Jerome Sabbagh’s Stand Up!: A Bold New Chapter in Analog Jazz

Saxophonist and composer Jerome Sabbagh has long been recognized as an artist who refuses to compromise his ideals — standing firm for artistic integrity, individuality, and a socially conscious vision. His new album, Stand Up!, out October 17, 2025, embodies those convictions with passionate playing and memorable compositions brought to life by his long-standing quartet. Recorded live to analog tape and released on his newly founded label, Analog Tone Factory, the record feels both timeless and urgent.

Stand Up! celebrates more than twenty years of collaboration between Sabbagh and his remarkable bandmates: guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Nasheet Waits, who makes his recorded debut with the quartet. It marks their first release in over a decade, following a period in which Sabbagh pursued acclaimed projects with jazz masters like Kenny Barron (Vintage) and the late Al Foster (Heart). Yet the quartet’s bond remained unbroken. “A lot of my favorite music in jazz has been created by working bands,” Sabbagh reflects. “You develop trust, and that’s when real discovery happens.”

The album’s title recalls a tune from Sabbagh’s 2007 album Pogo, but today it resonates even more powerfully — a call to creative and personal courage in turbulent times. “I feel both a desire and a sense of urgency to be myself artistically,” Sabbagh explains. “It’s time to stand up for what you believe in, whether that means making an artistic statement or trying to make a positive impact in the world.”

The compositions on Stand Up! are as intimate as they are expansive, each one dedicated to someone who has shaped Sabbagh’s musical path. The opening track, “Lone Jack,” pays homage to Ray Charles and to pianist and producer Pete Rende, Sabbagh’s Analog Tone Factory partner. “Michelle’s Song” and “High Falls” are personal dedications, the former a tender ballad, the latter a Brazilian-tinged reflection on memory and place. “Lunar Cycle” nods to Sam Rivers’ Fuchsia Swing Song and embodies that same adventurous balance of melody and freedom. “The Break Song,” dedicated to Stevie Wonder, channels soulful joy, while “Mosh Pit,” inspired by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, unleashes the band’s explosive energy through Monder’s guitar and Waits’ dynamic drumming. “Vanguard” honors drummer Paul Motian, whose ethereal touch left a lasting mark on Sabbagh’s approach, and the closing track, “Unbowed,” salutes the ever-inspiring Kenny Barron.

Visually, Stand Up! is as striking as it sounds. The cover art by Italian photographer Michele Palazzo evokes a futuristic dystopia — light, reflection, and shadow suggesting tension between human creativity and the forces that constrain it. Sabbagh’s Analog Tone Factory, which he co-founded with Rende, stands as a statement against that coldness, recording exclusively to analog tape to preserve the authenticity and warmth of live performance. The band recorded Stand Up! live to two-track tape on a custom Ampex 351 recorder, engineered by James Farber and mastered in the analog domain by Bernie Grundman. The result is pure, human, and direct — a sonic experience as real as the music itself.

“Jazz is social music,” Sabbagh says. “We come up with ideas together that we wouldn’t find alone. That’s one of the great beauties of this art form.” Stand Up! captures that spirit — a testament to trust, connection, and the enduring power of sound made by people, for people.

2025 Tour Dates
Oct. 23 – Bar Bayeux, Brooklyn (Grassroots Jazz Effort: Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton, George Schuller)
Oct. 29 – Bar Bayeux, Brooklyn (Album Release: Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Ben Monder, Joe Martin, Kush Abadey)
Nov. 1 – The Django, NYC (Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Lawrence Fields, Joe Martin, Otis Brown III)
Nov. 7 – Bar Bayeux, Brooklyn (Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Simon Moullier, Joe Martin, E.J. Strickland)
Dec. 3 – Close-Up, New York (Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Ben Monder, Joe Martin, Kayvon Gordon)
Dec. 18 – Le Son la Terre, Paris (Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Jozef Dumoulin, Florent Nisse, Fabrice Moreau)
Dec. 19 – Le Son la Terre, Paris (Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Jozef Dumoulin, Florent Nisse, Fred Pasqua)

2026 Tour Dates
Jan. 12 – Smalls, NYC (French Jazz Quarter: Jerome Sabbagh Quartet – Ben Monder, Joe Martin, Nasheet Waits)
Feb. 18 – Sam First, Los Angeles (Jerome Sabbagh & Mark Turner with Jermaine Paul, Jonathan Pinson)

Carlo Muscat’s The Body Is Only Light: A Sonic Tribute to Ukraine’s Resilience

In Kyiv, Ukraine, saxophonist and composer Carlo Muscat, originally from Malta, unveils his latest album, The Body Is Only Light. This evocative work stands as a testament to the country’s unyielding spirit in the face of invasion and ongoing hardship. Set against the backdrop of a nation grappling with the realities of war, each track captures a distinct emotion—strength, resilience, determination, and hope. The album’s title also carries a symbolic weight, evoking an ethereal force that transcends boundaries and resonates with the endurance of a people determined to survive and thrive.

Muscat’s music is brought vividly to life by a powerful Ukrainian rhythm section. Bassist Kostiantyn Ionenko and drummer Dmytro Lytvynenko provide a firm yet fluid foundation, offering both intensity and subtlety that mirror the complexities of life in a country under siege. The trio functions as more than a conventional jazz ensemble; their interactions create a narrative thread, where freedom of expression and improvisational dialogue mirror the liberty sought by a nation facing extraordinary challenges. Every note, every rhythm, and every melodic contour tells a story, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in a sonic landscape that balances tension with release, darkness with light.

This album is not only a personal statement from Muscat but also a cultural reflection. The music conveys hope, courage, and unity, reminding listeners of the power of art to transcend boundaries. It captures the dualities of life in wartime Ukraine—the fragility and the strength, the uncertainty and the persistence, the sorrow and the celebration of human endurance. Muscat’s compositions blend jazz improvisation with emotional storytelling, creating a deeply moving experience that connects on a universal level.

For promoters, venues, and audiences alike, The Body Is Only Light offers more than music—it presents a story of resilience and creativity in the face of adversity. It is a call to witness and engage with the transformative power of sound, a living testament to the courage, spirit, and enduring beauty of the human experience.

Carlo Muscat – saxophone
Kostiantyn Ionenko – double bass
Dmytro Lytvynenko – drums

Terry Gibbs Dream Band, Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 Unearths Rare Big Band Magic

Terry Gibbs, the vibraphonist and first-generation bebopper approaching his 100th birthday, continues to delight jazz fans with Terry Gibbs Dream Band, Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 on Whaling City Sound, with a digital release on November 8. This newly discovered collection captures Gibbs leading his legendary 16-piece Dream Band at two Hollywood nightclubs in 1959, featuring 18 tracks of exceptional swing and bebop performed by some of the era’s finest soloists and arrangers.

The tapes were uncovered earlier this year when Gibbs stumbled upon a file labeled “1959 Jazz Party” on his son Gerry Gibbs’s computer. The recordings, originally captured during performances at the Seville and Sundown clubs on the Sunset Strip, showcase a repertoire arranged by luminaries such as Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Marty Paich, Med Flory, and Bill Holman. Each arrangement balances ensemble precision with opportunities for solo brilliance.

Trumpeter Conte Candoli delivers fiery solos on “Bright Eyes” and “Moonglow,” trombonist Carl Fontana impresses on “Let’s Dance,” and drummer Mel Lewis demonstrates his trademark subtle power on “No Heat.” Gibbs himself illuminates the collection with his signature vibes on classics including “The Song Is You,” “Dancing in the Dark,” and “Prelude to a Kiss.”

Gibbs’s journey began in Brooklyn, New York, where he was born Julius Gubenko on October 13, 1924. From early studies on xylophone to performing with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie-inspired bebop ensembles, Gibbs carved a remarkable career spanning collaborations with Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Ray Charles, Alice Coltrane, John Lennon, and Leonard Cohen. His story has been chronicled in his award-winning biography Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz, and he remains active today with weekly appearances on his TG Q&A Show.

Dream Band, Vol. 7 is not just a release—it’s a testament to Gibbs’s lifelong dedication to jazz, his love for ensemble playing, and the enduring magic of his big band sound.

Christopher Whitley Explores Intuitive Violin Improvisation on Almost As Soft As Silence

Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley returns with Almost As Soft As Silence, a masterful solo album of improvised violin works recorded at St. Stephen’s Church in Belvedere, California. Performing on the 1700 “Taft” Stradivari, generously provided by the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank, Whitley presents fifteen distinct miniatures that range from fleeting 18-second sketches to meditative four-minute explorations, each demonstrating his decades-long dedication to spontaneous composition and nuanced expression.

The album, captured in a single, unedited take, emphasizes clarity, concision, and melodic interplay, with each piece acting as an intuitive étude in its own right. Tracks such as “i soliloquy [i],” “lake train,” and “rhapsody [redux]” showcase Whitley’s capacity to balance delicate filigrees, extended tones, and gestural improvisation, maintaining cohesion across the album’s approximately thirty-minute runtime. Whitley blends influences from classical, contemporary, and jazz traditions, consistently highlighting the linear and contrapuntal possibilities of the violin.

A graduate of McGill University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Whitley has performed internationally, appearing at venues like Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Massey Hall. He has collaborated with luminaries such as Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, Charlotte Day Wilson, and Grammy-winning ensembles Eighth Blackbird and Roomful of Teeth. Almost As Soft As Silence builds on Whitley’s prior solo and collaborative works, including his acclaimed Describe Yourself, and continues his exploration of acoustic improvisation, electronic processing, and multimedia collaborations.

Whitley’s artistry is defined by both technical mastery and a deep curiosity for musical possibilities, transforming the violin into a vessel for storytelling, reflection, and sonic exploration. This album is a concentrated portrait of his singular voice in contemporary violin performance.

Dan Pitt Quintet Explores Linear Jazz Innovation on Horizontal Depths

Canadian guitarist and composer Dan Pitt unveils his latest project, Horizontal Depths, the second album from his quintet featuring Naomi McCarroll-Butler (alto saxophone and bass clarinet), Patrick Smith (tenor and soprano saxophones), Alex Fournier (double bass), and Nick Fraser (drums and cymbals). Recorded at Union Sound Company in Toronto and engineered, mixed, and mastered by Fedge, the album demonstrates Pitt’s ongoing evolution as a composer and bandleader in the Canadian jazz scene.

Following his 2019 debut Fundamentally Flawed, Pitt has continued to expand his ensemble’s sonic palette, integrating intricate linear melodies, contrapuntal interplay, and cross-genre influences ranging from post-minimalism to Balkan folk, modern chamber music, and even bursts of heavy rock. The title Horizontal Depths is a nod to the late jazz legend Phil Nimmons, who guided Pitt to explore dynamic horizontal interplay in music, moving beyond purely vertical harmonic structures.

The 41-minute album features eight compositions, including multi-part explorations like “Horizontal Depths Part One and Two,” the bold opener “27 Hours,” and reflective tracks such as “The Sorrow” and “Lester Sleeps In.” Throughout, Pitt and his quintet emphasize melodic lines, improvisational dialogue, and ensemble color, producing a concentrated, vibrant, and meticulously crafted listening experience.

Pitt, a University of Toronto graduate and Stingray Rising Star Award recipient, has studied with luminaries such as Phil Nimmons, Tony Malaby, Ben Monder, and David Torn. His work has been supported by the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts, and his compositional ingenuity shines through on Horizontal Depths, solidifying his place as one of Canada’s most imaginative jazz voices.

Dörthe Drothen Captivates with Sophomore Jazz Pop Album Enamoured

German singer-songwriter Dörthe Drothen enchants listeners with her sophomore album Enamoured, via Dr. Music Records. Seamlessly blending pop melodies with jazz sophistication, Drothen’s ten-track album is a heartfelt exploration of love in all its forms—tender, playful, reflective, and irresistibly catchy. Produced in collaboration with Joonas Lorenz and Markus ‘Be’ Brachtendorf at Tonstudio Be and mastered by Kai Blankenberg in Düsseldorf, the album demonstrates her evolution as a songwriter and performer while retaining the soulful intimacy that marked her 2020 debut Prologue.

Drothen’s journey began in a small town near Düsseldorf, where music captivated her from the age of 13. Her first album, a minimalist piano-and-voice project, introduced audiences to her poignant storytelling and emotive vocals. With Enamoured, Drothen expands her palette, incorporating lush arrangements, subtle jazz phrasing, and infectious pop hooks. Singles like “Shades Of Your Heart” celebrate the beauty and complexity of love, while “Making Time” captures the joy of shared moments, and “Out Of Sight” brings playful romance to the fore through a vibrant music video. Tracks such as “Do I Need To Be Somewhere” provide meditative moments, where gentle piano and her contemplative vocals merge with the sounds of nature, offering a serene counterpoint to the album’s more upbeat moments.

Enamoured traverses the emotional spectrum—lighthearted, introspective, and occasionally tinged with melancholy or humor—yet always lands in the hearts of listeners. From the infectious groove of “Hot Chocolate Mocha Latte” to the nuanced storytelling of her ballads, Dörthe Drothen affirms her place as a unique voice in contemporary jazz pop, delivering music that is both sophisticated and irresistibly human.

Berke Can Özcan & Jonah Parzen-Johnson Release Debut Duo Album It Was Always Time on We Jazz Records

Baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson and Istanbul-based drummer and sound designer Berke Can Özcan join forces for It Was Always Time, their debut duo album out on We Jazz Records. The project is a radiant testament to curiosity, collaboration, and the joy of creating together, offering a refreshing antidote to cynicism in a complex world.

The origins of the duo are as spontaneous as the music itself. In April 2022, Parzen-Johnson boarded a flight from New York to Istanbul for a one-off concert with Özcan, meeting the drummer for the first time only thirty minutes before soundcheck. Yet from their very first notes, the chemistry was undeniable: urgent, playful, and deeply intuitive. This initial encounter laid the foundation for an album that would traverse continents, time zones, and cultures, capturing the immediacy and warmth of their connection.

Recorded across disparate locations, It Was Always Time blends acoustic percussion, found-sound samples, and rich synth textures to frame Parzen-Johnson’s expressive saxophone melodies. Although largely improvised, the album achieves a compositional coherence, as each track unfolds with trust, empathy, and meticulous attention to detail. The music moves fluidly between moods, drawing listeners into a sonic dialogue that feels both intimate and expansive.

More than just a record, the album is a reminder of the transformative power of collaboration. In an era defined by social and political upheaval, it offers a gentle call to curiosity, shared joy, and the creation of something meaningful together. It Was Always Time is both a declaration and a celebration: the time for connection and artistic adventure is now—and it always was.

LEIBA Trío Bridges Buenos Aires and New York on Prohibido Andar en Sulky

Rooted in the vibrant jazz scene of Buenos Aires and shaped by years of creative evolution, LEIBA Trío—pianist Santiago Leibson, double bassist Maximiliano Kirszner, and drummer Nicolás Politzer—returns with Prohibido Andar en Sulky on ears&eyes Records. Translating to “No Riding in Sulkies,” the title evokes a playful yet poetic sensibility, perfectly capturing the trio’s dynamic approach to modern jazz: grounded in tradition but ever in motion toward new possibilities.

Formed in 2010, LEIBA Trío began as an experiment in the classic jazz piano trio format, inspired by the greats—from Bill Evans, Herbie Nichols, and Paul Bley to Keith Jarrett, Thelonious Monk, and Andrew Hill—and later expanded their curiosity toward contemporary innovators such as Kris Davis, Craig Taborn, and Benoît Delbecq. Through deep listening and spontaneous interplay, the trio forged a sound that blends structure and freedom, melody and abstraction, intimacy and exploration.

Over the years, the group has developed its voice through multiple incarnations. As the Santiago Leibson Trio, they released Amón (2014) and Pendular (2015) on KUAI Music—records that established their compositional and improvisational synergy. Critics took notice: All About Jazz praised Pendular for its ability to “explore time and space and paint with their musical colors, echoing the masters of the past.” In 2021, under the name Nicolás Politzer Trío, they released Será Niebla (ears&eyes), highlighting Politzer’s compositional voice while maintaining their collective spirit.

Now, reunited under the banner of LEIBA Trío, the ensemble channels more than a decade of collaboration into Prohibido Andar en Sulky. Written entirely by Leibson, the ten-track album was crafted with the trio’s shared history in mind—a testament to the enduring connection between musicians separated by geography but united in sound. Recorded at Ideo Music in Buenos Aires with engineer Mariano Miguez, the sessions capture the energy of their mid-2023 performances: fluid, organic, and brimming with conversational interplay.

Since relocating to New York in 2014, Leibson has maintained strong ties to Buenos Aires, regularly returning to perform and record with Kirszner and Politzer. That cross-continental rhythm—between two cities, two scenes, and two creative worlds—infuses Prohibido Andar en Sulky with both nostalgia and forward motion. The album is a reflection on continuity, change, and the joy of rediscovering musical companionship through distance and time.

Reggie Watkins Channels Pittsburgh’s Soul and Global Jazz Energy on Rivers

Trombonist and composer Reggie Watkins pays homage to his adopted hometown of Pittsburgh while embracing a world of musical influences on his forthcoming album Rivers. The album—his fourth as a leader and his first consisting entirely of original compositions—flows through the cultural and creative landscapes that have shaped him, from the confluence of Pittsburgh’s iconic three rivers to the boundless energy of global jazz traditions.

Backed by an exceptional local rhythm section featuring pianist Michael Bernabe, bassist Eli Naragon, and drummer Jason Washington Jr., Watkins captures the dynamic pulse of the Steel City’s thriving jazz scene while expanding beyond its borders. The title Rivers naturally nods to Pittsburgh’s geography—the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio that define its skyline—but also pays tribute to avant-garde legend Sam Rivers, whose spirit of exploration courses through the album’s veins.

Throughout Rivers, Watkins crafts a deeply personal musical journey. The bold opener “Blues for 3-D” honors trombone greats David Gibson, Andre Hayward, and Steve Davis. “Ocularity” channels Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry through a playful, angular lens, while “Blue 6” evokes both Thelonious Monk and Jimmy Knepper, one of Watkins’s enduring inspirations. The album’s closing track, “Shanghai Strut,” celebrates the trombonist’s global travels, blending rhythmic vitality with cross-cultural flair.

Yet at its core, Rivers is grounded in Pittsburgh—its people, its musical heritage, and its sense of home. “Hide n Seek” joyfully reflects Watkins’s love for his children, while “Meditations” drifts with the serenity and depth of the rivers that define his city. “I’ve always had this connection to Pittsburgh and its jazz scene,” says Watkins. “Musicians are coming here from places like Akron and Cleveland, and it’s creating a powerful exchange of ideas and energy.”

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Watkins’s path to jazz began with a teenage fascination for brass instruments before finding his voice on trombone. After studying at West Virginia University and discovering J.J. Johnson, he immersed himself in the art form. His professional journey has spanned collaborations with Maynard Ferguson (with whom he served as musical director), pop star Jason Mraz, and jazz luminary Orrin Evans’s Captain Black Big Band. Watkins’s diverse resume also includes work with funk collective Steeltown Horns and his acclaimed tribute project Avid Admirer: The Jimmy Knepper Project.

With Rivers, Watkins brings all of these experiences together into a cohesive statement—a reflection of his artistry, his city, and the global jazz continuum he inhabits. It’s a record that moves with both confidence and curiosity, tracing the flow of musical lineage while carving its own path forward.

Rejoicer and Nitai Hershkovits Unveil Cinema Royal — A Mesmerizing Fusion of Jazz, Ambient, and Cinematic Soundscapes

Longtime collaborators Rejoicer and pianist Nitai Hershkovits have come together under a new moniker to present Cinema Royal, an album that feels as much like a film score as it does a meditation on sound itself. Released through their trusted creative circle, the project represents a bold yet delicate exploration of musical storytelling—where modern classical sensibilities meet ambient textures, global instrumentation, and jazz-infused improvisation.

Built around Nitai’s expressive piano work, Cinema Royal unfolds like a dream sequence—filled with percussive bursts, orchestral flourishes, and traditional string instruments from across continents. The compositions weave Afrobeat rhythms, East Asian zithers, and Ethio-jazz keys into a seamless soundscape that feels both organic and otherworldly. While intricate in structure, the album maintains a surprising effortlessness—each piece floating by with cinematic grace and quiet confidence.

The duo’s creative chemistry, honed through years of friendship and musical partnership in projects like Apifera and beyond, lies at the heart of this record. Their process began with something simple: a drum loop and a single-take piano improvisation. From there, Cinema Royal blossomed into a multi-dimensional sound collage, inviting contributions from friends and collaborators who enriched the music’s texture and emotional depth.

“Cinema Royal emerges from years of collaborative writing and recording,” shares Hershkovits. “Our first experience with a complete one-piano take on a drum loop was in Flying Bamboo—a project with MNDSGN and animator Felix Colgrave that reached millions on YouTube. Nearly a decade later, we revisited this improvisational method throughout the album. We love Emahoy Tsegué, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Lalo Schifrin—and a lot of the ECM catalog. There’s a lot of Africa, too—Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Fela Kuti, Ghana highlife, and sounds from Awesome Tapes from Africa.”

The result is a record that whispers rather than shouts. Cinema Royal is cinematic not only in sound but in feeling—each track conjuring a scene, a mood, a fleeting moment of beauty. It’s the sound of two artists in flow, creating something at once playful and profound, rooted in global traditions yet entirely timeless.

Corey Ledet Zydeco Captures the Spirit of the Road with Live in Alaska, Featuring His “Black Magic” Accordion

Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic’s Live In Alaska marks the 16th album from the Grammy-nominated accordion master. Out December 23 on CD, digital download, and streaming platforms, the project is both a celebration of his Louisiana Creole heritage and a document of his boundless live energy.

For more than three decades, Corey Ledet has embodied the phrase “have accordion, will travel.” From the dancehalls of Louisiana to stages across Europe, Hawaii, and even Russia—where fans marveled at his zydeco rubboard, calling it a “magic instrument”—Ledet has carried the spirit of Creole music wherever he goes. But until now, he had never captured that road-tested vitality on a live album.

“When the Anchorage Folk Festival came up, I said this might be a good opportunity,” recalls Ledet. “When I got there, they had all the equipment to record. I got to thinking about Clifton Chenier—some of his best live recordings were done away from home. It worked for the King of Zydeco. I said, ‘Let me try this.’”

The result is Live in Alaska, an electrifying 11-track record distilled from three days of performances. It showcases Ledet’s mastery on his new accordion, affectionately dubbed “Black Magic,” and highlights both his original material and fan favorites from his previous fifteen albums. Among the setlist is “Alaska Funk,” an impromptu jam created live on stage with his Louisiana bandmates. “It’s amazing when you have great musicians,” says Ledet. “You can almost create a song off the top of your head.”

Improvisation runs deep in Ledet’s bloodline. His musical family tree includes relatives who performed with icons like Louis Armstrong, Ike and Tina Turner, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and B.B. King. Growing up in Houston and spending summers in Parks, Louisiana, he absorbed Creole traditions, learned the Kouri-Veni language, and fell in love with zydeco’s driving rhythms. Influenced by legends like Clifton Chenier, John Delafose, and Boozoo Chavis, Ledet began performing professionally at age 10 as a drummer before mastering the accordion.

“I love it all,” Ledet says of his approach to music. “I want my music to be like a good gumbo—full of different styles. Everybody likes gumbo. You’ve got your meat, your seasoning, so many different ingredients. That’s what I want my music to be.”

With Live in Alaska, Corey Ledet Zydeco delivers a vibrant reminder of what zydeco does best—connect, celebrate, and move the soul. It’s a joyful snapshot of a musician deeply rooted in Creole culture yet unafraid to let his music travel the world.

Zach Tenorio Takes Listeners on a Sonic Adventure with His Second Solo Album Field Trip

Maximum Overdub has announced the release of Field Trip, the second solo album from producer, composer, and keyboard virtuoso Zach Tenorio. Alongside the announcement comes the infectious new single “What’d It Take,” a vibrant glimpse into the record’s creative whirlwind.

Tenorio has long been known for his fearless musicality—a performer whose stage presence feels like electricity in motion, with a sound that’s equal parts virtuoso precision and joyful chaos. From the moment he began touring at age 16 with Jon Anderson of YES, Tenorio’s career has been defined by collaboration and experimentation. Over the years, he’s worked with artists such as Willow Smith (co-writing a Grammy-nominated song from her latest album), Kimbra, Guster, Gene Ween, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, while also holding down his role in the adventurous art-pop band Arc Iris and jamming with the improvisational collective Taper’s Choice.

On Field Trip, Tenorio distills that kinetic energy into 21 tracks spanning 30 minutes—a dazzling, genre-defying blend of analog warmth and futuristic exploration. Imagine Rick Wakeman colliding with the LA beat scene, or Hermeto Pascoal reimagined through the lens of J Dilla. There are flashes of 70s funk, bursts of moody organ, psychedelic synth runs, and unexpected samples of Tenorio’s own voice. The result is an album that feels alive—vivid, unpredictable, and deeply human.

The project began unintentionally. During the late-pandemic era, Tenorio found himself in a creative limbo—unsure when live music would fully return. To stay connected, he began posting spontaneous musical sketches online: playful, funky, often brilliant snippets that captured the joy of making music in real time. Over time, those sketches evolved into a cohesive body of work. “It wasn’t originally supposed to be a record,” Tenorio explains. “But I realized I was in a creative flow I really liked. I started pulling ideas back in—catching fish, so to speak—and turning them into songs.”

Despite its digital origins, Field Trip doesn’t worship technology. Instead, it revels in the human impulse to create. “The fact that so many of us have to post online to be seen is a bummer,” Tenorio admits. “But I tried to make it fun.” The result is a record that feels like scrolling through an algorithm designed by a musician rather than a machine—unexpected, full of joy, and endlessly curious.

Like his hero Hermeto Pascoal, Tenorio resists easy categorization. “When people hear my music, they find it hard to pinpoint,” Pascoal once said. “When they think I’m doing one thing, I’m already doing something else.” The same could be said for Field Trip: a playful, prismatic exploration of sound that captures the thrill of discovery and the freedom of creative expression.

Igor Lumpert’s Resistance of the Earth Channels Urgency, Spirit, and Sonic Earthquake Energy

The declining state of our planet has long been a source of creative urgency for tenor and soprano saxophonist Igor Lumpert. More than a decade ago, the Slovenian-born artist conceived a multimedia project, Prayer for the Earth, blending music, video, and choir to reflect humanity’s uneasy relationship with nature. Yet it wasn’t until recently that Lumpert was able to bring those ideas into the studio. In one inspired day—after just a single rehearsal—he captured the heart of that vision with a band of kindred spirits: Leo Genovese (piano), Drew Gress (acoustic bass), and Damion Reid (drums).

The resulting album, Resistance of the Earth, is a potent statement of resilience and reflection. It opens with the title track’s defiant choral shouts and surges forward with spiritual urgency reminiscent of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner—whose influence is clearly alive in Genovese’s roiling intensity. Lumpert, who has split his time between New York and Slovenia for 15 years, lets the music unfold with spontaneous, open-hearted conviction.

“Everything was very last minute,” he recalls. “But it ended up being a very special moment. Everything just came together so well.”

The record’s scope stretches from the elemental to the deeply personal. “Vinku (for dad)” honors Lumpert’s late father, while “Underwater Snow (for Željka)” captures the tenderness of meeting his wife. “Choir Song” finds Lumpert returning to accordion for a sense of homecoming, while “Mediterranean Samurai” reflects on bird-watching and stillness in nature. The closer, “Blues for Code Talkers,” salutes the Native American soldiers whose wartime communication inspired Lumpert’s own “pure message song.”

Each composition breathes with color and feeling—what Lumpert calls “green.” The inspiration runs deep: from witnessing natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy and the Japanese tsunami to the broader awareness that the earth itself is crying out for empathy.

Lumpert’s career threads through Slovenia’s blossoming ‘90s jazz scene, studies in Austria, and his arrival in New York in 2000 to study with Reggie Workman. Since then, he’s worked with Robert Glasper, John Abercrombie, and Chico Hamilton, while leading his evolving ensemble Innertextures. His 2022 album I Am the Spirit of the Earth affirmed his ongoing dedication to music as an act of resistance and reverence alike.

With Resistance of the Earth, Lumpert captures that balance perfectly—melding fire and grace, intellect and intuition, sound and soul.

Dave McMurray Finds Joy and Healing in His Upcoming Album I Love Life Even When I’m Hurting

Saxophonist Dave McMurray is set to release his fourth Blue Note album, I Love Life Even When I’m Hurting, on November 14—a powerful affirmation of resilience and a heartfelt love letter to his hometown of Detroit. Known for his rich tone and soul-infused jazz phrasing, McMurray continues to bridge the worlds of emotional depth and musical celebration with his most personal project to date.

The first single, a stunning cover of Al Jarreau’s “We Got By” featuring Grammy-nominated vocalist Kem, captures that blend of vulnerability and hope. McMurray says the collaboration was decades in the making: “I was heavily influenced by Al Jarreau. I listened to his first album all the time. From watching Kem progress as a singer, I’ve always had him in mind to sing on my version.” Their connection—rooted in Detroit’s deep musical legacy—brings new life to the soulful classic.

The album’s title was born from a moment of reflection. After hearing about a friend who passed away after losing his battle with illness, McMurray was struck by the need to embrace life even amid pain. “Man, I love life even when I’m hurting,” he wrote. That affirmation became the album’s core theme—a collection of songs built on positivity, gratitude, and the sustaining power of music.

Co-produced with longtime collaborator Don Was, the album was recorded at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak, Michigan, and features a stellar lineup of Detroit musicians including Was and Ibrahim Jones on bass, Luis Resto and Maurice O’Neal on keyboards, Wayne Gerard on guitar, Jeff Canady on drums, Mahindi Masai on percussion, and Herschel Boone on vocals. McMurray wrote six of the nine tracks, each radiating with soulful melodicism and heartfelt groove.

“Making this album was such a cool project,” McMurray shares. “Everyone on it is somebody that I love.”

Gerardo Frisina Expands His Cosmic Groove on “In Sight Vol. 1”

Few artists have bridged the worlds of jazz and electronic music with as much elegance and consistency as Gerardo Frisina. Firmly tied to Schema Records since his 2001 debut Ad Lib, the Milan-based producer, composer, and DJ has spent more than two decades carving out a distinct space where Latin rhythms, jazz improvisation, and club culture coexist in perfect harmony. His latest work, In Sight Vol. 1 — the first of a two-part release — marks a new chapter in that evolution.

Following the forward-thinking Moving Ahead (2020), Frisina continues to push his sound into the cosmic and the futuristic. Yet from the very first notes, In Sight Vol. 1 remains unmistakably his: warm, rhythmic, and endlessly grooving. The album’s seven tracks reflect both precision and playfulness — music crafted for dance floors but rich in musical detail and texture.

Two singles have already set the tone: “Mindoro”, a percussive, brass-driven storm of rhythm, and “Desejar”, which weaves tropical sensuality with tight, jazz-informed structure. The full album reveals the complete picture — from the cinematic bossa nova dreamscape of “O Soñho” to the high-energy pulse that runs through the set’s other tracks. Frisina even revisits one of his personal favorites, originally featured on a 2009 10” EP, bringing new color and vitality to a fan-beloved classic.

Every element of In Sight Vol. 1 reflects Frisina’s meticulous approach: conceived, written, arranged, and produced by the artist himself, and recorded at Blue Spirit Recording Studio between September and December 2024. The album features a stellar ensemble including Giovanni Guerretti (piano, Fender Rhodes), Gendrickson Mena (trumpet, piano, vocals), Ernesto Lopez (percussion), Ralph Adiles (bass), and contributions from Francesco Borrelli, Ermanno Principe, Enzo Frassi, Simone Daclon, Germano Zenga, and Gilson Silveira.

The result is a record that feels both grounded in tradition and untethered by time. In Sight Vol. 1 captures Frisina’s signature blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms, soul-jazz sensibility, and contemporary electronic production, while expanding it toward something visionary — a sound that looks to the stars without ever losing its groove.

As the first installment of a two-volume project, In Sight is both a continuation and a revelation — a reminder that evolution doesn’t mean leaving the past behind, but listening for its echoes in new frequencies.

High Society New Orleans Jazz Band Keeps the Spirit Swinging on “Live at Birdland”

On Oscar night in 1978, while Annie Hall swept four Academy Awards — including Best Picture — Woody Allen was across the country, clarinet in hand, playing New Orleans jazz at Michael’s Pub in Manhattan. That lifelong devotion to the music would evolve into a storied Café Carlyle residency that lasted more than two decades, featuring a band of world-class players like Zambian-born, Grammy-winning pianist Conal Fowkes and Australian trumpeter Simon Wettenhall.

Now, that spirit lives on in the High Society New Orleans Jazz Band, co-led by Fowkes and Wettenhall, who’ve brought their jubilant energy and reverence for tradition to a weekly Thursday night residency at Birdland since March 2024. Their debut on Turtle Bay Records, Live at Birdland, recorded August 22 and 29, captures the band’s electrifying interplay, heartfelt swing, and unfiltered joy.

The group — Fowkes, Wettenhall, Harvey Tibbs (trombone), Tom Abbott (clarinet), Kevin Dorn (drums), Brian Nalepka (bass), and Josh Dunn (banjo and guitar) — channels the spontaneous, communal energy of old-school New Orleans jazz. They don’t use written charts, relying instead on intuition and shared pulse. “They are living and breathing as one,” wrote jazz historian Chip Deffaa, praising their “terrific ensemble sound” and “organic feel,” calling them “essentially Woody Allen’s band, without Woody Allen.”

The band’s collective resume reads like a who’s who of classic jazz revivalists — many have appeared in Allen’s films, from Sweet and Lowdown and Midnight in Paris to Blue Jasmine and Café Society. But on Live at Birdland, the spotlight is fully theirs.

After a brief “Introduction,” the band opens with a New Orleans funeral-style medley of “Flee as a Bird” and “Oh Didn’t He Ramble,” shifting from mournful procession to full-on street-party jubilation. “In a nutshell,” says Fowkes, “this beautiful hymn followed by all the exuberance says a lot about the breadth of emotion in New Orleans music.” That breadth carries through the record, from the joyful romp of “Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man” to the blues-soaked “Dallas Blues,” where Wettenhall’s vocals and horn lead anchor a powerful statement of longing and movement.

The set hits its stride on “Ace in the Hole,” a good-humored jam packed with blazing solos, and “Shreveport Stomp,” their fiery nod to Jelly Roll Morton that lets Fowkes cut loose on piano while the horns and drums trade call-and-response lines. The mood shifts with “Say Si Si,” a charming Cuban classic sung by Fowkes that highlights the Caribbean roots running through New Orleans jazz.

Of course, no show would be complete without “High Society” — the band’s namesake tune and an enduring jazz anthem first recorded in 1911. Their version is a barn burner, driven by Abbott’s clarinet fireworks and Dunn’s snappy banjo. They close the album with “When I Leave the World Behind,” an Irving Berlin gem sung by Nalepka. It’s a clever, heartfelt reflection on legacy and remembrance — and, as Wettenhall jokes, “it ended up being the perfect farewell for the album too.”

From start to finish, Live at Birdland is a vibrant, joyous celebration — not just of New Orleans jazz, but of the living, breathing conversation that keeps it alive. Fowkes, Wettenhall, and company don’t simply preserve a tradition — they inhabit it, transforming Birdland into a modern-day Frenchmen Street.