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New Release: The Man Who Would Be King from Adam De Lucia

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  New Release:  The Man Who Would Be King from Adam De Lucia Label: Independent Release Date: August 7, 2026 Website:  https://thetektonics.com/ Guitarist, leader and composer Adam De Lucia amasses a symphony of improvised solos and mutable support structures on his recording The Man Who Would Be King , a title inspired by John Huston’s adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling story.  Integrating jazz fusion, funk, blues, and flaming Santana-esque riffs, De Lucia delivers a sonic adventure for the listener through psychedelic soundscapes, rollicking rhythms, and sizzling interplay.  Comprised of 8 original tracks by De Lucia, the music has a spontaneous slant, moving in various directions as the musicians build from one another's threads in each piece.  "Will You Follow” is a prime example, developing solo parts from a single motif that causes shifts in the melodic patterns, heightening in scope and intensity.  The funky furls of Michael Ghegan's tenor sax cr...
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New Release: Treasury Volume 3 from Terry Waldo

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  New Release:  Treasury Volume 3 from Terry Waldo Label:  Turtle Bay Records Release Date:  June 5, 2026 Website:  https://terrywaldo.com Treasury Volume 3   is pianist, historian, cultural preservationist, and bandleader Terry Waldo's latest installment in his Ragtime Classics series.   From Creole to Storyville jazz, from bluesy tin pan alley grooves to jaunty vaudeville tempos, and from ragtime to swing, Waldo demonstrates his affection and fidelity to early American jazz, shaped by improvisation, interplay, and spirited harmonies.   Joining Waldo on the recording are:  Jay Lepley on drums and vocals, Jim Fryer on trombone and vocals, Mike Davis on trumpet and vocals, Jerron Paxton on banjo and vocals, Evan Arntzen on clarinet, Ricky Alexander on clarinet, Colin Hancock on trumpet, Nick Russo on banjo, Brian Nalepka on bass and Arnt Arntzen on banjo.  His reworking of Jelly Roll Morton's fan favorite “Frog-I-More Rag,” crea...
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Sean Imboden: Discovering New Elements in Jazz Improvisation and Big Band Creations

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  Indianapolis-based saxophonist, composer and bandleader Sean Imboden cultivates a modern jazz, big band atmosphere that brings new elements into the platform.  He directs the Sean Imboden Large Ensemble (SILE), a 17-piece group that reimagines traditional big band scores and ventures into creating original material through enthralling improvisations and dynamic interplay. "We have many great musicians in Indianapolis, so I have a large pool to draw from," he cites, describing, "I look for people I know will play the parts well, and can blend well with their bandmates."  "Everyone in the band has a good amount of experience with playing in big bands and other ensembles," he determines, "so when they get together for my gigs, they know how to dial it in. Another important quality is for each musician to be willing to prepare their individual part before the rehearsal. Then, when we get together to play, we can focus on details and bring...
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New Release: Keep Holding On from Leigh Pilzer

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  New Release:  Keep Holding On from Leigh Pilzer Label:  Strange Woman Records 010 Release Date:  June 19, 2026 Website:  www.leighpilzer.com Leigh Pilzer's dexterity on the baritone saxophone will inspire audiences to remember the hard-bop extemporizing of iconic saxophonists like Dexter Gordon and Zoot Sims.  Her 2026 endeavor Keep Holding On blends traditional jazz precepts with contemporary sensibilities  A bulk of the compositions are original material written by Pilzer, crisscrossing between the freestyle call and respond conversations of her original work "Swinging at the Station" and the fluid riffs of her tuneful "When It's Gone."  Her interplay with trombonists Jen Krupa and Joe Jackson, trumpet players Kenny Rittenhouse and Ally Hany Albrecht, and Hammond B3 organist Paul Bratcher is spicy, bold and expressive.  The tracks are tweaked by the fiery and combustible playing of drummer Greg Holloway, who make every track pop and crac...
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New Release: Free: A Soulful Journey from Gergana Velinova

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  New Release:  Free: A Soulful Journey from Gergana Velinova Label:  Cellar Music Group Release Date:  June 12, 2026 Website:  https://gerganavelinova.com/home Free:  A Soulful Journey from smooth jazz vocalist Gergana Velinova is her seventh outing as a solo artist.  Melodies travel between being breezy and haunting, soothing and surging, caressing and sizzling, introspective and soaring, trussed in Latin-inspired shimmies, lulling melodies, and bluesy showtunes-style shuffles.  Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, into a family where artistry was woven into her daily life, Velinova's refined vocalese molds "Orange Moon" into a romantic calling as she muses, "Orange Moon / do you feel alone when you dance with the dawn / do you see that all / is your heart aglow / longing day and night / just to see his eyes and his golden face / across a sky ablaze /  so in love."  The sultry strut rollicking across "Something More" brings out the pla...
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Album Review: Earth Travelers from Asai Kastan Duo

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  Album:  Earth Travelers Artist:  Asai Kastan Duo Label:  Space2Groove Records Release Date:  April 23, 2026 Website:  http://www.takeshiasai.com/index.html https://www.space2grooverecords.com Earth Travelers is a kaleidoscopic voyage helmed by pianist Takeshi Asai and Brian Kastan on fretless bass.   Their prismatic inflections, multi-hued tones, and free flowing sound waves craft an atmospheric expedition that delights audiences.  The pair demonstrate a smooth repartee formed by the piano and bass, rarely experienced in music.  Their lyrical improvisations and random dynamics keep the tracks in a state of flux that heightens the listeners senses from the fiery exchanges of "We Made It" to the silky conversing through the title track.   The cresting and ebbing motions of "Sonic Pathways" permeate an emotive vibe, while the lulling swells of "This Is The Way" project a consolatory stroking.  The duo travel from the ether...
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  New Release:  Fool's Fate from Rik Wright and the Fundamental Forces Label:  HipSync Records Release Date:  July 10, 2026 Website:  www.rikwright.com Seattle-based guitarist and composer, Rik Wright is at the helm of Fundamental Forces, a quartet that hones psychedelic jazz soundscapes,  balancing improvised movements with melodically structured motifs.  Their 2026 recording Fool's Fate , comprised of original material written by Wright, shows the quartet's malleable quality to be spontaneous, riffing off one another while maintaining the core thread.  Tracks like "Nothin' But A Thang" and "Freezer Jam" are hold together by a recurring motif that each musician builds from, exercising their extemporaneous leanings.  The soft splendor of "Luminescence" is tasseled in James DeJoie's dulcet saxophone twirls, cradled in the lounging bass pump of Geoff Harper and steady beats of drummer Greg Campbell, as Wright's unbridled musings on th...
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