jazz2love

    New Release:  Shifty Paradigms from Dave Slonaker Label:  Origin Records Release Date:  February 20, 2026 Website:  https://daveslonaker.com   Bandleader, arranger and composer Dave Slonaker presents his third recording, Shifty Paradigms , expanding on his perception of big band arrangements remaining true to tradition while exploring uncharted terrain.  He composed seven of the eight arrangements on the album, highlighting his extensive influences in the field of swing and writing for large jazz ensembles.  He opens the album with “Dash Cam,” structuring the composition to mirror the diverse flow among the instruments, moving between peaceful and bustling.  On the 1925 standard “Bye Bye Blues,” written by Fred Hamm, Dave Bennett, Bert Lown, and Chauncey Gray, Slonaker weaves a jazz waltz for baritone saxophonist, Adam Schroeder, traveling into a straight-ahead up-tempo section for Ron Stout on trumpet.  The title track is a che...

  New Release:  The New Jersey Sessions from Jeremy Monteiro Label: Jazznote Records Release Date:  May 31, 2024 Website:  jeremymonteiro.com Pianist, composer and leader Jeremy Monteiro celebrates his 48th CD, The New Jersey Sessions , accompanied by tenor saxophonist Sean Hong Wei and featuring saxophonist Houston Person, bassist Jay Anderson, drummer Evan Sherman, and Alex Sipiagin on trumpet.  There is a big band feel to the arrangements, made by a handful of musicians on deck.  The posh ambience that Monteiro creates with the keys in tracks like "A Weaver of Dreams" and "Dewey Square" enshrouds the listener in waves of elegance.  The swinging rhythm bodes nicely with the refined extemporizing from the saxophone, giving these numbers a lively vibe.  Slow simmering tunes like "I Want To Talk About You" and "Life Goes On" pave the way for stirring dialogues performed by the saxophone.   The graceful phrasing of Wei's sax enlivens the w...

  New Release  Found in Space:  The Music of Gregg Hill from Michael Dease Label: Origin Records Release Date: September 20, 2024 Website:  https://www.michaeldease.com https://www.gregghilljazz.com Balancing lyricism with dynamic harmonic formations, trombonist-saxophonist Michael Dease pays homage to the work of Gregg Hill with his project Found in Space:  The Music of Gregg Hill.  His reimagination of a handful of Hill's material keeps the basic motifs in tact while encouraging spirited explorations in the open spaces.  The sci-fi motifs opening "The Last Pop Tune" are filled with circling woodwinds and brass instruments as trumpeter/arranger Matt White incorporates frilly counterpoints by Bill Cunliffe on piano keys, and soft flails from Sharel Cassity's flute.  The band sails tightly, maneuverimg through various turns, rhythmic changes and chord dynamics along the course, keeping the track in a continued flux of motion.  "One for Rodney,...

  New Release:  It Gets Better from Jeff Rupert Release Date: September 6, 2024 Label: Rupe Media Website:  www.facebook.com/JeffRupertSax Saxophonist, composer, and leader Jeff Rupert has enjoyed four and a half decades of performing, producing, creating, and teaching jazz styles from swing to blues, from straight-ahead to smooth, from big band dancehall to post bop fervor.  His 2024 project It Gets Better contains 6 originals by Rupert and 3 jazz standards.  Taking a look at his original "Lana Turner," Rupert illustrates his forte for cool jazz atmospheres as the smooth furls of his sax float above the slow, steady, bopping swells of Peter Washington's bass and Joe Farnsworth's drums, while the paddling motions of Kenny Barron's piano keys sow harmonious formations, foddering the cushion-laden climate.  There is an overall amiable presence throughout the assortment of jazz styles on display, whispering gently in the listener's ear through his iteration o...

  Wake Up Call from Rick Roe Label: Cold Plunge Records Release Date:  December 19, 2025 Websites: https://www.gregghilljazz.com https://www.roejazz.com Pianist, leader and arranger Rick Roe, while in the company of Nate Winn on drums, Robert Hurst on bass, and Marcus Elliot on tenor and soprano saxophones, has cultivated a nouveau straight-ahead jazz style on his newest addition Wake Up Call:  The Music of Gregg Hill .  Roe and company make alternations to jazz composer Gregg Hill's compositions that set these tracks along a path of spiraling aerials and stimulating improvisations.  The main course of the album is the window brightening hues of "Sunspiration," escalated by the swinging fluctuations throttling the title track, and then rolling into the stargazing harmonies of "Wide River."   The bopping beats of "The Return of Mr. Pea" propel Roe's jutting keys and Elliot's zigzagging tenor into a nouveau stratosphere.  For the dessert, Winn...

  New Release:  Very Early:  Remembering Bill Evans from Jim Witzel Label:  Joplin & Sweeney Records Release Date: August 15, 2025 Website:  https://www.jimwitzelmusic.com Jim Witzel's 4th album, Very Early:  Remembering Bill Evans is a memorial to the works of pianist Bill Evans, performed on guitar by Witzel.  His slant on Evans's material draws out the reflective and relaxing qualities of the music.  Teaming up with pianist Phil Aaron, bass player Dan Feiszli, and drummer Jason Lewis, Witzel merges collective improvisation with introspective musings and straight-ahead jazz elements found in Evans's music.  Inspired by Evans's recording Sunday at the Village Vanguard, Witzel recreates a relaxing Sunday afternoon vibe in his recompositions of Evans's material as he, Aaron and Lewis trade motifs and choruses.  Their harmonies move like poetry in motion standing out on "Israel" with the swinging stride of the rhythm section collabora...

  Words Underlined from Patrick Smith Label:  Lit Soc Records Release Date:  December 12, 2025 Website:  https://www.patricksmithsax.com https://litsocrecords.bandcamp.com Saxophonist-composer Patrick Smith plays with a soulful script and unwavering determination, displaying a sensitivity that is penetrative and an instinct that moves in sync with his collaborators.  His 2025 program Words Underlined is an 11-track disc that evokes introspection, willpower and solace.  The mournful wails of his sax construct an ecclesiastical edifice for "Hazel," contrasting the fiery blazes roaring across "Banff" kettled by guitarist Dan Pitt and drummer Lowell Whitty, and ignited by Smith's belting saxophone howls.  He plays a swinging ragtime-like shuffle across "I've Found A New Nemesis," nimbly moving into a hollering squeal.  Smith halos "As Years Go By" with amorous, cool jazz flutters that evoke reflection and solace as his sax soars and ebbs, sl...

  So Do It from Jimbo Ross Label:  Bodacious Records Release Date: October 17, 2025  Website:  https://bodaciousrecords.com/about-jimbo-ross Live performer and viola player, Jimbo Ross, builds his longevity with his 2025 offering So Do It .  Opening the recording with Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low,” Ross pillars the straight ahead, up-tempo jazz groove with a bevy of twists and curves crisscrossing along the melodic structure, keeping it evolving with molten activity.  Ross follows a similar recipe fomenting nimble patterns with his viola, catapulted by the Chattanooga chugging beat bolstering "Twisted Blues," a Wes Montgomery standard.  His interpretation of Lee Morgan’s fan favorite “The Gigolo” is blanketed in earthy textures from the bustling riffs of his viola to the glistening doodles of Stuart Elster on the piano.   From the warm strokes of Joe Gaeta on guitar to the pummeling beats of Ron Wagner on drums and the frothy bounce of Peter Marsh...

  Playing Favorites from Chris Rottmayer Label: Pilars Jazz Release Date: October 17, 2025 Website: https://chrisrottmayer.com Playing Favorites is composer-pianist Chris Rottmayer's sixth album as a leader. His choice of material embraces American adult contemporary and jazz standards by such luminaries as Frank Loesser and Kenny Barron to name a few.  Backed by vocalist Kelsey Wallner along with Clark Sommers on bass and Matt Endres on drums, the recording is gilded in straight-ahead jazz trimmings accented by flecks of Latin shimmer as Wallner contributes a handful of her own original tunes to the assortment.  Wallner's soul-studded bluesy vocalese shapes "On The Street Where You Live" into an memorable arrangement as the sauntering pace of the bass and drums cling to her rhythmic strokes.  The shuffling pace of Rottmayer's keys imbue "Firm Roots" with a straight-ahead jazz revving, turning to a candlelight glow through "Sail Away".  Wallne...

  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:  In Lieu of Flowers Artist:   Dave Anderson Label:   LABEL 1 Records Website:  www.daveandersonjazz.com Smooth, cool jazz layered in flowing knolls and blues-infused motifs catacomb in incisions of improvised movements, In Lieu of Flowers from saxophonist/composer/leader Dave Anderson is a pleasurable jaunt.  His crew comprised of Grant Richards on piano, Lorin Cohen on bass, Jimmy Macbride on drums, and himself on saxophone sets out on engulfing the listener in harmonious riffs.   Each track exudes a nocturnal vibe conducive to after-hours respite.   The slow burn of Anderson's saxophone forms glistening cascades of teardrops along "Sanctuary" as Richards's piano solo etches dexterous scrolls across the track, creating a tender, reflective moment.  "Lost City" projects a dreamy vision in the listener's mind brandishing an evocative bass solo played by Cohen, while "One for Wayne," a tribute to Wayne Shorter, is fraught in livel...

  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 ...

  New Release:  Waking Dream from Randy Napoleon Label:  OA2 Records Release Date:  August 15, 2025 Website:  www.RandyNapoleon.com An amalgam of modern bebop, meditative blues, and straight-ahead jazz, composer, guitarist, and leader Randy Napoleon teamed up with four additional guitarists, who are all former students of his:  Luke Sittard, Chris Minami, Jocelyn Gould, and Ben Turner for his recording Waking Dream .  Consisting of original tracks written by Napoleon and Gregg Hill, the recording explores diversity in syncopation, melodic phrasing, and harmonic forms.  The atmospheric serenity shrouding the title track exudes a tenderness, which is contrasted by the complex intricacies of "The Speckled Frog," as each instrument moves to a different beat between Quincy Davis' syncopated drumming to the streaking flare of Anthony Stanco's trumpet and the curt bopping pulse of Rodney Whitaker's bass.  "The Singer" displays a Latin accent in the ...

Album:  I Guess We're Not Alone Artist:  The Beveled Edges Label Name: Detrallas Records Website: https://thebevelededges.com Endowed with a voice that can lull audiences into a blissful respite and equally lure them onto the dancefloor, singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan is partnered with 7-string guitarist Anthony Lanni whose playing wraps delicate embellishments around Bhushan's vocal melodies.  Together, they form The Beveled Edges, a multi-faceted duo who integrate Parisian soul with Latin swing, prairieland folk, classic orchestral pop, and bluesy torchlight vocalese.    Their debut recording I Guess We're Not Alone is comprised of 10 original tunes, featuring an accompaniment that includes:  Arei Sekiguchi on drums and percussion, Haruna Fukazawa on flute, Tosh Sheridan on piano, Brad Whitely on organ, Garry ianco on strings, Alejandro Berti Delgado on trumpet, Ric Becker on trombone, Jeremy Powell on saxophone, and Will Holshouser on accordion. ...

  Album:   Alice Blue Artist:   Ravita Jazz Label:   Ravita Music Website:   https://www.baltimorebass.com/   Ravita Jazz is a jazz sextet led by bass player Phil Ravita and includes: percussionist Mark Leppo, saxophonist Paul Carr, pianist Greg Small, drummer Nucleo Vega, and vocalist Deidre Jennings.  Their 2025 release Alice Blue canvasses a wide breadth across the adult contemporary jazz spectrum, intersecting swaying bossa nova swells with bebop trimmings, torchlight atmospheres, and straight-ahead jazz harmonies.  Ravita Jazz's sonic representations are reflective of the adult contemporary jazz culture, featuring five originals by Ravita, two compositions by Small and three covers. Diving in, the dreamy atmosphere of "Almost Blue" is blanketed in ruminating keys, traveling along plush rhythmic beats, creating a tranquilizing vibe. The soothing timbres of Jennings's vocals caress the lyrics tenderly with a deep reverence in "From the Start," ...

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:  Self-Titled Artist:  Woodsliders Collective Label:  Self-Released Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/woodsiderscollective Website:  https://woodsiderscollective.com/#ABOUT Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@woodsiderscollective7810 Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/3GWsbX6rA41kjhrhCP0Wqx Based in New York City's Woodside, Queens neighborhood, the Woodsiders Collective is a collaboration of saxophonist Luis Sigüenza from Ecuador, trombonist Justus Heher from Germany, pianist Andrew McGowan from New Orleans, Louisiana, guitarist Yuto Kanazawa from Japan, and Russian/Belgian drummer Ilya Dynov.  Together, the quintet takes harmonious aesthetics and melodic sensibilities, relatable to icons like Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond and John Coltrane, to the next level of adult contemporary jazz.   Their self-titled recording from 2021 shows a flare for straight-ahead jazz improvising and cool Bohemian jazz stylizing, propagating a r...

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:  Self-Titled Artist:  Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma Label: Self-Released Website: https://www.joeelefantemusic.com SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/o3mTyKuYxndfss2j7 YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@joeelefantemusic The theme of jazz pianist Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma's 2025 recording is personal as well as meaningful on a broad scale that touches families far and wide.  After losing his wife to cancer in 2024, Elefante set out to revive his passion to make music, fueling his drive to create and share his material as never before.  His offering is a tribute to his wife's memory and a celebration of his dedication to his craft. Joining Elefante are old friends, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet and David Heilman on drums.  Their friendship stretches back over 25 years to their college days, when they first met and began their musical journey together.  Rounding out the ensemble are Erena Terakubo on saxophone and Sameer Shankar on bass.  ...