jazz2love

    New Release:  What Next? from Russ Anixter and The Hippie Big Band   Label: RussAnixter.com Release Date: August 7, 2026 Artist Website: https://russanixter.com Orchestrator, arranger and bandleader Russ Anixter presents his second endeavor with the Hippie Big band, entitled What Next?   The 11 piece ensemble of brass, woodwinds, percussion, drums, guitar, bass, along with Danny Louis on organ, and Bill Hayes on vibes, xylo and toys, creates an energetic collection.  Retooling and improvising through such jazz and pop classics as Paul McCartney and John Lennon's "I Saw Her Standing There," Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia's "Shakedown Street," and a mashup of Led Zepplin's "No Quarter" with Miles Davis's "Bitches Brew," Anixter demonstrates a modern ingenuity that breathes new life into vintage material.  The marching band cadence of Dr. John Creaux and Mac Rebennack's "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" is tweaked with ...

  New Release:  Songs From Thin Air from Scott Sadlon Release Date: January 28, 2026 Label: Buddha Boy Records Website:  https://scottsadlon1.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-thin-air https://www.timlefebvremusic.com/ https://www.racheleckroth.com/ Eclectic, abstract, and cinematic, drummer Scott Sadlon collaborates with keyboardist Rachel Eckroth and bassist Tim Lefebvre on his 2026 effort Songs From Thin Air .  Harmonic forms are discovered during the process of performing rather than being formally structured, opening the creators to formulating avenues and fluidity on the spur of the moment as each artist responds to the others movements and interjections.  The outcome is music built from the creators listening to one another as much as performing collectively.  The press release states, "Songs From Thin Air was recorded in June 2022 at Saltmine Studios in Mesa, Arizona, capturing a single-session meeting of three musicians drawing on decades of musical an...

  New Release:  In Motion from Jeremy Green  Release Date:  July 17, 2026 Label:  Independent Website:  https://jeremygreenguitar.com/ Canadian songwriter-leader-guitarist Jeremy Green bridges improvised jazz surges with power rock riffs and soul-funk grooves on his 2026 project In Motion , loaded with all original material written by Green.  His chords soar while intermittently amplified by additional guitarists: Mark Lettieri, Mike Stern, Tim Lefebvre, Rich Brown, Oz Noy, Jared James Nichols, and Allen Hinds.  The arrangements are securely moored by Keith Carlock's pulsating drumbeats, sporadically infused with Chase Baird's billowing saxophone curls, Jimmy Haslip's jaunty bass pumps, Moto Fukushima's animated bass romps on the track "Queen West," and Will Lee's vibrating bass tremors on the title track.  Green's tune "The 55" is a tribute to the now closed Manhattan club 55 Bar, filled with personalized musings by Green, Mike Stern, and Ti...

  Album:  Asymmetrical Dot Artist:   Stephen Emmer Label:   Self-Released Release Date:   February 27, 2026 Website:   https://stephenemmer.com   Multi-instrumentalist, orchestrator, arranger, composer, and bandleader Stephen Emmer collaborates with like-minded creators and musicians on his ambitious endeavor Asymmetrical Dot . A deeply personal, musical journey that combines jazz noir ambiences, operatic silhouettes, vesper-like sonorous, lamenting expressions, and ghostly vocals.   Emmer whittles an inviting and eclectic amalgam that incites mass consciousness.   Beckoning the listener to travel into the cavernous soundscapes, fusing misty atmospheres and eerie missives.   Melancholic wisps sweep across "Accepting the Albatros," transitioning into a consoling tone in the circular strings of "Benja's Birth."   The brooding missive and lamenting tint of "Amboina (for Roekie Aronds)" is haloed in operatic vocals.   The track is ...

  New Release:  Ode to the Possible from Tom Lippincott Label:  Self-Released Release Date:  February 27, 2026 Website: tomlippincott.com   Jazz guitarist and composer Tom Lippincott offers Ode to the Possible , a conceptual album that focuses on musical themes, portraying futuristic impressions and coursing improvised expeditions.  The recording features Lippincott's original compositions with him performing on 8-string guitar and electronics, and joined by David Fernandez on tenor and soprano sax, Marty Quinn on bass, and Lucas Apostoleris on drums.  Chilean guitarist and vocalist Camila Meza makes a guest appearance on "Zakir," a soothing ballad that emotes tranquility and reflection.   Her chanting vocals infuse a spiritual quality in the arrangement, encircled by the balmy ripples of Fernandez's sax, causing the atmospheric tune to standout.  Reverberating effects contour "Sisters and Brothers" with a soothing mist, as the litheso...

  New Release:  The Night Sky from The Robert Jospé Quartet Label:   Self-Released Release Date:   January 11, 2026 Website:    www.robertjospe.com   The Night Sky from the Robert Jospé Quartet features nine original compositions and two interpretations of jazz standards.   Led by drummer-percussionist-composer-educator Robert Jospé, the quartet includes Daniel Clarke on piano and keyboards, Christ Whiteman on guitar, and Paul Langosch on acoustic bass.   Their music has a strong Latin flare in the samba grooves of   "Samba Sunrise" and the festive shimmies of "Pyramids," both original works by Robert Jospé.    His cool jazz tune "Desert Dream" fuses smooth blues with a classic jazz strut, cradled in Whiteman's funky guitar pumps and the sleek threads of Clarke's keys.   The title track weaves an adult contemporary vibe, hitching glistening keys to a light, frolicking beat.    The soft bluesy swells of Leonard Be...

  New Release:  Suns of the Heart from Colin Fisher  Label:  We Are Busy Bodies imprint Release Date:  July 12, 2024 Website:  https://colinalexanderfisher.bandcamp.com/album/suns-of-the-heart Sonic imagery and atmospheric emanations are aspects of multi-instrumentalist/composer Colin Fisher's recording Suns of the Heart .   A staple of Toronto's experimental music community, Fisher is a visionary sculptor, bridging the esoteric plane with ambient sound passages and abstract constructs.   The sonic spectacular seams shards of synth-embodied effects and ethereal textures, rippling, gliding, shimmering, and screeching in waves.  Tumbling and soaring randomly along fractured paths.  Surging and sprouting, pelting and gushing, rising and receding in spontaneous patterns, producing an illusion moving through fluxing dynamics.  The tiers of effects resonate a subliminal tone, ebbing and flowing, twisting and releasing with phant...

  My America 3: My Country from Jim Self Label:  Basset Hound Music Release Date:  June 13, 2025 Website:  https://www.bassethoundmusic.com Tuba player and fluba (part tuba, part flugelhorn) practitioner Jim Self presents his 24th album My America 3: My Country with arrangements by Kim Scharnberg.  A collection of jazz-izfied country tunes that pay respect to their Americana roots, coalesce square dance meters with Dixieland decor, swing-themed embellishments, southern rock riffs, synth pop glitter, and big band swells.  Opening with Self's original work “Chomping at the Bit,”  the track is tethered to a country-folk shuffle supporting Self's meandering toots on the fluba, with guitar inserts countered by intervals of a slinking fiddle and puffing horns.  “Wabashed” is a mash up of the hillbilly anthem “Wabash Cannonball” and Ervin T. Rouse's “Orange Blossom Special,” two songs about trains with the percussive beats and chugging fiddle loops allu...

  Oblivity from Shawn Purcell  Label:  Origin Records Release Date: September 19, 2025 Website: www.shawnpurcell.com As a composer, arranger, leader, and guitarist, Shawn Purcell original works layer instruments, forming a massive conglomerate that quakes, rattles, simmers, thrusts, roars, and reels on his 2025 project Oblivity.   Performing alongside tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, trombonist Ben Patterson, keyboardist Chris Ziemba, acoustic bass player Jeff Reed, drummer/percussionist Steve Fidyk, and vocalist Darden Purcell, his material jumps out at listeners, calling for their undivided attention.  Indeed, he achieves this feat by utilizing the whirling motion of the horns, the heady throbs of the bass and drums, the cascading doodles engineered by the keys, and Purcell's own percolating strings.  From hardcore bop to soulful blues, swing, and smooth jazz interludes, Purcell's music isn't compacted with signature traits but rather he travels across a ...

  Dream Dancing: Celebrating Zoot Sims at 100 from The Scott Silbert Quartet Label:  Self-Released Release Date:  November 7, 2025 Website: https://www.scottsilbertmusic.com From the press release, "The Scott Silbert Quartet marks the centennial of one of jazz’s most beloved voices, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims (1925–1985), with a heartfelt tribute recording, Dream Dancing . Released in 2025 to coincide with Sims’ 100th birthday on October 29, the album captures the warmth, humor, and effortless swing that made Sims a cornerstone of the jazz tradition."  Sparsely layered with Silbert on tenor and soprano saxophone, Amy Shook (of 3D Jazz Trio fame) on bass, Robert Redd on piano, and Chuck Redd on drums, the band fuses bop, swing, torchlight blues, and straight-ahead jazz into an easy listening package. The hynotic sway of Silbert's saxophone is bolstered by the brushed strokes of Chuck Redd's drumming, wrapped in the soft kayaking strums of Shook's bass, and the spr...

  The Road to Trantor from Carl Schultz Label: Origin Records Release Date: November 21, 2025 Website:  https://carlschultzmusic.com Like a smooth, quenching claret, The Road to Trantor is saxophonist Carl Schultz's vision of something that audiences will find aurally scrumptious.  He refers to his creation of all original material as "a soundtrack to a science fiction movie that only exists in my head."  The compilation is more comparable to classic 1950's ballroom dance meets whimsical 2020's symbiotic parlance. The rapport among the musicians sizzles and tranquilizes, schmoozing freely in a social club-style setting.  There is a capricious flare in the playing, a sleek chirping nestled in sophisticated banter that recalls of jazz masters like Oscar Peterson and Charlie Parker.  Led by Schultz on saxophone and flute, his ensemble consists of Adam Benjamin on piano and Rhodes, Tim Wendel on guitar, Zack Teran on bass, and Alwyn Robinson on drums. Their me...

  Album:   Conceptions Artist:   Geoffrey Dean Quartet Label:   Cellar Music Website:  www.geoffreydeanmusic.com Conceptions is the second album from the Geoffrey Dean Quartet featuring leader-pianist Geoffrey Dean, bassist Harish Raghavan, Dr. Eric Binder on drums, and Justin Copeland on trumpet.  The recording is an array of original music using the framework of straight-ahead jazz with each track written individually by Dean, Binder and Copeland.  The group’s multi-dimensional writing styles showcase a diversity of expressions and interplay using jazz principles.   The heavenly furls of Copeland's trumpet swirling leisurely across "Amidst a Dream" recede as Dean's lightly prancing keys take centerstage, held steady by the trotting beats of Binder's drums and Raghavan's bass.   The bold strokes of Copeland's trumpet flares open "Conflagration" into a blossoming meadow of sonic ripples that retract as Dean's nimbly choreographed keys ...

An American saxophonist and composer, Sean Imboden has released three albums as a leader, and continues to cultivate new discoveries using the jazz form.  The language of jazz is Imboden's chosen musical expression, enabling him to design abstract landscapes that he envisions in his mind, giving voice to the sounds in his head. "I like the freedom of jazz music," he professes, "and that as a jazz musician you are encouraged to be yourself. When you learn the music, you study other players and their musical personalities, but only as a means to an end, which is to fully embrace your personal, unique sound and style."  He considers, "I like that the term 'jazz' now encompasses a broad range of sound and styles, and I like that the term has become more difficult to define. We need artists to think outside the box and not be scared to sound different than what has come before."  "I like that by studying jazz music intensely," he precipita...

Album:  Aurora Artist:  Finn Wiest Quintet Label:  Self-Released Websites:  https://finnwiest.com/                   https://finnwiest.bandcamp.com/album/aurora                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RItvtO8hfE Jazz drummer-educator-composer Finn Wiest merges the fluid musings of Chick Corea with the cozy stride of McCoy Tyner and the sleek spontaneity of Billy Cobham on his recording Aurora .  Joined by his quintet, consisting of Julius van Rhee on alto saxophone, Victor Fox on tenor saxophone, Leandro Irarragorri on piano, and Calvin Lennig on bass, together, their collaborations blend the vintage sounds of bebop with improvised twists and straight-ahead jazz threads. The title track, written by Irarragorri, travels at a leisurely pace held by the gentle glint of his keys, as the f...

Album:   Hidden Gems Artist:   Brent Laidler Label:   BEL Records LLC Website: https://brentlaidler.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BrentLaidlerMusic/ https://brentlaidler.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-gems   Hidden Gems  is the third project from composer-arranger-guitarist-bandleader Brent Laidler and features arrangements inspired by such jazz luminaries as Dave Brubeck and Cannonball Adderly.  Some listeners will consider the compositions as contrafacts, creating improvisations based on original material.  And some listeners will consider Laidler's works as completely original, being adaptations of original works with new melodies and new chord reharmonizations.  However people wish to view Laidler's material, there is no denying that the compositions are easy on the ears, promoting sleek improvisations and harmonious collaborations among his sextet. Accompanying Laidler in his adventure are Mark Buselli on trumpet, Ned Boyd on saxophone a...

Album:  Continuation Artist:   Yuto Mitomi Label:   Self-Released Website:  yutomitomi.com   Japanese jazz saxophonist and composer Yuto Mitomi makes his debut as a leader with his release Continuation .  Based in New York, Mitomi blends his musical roots with influences of American bebop, improvisation, swing, and straight-ahead jazz.  Featuring eight original compositions and two jazz standards with his arrangements, the album showcases Mitomi's fluency in the jazz framework, leading his band mates Takahiro Izumikawa on keyboards, Moto Fukushima on six string bass, and Kazuhiro Odagiri on drums. The recording's title is inspired by Mitomi's continuous journey from being a pupil of Japan's folk and pop music to becoming a participant on the Manhattan jazz circuit, discovering contemporary perspectives from modern musicians, shaping his artistic leaning and contributing to the world music market.  Mitomi displays a sympatico with his band mates th...

Album:  Soft Light Artist:  Mark Scott III Label Name: Miller Three Publishing Artist Website: https://markscottiii.com Soundcloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/mark-scott-419586889/sets/soft-light Mark Scott III is a jazz guitarist based out of Austin, Texas.   He makes his debut as the leader of a jazz trio with their recording Soft Light from Miller Three Publishing.  Joined by bass player Ben Triesch and drummer Mike Gordon, Scott composed a suite of original compositions dedicated to his loved one that have passed away and to those who are alive, celebrating the joy that life offers.  His music is softly lit, and his melodic prose projects a sentimentality and vulnerability that bonds with listeners. The tracks chronicle pieces of Scott's journey to adulthood, demonstrating a maturity that is laudable.  His thoughts and emotions are channeled into the rustling of his chords.  The listener is a spectator along the ride as Scott intimates a ran...

     Trusting in one's collaborators is a principle that saxophonist-composer-arranger-leader Yuto Mitomi follows by instinct.  Mitomi has enjoyed shaping compositions and improvisations from simply trusting in the collective experience of riffing with his collaborators.  His 2025 release Epicycle harnesses this synergy, blending traditional jazz parlance with modern perspectives. "With Epicycle ," he declares, "I aimed to capture not just the sound but also the atmosphere and human energy—the intangible elements that emerge when musicians create together in the moment." A shining example of Mitomi's songwriting process, capturing human energy that emerges when immersed in a collaborative setting, is his improvised arrangement "Grappling Cats" from Epicycle .  He explains, "This track is actually a free improvisation. I probably just counted in the tempo then started playing without any sheet music." "I don’t remember the exact det...