Jazz Guitarist Ron Bosse Collaborates with GRAMMY® Winners on Soulful New Single “Look At Us”

Personal development gurus preach about the power of proximity, which one might say that contemporary jazz guitarist Ron Bosse has taken to heart. The critically-acclaimed fretman teamed up with three GRAMMY® winners – Paul Brown, Shane Theriot, and Brian Bromberg - for his new single, “Look At Us,” which drops on Friday (June 20) from Deep Cat Records.

Two-time GRAMMY® winner Brown has produced more than sixty No. 1 singles by Boney James, Luther Vandross, George Benson, Al Jarreau, and many others. While Bosse is primarily known for his fiery and furious fusion guitar tracks featuring his prodigious speed and dexterous technique, Brown played Bosse a song that he wrote with Theriot and Bromberg that slows Bosse down and places his electric jazz guitar into a soulful R&B groove.  

“What really attracted me to ‘Look At Us’ is the lyrical nature of the melody. When I think of all the melodies I've played on my albums, many of them are more be-bop, jazz/fusion oriented. On ‘Look At Us,’ I felt that for the first time I was playing a melody as if I were a singer. This was such a beautiful musical setting to be put in. I'm a huge fan of pop, R&B, and rock music, which are primarily vocal driven. I have a lot of experience playing and teaching that music. Therefore, to put myself into that space and really let my guitar sing, it was incredibly inspiring and a totally new context for me. At the same time, despite it being new, I felt like I'd always been there as it was extremely comfortable and satisfying. Having the chance to really focus and communicate a beautiful melody is an immensely powerful, emotive, and expressive artistic experience,” said Bosse about the single that will be serviced to radio and begin collecting playlist adds on July 28.

There was another interesting connection to “Look At Us” that piqued Bosse’s attention. Theriot, longtime music director for Hall & Oates, cowrote the song and played bass, keyboards, drums, and rhythm guitar on the track.

“When Paul (Brown) presented the song to me, I didn’t know about Shane’s (Theriot) incredible background as a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. However, I remembered his name from my past but couldn’t quite pinpoint where I knew it from. It finally came to me. When I graduated from Berklee College of Music some 25 years ago, I was profiled in the Spotlight section of Guitar Player magazine, which was a very prestigious recognition and accolade at the time. It then dawned on me that the other guitarist chosen was Shane Theriot! The fact that this connection with Shane ultimately came full circle felt like the universe was telling me that ‘Look At Us’ was meant to be,” recalled Bosse, who Guitar Player magazine selected as an “Outstanding Guitarist” and called him “a master in the making.”

In addition to the accolades from Guitar Player magazine, Bosse’s recordings have garnered praise from JazzTimes, DownBeat, and the New York Times. As an innovative artist, musician, and composer, he thrives in collaborative settings, having shared the stage or studio with Norman Brown, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer, MonoNeon, Bob Reynolds, Dave Liebman, Lil’ John Roberts, Gary Novak, and Jerry Bergonzi. Bosse is working on his next album with Paul Brown producing. Look for it in 2026.

 

Joaquín Núñez Traces the Pulse of Afro-Cuban Jazz on Ruta de la Clave

Ruta de la Clave, the long-awaited debut album from JUNO-winning Cuban-Canadian percussionist, composer, and bandleader Joaquín Núñez, is a vibrant tapestry of rhythm and culture. Created over five years, the album is a collaboration with Dayramir González, the innovative New York-based Cuban pianist and producer. It presents a dynamic musical exploration of Cuban music’s evolution—anchored by its spiritual and rhythmic core: the clave.

The album’s title—Ruta de la Clave (“The Route of the Clave”)—maps the heartbeat of Afro-Cuban music from its 19th-century roots in the contradanza, through genres like danzón, changüí, son, and rumba, to their vibrant, genre-crossing forms today. While grounded in folkloric tradition, the album is also steeped in jazz modernism, blending deep-rooted percussion with sophisticated harmonies, improvisation, and contemporary textures.

Drawing on the influence of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and the golden era of bebop, Núñez creates cross-continental soundscapes. On “Una Guajira en New York,” listeners follow a Cuban country girl whose sound is transformed in the urban swirl of jazz instruments. “Suite Columbia” tells the moving story of an enslaved African brought to Cuba, who rediscovers joy and heritage in new sonic forms.

The recording—spanning 2022 to 2024 in Canada—features an outstanding lineup:
Joanna Majoko, Marta Elena, Bill McBirnie, Alexander Brown, Jeff King, Luis Deniz, and more, with Núñez at the rhythmic helm.

Ruta de la Clave is more than a debut—it’s a musical manifesto, a celebration of identity, and a powerful reimagining of Afro-Cuban jazz for a new era.

Curtis Nowosad Channels Healing & Humanity on New Album I Am Doing My Best

I Am Doing My Best marks the fourth full-length release from Curtis Nowosad, the JUNO-nominated, NYC-based jazz drummer. Set to drop in June 2025 via La Reserve Records, the album is co-produced by Joey Landreth—a two-time JUNO-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter—and features guest appearances from Joanna Majoko (vocals) and Andrew Renfroe (guitar).

This deeply personal collection is music for healing in a world that asks too much, too often. Nowosad believes that the journey toward healing—messy, nonlinear, and ongoing—starts within. From that space, we can begin to repair and nurture the world around us. The music and lyrics—co-written with Majoko and Landreth—touch on themes of self-compassion, generational healing, living authentically, and embracing change as life’s only constant. Each track is a meditation on how to navigate uncertainty with grace, vulnerability, and faith.

Nowosad, a respected force on the NYC jazz scene, has toured and recorded with artists such as Braxton Cook, Jazzmeia Horn, Jane Monheit, Bria Skonberg, Marc Cary, and Craig Harris. With I Am Doing My Best, he offers his first collection of all-original compositions, harnessing the full power of melody, rhythm, and lyricism to deliver messages both universal and intimate.

“Nowosad is fiery and scalding one moment, breezy and swinging the next, and perpetually inventive throughout.”
— Downbeat
“Nowosad consistently pushes his players to go the extra distance and stretch boundaries.”
— JazzTimes

George Crotty Trio Blurs Boundaries with Genre-Defying Album Heart Music

Canadian cellist and composer George Crotty has created a bold new vocabulary for the cello, blending jazz, world music, and cinematic textures. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he immersed himself in New York’s vibrant music scene, collaborating with the Brooklyn Raga Massive and the National Arab Orchestra. Along the way, Crotty has shared the stage or studio with Bob Ezrin, Adam Rudolph, Simon Shaheen, and Paquito D’Rivera. His performances span The Americas and Europe, and his collaborations extend into film and theatre. He toured North America with Broadway’s The Band’s Visit, and performed on the Assassin’s Creed Mirage video game soundtrack.

In 2019, Crotty formed the George Crotty Trio (GC3) in Brooklyn. Together, they perform multicultural chamber music that’s cinematic, lyrical, and endlessly exploratory. Their latest album, Heart Music, chronicles a journey through Copenhagen, Delft, Berlin, Toronto, and Brooklyn. Inspired by European jazz, Hindustani raga, and contemporary chamber music, Crotty’s compositions are brought to life by the interplay of bassist John Murchison and percussionist Jeremy Smith.

Rejecting conventional trio roles, GC3 weaves a dynamic, spontaneous tapestry of groove and color. The result is a sound that feels both intimate and adventurous—an elegant balance between structure and freedom.

“Cellist George Crotty excels at blending various elements into a unique musical brew… a stream of genre-blurring invention.”
— All About Jazz

George Crotty – Cello, Compositions
John Murchison – Bass
Jeremy Smith – Percussion

Anaïs Reno Shines Again: “Lady of the Lavender Mist” Showcases Her Evolution and Elegance

When vocalist ANAÏS RENO burst onto the scene in 2021 with her debut album, Lovesome Thing: Anais Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn, delighted listeners were surprised to learn that she had recorded it a year earlier when she was just 16 years old – undoubtedly, because very few people her age have the vocal chops, musical maturity, and ability to interpret song lyrics with such emotional depth. Talkin’ Broadway said, “With her grace, gravitas, serenity, and prodigious skills—one can proclaim that the work of Anaïs is impressive without any added qualifier/caveat like ‘for someone her age.’” Now, four years after releasing her debut recording, she has once again tackled the Great American Songbook with her newest album, LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST, a collection of widely known love songs with a couple of surprises.

Reno, who grew up in New York City, is joined by a rhythm section of heavy hitter East Coast players, including guitarist PETER BERNSTEIN, bass player DAVID WONG, and drummer JOE FARNSWORTH. She is also joined on one tune by a special guest, her mother, the classical violinist JULIET KURTZMAN, who co-produced the album with Reno.

Reno has been on the path to becoming a professional singer for just about her whole life. Coming from a musical family, she began taking voice lessons at the 92nd Street Y when she was eight years old as a recipient of the Recanati-Kaplan Scholarship Program. Even at that young age, she had become hooked on jazz when a teacher, the singer Sarah Tolar, recognized her talent and suggested she learn standards. It did not take long for her to start performing her own shows at a variety of NYC venues. By the time she was 12 years old, she began singing at open mic night at Birdland, where she became a regular. She got her first gig as a leader when she was 13 at Feinstein’s/54 Below. The club was so taken with her, they wound up giving her three solo shows with Billy Stritch and Tedd Firth.

Her many honors include the 2016 Forte International Competition’s Platinum Award at Carnegie Hall and Second Place at Michael Feinstein’s Great American Song Book Academy competition in 2018. She was also the First Place winner at the Mabel Mercer Foundation competition in New York in March of 2019. In 2021, she was part of the NYCNext video of Billy Joel's "NY State of Mind" that welcomed people back to NY after the pandemic. The video featured Sara Bareilles, Stephen Colbert, Idina Menzel and other celebrities. That same year, Reno sang "America the Beautiful" at the 20th anniversary of 9/11 Mets-Yankees game. 

The genesis of this album began while Reno was on a train listening to Duke Ellington recordings. She explains, “I came across a title I’d never heard of, ‘Lady of the Lavender Mist.’ Immediately taken by the evocative image its name and swelling arrangement conjured up, I listened on repeat for the rest of the ride. The tune did not have lyrics, and I began to agonize over writing my own. Ellington’s music painted a clear picture to me: a phantom woman haunts a natural landscape, waiting to be found behind lavender mist she cannot see life beyond. The obvious ending I saw was her inevitable disappearance, never being saved in the way she imagined. A few months into writing, I started assembling an album of standards with ‘Lady of the Lavender Mist’ its centerpiece. After realizing how the lyrics related to my personal strife at the time, I understood it wasn’t just a sad story, but a cautionary tale. The Lady’s actions, or lack thereof, warned of what can happen when one can’t find their way out of a negative experience. I realized that most of the songs I chose had a common thread: their narrators either enacted change, wished heartache had not been thrust upon them, or found joy in new experiences. I gave myself permission to feel that joy while creating this album. It captured the beginning of my adult self-awareness. Recalling that train ride, I smile at the version of me who pressed ‘play,’ unaware of that moment’s significance.”

Reno opens the album with “Les Feuilles Mortes/The Autumn Leaves,” singing it half in French. She explains, “Years ago, my dad played me a recording of Yves Montand singing ‘Autumn Leaves’ in French, titled ‘Les Feuilles Mortes.’ I analyzed the French next to the English lyrics and was enamored by how beautifully they each painted distinct images with so few words. Of course, ‘Les Feuilles Mortes’ translates to ‘The Dead Leaves,’ a sentiment with far more finality than the English lyrics of ‘red and gold.’’

Reno says that at 16, she might have turned her nose up at the simple melody of “When Lights Are Low,” but now she appreciates the mellow atmosphere the band created for her to relax into, allowing her to add her own spin. As she grew as a musician, she learned to value the importance of purely joyful music. A prime example of this is “Gravy Waltz,” a tune that is often done as an instrumental but has perfectly-swinging lyrics by Steve Allen that Reno notes often bring audiences to dance in their seats at her live shows.

Reno wrote the lyrics to “Lady of the Lavender Mist” after a very difficult period in her life. “I’ll Remember April,” the subsequent track, describes a very different ending to “Lady of the Lavender Mist.” Rather than being stuck and unable to move on, it celebrates the moment when you can finally smile after coming to terms with the positive effects of a relationship that has ended.

Reno says, “I can never stop raving about Duke Ellington’s impact on my musicianship, and I love ‘Take Love Easy’ because of the lyrics. I’ve wondered where the narrator of ‘Lady Lavender’ would have ended up had she learned the lesson of the lyrics in this song.” Ahmad Jamal is another favorite of Reno’s. She loves his phrasing and ability to build infectious arrangements, and she felt she would be remiss if she did not pay homage to his trio’s version of his iconic “Poinciana” two years after his passing.

Reno draws you into “’Round Midnight” with just guitar accompaniment before the rest of rhythm section joins in halfway through the song. Her arrangement and interpretation were inspired by Carmen McRae’s decision to not approach it as a torch song, but rather as a confession of desperation and hope. Reno closes the album with her arrangement of “Kiss and Run.” She says, “I have the most fun performing exaggerated interpretations of various feelings and characters, particularly when they manifest as angry or ironic. I thoroughly enjoyed arranging it to quite literally reflect the narrator’s sarcastic frustration, almost as much as I enjoyed the sarcastic frustration of my bandmates while playing this chaotic arrangement.”

AnaÏs Reno was an amazing talent when she first recorded at the age of 16. Five years and many performances later, she has matured and grown even more as an artist. With her great feel for swing, impeccable intonation, and mature approach to lyrics, she has proven herself to be a notable successor to the great jazz vocalists of the past. LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST portends a stellar future for this up-and-coming young artist.

Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra Unleashes Multiversal – Live at Bop Stop

Acclaimed saxophonist, composer, arranger, and conductor Stephen Philip Harvey returns with the second full-length recording from his dynamic 17-piece ensemble, the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra (SPHJO). Titled Multiversal – Live at Bop Stop, this electrifying live album captures the energy and imagination of a band operating at the highest artistic level.

Recorded in a single take at Cleveland’s legendary venue Bop Stop, this sophomore album is a continuation of Harvey’s deep dive into comic book-inspired jazz, a unique and thrilling thematic approach first introduced in his 2022 debut, Smash!

“Stephen is an exceptional musician with a very bright future.”
— Roscoe Mitchell, NEA Jazz Master

Harvey, a devoted comic book enthusiast, uses the concept of the multiverse as a springboard for a bold, cinematic jazz experience. Superheroes, parallel worlds, secret missions, and elemental forces come alive through masterful compositions that blend traditional big band swing with modern textures, imaginative harmonies, and expressive solo features.

“When I listen to Stephen Harvey’s music, that’s what I hear… Sophisticated accessibility. A beautiful pairing of the complex and the elementary.”
— Trumpeter Sean Jones

The album’s title track, Multiversal, sets the tone with a vibrant theme that evolves unpredictably, pulling the listener deeper into the jazz multiverse. Each subsequent piece unveils a new world:

• “Earth-Two” evokes alternate realities filled with wonder and danger.

• “Covert Ops” spins a cloak-and-dagger tale backed by MI6-flavored harmonies and thrilling tenor sax.

• “Mind Your Weather, Weather Your Mind” channels the elemental power of Jean Grey and Storm in a beautifully textured sonic landscape.

• “Men of Steel” pays homage to Superman creators Siegel & Shuster with powerful low-voice solo features.

• “Ain’t No Sidekick” humorously celebrates young heroes discovering their own path.

• “Inner Beast” unleashes untamed musical energy in tribute to animalistic comic characters.

• “Tectonic Shift” offers a nod to Harvey’s Elemental suite, reimagined for the full jazz orchestra.

“A fridge-raid omelette of sounds held together by the audaciousness of Harvey’s conception and the joy with which his players bring it to life.”
— John Chacona, All About Jazz

The SPH Jazz Orchestra is comprised of elite musicians from Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania — a supergroup of regional jazz talent who breathe life into Harvey’s complex, high-energy compositions. Together, they form what one could easily call “The Avengers of Jazz.”

Featured Musicians:

• Woodwinds: Bobby Selvaggio, Chris Coles (alto sax/flute), Max Schlenk, Johnny Cochran Jr. (tenor sax/clarinet), Clint Bleil (baritone sax/bass clarinet)

• Trumpets: JD Chaisson, Tommy Lehman, Jakobe Henry, Garrett Folger

• Trombones: Zach Warren, Will Horner, Lauren Rudzinskas, Amer Forrer (bass trombone)

• Rhythm Section: Dan Bruce (guitar), Ben Tweedt (piano/Fender Rhodes), Jordan McBride (acoustic/electric bass), Dustin May (drums)

• Leader: Stephen Philip Harvey (composer, arranger, conductor)

“Harvey’s focus on riffs and melodies keeps the songs effervescent and accessible.”
— Michael Toland, The Big Takeover

Multiversal – Live at Bop Stop marks the eighth release in Harvey’s ever-expanding discography and affirms his place as a creative force in contemporary jazz. His previous recordings span a wide range of ensemble types and conceptual themes, including:

• Smash! (2022)

• Elemental (2023) & Elemental (Live) (2024)

• Live at Radio Artifact (2024)

• Suite Childhood (2016)

• Sphinx (2023)

• Library Card (2024)

Stephen Philip Harvey’s Multiversal – Live at Bop Stop is a monumental achievement in modern jazz composition and performance. With comic book mythology as its muse and a jazz orchestra of immense talent as its vehicle, this album is both a tribute to the power of imagination and a testament to the vibrancy of regional jazz in America.

Don’t miss your chance to experience this exhilarating release — whether you’re a jazz aficionado, a comic book lover, or simply in search of something bold and new.

Jane Ira Bloom Launches “Songs in Space” — Immersive Jazz Surround Sound Odyssey

Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom is back in zero Gs with her latest recording Songs in Space, a constellation of duets and trios conceived and performed especially for the experience of surround sound listening. The saxophonist who has an asteroid named after her (6083janeirabloom) and long known for her association with NASA pairs with longtime bandmates pianist Dominic Fallaco (from the Grammy nominated ballad project “Sixteen Sunsets”) and bassist Mark Helias and drummer Bobby Previte (from the Grammy award winning trio recording “Early Americans”). 

There are nine stellar originals including “Better Starlight” and “Riding My Planet” and two gravitationally re-arranged ballad classics “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “My Foolish Heart” that showcase Bloom’s extraordinary connect with Fallacaro and full-throated abandon with her rhythm section. The music is both lyric and motion-filled, played by seasoned performers who know how to just set the soundscape in space. The sound, silence, and acoustic interplay of these improvising musicians has been captured both in high-definition stereo and immersive audio. 

After years of remote recording during the pandemic Bloom returned to the studio to record live for three days in high-definition surround sound at the Clive Davis Institute in Brooklyn, NY with her Grammy award team of engineering legend Jim Anderson and tonmeister Ulrike Schwarz. Audio science and improvisational art collaborate to make this recording a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Songs in Space is available as a stereo (OTL146) and immersive (OTL146i) digital release on June 26.

Geoff Mann Honors His Father's Legacy with Cinematic Reimagining of "Battle Hymn of the Republic"

Acclaimed drummer, composer, and producer Geoff Mann is set to release Underground, a full-length tribute to his father Herbie Mann’s landmark 1969 album Memphis Underground. Out today is the second offering from the project: a cinematic reinterpretation of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the abolitionist anthem popularized through Herbie’s fusion classic and later adopted by Hunter S. Thompson as the official campaign song for his 1970 run for Sheriff of Pitkin County.

The notorious gonzo journalist also cited Memphis Underground as one of his 'Favorite Albums of the 1960s' adding to its cross-genre, cross-cultural commercial success that garnered a devout audience across the globe. On his cinematic approach to the classic soul ballad, Geoff Mann says, "I treated this arrangement almost as if it was film score, starting very minimally with just the rhythm section and slowing building up and adding instruments chorus by chorus until we finally hit the melody at the very end."

Herbie Mann’s original Memphis Underground remains a landmark in the melding of jazz and Southern soul and is often cited as one of the first albums deemed as “fusion.” Released on Atlantic Records, the album brought together a merger of New York jazz soloists including Roy Ayers, Larry Coryell, and Sonny Sharrock with the rhythm section at Memphis’ American Sound Studio, a hub for R&B and soul hits. Produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, the record blended deep groove and improvisational freedom to create a genre-crossing sound that resonated well beyond the jazz world. It remains one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time and was famously praised by Rolling Stone as “a piece of musical alchemy.”

Speaking about the new reinterpretation project, Geoff Mann says, "Memphis Underground deserves to be remembered for the impact that it had, but in my opinion it could only be properly re-presented as an evolution of the original concept. There are others who could’ve made a similar record with the same intention, but having a unique insight into my father’s music, being both intimately familiar and detached at the same time, I was the only one who was going to do it.”

Dave Bass's 'Trio Nuevo Vol. 2': A Masterful Fusion of Jazz Traditions and Innovations

DAVE BASS likes to quote legendary cellist Pablo Casals who, when was asked why he continued to practice at age 90, said, “Because I think I'm making progress.” Bass is a long way from 90, but the veteran pianist and composer maintains a rigorous practice routine despite his many accomplishments. His newest album, TRIO NUEVO, Vol 2, reveals an artist at the top of his form.

TRIO NUEVO, Vol 2 is Bass’s eighth project as a leader and follows his 2023 release TRIO NUEVO. Like the first album, Vol 2 encompasses styles ranging from pop to Bach to bebop and comprises a mix of originals and standards. The band on the two TRIO NUEVO albums is the same, with TYLER MILES on bass and STEVE HELFAND on drums.

While living in the San Francisco Bay Area in ‘70s and early ’80s, he led his own group, playing often with friends Bobby McFerrin, drummer Babatunde Lea, jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan, and others at the legendary Keystone Korner and other well-known venues. He accompanied Ryan on a jazz gig to Maui in 1981, which led to his becoming Entertainment Director at the Royal Lahaina Hotel. He also had a great stint as Brenda Lee’s pianist, joining her on multiple tours of Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

With his career in full swing, Bass had an accident that put his career on hold for nearly 20 years. In the mid-‘80s, a random slip and fall on the way to a gig caused a serious wrist fracture. The doctors did not offer a promising prognosis, and it seemed he would never play piano again. With his beloved music career behind him and needing to support his family, Bass enrolled at the University of California, Irvine, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. He went on to UCLA School of Law, becoming an Editor of the UCLA Law Review, and began a legal career in 1992 with a very prestigious law firm. Bass was offered a position as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Office of the Attorney General in 1996 and eventually joined the Civil Rights Enforcement division for which his work was honored with the 2009 Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Achievement.

In 2005, nearly two decades after his career-ending accident, he sat down at the piano again and was surprised to discover that his injury had healed. He was soon attending jam sessions, but after such a long hiatus, his chops were not up to the high level they had been. Despite working at his demanding day job, Bass began a rigorous practice routine, and by 2015, he had gotten skilled enough to retire from law and re-dedicated himself to a full-time music career. And like Casal’s quip, he has kept practicing and has kept making progress.

Bass released his first album, Gone, in 2010. Joined by Mary Stallings and Ernie Watts, the album featured ten originals in a diverse range of styles. Gone hit #2 on the national JazzWeek Radio Chart after only three weeks. His next six albums all received excellent reviews and national airplay. His first three releases featured vocalists, but in 2021, he turned his attention to the trio format. Bass says, “I think playing in a trio is one of the most challenging situations for a musician. There’s no place to hide. You have to play at the highest level. But it’s also very satisfying, because you can really develop a kind of telepathy with other musicians, especially if you’ve been performing together for a while. Tyler, Steve, and I have shared many gigs over the last year, and our playing has gotten even tighter. There’s almost a telepathic connection between us now.” 

Bass opens TRIO NUEVO Vol 2 with “Legrand/Lester Left Town,” a mashup of his original, “Legrand,” and Wayne Shorter’s homage to Lester Young, “Lester Left Town.” Bass explains, “I’ve played this great Wayne Shorter tune many times, but I'm never really comfortable just recording a song straight. I recorded “Legrand” on my first album with Ernie Watts, and I had always wanted to record it again in a trio setting. So I took the vamp from “Legrand” and bookended it with Wayne’s tune, and it worked great.” Bass always liked Johnny Mercer’s lyric to “Fools Rush In” and decided to name his original composition “Heart Above My Head” from the song’s lyrics. The composition itself, which has a spacy feel, was first inspired by Bela Bartok.

Bass displays his considerable chops on Egberto Gismonti’s “Frevo.” There is a lot going on in this challenging tune. Especially of note is Miles’ bass solo. Bass read Gabriel García Márquez's “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in the 1970s when it was first released. After reading it again recently, Bass was inspired to record his Latin-inflected tune “Melquíades,” named after a character in the book who is a mysterious, traveling gypsy. Bass feels that Latin music is in his DNA, and he constructed “Latin Journey” based on excerpts from Isaac Albéniz’s “Asturias,” Ernesto Lecuona’s “La Comparsa,” and his own “Mi Montuno.”

The next tune, “Questions,” opens with Bass playing solo piano. The intro has a classical vibe before bass and drums join in and turn the number into a gentle swinger. Bass based the arrangement of “Trinkle Tinkle” on a 1954 Monk trio album. He changes up the tune in the bridge with an extended bass solo and disco references. Although Johnny Mercer and Rube Bloom wrote “Fools Rush In” in 1940, many people of a certain age first heard Ricky Nelson’s version in 1963. Bass reworks this tune with a fast samba arrangement.

Bass is a big Bud Powell fan and has recorded his compositions on other albums. The following number, “Dance of the Infidels,” is a blues with unusual, altered chords. Bass plays with the time, moving from 6/4 at the beginning to throwing in a measure of 7/8, creating very interesting and unexpected textures. Bass considers Bach the epitome of music and melds excerpts from Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” and his “Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue” to create “Journey with Bach.” He uses the chords outlined in "The Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue" as a point of departure for improvisation. Bass closes the album with Lennie Tristano’s “Lennie’s Pennies,” which Tristano based on “Pennies from Heaven.” Bass first recorded it with flutist Ted Nash, but he loves the song’s rhythmic eccentricities and wanted to tackle it in the trio format.

Dave Bass is one of the most interesting piano players on the scene today. He is a true jazzer with the ability to seamlessly meld bebop, classical, Latin, and pop, creating richly textured, high-energy music that takes you on surprising journeys. With stellar accompaniment from Taylor Miles and Steve Helfand, TRIO NEUVO Vol 2 is another superb release from a piano master who keeps on making progress.

Celebrating Roy Haynes: Jazz Drumming Titan & Leader of the Hip Ensemble Remastered on Vinyl

Roy Haynes who passed away last November at age 99 is one of the undisputed giants of Jazz. Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1925, Haynes started drumming during his teenage years before moving to New York in 1945 where his career took off. He went on to play with the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Lester Young, becoming an institution over the decades. 

​In the late 60s, after a stint with the John Coltrane's quartet, he put together the Hip Ensemble, a small group featuring the young turks George Adams on sax, Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Japanese bass player Teruo Nakamura, Lawrence Killian on percussion together with German pianist Carl Schroeder on Fender Rhodes.

Bob Shad, who had worked with Haynes in the 50s when he was running EmArcy, saw the group live in New York one night and decided to sign them on his label Mainstream Records as he was starting to produce jazz again after a few years releasing psychedelic rock. His idea was to plug into the new modal and jazz-funk scenes that was flourishing at the time and Haynes was also experimenting with.

​The album "Hip Ensemble" reflects this new direction with a superb mix of spiritual jazz, as heard on the rendition of Stanley Cowell's theme "Equipoise" (which had originally appeared on Max Roach's 1968 album "Members Don't Get Weary") or the more uptempo "Nothing Ever Changes For You My Love" both drenched in Schroeder's Fender Rhodes and showcasing gorgeous solos by Schroeder, George Adams and Marvin Peterson. Complementing the group for this session were Mervin Bronson, adding a touch of Fender bass and a second percussionist, Elwood Johnson.

Side two is even groovier with the relentless "Satan's Mysterious Feeling" followed by "You Name It," two compositions by George Adams fuelled by the Funky Drumming of Haynes in full flight, the ideal backbone for the players to lay out their inspired solos (including Haynes' explosive one).

Included is "Roy's Tune" as a bonus track which was recorded at the same session but not included on the original album - it briefly came out on a low-key Mainstream compilation two years after. The track is another fascinating breakbeat that has strangely never been sampled even if Roy Haynes' drums have appeared on many hip hop classics by De La Soul, Dilla, Pete Rock or Q Tip over the years. "Hip Ensemble" has been remastered for vinyl by Colorsound Studio in Paris and is a timely reminder that Haynes is one of the greatest jazz drummers of all times.

Bnnyhunna’s Debut Echoes of Prayer Arrives on Vinyl via Sdban Ultra — Edison Award Winner’s Spiritual Fusion Reborn in Physical Form

Out now on vinyl via Sdban Ultra, ECHOES OF PRAYER marks the debut album from Ghanaian-Dutch musician Bnnyhunna. Featuring standout singles like Communicate, Calm Waters and Silent Chaos, the record cements Bnnyhunna’s place as a rising artist in jazz and afro music.

Originally released digitally in October 2024, Echoes of Prayer stands as a deeply personal and spiritual work that reflects Bnnyhunna’s faith, his early experiences growing up in church, and his West African heritage. Every track on the album serves as a form of prayer, a conversation with God. The album showcases his ability to weave poetic lyrics, vivid visuals, and captivating melodies, creating an immersive experience that resonates on a spiritual and emotional level.

Bnnyhunna’s signature fusion of jazz, hip-hop, gospel, and Afro rhythms highlights his versatility and musical integrity. Next to the warm jazz textures of Calm Waters, the vibrant Afrobeat pulse of Communicate, and the soulful, piano-driven Silent Chaos, ECHOES OF PRAYER also blends elements of ‘70s P-Funk grooves, gospel harmonies, and modern hip-hop rhythms. Each song represents a different facet of Bnnyhunna’s artistic vision. Tracks like SHOULD’VE BEEN YOU carry nostalgic R&B undertones, while Sum Love brings gospel-infused choir arrangements that recall sacred spaces. Interludes such as Avanti add moments of intimacy and reflection through gentle guitar lines.

The album’s diverse sound is elevated by collaborations with The Cavemen., who lend their signature highlife revival, and Jembaa Groove, who contribute with West African-inspired rhythms.

With the vinyl release of ECHOES OF PRAYER, Bnnyhunna offers a tangible, collectible edition of his powerful debut. 

Bnnyhunna (Benjamin Ankomah) is an award winning Dutch/Ghanaian emerging artist who grew up in the South East part of Amsterdam. As his young life came with challenges he found his remedy by discovering the ultimate way to express himself through music. In church he learns to play piano, drums & guitar. Since then emerging, Bnny has cultivated a distinctive sound influenced by a diverse musical upbringing and legends like Fela Kuti, Yusef Dayes, Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams. Following his departure from high school, Bnnyhunna embarked on a music career, collaborating with notable artists such as Rimon, José James, Asake, Nnleg, Blue Lab Beats & Akwasi.

He takes on roles in writing, producing, and playing nearly all the instruments. His fusion of jazz, hip hop, R&B, and afro, influenced by his West-African background, coupled with a commitment to authenticity, has captured attention, establishing him as a rising star.

Bnnyhunna kicked off his solo career by sharing his unorthodox debut project ‘SINTHA’ (2021). With the fourtracker things developed fast; selling out his first headline show with Kokoroko as surprise act, worldwide support from platforms like Highsnobiety, VICE and Complex, playing at prestigious festivals like North Sea Jazz, Montreux Jazz Festival, Down The Rabbit Hole & Dekmantel and is touring Europe with his band.

In October 2024, Bnnyhunna released his highly anticipated debut album ‘ECHOES OF PRAYER’. The album was well received internationally with support by platforms such as 3voor12, Rolling Stone Africa and Afromixx. Moreover, it caught the attention on radio and streaming services: It aired on radio stations such as BBC 1, J-Wave, 3FM Netherlands and got added to playlists such as ‘BUTTER’, ‘Morning Rhythm’ and ‘Vanguard’. 

In 2025, Bnnyhunna won the prestigious Edison Pop Award in the category Soul/R&B/Funk with ‘ECHOES OF PRAYER’.

Theon Cross Announces New Live Album Affirmations: Live at Blue Note New York

Virtuoso New York, out July 11 via New Soil and Division 81. A striking live recording of a generational talent at the top of his game, Affirmations hears Cross join forces with Chicago saxophonist Isaiah Collier for a suite of unrestrained fire music, forged in the cauldron of the iconic NYC club - capturing the energy of Cross’ debut US show as one of just a handful to carry the Live at the Blue Note name. The album’s lead single, ‘Affirmations’ is available on all DSPs today.  

A staple of Theon Cross’ live shows, the album’s title track and lead single, ‘Affirmations’, appears on record for the first time. A bold and expansive composition that boils up and simmers down over 14 epic minutes of live-wire soloing and collective expression, it captures the essence and dynamic range of Cross’ broad, sophisticated sound. 

As Cross says, the track “speaks to the power of verbally and mentally affirming the things we wish to see for ourselves in our reality.” So for it to be released here first is a testament to its own success. 

A contemporary document of live improvisation at its most fertile and free, Affirmations: Live at Blue Note New York steps into - and updates - a lineage that has seen the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson record live at the Blue Note. 

Featuring a line-up that blends the best of London and Chicago talent, Cross is joined by rapidly rising saxophonist Isaiah Collier, whose albums Parallel Universe (2023, Night Dreamer), The Almighty (2024, Division 81), and The World is On Fire (2024, Division 81) garnered widespread acclaim in The New York Times, NPR, DownBeat, and more. Rounding out the ensemble is Collier’s drummer James Russell Sims and London-based guitarist Nikos Ziarkas (Chelsea Carmichael, Ron Trent, Moses Boyd), who has been close with Cross for several years. 

While honouring the likes of John Coltrane’s Live at the Village Gate and Sonny Rollins’ Live at the Village Vanguard – from which Cross once transcribed all the bass solos to play on tuba – Affirmations arrives with a modern twist, structured like a DJ set to take listeners on a distinct and unique sonic journey.

Spliced with improvisations devised on the fly, the record’s 12 tracks features music from Cross’ 2019 album FYAH (Gearbox Records) and 2021’s INTRA – I (New Soil), as well as 2022’s ‘Wings’ previously released as 7” single with his version of Aswad’s  ‘Back to Africa’ on the B side.

Since the release of his previous album three and half years ago, Cross has established himself as a consummate, versatile collaborator, working with Jon Baptiste, hip-hop royalty Common, and everyone from Ravi Coltrane and Makaya McCraven to Little Simz, The Smile and Stormzy.

There is nowhere more iconic than the Blue Note in NYC for Theon Cross to make his return to center stage.

Rico Jones Makes Powerful NYC Leader Debut with BloodLines—A Spiritual and Cultural Jazz Statement

With BloodLines, Giant Steps Arts introduces a compelling new compositional voice, Colorado-native tenor saxophonist Rico Jones. The album is his New York City leader debut and features a multi-generation band of peer guitarist Max Light and two veterans in bassist Joe Martin and drummer Nasheet Waits. 

In his budding career, Jones has already accomplished much. He has won the Vandoren and Yamaha Emerging Artist Competitions and Manhattan School of Music’s William H. Borden Award for Outstanding Achievement and was selected to participate in both the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program at the Kennedy Center and the JAS Aspen Workshop. During his time at the Manhattan School of Music, Jones won numerous DownBeat Magazine awards for his ensembles, including jazz soloist. In 2024, he co-led—with creator Julia Keefe—the first-ever all-Indigenous big band, a project he helped initiate in 2022, and later appeared at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival with Esperanza Spalding. That same year, he was invited by Spalding to appear as a special guest for two nights at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. Jones has been mentored by David Kikoski, Bennie Maupin, Charles McPherson, Bobby Watson, Eric Wyatt, and George Coleman, and studied under Vincent Herring, Buster Williams, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo O’Farrill, and Miguel Zenón. 

Critical to Jones as a musician is his multicultural heritage. “The Latino and Indigenous perspectives have always been a part of my life. I saw much of those cultural expressions in my mother and extended family, the art in my home and the food I ate growing up,” he says. “My ancestry can be traced back to the Manso people who lived from New Mexico to Juarez Mexico.” Furthermore, Jones has absorbed the traditions of African-Americans both through his love of jazz legends like Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Wardell Gray, Lester Young and others and by playing music in his youth each Sunday in a predominantly Black Catholic Church. 

BloodLines, recorded live at Brooklyn’s Ornithology in August 2024, is, as the title clearly implies, a deeply personal album, comprising original compositions but also Jones’ decision to have the performance begin with the five sections of "Bloodlines: Suite of the Omnipotent and Eternal Spirit," the preposition "of" rather than "for" emphasizing how each piece is part of a larger whole. As well, Jones says, “Film and its accompanying scores have been a deep source of inspiration for me. I love the emotional weight that the great melodies in film carry,” he says. “Just as films transport the audience, I hope the music connects people to a musical narrative, a singular expression of the divine seen through different lenses—my ancestors, my departed friends, my creativity, and my lived experience.”   

The opening “Invocation,” a brief group improvisation symbolizes what Jones says is “the act of calling upon divine spiritual powers when entering a state of prayer.” Other pieces speak to the divine and the universe we inhabit, particularly the last three: “Across Time,” “The Moment” and “The Voice of God Shines Brightly On My Heart.” The first percolates not only with movement but also perspective; the second’s introspective quality recalls “points in life when I experience true clarity about the nature of all things”; and the third acts as an impassioned bookend to “Invocation,” an “acknowledgment of the divine creator of all life and reality. I can only speak to my own connection to the creative spirit as an unquenchable source of joy, hope, and creativity.” 

Other pieces celebrate important people in Jones’ life, from a deceased friend beautifully memorialized in “Lone Wolf” to his treasured great-grandmother, whose stateliness and resolve is captured with ““Queen Isabelle.” No matter the source material Jones’ gorgeous tone is on display throughout, his playing with a sense of purpose and understanding of restraint belying his youth. 

Crucial to the success of Jones’ vision is his band, which Jones says reflects that “the beauty of music is that it is a cultural, traditional, and aural art form. It is inherently cross-generational. This ensemble is an example of the age-old tradition of multigenerational exchange in the musical arts.” Jones has known Light the longest and worked with him the most, the guitarist’s his absolute first choice for the album and someone who brings “a high level of enthusiasm and creativity”. Martin and Waits he had first appreciated as a listener and thus was eager to collaborate with both for this project: “Their wisdom and experience add a level of creative musical power that both inspires and guides Max and me in ways we might not otherwise encounter.”

All albums are biographical in some way, reflecting the spirit of the musician who created it but BloodLines is particularly so. Jones has the rare ability to communicate on myriad levels with the audience and make the act of listening a richly expansive occurrence. "This music marks a rite of passage for me—a convergence of years of prayer, dreams, and hard work coming into focus," he says. "It’s part of my journey from Colorado to New York, but also an attempt to invoke the presence of God in my playing, to remember those I love who have passed, and to honor the voices that helped nurture both my faith and my creativity." 

BloodLines is the latest entry in Giant Step’s Modern Masters and New Horizon series. Specially curated by trumpeter Jason Palmer and drummer Nasheet Waits, the series features artists who have helped shape the modern jazz landscape along with rising voices doing the same for the next generation. Artists currently slated to contribute include saxophonists Mark Turner, Neta Raanan, drummer Eric McPherson and the Edward Pérez/Michael Thomas Band.

Pasquale Grasso Unveils Solo Be-Bop! – A Daring, Virtuosic Tribute to Bebop’s Piano Legends

While in the studio wrapping up sessions for the Fervency Trio album, something unexpected happened. Guitarist Pasquale Grasso found himself with two extra days booked and no fixed plan. At the suggestion of his producer, Grasso did what true artists do when inspiration strikes—he picked up his guitar and started to play. The result is Solo Be-Bop!, a spontaneous yet stunning solo guitar album that honors the spirit, soul, and sophistication of bebop’s greatest pianists. The album is available now. [Listen Here]

Grasso, who was raised in the Italian countryside, grew up immersed in the complex language of jazz piano—not guitar. He studied the left-hand stride and right-hand dazzle of Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Fats Waller, and Earl Hines. These were his heroes. And on Solo Be-Bop!, he brings their influence to life in a dazzling display of unaccompanied six-string mastery.

“Whether you’re alone or in a band, you’re supposed to swing by yourself anyway if you want to play this music,” Grasso says.

And swing he does.

One of the album’s standouts is Grasso’s electrifying version of Charlie Parker’s “Chasin’ the Bird.” He treats the bebop classic as a technical étude, pushing the independence of all his fingers beyond the standard limits of guitar technique.

“This song helped me a lot to achieve independence between all my fingers,” he explains. “Not an easy task, but very rewarding.”

Equally impressive is his take on “Salt Peanuts,” a tune he usually performs with his trio. Here, it bursts with rhythmic life, proving that a single guitar can groove with the firepower of an entire rhythm section.

Throughout the album, Grasso sprinkles in heartfelt tributes to the mentors and memories that shaped him:

• “Stella by Starlight” reflects his time studying with legendary pianist Barry Harris.

• “Pannonica” is a loving nod to his mother’s favorite Thelonious Monk ballad.

• “Time Waits” captures the quiet ache of homesickness and family ties.

• “Sid’s Delight” reimagines the 1949 original arrangement featuring trumpeter Fats Navarro.

Grasso also ventures into more obscure bebop territory, including Bud Powell’s “Monopoly” (which he rhythmically reshapes) and Elmo Hope’s “Stars Over Marrakech,” where he masterfully alternates bass lines with chordal melodies.

“With Solo Be-Bop!,” Grasso doesn’t just reinterpret these pieces—he inhabits them fully,” the liner notes say. “This is bebop guitar at its most exposed and expressive: a masterful conversation between past and present, with no one else in the room.”

Solo Be-Bop! – Tracklist

1. Chasin' the Bird

2. Salt Peanuts

3. Sid's Delight

4. Time Waits

5. Manhattan

6. Monopoly

7. Stars Over Marrakech

8. Stella by Starlight

9. Happy Hour

10. Sure Thing

11. Pannonica

12. Yeheadeadeadee

Born in Ariano Irpino in Italy’s Campania region, Grasso was surrounded by a rich jazz culture. Festivals like Umbria Jazz introduced him to global sounds, but his deeper education came through hands-on mentorships—with Agostino Di Giorgio and, most pivotally, Barry Harris. His journey eventually led him to New York City in 2012, a city he calls the true heart of jazz.

“Every recording I like was made in New York City,” Grasso says. “I always wanted to come here.”

Though initially out of step with modern jazz trends in Europe, Grasso’s passion for the bebop tradition has recently found new relevance. He credits much of this revival to his collaboration with multi-Grammy winner Samara Joy, whom he met when she was just 16. Grasso toured and recorded with Joy, appearing on both her self-titled debut and 2022’s Linger Awhile.

Grasso’s musical language is shaped more by pianists and horn players than fellow guitarists. His early listening diet consisted heavily of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie—so much so that his father once hoped he’d play trumpet instead. He did pick up the trumpet briefly but ultimately found his true voice on guitar.

“I was just trying to imitate whatever I would hear,” he laughs. “I have a perfect pitch. That’s what God gave me.”

It was jazz guitar icon Pat Metheny who offered one of the highest compliments. In a 2016 Vintage Guitar interview, Metheny called Grasso “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my life.”

Grasso is a fixture on the New York City jazz scene, regularly performing at Birdland, Mezzrow, Saint Tuesday, and Tartina. He’ll also appear at multiple festivals across the summer of 2025. For dates and updates, check his official calendar.

Lafayette Gilchrist & New Volcanoes Return with Live Album Move With Love

Baltimore-based pianist, keyboardist and composer Lafayette Gilchrist reconvenes his hip-hop, funk and go-go fueled ensemble New Volcanoes for the exuberant Move With Love, the acclaimed band’s first release in seven years. While the title captures the infectious, joyous, groove-heavy sound that New Volcanoes has honed over the last two decades, it’s also a plea for community during turbulent times. 

“We need to move with love,” Gilchrist insists, “because the whole world seems to be moving in the opposite direction. The only way to move towards the future is with humanity, with compassion, with care – with love.” 

Out July 25, 2025 via Morphius Records, Move With Love arrives as Gilchrist embarks on a new chapter in his career, as he joins the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra in the piano chair inaugurated by the ensemble’s iconic namesake. The wide-ranging palette of the Arkestra, whose orbit pulls in influences from the earliest eras of jazz to the cutting edge of the avant-garde and beams it back to Earth through a dazzling Afrofuturist lens, seems a perfect fit for the eclectic tastes of Gilchrist. Though all of his music is informed by hip-hop and the D.C.-born go-go style, it manifests in different ways depending on the band that the keyboardist channels it through. With his quintet, the Sonic Trip Masters, Gilchrist hews closer to a traditional acoustic jazz sound, while the more expansive New Volcanoes delves deeper into his funky, groove-oriented side in the form of a combustible nonet. 

On the band’s first album since 2018’s Deep Dancing Suite, Gilchrist unveils a retooled New Volcanoes on Move With Love. Guitarist Carl Filipiak and bassist Anthony “Blue” Jenkins return from the previous incarnation, while percussionist Kevin Pinder transitions onto the drum kit. They’re joined by trumpeter Leo Maxey, trombonist Christian Hizon and saxophonists Shaquim Muldrow, Ebban Dorsey and Efraim Dorsey, with guest percussionist Bashi Rose joining for four of the album’s six tracks. The album captures a rollicking live set on home turf at Baltimore’s Club Car, in the room that had previously housed the Windup Space. 

The venue itself is indicative of Gilchrist’s message on Move With Love. While the Windup Space had been a headquarters for jazz and experimental music in the city, the Club Car is a “queer venue and cocktail bar” whose calendar typically features drag and burlesque performances. When the opportunity to perform there arose, Gilchrist was unsure if the New Volcanoes would be a good fit for the new focus. 

“I didn’t know if the audience would show up for jazz,” Gilchrist recalls. “I thought they might be expecting more of a house music or disco thing, something more upbeat than what I’m doing, and the jazz audience can tend to be more conservative. But the new owners insisted it would work, and I realized that the New Volcanoes had never really attracted the straightahead jazz audience anyway. It ended up being a great night and the energy was amazing, so we decided to put it out.” 

Move With Love is infused with both the energy of that evening and the urgency of the moment we’re living through. “We’ve got to look out for each other and sincerely care about each other,” Gilchrist elaborates. “Love is more than a fuzzy feeling. Love is a consistency. Love is a justice. Love is a reciprocity. Love is a giving. There’s a lot in that four-letter word, l-o-v-e. But we're moving another way.”

The resolute “Cut Through the Chase” opens the album with a street-level anthem for the country’s working people, a population that Gilchrist knows well, hailing from as notoriously gritty an urban center as Baltimore. “That's about the struggle of every day folk,” the composer explains. “They say for poor folk, every day is an emergency. But the music doesn’t mirror the drudgery of everyday existence, because it’s all the more reason to celebrate being alive. You need the release, you need the release to be real, and you need it to be beautiful.” 

The buoyant title track, co-written with Pinder, is followed by “Bamboozled,” a stealthy tune whose sly groove hints at the gaslighting perpetrated by the political class. Carl Filipiak’s Sicilian heritage provided the title of “BASTA,” an Italian interjection meaning, “Enough!” That command lends the album’s most go-go inflected track its ferocious spine. The lurching “Baby Steps” allows that progress can be slow moving while reflecting the innocence of the young people that Gilchrist sees on their way to school, “still just learning the world. The world is not some awful place to them. It's still a place of wonder and potential.” 

The album closes with “Crosspollination Aggregation,” which pays tribute to the paths that crossed in the audience that evening at the Club Car, a model for the love movement that Gilchrist hopes to inspire with his music. “In the mass media and on social media, we're invisible,” he says of the like-minded community he counts himself a part of. “But out here on the ground, we’re all around. Love definitely has that power to eventually build up to the point where it's an undeniable force. It's hard to have faith sometimes because we've never lived in an age where that's prevailed, but history is an ever-current event. We can change humanity's destiny.”

Lafayette Gilchrist's music has graced the soundtracks of David Simon’s acclaimed series The Wire, The Deuce & Treme. It draws on the span of jazz history from stride to free improv, with inspiration from hip-hop, funk and D.C. go-go, making surprising connections between styles, boldly veering from piledriver funk to piquant stride, vigorous swing to hip-hop swagger, abstraction to deep-bottom grooves. The Baltimore-based pianist, keyboardist and composer leads his own bands, New Volcanoes and Sonic Trip Masters, and is a member of the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra under the leadership of centenarian Maestro Marshall Allen. He is also a longtime collaborator of saxophone great David Murray, including a lengthy tenure in his quartet.

Blue Note’s Openness Trio Debut: A Sonic Journey Through L.A.’s Hidden Gems

Blue Note Records has announced the July 11 release of Openness Trio, the debut album from an extraordinary new collective featuring guitarist/producer Nate Mercereau, saxophonist Josh Johnson, and percussionist Carlos Niño. This inspired trio—each with deep roots in jazz, hip‑hop, and avant‑garde scenes—has collaborated with luminaries such as André 3000, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kamasi Washington, Shabaka, Jeff Parker, and Makaya McCraven 

Openness Trio is a beautifully curated collection of five tracks recorded across diverse and atmospheric Los Angeles and Ventura County locations. The sessions took place among the hills of Ojai overlooking the Topatopa Mountains, in a cozy Elysian Park living room, beneath an oak‑tree cathedral at Churchill Orchard, in the Garden of Electronics courtyard in Echo Park, and shining under a pepper tree at Elsewhere in Topanga Canyon . The enchanting lead track, “Hawk Dreams,” is already available to listen to now.

The trio’s name is as much a statement as it is a label. Mercereau describes “openness” as the essence of their dynamic:

“Listening, Immersive Emoting, Deep Communication, Discovery, Trust, Exploration, and arriving to the moment…” 

Niño echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the “totally psychic communication” and nourishment that openness brings to their music. Johnson reflects on a transformative session in Ojai, recalling that day as when “the trio became 3D… soaring from the start” 

Each track on Openness Trio captures a unique moment in space and time, giving listeners an immersive experience that intertwines the physical beauty of Southern California with the trio’s deep musical bond. Expect an album that not only celebrates collective creativity but also invites you into the very heart of their collaboration—raw, intuitive, and beautifully open.

Mark your calendars for July 11 and dive into a fresh, boundary-defying chapter of modern jazz.

Paul Cornish Announces Debut Trio Album You’re Exaggerating! Out August 22 on Blue Note

Pianist Paul Cornish is gearing up to release his much-anticipated debut album, You’re Exaggerating!, arriving August 22 via Blue Note Records This nine‑song collection of Cornish originals features a dynamic trio: Cornish on piano, Joshua Crumbly on bass, and Jonathan Pinson on drums, with a special guest spot from guitarist Jeff Parker.
The album is led by the vibrant single “Dinosaur Song” and is now available for pre-order in multiple formats—exclusive color vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and digital download—through the Blue Note Store 

Alongside the album announcement, Cornish has unveiled a comprehensive U.S. and European tour schedule. Notable shows include Los Angeles (Jazz Bakery, June 13), London (Ronnie Scott’s, Aug 25), New York (Dizzy’s, Aug 28), and Paris (Duc des Lombards, Nov 26), among many others—visit paulcornishmusic.com for full details.

Recording for Blue Note places Cornish among a lineage of piano greats—Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, Jason Moran, and Robert Glasper  A Houston native and HSPVA alumnus, Cornish carries forward the legacy of fellow Texans like Moran, Glasper, Walter Smith III, Kendrick Scott, Chris Dave, and James Francies 

Cornish sees himself as part of Blue Note’s “regenerative influence”—extending the lineage begun by Jason Moran and Robert Glasper. “Those early Robert Glasper records…were my first window into this legacy I’m part of…With each one of us, it evolves and expands,” he explains.

His compositions on You’re Exaggerating! draw from personal memories and reflections, delivering “even‑keeled texture and shrewd harmony” that invite listeners into a thoughtful and resonant musical journey.

Praise from peers like Glasper underscores Cornish’s position as a modern torch-bearer:

“Continuing the legendary lineage of Houston pianists while still carving out your own lane…Understanding the history but not being held back by the history…there is no history without the now.” 

You’re Exaggerating! is shaping up to be a defining statement from Blue Note’s next generation—a thoughtful, lyrical, and forward-looking debut that honors its roots while stepping boldly into the future. Don’t miss the lead single, reserve your pre-order, and catch Paul Cornish live this year!

Chick Corea’s “The Visitors” — A 12-Minute Masterpiece for Burton & Gerstein Released on His 84th Birthday

Chick Corea wrote The Visitors specifically for Gary Burton and Kirill Gerstein – two masters of their instruments and in their respective fields. The 12-minute piece blends classical and jazz languages seamlessly: some sections are fully written-out, others partially improvised, and others again entirely open to the interpreters’ in-the-moment inspiration. Vibraphone and piano conspire in graceful interplay throughout, navigating rowdy ostinatos and subtle counterpoint in the process. Commissioned by Kirill Gerstein with support from his Gilmore Artist Award, and co-commissioned by Berklee College of Music, The Visitors was premiered by Burton and Gerstein at the 2012 Gilmore International Piano Festival. Gerstein and Burton only recently rediscovered this recording of that premiere, subsequent to which Manfred Eicher and Gerstein mixed the piece in Munich, in Spring 2025. Released as a digital single only, The Visitors appears on the occasion of what would have been Chick Corea’s 84th birthday, on June 12. Kirill Gerstein: “With Chick no longer with us, and Gary now retired, this is a singular document—both musically and personally meaningful”

‘Composing this duet piece for Kirill and Gary was a happy challenge. To have a pianist of Kirill's accomplishment play my written piano notes inspired me to compose. I thank him for the opportunity. The Visitors is constructed in small sections with a final section that vamps, jazz-style, over a piano ostinato. I wrote it so that there would always be a choice of whether to play the written notes exactly as written or play variations of the phrasings. I conjured encounters with unfamiliar phenomena and wrote a kind of "soundtrack" to that idea. Of course, one could also think of it as their "next door neighbors". These concepts are always open for wide interpretation. Here's to freedom in music."

— Chick Corea - March, 2012