moccio opens the door to those early memories, transforming them into a collection of elegant, emotionally resonant compositions that celebrate where he began — and the artistry that continues to define him.