Click here for the Jazz News of 2027
December 2026:
November 2026:
October 2026:
September 2026:
August 2026:
Constellations And Hemispheres (Burning Ambulance, 2026) documents five pieces recorded at well known Firehouse 12 Studio between 2017 and 2022 by Wadada Leo Smith. The trumpetist led five different lineups, comprising Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), Marcus Gilmore and Pheeroan Aklaff (drums), Bobby Naughton (vibraphone), Lamar Smith (electric guitar), Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs (electric bass), and Mauro Refosco and Brian Jawara Gray (both on percussion), for two trios, a quartet, a sextet and an octet. Lets mention, especially, the 22-minute suite Dark Matter, Particles Of Light, Mirror Of The Unseen.
The DoLP/2CD set 3, out by Gearbox, documents a concert held in july 2023 by Abdullah Ibrahim-Dollar Brand. That evening he played a solo performance on Grand Piano without audience, six pieces direct to tapes (CD 1); later, the same evening, he held a concert in a trio, along with two Ekayas members: Cleave Guyton (flute, piccolo and sax) and Noah Jackson (cello).
When The Moon Is New (Feeding Tube, 2026) features the guitar trio of Loren Connors, Elliott Sharp and Michael Vallera in their Brooklyn Halloween performance (october 2025), from which were extracted four lenghty pieces, featuring solos and collective improvisations.
Japanese label Solid restores on CD after 57 years the vinyl Bloody Rockers, a 1969 release by French label BYG, that documents a collaboration between the brothers Joachim and Rolf Kuhn. The keyboardist, on piano and organ, but also on alto sax and shenai (a South-Asaian wooden reed), and his brother Rolf (1929-2022) on electro-clarinet, composed together eight pieces of jazz fusion and a bit of jazz-rock. The lineup was completed by German Volker Kriegel (1943-2003) on guitar, Gunter Lenz (bass), and Stu Martin (drums). The session dates back to february 1969, in Hamburg.
Main Lines/1967 (CorbettVsDempsey, 2026) documents four lenghty pieces coming from unissued studio sessions featuring pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach, comprising members of several lineups of free jazz first generation. Notably: Irene Schweizer and Fred van Hove (both on piano), Peter Broetzmann (tenor and baritone saxes), Gerd Dudek (soprano and tenor saxes), Manfred Schoof (cornet, trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion), Manfred Miller (cornet), Buschi Niebergall, Peter Kowald and Uli Trepte (all on bass), Sven-Ake Johansson, Jaki Liebezeit and Marcus Mani Neumeier (all on drums, percussion and tablas). The session was held in september 1967. Von Schlippenback composed two pieces, the other two coming from Broetzmann and drummer Neumeier, later member of rock band Guru Guru.
Ltd. ed. vinyl Signals (Flung, 2026) features a collaboration between cellist Okkyung Lee (who composed all eight pieces) and the Explore Ensemble project, comprising classical musicians Alex Roberts (bass clarinet), Deni Teo (cello), Taylor MacLennan (flutes and piccolo), Siwan Rhys (piano), Christine Anderson (viola) and David Lopez Ibanez (violin). Their music, say credits, takes recordings from several live performances in 2024 and 2025, restructuring them with additional layers created and edited in the studio.
Japan label Eternal Grooves restored Live In Zurich 1960, a vinyl firstly released in 1993 by Danish label Jazz Unlimited. It documents a live performance by the Quintet led by Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the same who debuted with Copenhagen March 24th 1960, comprising Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums) and Wynton Kelly (piano). This perfomance was recorded a month later, in april 1960, and features three Davis compositions: Fran-Dance, So What and the longest, the 17:30-minute All Blues/The Theme.
Credited to Claudia Quintets John Hollenbeck, Peace & Justice (Flexatonic, 2026) gatheres nine pieces performed by the drummer along with twelve reedists (saxes, flutes, trombones and trumpets), Portuguese Nuno Costa (guitar), and Oscar Graca (piano and keyboards). Recorded in the studio in june 2022.
The label Motvin delivers In The Know, a CD that sports the namesake 37-minute suite recorded in february 2024 by Trevor Watts (alto and soprano saxes), John Edwards (double bass) and Norwegian Tollef Ostvang (drums), a trio formed in 2022. Their performance was basically improvised.
The self-released Parzellen: Kraabel-Lytton, 19 April 2026 documents the 1-hour namesake performance held at the title date by Paul Lytton (percussion) and London-based Caroline Kraabel (alto sax). Mostly improvised.
After The Storm (Libra, 2026) documents pianist Satoko Fujii leading her 14-musician Orchestra Kobe (five saxes, three trumpets, two trombones, two drums, bass and guitar) in their second experience, featuring the four part 57-minute namesake suite, composed during the pandemic and now recorded live in the studio in february 2026.
May Day (Chadula, 2026) documents a solo album by Eugene Chadbourne, twelve songs composed and performed on acoustic guitar, banjo and vocals, recorded just in May Day 2026; the leader, say credits, draws together original compositions, topical parodies and songs associated with figures including labor troubadour Utah Phillips and country songwriter Merle Haggar.
The 4CD set At Home (Another Timbre, 2026) gathers 31 home recordings performed between 2018 and 2026 by John Tilbury, who, on piano, organ, clavichord and voice, assembled an octet along with Keith Rowe (guitar and organ), Klaus Filip (electronics), and the piano quintet of Sebastian Lexer, Philip Thomas, Mark Knoop, Catherine Laws and Tania Chen. This work combines music ranging from Elizabethan songbooks and contemporary compositions. Among the pieces, lets mention the 34-minute Al Contrario (CD3).
Recorded at Big Ears Festival in march 2025 (with additional recordings later in the studio), 101: An Audio Odyssey (Ropeadope, 2026) features the 102 years old (!) Marshall Allen on alto sax, EWI & kora, along with the guitar trio of Nels Cline, DM Hotep & Ru-Deep, Immanuel Wilkins on alto sax & contrabass, Roberto Verastegot on keyboards, Braxton Bateman on trumpet & piano, Jamaaladeen Tacuma on electric bass, King Noli on drums and Tara Middleton on vocals. The eleven tracks they performed were made possible by Third Way Cultural Alliance, an organization committed to supporting real music and developing unique ways to connect musicians and community.
3 X 1 (Relative Pitch, 2026) is the third release by Glass Triangle, the project trio created by Zeena Parkins, who, on electric harp and electronics, leads Mette Rasmussen (alto sax, voice, preparations and bells) and Ryan Sawyer (drums, percussion and voice). The new thirteen pieces feature many improvisations. Recording session: november 2024.
Sure Grand Out (RogueArt, 2026) is the third work by Myra Melfords quintet Fire and Water, always comprising Mary Halvorson (guitar), Ingrid Laubrock (tenor and soprano saxes), Tomeka Reid (cello) and Lesley Mok (drums) led by the pianist. Melford composed nine new pieces, recorded in a New York studio in september 2025.
Winds (Irabbagast, 2026) features saxophonist Jon Irabagon, who composed Meta-Harmonie, a four-movement woodwind quintet 37-minute piece, recorded in august 2025 along with Roberta Michel (flute), Katie Scheele (oboe), Joshua Rubin (clarinet), Nicolee Kuester (French horn) and Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), all conducted by Rebekah Helle; and Orbit, a 42-minute three-part suite recorded in november 2025, on which he played in a sax quintet along with Steve Wilson, John O'Gallagher, Seamus Blake and Carl Maraghi.
KKAARREENNIINNAA (Black Truffle, 2026) captures the trio of Charlemagne Palestine (vocals and electronics), Oren Ambarchi (guitar and electronis) and Daniel OSullivan (vocals, viola and electronics) in a live performance recorded in London Eglise Saint-Paul in october 2025. The trio presented a new version of the 70-minute suite Karenina, composed by Palestine originally for falsetto and harmonium, and recorded in march 1997. Palestine, lets remember, released recently more works: the two side-long pieces on the vinyl The Organ Is The Worlds Greatest Syntesizer (Staalplaat, 2026) document a concert presented during Sonic Acts Biennial (march 2024); Battling The Invisible (Alga Marghen, 2025) documents four unissued and possibly the oldest pieces even composed and recorded by the musician, notably the 15-minute Low Sounds 3 and the 19-minute Sine Tone Study, both dating back to 1969; 415 Steppsss To DingggDonggg Paradise (Grambacht, 2025) presents the 35-minute namesake composition recorded in october 2017 for carillon and electronics; the 2CD set God Bear Archives II, out by the French label Matiere Memoire, gathers unreleased material dating from the 70s and 80s; notably, CD2 features the 73-minute Organ Sonority W-Syntho Bera 74.
The 6CD boxset The Mild Temper (Sonoris, 2026) collects fifteen very long pieces composed and recorded by Kevin Drumm between 2010 and 2026, plenty of experimental electro-acoustic drones, landscapes and textures. Six hours of music.
The 19-musician Oakland Reductionist Orchestra has been founded collectively in 2024, whose most prominent members are Kyle Bruckmann (oboe and English horn) and Lisa Mezzacappa (bass), the others being new members of the Bay Area: John Ingle (alto and baritone sax), Cody Putman (basson), Monica Scott (cello), Matt Ingalls, the founder of the project (clarinets and contrabass), Diane Grubbe (flutes), Chris Cooper (guitar and electronics), Cheryl E. Leonard (natural object instruments), Kanoko Nishi-Smith (koto), Jacob Felix Heule and Kevin Corcoran (both on percussion), Joshua Marshall (tenor sax), Ron Heglin (trombone, tuba and voice), Tom Djll (trumpet), Kevin CK Lo (violin, flute, piano and objects), and the vocal duo of Danishta Rivero and Sarah Grace Graves. The ensemble debuted with West And East Baying (Queen Bee, 2025), that gathers two long compositions: the 25:30-minute West Baying (recorded in february 2025), and the 23-minute East Of West Baying (april 2025). From the credits: The ensemble comes out of a rich tradition of American reductionist music that blossomed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many of the members studied at Mills College This debut release represents two sides of the ensembles output: a live concert at The Lab in San Francisco (West Bay) and an only made in the studio work recorded in a controlled environment in Berkeley (East Bay) Whereas the live performance is an organic exploration of sounds and textures gradually morphing into the next, the studio track treats the recorded instruments as source material for a work of musique concrete Since the orchestra often sounds electronic in any performance context, the close mic-ing of players in the studio recording environment emphasizes each musicians unique sounds.
The self-produced BIM Huis 7 June 2026 documents, as title suggests, a live performance by the current ICP Orchestra led by Michael Moore. The reedist, on alto sax, clarinet and voice, led a tentet comprising Han Bennink (drums), Ernst Glerum (double bass), Amsterdam-based Harald Austbo (cello), Oscar Jan Hoogland (piano, electric clavichord and synthesizer), Ab Baars and Tobias Delius (both on tenor sax and clarinet), Joost Buis (trombone), Thomas Heberer (trumpet), and Mary Oliver (violin and viola). The Orchestra performed mainly compositions by the founder Misha Mengelberg, dead in 2017.
Recorded in his studio in may 2026, OCTAL: Book Five For 8-String Guitarbass (Zoar, 2026) features a solo album by Elliott Sharp, gathering twelve pieces performed on his 8-string fanned-fret guitarbass built by Saul Koll in 2013, whose piezo pickup, mounted in the bridge, allows one to introduce acoustic transients and the physical manifestation of the vibrating strings on a resonant body.
The posthumous Prelude To A Kiss And More (Intakt, 2026) collects live performances by Irene Schweitzer, recorded in february 1986. The pianist presents her standards and some jazz covers, extending them in variations and improvisations. Among the nine pieces, lets mention the 17-minute Struggle on the V. G. Terrace.
JUMP is a project trio created in 2021 by Pat Thomas (piano), Italian Andrea S. Giordano (voice, melodica & electronics) and Danish composer Maria Dybbroe (alto sax & clarinet). After their meeting during the pandemic, the three reunited again for three different sessions (april and june 2023, and july 2024), and performed twelve pieces now collected on Of All People... (577 Records, 2026), their first work, which starts from some themes composed, quickly evolved in experimental improvisations, combining electronics and acoustic sounds. Thomas, also, recorded Red Sulphur (Otoruku, 2026), that documents the namesake 39-minute performance performed live along with Tyshawn Sorey (drums) in november 2023.
Recorded in a Munich studio in May 2026, the 2CD set (but also DoLP) Pink/Neon, out by German/Spanish label Galileo, documents fourteen pieces performed by Fred Frith (electric guitar and effects), Johannes Tonio Kreusch (classical and prepared guitars) and Cornelius Claudio Kreusch (piano and synthesizer). The themes they collectively composed evolve quickly in abstract and experimental improvisations.
Nine years in the making and finally recorded during 2025, Halt, released by his label Ectopic Ents, is the new James George Thirlwells album in twelve years, and its his tenth and final album as Foetus, as states he himself. The eleven pieces, which deal with themes of war, religion, disease, global warming, anxiety, hypocrisy, conspiracy, death and mortality, among other things, were also performed, as special guests, by Simon Sheldon Hanes (bass, acoustic guitar and banjo), Yeah Yeah Yeahs Brian Chase (drums), Scarcitys Brendon Randall-Myers and Cibo Mattos Timo Ellis (both on guitar), Jake Baldwin (trumpet), Leah Asher (violin) and the vocals duo of Sami Stevens and Laura Wolf. The leader, composer and arranger was also on electronics.
Sylvie Courvoisiers Amalthea (Pyroclastic, 2026) documents eight pieces composed and recorded in april 2025 in a New York studio, when the pianist reunited a quartet along with Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Thomas Morgan (double bass) and Dan Weiss (drums).
Realms (Cantaloupe, 2026) documents the latest Meredith Monks work, produced after a five-years collaboration along with the UKs Phaedra Ensemble. This release collects three compositions: the 20-minute four-part Stringsongs (composed in 2004), the only Monks string quartet, performed by Phillip Granell and Chihiro Ono (violins), Richard Jones (viola) and Sergio Serra (cello), recorded in two sessions: june 2018 and november 2021; the three-part 17-minute Backlight (composed between 1999 and 2015), one of her rarely instrumental works for small lineup, performed by the Phaedra Ensemble, comprising Joidy Blanco (flute), Russell Coates (oboe), Heather Roche and Anthony Friend (clarinets), Rebecca Allen (bassoon), Katherine Tinker (piano), Phillip Granell (viola), and Alice Purton (cello), conducted by Lucy Goddard, whose session was held in february 2025; the 20-minute Realm Variations (composed and already premiered in 2012), recorded again in february 2025, scored for six voices and mixed ensemble, on which the same conductor led another lineup of the Ensemble: Dan Shao (piccolo), Heather Roche (clarinet), Kate Hainsworth (horn), Rebecca Allen (bassoon), Jean Kelly (harp), Zahra Benyounes (violin), Phillip Granell (viola), and seven vocalists: Sarah Dacey and Heloise Werner (soprano), Rosie Middleton, Donna Lennard and Kerry Andrew (alto), Oskar McCarthy (baritone) and Ed Randell (bass). In her liner notes, Meredith states: Ive never done an album like this thats almost completely instrumental, except for Piano Songs, but that was just for one instrument. And in Realm Variations, while there are voices, I think of them as instruments, and the instruments as voices. So my instrumental writing, that concept runs through the whole album.
July 2026:
Black Saint restores, although only digitally for now, A Sea Of Faces, a 1975 release by the Italian label credited to Archie Shepp. The saxtenorist led a septet comprising Cameron Brown (bass), Beaver Harris (drums), Dave Burrell (piano), Charles Greenlee (trombone) and the vocal trio of Charles Greenlee, Rafi Taha and Bunny Foy. They performed four pieces in a Milano studio (august 1975), notably the side-long (26 min.) Hipnosis, composed by Gracham Moncur III. The trombonist already released a first shorter version (11 min.) of this piece on Jackie McLeans namesake album (february 1967).
Splayed Werks (Erased Tapes, 2026) gathers fifteen pieces by Tyondai Braxton, a solo album for which he played electronics, synthesizers, samplers, guitar and piano. These 70 minutes of music, composed between 2015 and 2025, merging recent works with pieces written across the last decade, but here reworked, are very extensively presented by the musician.
The 2CD set Open Air (Out Of Your Head, 2026) documents, as subtitle suggests, The Complete Saxophone Quartet Compositions of Julius Hemphill, 42 pieces composed and recorded by the altoist between 1978 and 1989 for the World Saxophone Quartet, and here reinterpreted by Marty Ehrlich, who also reunited several soloists for this reworking. Ehrlich plays saxes, clarinet and flutes in four pieces, along with Rob DeBellis (same instruments) in ten pieces, for a session recorded in january 2025; again Ehrlich led Lisa Parrott, Jeff Lederer and Andy Laster in eight tracks (may 2025); played duets with Brian Landrus in other ten pieces recorded during summer 2025; again he led Allan Chase, Jason Robinson and Brian Landrus in twelve pieces (august 2025); and Sam Furnace, Andrew White and Alex Harding in the oldest session (april 1997).
Cut You Where You Was (PI, 2026) marks the return of Zooid, the Henry Threadgills project born in 2001, featuring the same core quintet: the reedist, on alto sax and flutes, leads Liberty Ellman (acoustic guitar), Jose Davila (tuba and trombone), Christopher Hoffman (cello) and Elliot Humberto Kavee (drums). Threadgill composed eight tracks, brief but the 12-minute Red Admiral Red Moon Rising. The session dates back to summer 2025. The 82-year Threadgill, Pulitzer for music winner in 2016 (the only in jazz, along with Ornette Coleman and Wynton Marsalis) also released his autobiography: Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life in Music (Knopf, 2023).
OM, the Christy Dorans project born in 1975, returns with Sudpol (Intakt, 2026), featuring the leader on electric guitar and devices along with Urs Leimgruber on soprano sax, Bobby Burri on contrabass & devices, Gerry Hemingway & Tony Buck on drums & percussion. Their new five pieces (notably the 16-minute A Frog Jumps In/Im Unterholz bei Kyjiv) were recorded in december 2024.
Transcendent Universe (Burning Ambulance, 2026) documents the three-part 58-minute suite recorded in august 2025 by Joel Futterman (piano) and William Parker (contrabass). Performed with no overdubs, their music alternates frenetic and more calm moments, mostly improvised.
In 1977, Carla Bley founded her Band, a lineup which released three albums, whose more known were Musique Mecanique (november 1978) and I Hate To Sing (august 1981). The lineup, though, debuted with European Tour 1977, a ltd. ed. by WATT, the label she created in 1972. More recently, this vinyl has beeen reissued by ECM (but only in Japan) as CD. It features a september 1977 session in a Munich studio, when the pianist assembled the first lineup: ex Soft Machine Elton Dean (alto sax) and Hugh Hopper (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums), US John Clark on French horn and guitar (already sessionman in George Russell Orchestra and later member in Franz Koglmann septet), Terry Adams on piano (the leader instead played organ and tenor sax), Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gary Windo on tenor sax, her husband Michael Mantler on trumpet, and Bob Stewart on tuba. Among the four pieces, lets mention the 19-minute Spangled Banner Minor And Other Patriotic Songs.
The ltd. ed. Where The Stars (Edition, 2026) was recorded in september 2025 by the quartet of Jason Kahn (voice), two members of London Improvisers Orchestra: Phil Durrant (objects and electronics) and Mark Wastell (percussion), and Caius Williams (double bass). It sports a mixing of experimental music and electronics, mostly improvised. Among the four pieces, the longest is the 16:30-minute Are Scattered Slowly.
Spanish label Glossy Mistakes restores With A Heartbeat, a vinyl firstly delivered by Evolver (a sublabel of Instinct), cocredited to Pharoah Sanders (tenor sax and flute) and Bill Laswell (bass, keyboard and flute, also arranger), who assembled a sextet, comprising Trilok Gurtu (tabla and voice), Graham Haynes, the son of Roy (cornet and electronics), Nicky Skopelitis (guitar and sitar) and Jeff Bova (keyboards). They recorded at a date in 2003 four pieces (notably the 17-minute Across Time).
Those Landings (Tzadik, 2026) features five lenghty solo sax performences by Evan Parker and John Zorn, who conceived a project and recorded these pieces in New York in june 2025, january and february 2026. The same label also delivers Seven Sonnets, composed by Zorn and recorded in january 2026, performed by the duo guitar of Gyan Riley and Julian Lage.
The label Free Flow Archive restores Katcharpari, a vinyl firstly released by BASF in 1973 and credited to Enrico Rava. The trumpeter recalled the rhythm section of Bruce Johnson (bass) and Chip White (drums), and added as special guest John Abercrombie on electric guitar. Rava composed seven pieces, playing also bells and vocals, and recorded the session in january 1973.
ESP restored digitally Skillfullness, firstly released by the label in 1969, that documents the second Alan Silvas album, recorded by the bassist in november 1968 (three months after Luna Surface) in a notable septet, on which he was on piano, violin and cello, along with Karl Berger (vibraphone), Mike Ephron (piano and organ), Dave Burrel (piano), Barry Altschul and Laurence Cook (both on drums), and JCOAs Becky Friend (flute). The lineup performed two side-long pieces: the 24-minute title-track, and the 15-minute Solestrial Communications Number One.
US Detroit-born trombonist Curtis Fuller (1932), before joining the Jazz Messengers (1961-1964), started a career as leader when he was 22. More recently, Italian label Sowing restored New Trombone, his first credited album, an old Prestige vinyl that documents a session held in may 1957 at Van Gelder Studios, during which were recorded five lenghty pieces, three composed by the reedist plus two covers (Cole Porter and Gene de Paul). Fuller led his quintet comprising Sonny Red (alto sax), Hank Jones (piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums). Again in the same studio and in the same month, he recorded other two albums: for the label New Jazz With Red Garland, a collaboration mostly devoted to covers along with the pianist, on which Paul Chambers replaced Watkins on bass; With French Horns was instead a collaboration with pianist Hampton Hawes that saw also Teddy Charles as second pianist, Sahib Shihab on alto sax, a new rhythm section (Addison Farmer on bass and Jerry Segal on drums), and the duo of David Amram and Julius Watkins on French horn. In june 1957 Fuller, after having signed for Blue Note, recorded The Opener, comprising six pieces performed along with Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). Bone & Bari (august 1957) featured other six tracks with the same rhythm section, along with Sonny Clark (piano) and Tate Houston (baritone sax). The Quintet along with Sonny Red (alto sax), Tommy Flanagan (piano), George Tucker (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums) recorded for Savoy the five tracks of Jazz... It's Magic! (september 1957), featuring a 13:40-minute Medley of covers. Volume 3 (december 1957), for Blue Note, features five of his compositions, performed with Sonny Clark (piano) and Art Farmer (trumpet). Two Bones (january 1958) gathers seven pieces on which he was paired on trombone with Slide Hampton, with again Clark on piano. Sliding Easy (march 1959), even if mostly devoted to covers, released for United Artists, saw a stellar lineup, with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Elvin Jones (drums), Paul Chambers (bass) and Benny Golson as arranger. Blues-ette (may 1959) sports six pieces performed with Golson (tenor sax), Flanagan on piano and Jimmy Garrison with new bassist. The Curtis Fuller Jazztet (august 1959), features his first version of Arabia, later recorded for Art Blakey, and a 14-minute version of Dizzy Gillespies Wheatleith Hall. The release saw the return of Lee Morgan, and Wynton Kelly as new pianist. Imagination (december 1959) featured a sextet with Thad Jones (trumpet) and McCoy Tyner (piano). Images (june 1960) collected five pieces all composed by Fuller, his first album without covers, with McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Garrison and two new members: Yusef Lateef (tenor sax and flute) and Wilbur Harden (trumpet). Boss Of The Soul-Stream Trombone (december 1960), later re-released as Gettin' It Together and credited to Freddie Hubbard, gathers seven pieces recorded with Hubbard, Lateef and Walter Bishop jr. (piano). The Magnificent Trombone (february 1961), with Bishop and Les Span on flute and guitar, features mostly covers. Jazz Conference Abroad (1961), a rare Netherlands release, was performed along the Jazz Ambassadors, a 10-musician lineup formed from members of Quincy Jones Orchestra, among which Phil Woods and Sahib Shihab on saxes, again Hubbard and Stu Martin (drums). South American Cookin' (august 1961) was an all cover release. Soul Trombone And The Jazz Clan (november 1961) was a rare ltd. ed. vinyl released by Impulse and never re-released until now, featuring Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Jimmy Heath (tenor sax), Cedar Walton (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and G.T. Hogan (drums). Cabin In The Sky (april 1962) was an all covers album accompanied by an orchestra and an ensemble with F. Hubbard and Hank Jones. Then followed a long hyatus and in 1973 he released Crankin' (july 1971), composing five pieces with a minor lineup, but Stanley Clarke (basses) and Lenny White (drums, electric percussion). The five pieces on Smokin' (early 1972) saw the return of pianist Cedar Walton. After another hyatus came the five lenghty pieces of Four On The Outside (september 1978), a quintet with Pepper Adams on tenor sax. His releases then became very espaced, mostly live, without new compositions. He died in 2021, at 89.
Fathom Tides (Hallow Ground, 2026) features seven pieces recorded during 2025 by Werner Dafeldecker (treatments and electronics) and Lawrence English (field recordings and preparations). Their music features abstract soundscapes, Dafeldecker adding electronics to field recordings prepared by Lawrence in several sessions. Instead, Fray Field (Room40, 2026) is a collaborative project that sees Dafeldecker on double bass, acoustic guitar and Fender Rhodes, along with sound artist Israeli-born Eliad Wagner (synthesizer). The four pieces (40 minutes) were recorded in december 2025.
Orchid (Mother Brain, 2026) documents a september 2023 Vinny Golias session, who, on clarinets, saxes and alto flute, led Dan Clucas (cornet & violin), Seth Andrew Davis (guitar & electronics) and Kevin Cheli (percussion and objects) in nine lenghty pieces (78 minutes of music), alternating solos and collective, mostly free.
The label Gearbox payed tribute to Abdullah Ibrahim Dollar Brand with The Balance, the last album he recorded (november 2025, at London's RAK Studios) before his death, restoring his longtime project Ekaya, born in 1983. The leader pianist played with Noah Jackson (double bass and cello), Alec Dankworth (double bass), Will Terrill (drums), Adam Glasser (harmonica), Cleave Guyton Jr. (alto sax, flute and piccolo), Lance Bryant (tenor sax), Andrae Murchison (trombone) and Marshall McDonald (baritone sax). They performed ten pieces, with melodic themes alternating the leaders piano improvisations.
The Day After (Jazz Now, 2026) gathers four pieces (notably the 17:30-minute A Thread Of Silk Can Cut Through Iron) basically improvised by Pat Thomas. The pianist reunited the rhythm section (Olie Brice on double bass and Gary Willcox on drums) in a session recorded in London (april 2025).
50 years after, Sun Ras label El Saturn restores Somewhere Over The Rainbow, that documents a july 1977 session by Sun Ra, comprising seven pieces (three by the leader and four reworkings). The re-release mentions finally the lineup, credits being absent in this ancient and rvery are LP. Sun Ra, on piano, organ and vocals, led the historical Arkestras core: Danny Davis, Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, James Jacson, Eloe Omoe, John Gilmore, Ahmed Abdullah, etc.
Recorded in february 2024, The Realist (Out Of Your Head, 2026) documents the namesake Trio formed by Janel Leppin, who, on cello and an analog synthesizer Prophet 5, led Devra Hoff (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums and mbira) in twelve new pieces she composed.
Contemporary restored the DoLP Burning Spirits, a Sonny Simmons album the label firstly released in 1971. On tenor and alto saxes, and English horn, he wrote six long pieces (among which the side-long Healing Rays and E=Mc), leading Cecil McBee and Richard Davis (basses), Clifford Jarvis (drums), Lonnie Liston Smith (piano), his wife Barbara Donald (trumpet), and Mike White (violin). The session dates back to november 1970, in Los Angeles.
Limetree, a sublabel of Dutch Timeless, restores Landscape, a vinyl released only in Japan in 1985 by Baystate, that documents the Kenny Barron Trio in a session recorded in october 1984 at Vanguard Studio in New York. The pianist led Cecil McBee (bass) and Al Foster (drums) in seven pieces, some composed by Barron, the other traditional and reworkings.
French label Dreyfus restores Just Friends, a Martial Solals vinyl whose first edition dates back to 1997, only in France. It features a july 1997 session played by the pianist on a Steinway, along with Gary Peacock on bass and Paul Motian on drums. As for the nine pieces collected, four were composed by Solal, and five were post bop reworkings.
Two Balls Are Enough (Trost, 2026) gathers nine duets performed in february 2026 in a Viennese studio by Mats Gustafsson (slide, tenor, baritone and bass saxes, clarinet, flutes, live-electronics, harmonica and organ) and Finnish Kimmo Pohjonen (electro-acoustic accordion and voice). They tried to combine the jazz with folk finnish influences.
Blue Note restores, in a Japan edition, Knucklebean, a vinyl the label already delivered 50 years ago. It documents a march 1977 Californian session by Bobby Hutcherson, during which the vibraphonist, also on marimba, led Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Cables (sessionman with many greats of jazz bandleaders) on piano and electric piano, Hadley Caliman and Manny Boyd (both on flute and saxes), and the ancient rhythm section of Red Garland, James Leary (bass) and Eddie Marshall (drums). The six pieces were composed by the leader (two) and one by each of the others.
Another Blue Note re-release: Vertigo is a Jackie McLean album the label delivered firstly in 1980, but which documents a february 1963 session. The six pieces gathered were composed by several of the musicians assembled (the altoist wrote two of them): Herbie Hancock (piano), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Butch Warren (bass) and Tony Williams (drums).
And Blue Note also restores Leeway, a vinyl released in 1961, that features the trumpetist Lee Morgan in a notable quintet he led in an april 1960 session at Van Gelder Studios. The four pieces were performed along with Jackie McLean (alto sax), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Blakey (drums) and Bobby Timmons (piano). The trumpetist also formed two one time Quintets. Andorran label Jazz Wax, that issues bootlegged jazz reissues, also known as JWR, just released Take Twelve, whose first edition dates back to 1962 by the label Jazzland. It documents two january 1962 sessions during which Morgan, who composed four of the six pieces gathered, led Clifford Jordan (tenor sax), Wynton Kelly and US Barry Harris (both on piano), Art Blakey and Louis Hayes (drums), and Paul Chambers and Bob Cranshaw (bass). His second one time Quintet, comprising Bennie Maupin (tenor sax), Harold Mabern (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and Mickey Roker (drums), is documented in the 2CD set Live At The Lighthouse '70, released by Sound Hill in 2003 and re-released in 2015 as Both/And Club, San Francisco, June 1970 by Hi Hat, that collects ten long tracks (among which the 20-minute Willow Weep For Me and the 17-minute Ceora).
Azica delivered Island Prayers, the new Turtle Island String Quartets work in six years. Conceived during the early months of the pandemic, then world premiered in october 2023 by the current quartet (violinists Gabe Terracciano and veteran David Balakrishnan, Amsterdam-based violist Benjamin Von Gutzeit and cellist Naseem Alatras), it features eight commissioned pieces, among which lets mention the three-movement suite Island Prayers, composed by Balakrishnan. CD release was recorded in may 2025.
B:A:N:S Band is a project founded by John Butcher (saxes), Paris-born Sophie Agnel (piano), Pascal Niggenkemper (bass), member of Harris Eisenstadt Canada Day Quartet, and Stale Liavik Solberg (drums). The quartet debuted in june 2024 at Festival for Jazz and Improvised Music with Foam And Mesh (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2026), from which was extracted the two-part namesake suite (44 minutes), almost free improvised.
The ltd ed. CD Live At Birds Eye (ArtistShare, 2026) documents seven pieces coming from a performance recorded in april 2004 in a Switzerland Jazz Club by Alex Sipiagin and his Quartet. The reedist, on trumpet and flugelhorn, led David Gilmore (guitar), Boris Kozlov (electric bass) and Gene Jackson (drums).
Articulations (Modern Sounds, 2026) features an unissued collaborative work by Anthony Braxton (alto & sopranino saxes, flute and clarinets) and the cofounder String Trio of New York James Emery (guitar and guitar synth). Recorded in Italy in june 1992, it sports six pieces, five composed by Emery, and one, the 28-minute Composition No. 167, by Braxton.
The 3CD set Zero Talk (Erstwhile, 2026) features three 1-hour tracks recorded in april and may 2026 by Kevin Drumm (electronics) and Japanese Taku Unami (laptop and guitar). Their music is very experimental and abstract, plenty of drones and improvisations.
The seven tracks on the vinyl Sangam & Friends (Blue Note, 2026) document the latest Charles Lloyds release, in a trio along with Zakir Hussain (percussion) and Eric Harland (tongue drum and percussion). The reedist, here on flute, also reunited five guests: Rakesh Chaurasia (bansuri), Ranjit Barot (keyboard), Niladri Kumar (sitar and electric sitar), Sabir Khan (sarangi) and Vijay Prakash: The session isnt recent, though: february 2009, but only now, with additional material from the archives, it has been completed for a release.
June 2026:
US electric guitarist James Blood Ulmer, a founding member of the projects Music Revelation Ensemble, Phalanx and Third Rail, sessionman with Joe Henderson, Rashied Ali, Arthur Blythe, Frank Wright, Ornette Coleman, David Murray, James Carter, the World Saxophone Quartet and many others, died peacefully in his sleep on june 3 in a New York Rehabilitation Center, as stated his family, at 86.
South African legend pianist, composer and bandleader Abdullah Ibrahim, aka Adolph Johannes Dollar Brand, who combined elements of traditional African song, gospel, raga and jazz, died on june 15, after a short illness, as affirmed his family to IOL, at 92. The last march he gave is final public performance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
The until now unissued The Blue Giant, released by the Danish label ILK, documents a recently discovered october 2006 session in a French studio, during which John Tchicai invited two young musicians, the bassist and the drummer Stefan Pasborg Jeppe Skovbakke he knew at Copenaghen Jazz Festival, to perform thirteen pieces, some written and some improvised. The leader saxophonist was also on vocals.
Burning Ambulance delivers At Iridium 2004, a 69-minute live performance recorded in march 2004, one of the seven sets during a week in New York by an orchestra assembled by Cecil Taylor, comprising Taylor Ho Bynum (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, conch shell), Amir ElSaffar and Tobias Netta (trumpets), Stephen Haynes (trumpet, flugelhorn, conch shell), Jeff Hoyer and Steve Swell (trombones), Bill Lowe (tuba), Bobby Zankel (alto sax), Will Connell Jr. (alto sax, clarinet, flute), Elliott Levin (tenor sax and voice), Sabir Mateen (tenor sax and flute), JD Parran (bass sax and flute), Dominic Duval (bass) and Jackson Krall (drums). Waiting for a CD, this is in the meantime a digital release.
Live In Europe 1968 & 1972 (NoBusiness, 2026) features two live sessions, march 1968 and august 1972, performed by Marion Brown with two different lineups. In the first, from which were extracted three pieces, the altoist led Gunter Hampel on vibes, Barre Phillips on contrabass and Steve McCall on drums; the second was a duo, with the leader also on percussion, and Steve McCall on drums & percussion, who played two long pieces: the 22-minute Djinjis Corner and the 17:30-minute Afternoon Of A Georgia Faun.
Omni (Intakt, 2026) documents the James Brandon Lewis Quartet in nine pieces composed by the saxtenorist and recorded in october 2025 in a Switzerland studio. The reedist led Aruan Ortiz (piano), Brad Jones (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums) in their sixth album, that sports, say credits, a musical gesture that could be called twelve-tone gospel.
He Said Boler O (Alay, 2026) features the Franz Koglmanns septet named Vienna FLAMMeS (an acronym formed from the first names of the participants), on which the trumpetist, also on flugelhorn, led Lukas Schiske (drums, percussion), Andreas Donhauser (guitar, trumpet, synthesizer, vocals), Silvia Deixler (guitar), Max Buhlmann (sax and clarinets), Michael Mautner (keyboards, synthesizer), and Josef Ka (performance and spoken elements) in a session recorded in winter 2025-2026, that gathers thirteen pieces mostly improvised.
Distractions For Trumpet & Ajaeng (Relative Pitch, 2026) sees the duo of Greg Kelley (trumpet) and Yoona Kim (ajaeng, a Korean string instrument like a wide zither with strings of twisted silk, played with a slender stick of forsythia wood) in five lenghty dialogues recorded in july 2025 in a Boston studio.
The 2CD set Helt (Discus, 2026) features the project Fjall in their second experience. The quartet formed by Martin Archer (clarinets, sopranino sax, flute, bagpipe chanter, recorders, organ, melodica, harmonicas, glockenspiel, small percussion), Jan Todd (electric Harp-E, cross strung harp, bowed psaltery, tagelharpa, hulusi flutes, waterphones, Idiopan, voice, electronics, found sounds, looping, field recordings), Fran Comyn (snare and floor toms, cymbals frame drums, tam tam and small gongs, tabla, doumbek, bells, orchestral chimes, stir drum and shakers) and Richard Jackson (four piece kit, rototoms, cymbals, slot drum, small percussion) performed two sessions: CD1 documents april 2025, when they recorded Stone (36 min.) and Edge (43 min.); CD 2 was recorded in december 2023, comprising the 42-minute Wood and the 36:30-minute Dale.
ECM delivers only now Feebles, Fables And Ferns, an album featuring a one time collaboration between US guitarist Mick Goodrick (who died in 2022) and pianist Fred Hersch, recorded in august 1988 at Hersch New York studio. The ten pieces sport compositions by the two and reworkings by other greats of jazz (Kenny Wheeler, Steve Swallow and Mal Waldron).
And ECM also restores after thirteen years Walden, a work composed by Heiner Goebbels, and consisting of a series of musical sketches inspired by the namesake novel written by Henry David Thoreau. It was conceived for voice (Bob Rutman) and orchestra (the Frankfurt Ensemble Modern Orchestra conducted by Peter Eotvos). The nine pieces were recorded in november 1998, which also was the premiered performance, and released for a first but rare edition in 2013, by the label Ensemble Klang (Netherlands).
Always by ECM, Winter Songs is the latest Steve Swallows work. The bassist led his sextet, comprising Mike Rodriguez (trumpet), Chris Cheek (tenor sax), Steve Cardenas (guitar), Gil Goldstein (piano) and Adam Nussbaum (drums) in a september 2024 session in a New York studio, during which they recorded nine pieces all composed by the leader, and presented here by the label.
Italian indipendent label Overdrive, founded in 2011, restored Charlie Parker Sextet, an old vinyl released in 1950 by Dial. The lineup sees the leader altoist along with Max Roach (drums), Miles Davis (trumpet), Duke Jordan (piano), J. J. Johnson (trombone), and Tommy Potter (bass). They recorded a session in december 1947, of which this album documents the following pieces: My Old Flame, Air Conditioning, Crazeology, Bird Feathers (in two different versions on A and B sides), Out Of Nowhere, Bongobeep and Klactoveedsedstene.
Elliott Sharp (guitar, soprano sax), Sergio Armaroli (vibraphone), Tony Buck (drums), Francesca Gemmo (piano), Magda Mayas (prepared piano) and Steve Piccolo (electronics, vocals) formed two years ago the Verona Sextet, entering in an Italian studio in october 2024, when they recorded seven pieces, now gathered in their first album, Leaps And Bounds, out now by HatHut.
Paris-based label Rat Pack restores Tender Feelins, the second album ever produced by Duke Pearson as leader (after the Blue Notes Profile, recorded in october 1959), whose first edition dates back to 1960 by Blue Note. Recorded at famous Van Gelder Studio in december 1959, it features the pianist leading his trio along with Gene Taylor (bass) and Lex Humphries (drums), in seven pieces, all reworkings.
Sonic Fiction Special is a new project recently formed by Earl Howard. Playing alto sax and electronics, the composer and multiinstrumentist reunited Frank Gratkowski (various clarinets), Gerry Hemingway (drums and percussion), German Georg Graewe (piano), and Laura Strobl (viola), and in a march 2025 session he recorded in a Cologne studio the nine pieces gathered in Banding Patterns (Random Acoustic, 2026), first Howards album in fourteen years. The music was basically improvised.
Released by Brazilian label Selo SESC, Holy Mountains features the latest production by Rob Mazureks Exploding Star Orchestra. The musician, on trumpet, horn and percussion, led Luke Stewart (double bass), Chad Taylor (drums), James Brandon Lewis (tenor sax), Mikel Avery (electronic drums), Philip Somervell (piano), Thomas Rohrer (rabeca and soprano sax), Guilherme Granado (sampler, keyboards and percussion), Pasquale Mirra (vibraphone), Rodrigo Brandao (vocals), and Damon Locks (vocals and electronics). Recorded in Saint Paul in october 2022, this album sports four pieces, notably the three-part suite Spirit Flare (22 minutes).
Clocking The Wheel (Aerophonic, 2026) documents the latest Ballisters release. The core trio of Dave Rempis (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) returns this time with a special guest, the bassist Luke Stewart. The quartet entered in april 2025 at Roulette (Brooklyn), and live recorded two very long pieces: the 33-minute Carpet Joint and the 40-minute Sauce For The Goose.
Bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (1971), already member of jazz (The Thing, Element, Scorch Trio) and more rarely rock (Shit and Shine) bands, and sessionman in several lineups led by Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark, Mats Gustafsson, Rob Mazurek and many others, started also a career as leader in 2002, when he performed the solo Double Bass, collecting eleven pieces recorded between december 2002 and may 2003. The second solo, Birds - Solo Electric, was comprising six pieces, five recorded in the studio (october 2007) and one live (april 2008). His third and until now last solo is Steel - Live In Bucharest, featuring a free improvised performance (december 2010), from which were extracted four pieces. He also founded his Quintet, along with Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (baritone and alto saxes), Fredrik Rundqvist (drums), Anders Hana (guitar), and Ola Kvernberg (violin and mandolin), recording in october 2005 the seven pieces of Quintet; instead, The Year Of The Boar, their second album, was recorded live in concert in march 2007, and saw a new more prominent lineup: Dave Rempis (saxes), Frank Rosaly (drums), Jeff Parker (guitar and effects), and again Kvernberg on violin. His one time Chicago Sextet is documented in a live august 2011 performance, At Jazzfest Saalfelden, and featured as sixth member Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone. A turn in his career was 2024, when he founded his label, Sonic Transmissions, for which he released: 1) Breezy, recorded in february 2024 in an Oslo studio, comprising five pieces of avantgarde jazz by a nonet, along with Mette Rasmussen (alto sax), Olaf Moses Olsen (drums), Jonathan F. Horne and Oddrun Lilja Jonsdottir (both on guitar), Oscar Gronberg (piano), Joakim Rainer Petersen (synthesizer), Karl Njalmar Nyberg (tenor and soprano saxes) and Erik Kimestad Petersen (trumpet); 2) Drops, for the same label, featuring four tracks recorded in december 2024, with a new member, Polish Marta Warelis on piano and electronics. Fly, his latest album released by new Norwegian label Sauajazz, sports four pieces, performed with the new member Amalie Dahl (alto and baritone saxes). This album was recorded live in Oslo, in september 2025.
Flojter, the project duo created by Mats Gustafsson along with Delphine Joussein, member of his Fire Orchestra, debuted with Paris Blow (Utech, 2026). The leader on flute, harmonica and electronics and his partner on flute and electronics, recorded in october 2025 four lenghty pieces of avantgarde jazz, mainly devoted to flute duets, creating abstract textures. The two also, still in october 2025 but in another session, recorded (always as Flotjer) the vinyl Brest Blow (Gigantonium, 2026), featuring two side-long pieces more noise-rock oriented.
Recorded in a New York studio in november 2025, Fifteen (Nonesuch) features eight pieces performed by Henry Threadgill (sax and flute), Vijay Iyer (piano) and Cuban Dafnis Prieto (drums). The three play together since 2012, when they formed an informal project, but this is their first official release. Extensively presented by the label.
Voices (Tzadik, 2026) documents a recital by Ran Blake, who in two session in the studio, july and december 2023, collected and recorded nineteen pieces on his piano, but only three are original, the other being reworkings.
The bootleg jazz Japan label Megadisc, active since 2010, delivers Storkyrkan 1972, which documents the very rare 42-minute Stockholm Spheres, an improvisation on organ by Keith Jarrett, live performed in Stockholm in september 1972.
In+Out delivers the posthumous Brooklyn Academy Of Music 1985, an unissued work by Randy Weston recorded by the pianist in february 1985. He composed four pieces (notably the 18-minute Blue Moses and the 16:30-minute African Sunrise, which he re-recorded in may 1991 for Spirits Of Our Ancestors), leading his African Rhythm Orchestra conducted by Melba Liston, the first woman jazz trombonist, who worked with Dizzie Gillespie, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. The Orchestra featured 19 musicians, among which Billy Harper on flute, Big Black on percussion, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, JCOAs Greg Williams on French horn, etc.
The vinyl Second Arrow (Unit, 2026) documents six new pieces composed and recorded by Bobby Previte with his namesake band, the first in twenty years. The drummer assembled Angelica Sanchez (piano and electric piano), his longtime partner Jerome Harris (electric bass), Wendy Eisenberg (electric guitar), and Matt Bauder (tenor sax, flute and clarinet) for a session held at well known Firehouse 12 Studio in october 2025.
Almost This (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2026) features the trio of Steve Beresford (piano), Sebi Tramontana (trombone) and Frank Gratkowski (alto sax, clarinets and flute) in seven pieces recorded in june 2024, sporting many variations on themes composed.
The same label also delivers Counter Spectacle, that gathers five lenghty pieces (notably the 16-minute Resilience) composed by Joe Morris, who, playing bass, led Rob Brown (alto sax), Anna Webber (tenor sax and flute) and Matthew Rousseau (drums), during a live concert in april 2025.
Always the same label releases Synantisi, a collection of thirteen pieces performed by Barry Guy (double bass) along with Roberto Ottaviano (soprano sax and voice) in their first experience together, recorded in october 2025 in a Bari (Italy) studio.
May 2026:
German composer and multi-instrumentist legend Gunter Hampel, credited for many albums along with greats of free jazz as Alexander von Schlippenbach, Marion Brown, Don Cherry, his wife (died in 2000) Jeanne Lee, and Cecil Taylor, died in Berlin in may 19, at 89.
Legendary US saxtenorist Theodore Walter Rollins, better known as Sonny, the Saxophone Colossus, one of the greatest and most influential musicians of his generation, creator of standard compositions, leader of many jazz lineups, author of more than 60 albums as leader after a 70-year career, died at his home in New York on may 25 at 95. The four Volumes of Road Shows, released by Doxy between 2008 and 2016, collect old unissued performances and his last recordings in the studio, reuniting several known jazzmen: Christian McBride (bass), Al Foster and Roy Haynes (drums), Ornette Coleman (alto sax), Jim Hall (guitar), Roy Hargrove (trumpet), etc.
Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings (Nonesuch, 2026) gathers nine duets composed and performed by Mary Halvorson (guitar with effect pedals) and based-Oakland Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet and vocals). The two, whose friendship and collaboration dates back to 2009, recorded the session in january 2025, each of them composing four pieces, while the final title-track was composed together.
Recorded in a London studio in january 2025, Felix (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2026) documents the trio of Steve Beresford (piano), JohnEdwards (bass) and Mandhira de Saram (violin) in their first experience together: four lenghty pieces (notably the 19-minute Filiform), basically improvised.
Sonic House Reunion (NoBusiness, 2026) features Bobby Bradford (cornet), Mark Dresser (5 string bass) and Hafez Modirzadeh (bkongofon, a kind of tenor sax) in five lenghty pieces recorded in january 2026 in a Berkeley studio. Iranian Modirzadeh is on stage since 1989, credited as leader for several albums, and sessionman along with Fred Ho, Mia Masaoka and many others.
Blue Note restored Roots & Herbs, whose first release dates back to 1970, that documents two sessions (february and may 1961) by Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers. The drummer led Jymie Merritt (bass), Bobby Timmons and Walter Davis Jr (both on piano), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax) and Lee Morgan (trumpet). The vinyl gather six pieces, all written by Shorter. Another Blakeys re-release is Des Femmes Disparaissent, out by the Paris-based Sam Records label, an old 1959 Fontana vinyl that documents the soundtrack of the namesake movie by Edouard Molinaro. Recorded in december 1958 in Paris, the vinyl collects eighteen pieces, quite all very short, whose lineup was the same, but along with Benny Golson (tenor sax), who wrote mostly of the pieces.
Blue Note delivers Keeping It In Context, an old unissued production by Daniel Carter (alto and tenor saxes, flute, trumpet), Sabir Mateen (alto and tenor saxes, flute, clarinet), William Parker (bass) and Lou Grassi (drums and percussion) live recorded in a New York studio in may 1996. They performed three long pieces, especially the 35:30-minute The Surface Of No Strain.
Blue Note also restores The Cat Walk, a 1962 vinyl documenting a may 1961 session held by the trumpetist Donald Byrd, who led a quintet along with Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Duke Pearson (piano), Laymon Jackson (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Byrd composed the title track, while Pearson wrote four pieces; the two composed together the fifth piece. Instead, another old Blue Note vinyl by Byrd, Royal Flush, was now reissued by Pasis-based label Rat Pack. This album was recorded in september 1961 at famous Van Gelder Studio, when the trumpetist reunited Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), and Herbie Hancock (piano). Byrd wrote four of the six pieces (one was by Hancock, and the sixth was a Frank Sinatras cover).
ECM delivers Paramount Quartet, featuring the new Joe Lovanos lineup assembled by the reedist (here on tenor sax and tarogato), comprising Julian Lage (guitar), Asante Santi Debriano (double bass) and Living Colours member Will Calhoun (drums). Recorded in a French studio in february 2025, it gathers seven lenghty pieces, five composed by the leader, plus two reworkings: the Wayne Shorters Lady Day and the Charlie Hadens First Song.
The Black Artist Group (also known as BAG), the multidisciplinary arts collective founded by Joseph Bowie, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, J. D. Parran, Hamiet Bluiett, and many others, returns with For Peace And Liberty by the label WeWantSounds, their second album after In Paris, Aries 1973, that features a december 1972 performance from which were extracted six pieces.
The self-released Improvised Solo Piano documents, as title suggests, three long improvisations (notably the 19-minute Without Why) performed by Satoko Fujii in march 2026 at Cooljojo club in Chiba (Japan).
The 2CD set Joyful Noise by German label Moosicus documents a NDR Jazzworkshop performed in march 1984 by Carla Bley, who, playing also organ and glockenspiel, conducted a nonet comprising her husband Michael Mantler (trumpet), Bob Stewart (tube), Gary Valente (trombone), Steve Slagle (alto and soprano saxes and flute), Vincent Chancey (French horn), Ted Saunders (piano), Tony Dagradi (tenor sax and clarinet), Victor Lewis (drums) and Steve Swallow (electric bass). From that concert were extracted eight pieces.
Japan label Solid restored Gittin' To Know Y'All, a 1970 Germany release by MPS, that features Lester Bowie as trumpetist and conductor of the Baden Baden Free Jazz Orchestra, comprising a one-off cast of performers: Tony Oxley (drums), Dave Burrell (piano), saxophonists Roscoe Mitchell (alto), John Surman (baritone), Joseph Jarman (soprano), Alan Skidmore (tenor), Albert Mangelsdorff (trombone), Barre Phillips (bass), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet), who performed on A side the 23-minute namesake suite composed by the leader and live recorded in december 1969. B side also features the Terje Rypdal Group (the guitarist also wrote a piece), with Jarman on flute.
Japan label Ultra-Vybe restores Blue Mitchell, the self-titled album the trumpeter released for Mainstream in 1971, also known under the title of Soul Village. Mitchell assembled a quintet leading Jimmy Forrest (tenor sax), Walter Bishop Jr. (piano), Larry Gales (bass) and Doug Sides (drums). Mitchell composed four pieces, plus a Benny Golsons cover. Recording session: march 1971, in a New York studio.
Music For 10 Musicians (Other Room, 2025) is the latest Wayne Horvitzs production. Composed at The Stone (NYC) in november 2023, and then recorded in a Seattle studio in november 2024, this 41-minute suite sees the leader on piano and electronics, along with James Falzone (clarinet), Ray Larsen (trumpet), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), Greg Sinibaldi (bass clarinet), Neil Welch (baritone sax), Maria Scherer Wilson (cello), Abbey Blackwell (contrabass), Rose Martin (vibraphone), and Mike Gebhart (percussion). Speaking about the suite, Horvitz writes on liner notes: The piece is structured around 11 composed themes, bridged by 10 interstitial movements. Each of these movements features an improvised soloist. Two more players then enter to make a trio. The dynamic range is almost entirely between pianissimo and mezzo piano, with few exceptions. I was looking to create a formal structure that made deliberate contrasts between composed and improvised sections, featured each of the 10 musicians, and maintained one essential mood throughout.
The First Touch (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2026) documents the trio of ex SME and Amalgam Trevor Watts (alto sax), Barry Guy (bass) and Ramon Lopez (drums) in a july 2025 session during which they recorded three improvised sets, plenty of solos and improvisations. Among the pieces, lets mention the 21:30-minute Lublin and the 18-minute Emerging.
Live Telyn Wrachiod (ScatterArchive, 2026) captured seven Rhodri Davies improvisations on harp, performed in a Belgian concert in february 2026.
Greek label Defkaz delivers two Ivo Perelmans CDs. Synesthesia features a december 2024 session at Park West Studios in Brooklyn, when the composer saxtenorist reunited Matthew Shipp (piano), William Parker (bass) and Bobby Kapp (drums) and recorded five lenghty tracks (notably the 16-minute One Sense). This is their third experience together, after Heptagon (may 2017) and Ineffable Joy (april 2018). Instead, Triacontagon, gathering other lenghty pieces (the 14-minute Sacred Geometry Of The Tropics is the longest) sees a trio along with Elliott Sharp (8-string electric guitar) and Cyro Baptista (percussion and vocals), recorded at the same studios in october 2024.
The nine pieces of avantgarde jazz in No Nation But Imagination (Intakt, 2026) are credited to pianist Alexander Hawkins, who created the namesake project (whose title is inspired by Derek Walcott's line from his poem The Schooner Fight), composed all themes, playing also synthesizer and sampler, and led a notable quartet: Rhodri Davies (harp, Nicole Mitchell (fluet), Hamid Drake (drums) and Matthew Wright (turntables and live sampling). The session was recorded in a London studio, in february 2025.
Lichtung, released by the German label Karlrecords, documents a collaboration between guitarist Martin Siewert and pianist Reinhold Friedl (aka Zeitkratzer). In june 2021 they recorded three pieces of experimental music, mixing noise, jazz, abstract and electronics (played by Siewert). Among the pieces, lets mention the 24-minute Genese and the 16-minute Gesichte.
Italian label Sowing restores Trane's Reign, an old Prestige vinyl released in 1961 under the title of Settin The Pace, which documents a march 1958 session led by John Coltrane along with his ancient quartet: Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Arthur Taylor (drums). This release, electronically re-channelled for stereo, as say credits, features four covers, among which a 14-minute version of Jackie McLeans Little Melonae. And as for McLean, the same label also restores Jacknife, an out of print Blue Note vinyl documenting a september 1965 session by the altoist at the famous Van Gelder Studio, when he reunited Charles Tolliver and Lee Morgan (trumpets), Larry Willis (piano), Jack DeJohnette (drums) and Larry Ridley (bass), recording five pieces, notably the first version of Tollivers On The Nile, represented on his june 1969 The Ringer.
Piano Forte (zOaR, 2026) collects thirteen solo piano compositions recorded in the studio (march 2026) by Elliott Sharp, performed on a Steinway B. As writes Sharp in the credits, the title refers to the predecessor of the modern piano, un cimbalo di cipresso di piano e forte invented in the late 18th century by Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, a noted builder of harpsichords. This instrument allowed control of volume and attack with pedals as well as an unparalleled range.
Disconforme restored New Conditions, a 1976 Mosaic release by Graham Collier, documenting a one time 12-piece band he assembled, comprising the trumpet trio of Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther and Pete Duncan, Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, Alan Wakeman and Art Themen on soprano sax, Roger Dean on piano, John Mitchell on percussion, Ed Speight on guitar, Mike Page on alto sax and John Webb on drums, all led by the bassist leader, who composed an eight-part 42-minute suite, recorded in june 1976.
Afraid To Speak (Discus, 2026) features five lenghty compositions (notably the 17-minute title-track) by Paul Dunmall. The saxophonist, on tenor and soprano, and also on clarinet, led British Corey Mwamba (vibraphone), Steve Saunders (electric guitar), Dave Kane (double bass) and Miles Levin (drums), all sessionmen in his lineups, for an august 2025 session, mostly improvised, recorded in a Birmingham studio.
Raw Dog (Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2026) collects four solos for bass sax by Jon Irabagon. The pieces feature variations on themes composed by Anthony Braxton and Julius Hemphill. Recorded in a Chicago studio in september 2025.
ECM reissues Home, an old Steve Swallows album firstly released in 1980, that documents ten of his compositions presented as Music To Poems By Robert Creeley, recited by ex JCOA Sheila Jordan, while music was performed by the bassist, who led Bob Moses (drums), Steve Kuhn (piano), Dave Liebman (sax) and Lyle Mays (synthesizer). Recorded at Columbia Studios in New York (september 1979).
Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins formed his Quartet in 2020, currently comprising Kweku Sumbry (drums) Micah Thomas (piano) and Ryoma Takenaga (bass). Blue Note releases now the 3 volumes of their Live At The Village Vanguard (the second and the third until now only digital); these installations feature a may 2025 performance during which the quartet performed long pieces quite all composed by the leader, notably the 18-minute Charanam (vol. 1), the 16-minute The Big Country (Vol. 2) and the 24-minute Composition XI (vol. 3).
The vinyl Convergence: Live In China (ORG, 2026) gathers seven new compositions by drummer William Hooker, who, paired with guitarist John King, live recorded in october 2024, directly from the soundboard, one hour of music mostly free improvised.
The 4CD boxset To Magnetize Money And Catch A Roving Eye (Sonoris, 2026) documents four sessions recorded by Jim O'Rourke at his studio between 2017 and 2018. It combines electronic layers, processed instruments, ambient and experimental sounds. Each of these CDs features a continuous piece, the fourth being the longest (76 minutes).
Blue Note restored The Rajah, a vinyl whose first release dates back to 1984, but documenting a november 1966 session at Van Gelder Studio by Lee Morgan, when the trumpetist recorded six pieces along with Cedar Walton (piano), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Paul Chambers (bass) and Gene Taylor (drums). Only the title-track, though, was composed by Morgan, the other five being reworkings.
The DoLP Now I Imagine A Place Not The Same (Kou, 2026) gathers eleven compositions by David Torn, performed on guitars and electronics, collected in various sessions, his new solo album in ten years. The music was mostly improvised, basically through his processed guitar. Recorded and produced by well known Sunn O)))s Randall Dunn, this work is extensively presented in this bandcamp page.
April 2026:
English influential composer, pianist, orchestra & bandleader Mike Westbrook, died peacefully in hospital on april 11, at 90.
Playing electric guitar with electronics, Jeff Parker led his ETA IVtet, comprising Josh Johnson (alto sax with electronics), Jay Bellerose (drums and percussion) and Anna Butterss (acoustic bass) in their third experience, the vinyl Happy Today (International Anthem, 2026), that gathers two side-long pieces, the 21-minute title-track and the 23:30-minute Like Swimwear, recorded in Los Angeles in august 2025. Very extensively presented by the label.
UK based BBE label (stands for Barely Breaking Even) restores Reminiscent Suite, an old Mal Waldrons work released only in Japan by Victor in 1973, that documents two side-long compositions: the three-part namesake 23:40-minute suite was composed by Waldron, while the 18:30-minute Black Forest comes by trumpetist Terumasa Hino, already sessionman along with Elvin Jones and Dave Liebman, among others. The leader pianist and the trumpetist played along with saxtenorist Takao Uematsu, the bassist Isao Suzuki (ex member in Jazz Messengers of Art Blakey) and drummer Motohiko Hino, brother of the trumpetist. Recording session: august 1972, at Victor Studio in Tokyo.
Columbia restores as a 2CD set the DoLP Dark Magus, released in 1977 only in Japan, that documents a live performance by Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall in New York, in march 1974. The trumpetist played also Yamaha organ, and led an octet comprising Dave Liebman (flute, soprano and tenor saxes), Azar Lawrence (tenor sax), the guitar trio of Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey and Dominique Gaumont, Michael Henderson (electric bass), Al Foster and James Mtume (drums and percussion). The performance collected four side-long pieces, all 25-minute long: Moja and Wili on disc 1, Tatu and Nne on disc 2.
Limelight restores 'S Make It, a vinyl the label released in 1965 and now reissued for the first time after 60 years. It documents Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in a november 1964 session recorded in an Hollywood studio, with the lineup of the time: the drummer led Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), John Gilmore (sax), John Hicks (piano), and Victor Sproles (bass). As for the seven tracks: three were composed by Morgan, two by Hicks, one by Fuller, plus a cover.
Nostalgia (Eclipse, 2026) documents five lenghty duets performed by Scorch Trios Raoul Bjorkenheim (6-12 string double-neck electric guitar) and Juhani Aaltonen (flute). This is their second collaboration, after the november 2016 Awakening. Their new work features, as the previous, a lyrical approach. Recorded sometimes in 2018.
The 3LP boxset (but also 2CD set) Fragments: Live At Salle Pleyel, Paris, 1969 (Elemental, 2026) document the Cecil Taylor Unit in their first standard lineup (the leader pianist along with Sam Rivers on tenor & soprano saxes and flute, Jimmy Lyons on alto sax and Andrew Cyrille on drums) in a never released live concert at the 8th Paris Jazz Festival (november 1969), during which the quartet performed two sets dedicated to Duke Ellington, from which were transferred from the original tapes three splitted very long performances.
French pianist and composer Martial Solal died into oblivion in december 2024 at 97. Erato label restores now the posthumous Martial Solal Michel Portal, already released in 1992, that documents fourteen duets between the pianist and French composer Michel Portal (who died in february 2026) on sax and clarinet, composed as a soundtrack for the dumb 1925 movie Feu Mathias Pascal by Marcel LHerbier. These pieces were recorded in late 1991. The two, lets remember, returned together for a march 1999 French session, recording for RCA Fast Mood, collecting other twelve duets piano/clarinet and/or sax.
Blue Note just restored Dexter Calling, whose first edition dates 66 years ago. In may 1961, at historic Van Gelder Studios, saxtenorist Dexter Gordon reunited Kenny Drew (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums) for an hard bop session, writing three new pieces, while Drew composed other two tracks, and also reworked an Otis Reddings cover.
Ictus released recently several Andrea Centazzos works. Mystic River Of The Universe documents the eight-part 1-hour suite performed at Jazz Art Sengawa Festival in november 2024 by Centazzo (percussion and electronics) along with Masayo Koketsu (alto sax) and Kiyoto Fujiwara (bass), mostly improvised. Okubo Night features five long duets (notably the 20-minute #1) performed by Centazzo, always on percussion and electronics, along with Samm Bennett, who played a new self invented instrument, The Table, consisting in an intricate assembling of a string instrument, percussion pads and effects. Recorded in Tokyo in november 2024. Shift #1 presents a notable trio: Centazzo (again percussion and electronics), Steve Swell (trombone) and Elliott Sharp (guitar), who performed a set of improvised music (notably the 19-minute title-track) recorded in a Brooklyn studio in october 2022.
After having released it in november 1967, Norvegian label Norsk Jazzforbund restores now, after nearly 60 years and still as a vinyl, Til Vigdis, the very first Jan Garbareks album. Recorded when he was 20-years old, this release features, on A side (april 1967), the trio along with Per Loberg and Jon Cristensen, who performed a 18:30-minute of John Coltranes Mr. J. C.; on B side (september 1967) Arild Andersen replaces on bass Loberg, and the trio becomes a quartet along with Californian Frank Phipps on valve trombone; the four performed a 14-minute version of Eddie Harris Freedom Jazz Dance, and the only piece composed by Garbarek: the 6:30-minute title-track.
Burning Ambulance delivers Transcendent Universe, that features an august 2025 session in a Virginian studio, during which William Parker (bass) and Joel Futterman (piano) performed the three-part 62-minute namesake suite, transferred on CD with no overdubs.
Columbia Icefield, the quartet founded in 2017 by Nate Wooley, delivers A Silence Opens (Out Of Your Head, 2026), their third album, comprising of four lenghty pieces composed by Wooley and recorded in two different sessions, in 2024 and 2025 (the second after Susan Alcorns death). Wooley, also on vocals, played trumpet, amplifier and whistling, whereas Alcorn (on 2024 session) was on her pedal steel guitar; Ava Mendoza was on guitar and voice, and Ryan Sawyer on drums, shakers and voice. The quartet conceived this release as a memorial for their friends recently disappeared, Susan Alcorn and Ron Miles.
Japan label Solid restores Life At The Donaueschingen Music Festival, an album released in 1968 by MPS, that documents an october 1967 live performance by Archie Shepp. The saxtenorist led a stellar lineup: Grachan Moncur III and Roswell Rudd (both on trombone), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Beaver Harris (drums). For that concert the release presents the splitted 44-minute One For The Trane, a composition never recorded in the studio by Shepp.
The 2CD set Two Days In Dreamland (Important, 2026) documents the one time trio of Miya Masaoka (21-string koto), Pauline Oliveros (Roland V-accordion) and Issui Minegishi (ichigenkin, a japanese instrument like a zither) in two CD-long suites (72 and 61 minutes), recorded in a New York studio, without no post-editing after the session, dating back possibly between 2011-2014 (Oliveros died in 2016).
The same label also delivers Empac Sessions, another work performed by Oliveros on V-accordion in the project Triple Point, also featuring Jonas Braasch (soprano sax) and Doug Van Nort (Granular-feedback Expanded Instrument System electronics). By this trio Pogus already released in 2014 the 3CD set Phase/Transitions, that gathers 39 electro-acoustic improvisations recorded between september 2008 and august 2012. The new release collects other pieces performed during the august 2012 session, all deep listening oriented.
Myra Melford and Satoko Fujii recorded seven live piano duets released now by RogueArt as Katarahi (a japanese word meaning a heart-to-heart conversation between intimate friends), a CD that features their september 2024 session at Jazzfestival in Leibnitz (Austria).
Necks pianist Chris Abrahams released for Confront Two Thousand Sacred Steps, a collection of eleven new pieces he composed and performed on Steinway gran piano, paired with Mark Wastell on cymbals. Recorded in may 2025. This is the follow-up of the EP by the duo, A Thousand Sacred Steps, documenting four pieces recorded in october 2018.
Blues Symphony (PentaTone, 2025) sports the new Wynton Marsalis work in six years, after his Democracy! Suite. This seven-movement 61-minute suite sees though the trumpeter only as composer, for an orchestral performance conducted by Jader Bignamini for the CD release, whose session dates back to december 2023, after having been premiered in 2015, conducted by Jan Wagner. This work, written by Marsalis since 2009, is presented by the label as a blend of influences from ragtime to habanera.
Amalgam Sphere (Blue Math, 2026) documents the latest Ben Neills work. It features nine new pieces of ambient music, plenty of live-sampled textures, composed and recorded sometimes in 2025, with collaborations by biologist Rupert Sheldrake and Ethiopian electronic artist Mikael Seifu.
Phlegm (Matchless, 2026) documents the namesake 63-minute suite performed by AMM, i.e. the trio of Eddie Prevost (percussion), Keith Rowe (electronics) and John Tilbury (piano) at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in november 2015.
The ltd ed. vinyl These Are Soulful Days (Tao Forms, 2026) documents James Brandon Lewis in his first long-form composition for string quartet & tenor sax, performed along with the Lutoslawski Quartet (Roksana Kwasnikowska and Marcin Markowicz on violin, Artur Rozmyslowicz on viola and Maciej Mlodawski on cello), commissioned by Poland's National Forum of Music for World Premiere at the Jazztopad Festival in Wroclaw (november 2021).
Credited to German alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier, Chicago Tapes (Intakt, 2026) features nine pieces she composed, performed by the notable sextet comprising Nicole Mitchell (flute), Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), Mike Reed (drums), Dave Rempis (alto & tenor saxes) and Luke Stewart (bass). Recording session: may 2025, in a Chicago studio.
Music For Abandoned Heights (Impex, 2025) features the scoring music composed and recorded by John McLaughlin for the film Abandoned Heights by director Jack Stallings, film never released. So, the guitarist decided to deliver the music. Also on guitar synth, McLaughlin recorded in 2024 ten pieces, playing along with Claudo Abbados son Misha Mullov-Abbado (acoustic bass), British Gary Husband (drums and keyboards), Cameroonian Etienne Mbappe (electric bass), and British Julian Siegel (tenor and soprano saxes).
Echos Of Casa Console (Other Room, 2026) documents the fifth collaboration by the married couple of Robin Holcomb and Wayne Horvitz. This release, until now available only digitally, collects fifteen new songs composed for piano, nine performed by Holcomb, and six by Horvitz. They recorded in a Seattle studio, in august 2025, and the last april 18 premiered their songs in Poschiavo (Switzerland).
Alea Iacta Est (Tzadik, 2026) documents a John Zorns four-part suite composed and arranged from 2020 to 2024, then recorded in december 2025 by the trio of Brian Marsella (piano), Jorge Roeder (bass) and Ches Smith (drums), with guest star Sae Hashimoto on vibraphone.
Atlantic restores Bags & Trane, a 1961 release that documents a one time collaboration between Milt Jackson and John Coltrane. The MJQ vibraphonist and the saxtenorist recorded in january 1959 a session along with Paul Chambers (bass), Connie Kay (drums) and Hank Jones (piano), performing five pieces of hard bop. Jackson wrote the 7:30-minute title-track and the 9:30-minute The Late Late Blues. Among the other three pieces, all reworkings, lets mention the 8-minute version of Dizzy Gillespies Be Bop.
Transcend (Greenleaf, 2026) documents the latest Dave Douglas work, a CD that gathers nine pieces, six composed by the trumpetist, and three reworkings of Duke Ellington, coming from his Sacred Concerts between 1965/1973. For his august 2025 session in a New York studio, Douglas led Tomeka Reid (cello), North Carolina-born and Brooklyn-based Rafiq Bhatia (guitar), James Brandon Lewis (tenor sax), and Hong Kong-born Ian Chang (drums). Extensively presented by the label.
The Young Lions has been an old project created in 1960 by Wayne Shorter (tenor sax) and Lee Morgan (trumpet). They also reunited drummer Albert Heath (the brother of MJQ Percy), pianist Bobby Timmons, altoist Frank Strozier, and bassist Bob Cranshaw, and in an april 1960 session recorded, in a New York studio, for the Vee Jay label, a self-titled LP, and then disbanded. The vinyl, comprising three Shorters pieces, one by Morgan (the longest 11:30-minute Thats Right), and one by Timmons, has been restored just now by Craft, which also keeps the liner notes already written by Cannonball Adderley.
Like Lambs: To The Slaughter (Whirlwind, 2026) is the seventh album by British jazzband Empirical. Current lineup features Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Thomas Farmer (double bass), Shaney Forbes (drums), David Preston (guitar) and a new pianist, Ivo Neame (piano), on stage since 2007. In february 2025, in a London studio, the quintet recorded an eight-movement 51-minute suite, basically a radical reworking of the EP Like Lambs, already recorded in 2021.
March 2026:
Strata East restores Compassion, a Charles Tollivers release by Baystate in Japan (first edition in 1978), that documents a november 1977 session the trumpetist performed along with Nathen Page (guitar), Steve Novosel (bass) and Alvin Queen (drums). The quartet recorded four pieces composed by Tolliver.
Cuneiform delivers two new works by Janel Leppin. Slowly Melting is a solo album containing nine compositions the multi-instrumentist performed on cello, guitar, bass, prophet-five synth and piano. No infos about the session date. Instead, Pluto In Aquarius features the third work by her Ensemble Volcanic Ash, recorded in september 2025. The lineup is the same of previous two discs, i.e. Larry Ferguson (drums), Anthony Pirog (guitar), Brian Settles (tenor sax) and Luke Stewart (bass), with the leader this time on cello and CP-70. She composed all thirteen pieces.
The EP American Crow (ArtistShare, 2026) comes from a may 2025 session by Maria Schneider Orchestra, and sports three pieces, two 10:30-minute, and one 8-minute she composed, leading the current ensemble, comprising of 19 musicians (basically, the same of Data Lords), playing accordion, saxes, trombones, flutes, trumpets, piano, guitar, field recording and rhythm section.
George, the John Hollenbecks project debuted with Letters To George in january 2022, returns with Looking For Consonance (Out Of Your Head, 2026). The Claudia Quintets drummer, here also on glockenspiel, composed ten new pieces for his lineup, that sees again Anna Webber (tenor sax and flutes), Chiquita Magic (synthesizers and voice), and a new member, Sarah Rossy (voice and synthesizer), who replaced Aurora Nealand. Recorded in november 2024 in a two-day session in the studio, this release is extensively presented by the drummer. Hollenbeck, lets remember, called George his project in memory of the AfroAmerican murdered in 2020 by a police officer in Minneapolis.
Still active member of Rova Saxophone Quartet, saxbaritonist Jon Raskin started also quickly a career as leader. The Hear And Now (Other Minds, 2015) is a digital-only release featuring a six-part 55-minute suite performed live at at Other Minds Festival in San Francisco, in march 2004. Raskin led himself his Rovas members Ackley, Adams and Ochs, along with a Japan sextet: Min Xiao-Fen (pipa), Kyaw Kyaw Naing (pat waing), Jiebing Chen (erhu), Shoko Hikage (koto), Sang Won Park (kayagum) and Jim Santi Owen (tabla tarang). This ensemble was conducted by Gino Robair. Then he formed a one time Quartet (Rastascan, 2007), who recorded in march 2005, in an Oakland studio, twelve pieces mostly brief, with massive use of electronics. Raskin led Liz Allbee (trumpet and percussion), Gino Robair (percussion and electronics) and George Cremaschi (drums and electronics). The eight tracks on The Long Table (Temescal, 2021) were recorded in may 2014 with John Shiurba (electric guitar), Phillip Greenlief (alto sax), John Hanmes (drums) and Dan Seamans (electric bass). Brotz Now! (Temescal, 2026) his most recent production, was recorded in Sweden in october 2024, in a trio along with Time Perkis (electronics) and Sten Sandell (piano), well known as Fires Orchestra member. Raskin, this time, played alto sax. Raskin also is cocredited in several collaborative albums, with Frode Gjerstad, Paal Nilssen-Love, Lotte Anker, Evan Parker, Henry Kaiser, etc.
Afghan Women (RogueArt, 2026) documents five pieces (notably the 16:30-minute I Was Free Once) recorded in october 2024 in a UK studio by the quartet of Paul Dunmall (tenor and C soprano saxes), Sophia Domancich (piano), James Owston (double bass) and Miles Levin (drums), collectively composed and improvised. The final track is a reworking of John Coltranes Spiritual.
Greek label Defkaz delivers Beingness, the latest Dave Liebmans work, recorded by the reedist at The Stone in New York in march 2023. Playing soprano sax and flute, he led Billy Hart (drums) and Adam Rudolph, who, also arranger of orchestrations, played congas, djembe, taarija, piano, keyboards, gongs and live electronics. The release collects seven lenghty pieces.
Recorded in october 2024 at the historic Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, the vinyl Future Present Past (Impulse, 2026) documents the fifth release by Luke Stewarts lineup Irreversible Entanglements. The quintet is the same: Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother on voice and percussion, trumpetist Aquiles Navarro also, this time, on piano, conch, horns and percussion, saxophonist Keir Neuringer who also plays Fender Rhodes and synthesizer, drummer Tcheser Holmes and the leader bassist, also on mbira, whistle, voice and percussion.
Verve released two posthumous Abbey Lincolns albums. The CD The World Is Falling Down documents a february 1990 session in RCA studios, featuring eight pieces performed by the vocalist, arranged by Ron Carter with a notable lineup: Jackie McLean and Jerry Dodgion on alto saxes, Charlie Haden on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, Clark Terry on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Alain Jean-Marie on piano. Instead, the DoLP When There Is Love collects fourteen songs recorded by the vocalist paired with Hank Jones on piano. This set combines original words and music by the two and reworkings of historic covers. Recording session: october 1992, in a Parisian studio.
Dutch label Music on Vinyl restores The Max Roach Trio Featuring The Legendary Hasaan, an LP released by Atlantic in 1965. It features the famous drummer in a session recorded in a New York studio in december 1964. Roach led Art Davis on bass and Hasaan Ibn Ali on piano. Indeed, the seven pieces gathered in this vinyl sport the only known recording by this US pianist (1931-1980), whose real name was William Henry Lankford Jr.
Cartographies Of Flight: Lines Set Afloat Towards Hope (Corbett Vs Dempsey, 2026) gathers fifteen compositions by Marty Ehrlich, with poems written and recited by Erica Hunt. Playing clarinet, flute and alto sax, the reedist led Ron Horton (trumpet), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), Erik Friedlander (cello), Matt Pavolka (bass) and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion and drums) in an october 2024 session, recorded at Samurai Hotel Studios, in Astoria.
Memento (ECM, 2026) features ten duets between Marilyn Crispell (piano) and Anders Jormin (bass), already sessionman with Tomasz Stanko, Don Cherry and Charles Lloyd. Recorded in a Swiss studio in july 2025, with the first four duets completely improvised, the other pieces being reworkings of themes the two already composed.
The vinyl Riparian (Kou, 2025) is the first solo album by Eyvind Kang. All performed on viola damore, this release sports two side-long compositions (20 and 17 minutes), extending his melodies with variations and improvisations. Recorded in march 2025.
L&H, the Yelena Eckemoffs label, just released the 2CD set Rosendals Garden, the 23th album by the pianist. Recorded in a Stockholm studio in august 2024, it features eleven songs, performed by Eckemoff also on keyboards, along with Svante Henryson (cello, electric and double bass) and Morgan Agren (drums and percussion).
The 2CD set Orbital (Aerophonic, 2026) documents the new project Outskirts, comprising of Dave Rempis (alto and tenor saxes), Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass) and Frank Rosaly (drums), plus, in CD2, pianist Marta Warelis, in two different march 2025 live sessions, featuring five long pieces, notably the 37-minute Four Feet of Slush/Glass Part 2 (CD1) and the 41:30-minute Spherical Harmonics (CD2).
The 2CD set Strata, Act (WeJazz, 2026) documents two CD-long pieces (50 and 36 minutes) performed in june 2022 by Pat Thomas. The pianist, also on electronics, led saxophonist Seymour Wright (ex member of London Improvisers Orchestra) and drummer Paul Abbott in two experimental compositions.
Ni Vu Ni Connu delivers Chains And Grain, a vinyl recorded in july 2022 by Polwechsel, the project created by the double bassist Werner Dafeldecker, who reunited the current lineup: Michael Moser (cello), Martin Brandlmayr (percussion and electronics), who composed the two side-long tracks, and Burkhard Beins (percussion).
Four Compositions (Wesleyan) is the first release by the Czech label PMP, a limited 4-CD box set documenting the one-time meeting (january 2013) between Anthony Braxton (various reeds and electronics), Roland Dahinden (trombones and alphorn), and Hildegard Kleeb (piano). This set collects the Composition 364F (63 minutes), 366E (49 min.), 364E (54 min.) and 363A (53:30 min.).
Hoodoo Telemetry (Players Club, 2025) documents the latest work by guitarist Vernon Reid. The fourteen pieces here gathered were recorded in august 2025 along with several members of Burnt Sugar Arkestra and the two members of his Free Form Funky Freqs, i.e. Calvin Weston (drums) and Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass).
Aguirre restores on CD Awofofora, an old Marion Browns work issued in 1976 only in Japan as a vinyl by Discomate. The altoist recorded in july 1976 a session in a New York studio, leading Rene Arlain (guitar), Billy Patterson (guitar and bass), Ambrose Jackson (trumpet), Fred Hopkins (bass), Ed Blackwell and Juuma Santos (percussion), and Chris Henderson (drums). Among the six pieces, lets mention the 16-minute And Then They Danced.
Two new albums by Jon Irabagon released by his label Irabbagast. The seven pieces on Focus Out were recorded in april 2022 by the altoist along with Matt Mitchell (piano & Fender Rhodes), Chris Lightcap (electric bass) and Dan Weiss (drums), plus guests Dave Ballou (trumpet), Miles Okazaki (guitar), Donny McCaslin & Mark Shim (tenor saxes) and Kokayi (vocals). Saturdays Child, instead, documents bass sax duets improvised with Dan Oestreicher (also on bass flute), live recorded in september 2023 at Instigation Festival (Chicago). Among the six tracks, the 17-minute medley Molasses Candyland/Tag/Gripe.
New Digs (Intakt, 2026) features a session recorded in a portuguese studio in august 2025 by Michael Formanek (double bass), who led John O'Gallagher (alto sax), Chet Doxas (tenor sax and clarinet), Joao Almeida (trumpet), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Alexander Hawkins (Hammond B3 Organ) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums). The lineup performed nine pieces composed by Formanek, developping them in variations and improvisations.
The same label also delivers Eclats - Live in Europe, that documents nine pieces composed by pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, performed live in february 2025 with her trio (Drew Gress on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums and wollesonics).
After having recorded Natural Balance (april 1986), Billy Bang left the String Trio of New York, which continued its existence replacing him with different violinists. Lindberg and Emery, after having recorded in two sessions (december 1987 and february 1988) As Tears Goes By & More Songs, reformed the trio calling the US violinist Charles Burnham. Their first productions, though, were quite all devoted to jazz covers, as Ascendant (june 1990), Time Never Lies (october 1991), and Intermobility, recorded live in 1992, which features a new violinist, Regina Carter, cousin of saxophonist James Carter. Some new pieces surfaced on the Black Saint Octagon (november 1992). Only with An Outside Job (march 1993) the Trio presented new compositions of their own. Blues...?, another Black Saint release, was recorded in october 1993 in Milano. With the retrospective Faze Phour (november 1997), recorded in New York, the Trio replaced Carter with violinist Diane Monroe, ancient sessionwoman with Max Roach. Gut Reaction (may 2001) featured the current violinist, Rob Thomas, and was mostly composed by Emery. Frozen Ropes (december 2004) features a collaboration with Oliver Lake (alto sax), who composed two pieces, notably the 16-minute Shiffs. The River Of Orion: 30 Years Running (november 2007) was recorded in Milano, and marked their last performance before a long hyatus. And now the Trio resurfaces with the self-produced Intimations, their new release in 18 years. The core unchanged of Emery/Thomas/Lindberg was joined by the new bassist Tony Marino, the drummer Thurman Barker, plus, as guest, Paul Kane, who read poetry he composed. The music (nine pieces) was composed by Emery and recorded in april 2023 during a concert.
The label Alay presents Copenhagen, Bordeaux 1966 & Newport 1967, that documents previously unreleased recordings, coming from recently rediscovered tapes, by the Albert Aylers Quintet. The eight pieces here collected come from three different sessions: first four were recorded in Copenhagen (november 1967); fifth piece comes from a French festival (november 1966); the last three from another festival, in Rhode Island (june 1967). All pieces are well known, by the reedists repertory, who led his brother Donald (trumpet), Michel Samson (violin), Bill Folwell (double bass) and Beaver Harris (drums).
The same label also delivers for the first time The Piano In The Room And The Blues, that gathers eleven solo piano by Mike Westbrook, recorded in july 2006. Quite 70 minutes of music presented by the label as an introspective solo exploration of the blues, revisiting its forms through spontaneous variations that blur improvisation and instant composition, blending traditional feeling with modern harmonic invention and the ambient sounds around him.
Victo delivers the 45-minute CD Cuts Cut, a suite performed by the trio of Mats Gustafsson (bass and baritone saxes and electronics), Masami Akita (electronics) and Balazs Pandi (drums and percussion). Mostly improvised, the perfomance was recorded at Victoriaville Festival in may 2018, combined in 2025 with additional overdubbings in the studio.
Sunrise (Meta, 2026) features the latest Adam Rudolphs work. Collectively composed, it sees the leader on handrumset (kongos, djembe, tarija), electronic processing, Fender Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, thumb pianos, overtone flutes, mouth bow, mbuti harp, cup gongs, vocal and percussion, along with Alexis Marcelo (acoustic piano, electric keyboards, melodica, percussion), Kaoru Watanabe (noh kan, fue and c flutes, taiko, vocal, electric koto and processing) and Stephen Haynes (cornet, flugelhorn and conch shell). Recording session: may 2024, at well known Firehouse 12 Studio in New Haven.
Inspired by the works of William Shakespeare, Sing Me Now Asleep (Tzadik, 2026) features five pieces composed by John Zorn for the Gnostic Trio of Bill Frisell (guitar), Kenny Wollesen (vibes), and Carol Emanuel (harp), in their ninth CD, the first over five years, that also sports Ikue Mori as guest on electronics. ?Recorded in december 2025 in a New York studio.
Nature (Sub Rosa, 2026) documents four long duets between Fred Frith (electric guitar) and Bay area-based Karen Stackpole (ging, cymbal and objects), presented by Frith as one of the few percussionists in the world specializing entirely in gong. Among the pieces, lets mention notably the 17-minute Tephra and the 16:30-minute Fault. The session, though, isnt very recent: october 2018.
Blue All (zOaR, 2026) features Charles K. Noyes on electric guitars, effects and Ferrous (a magnetic string resonator that utilizes six strong earth magnets and variable speed motor to generate harmonics and string-like swells). He recorded nine new pieces between 2022 and 2025 (especially the 17-minute Blind Ghost, What Do You See? and the 19-minute Crimes In High Places), for 74 minutes of experimental music, plenty of sonic landscapes and drones, but with no overdubs.
The vinyl Music For Pulse Meridian Foliation (Drag City, 2026) features Joshua Abrams in a march 2023 session during which he played electronics for the splitted 35-minute suite he composed, performed along with Lisa Alvarado (harmonium) and two violas, both played by James Sanders.
The 3CD set Trifecta (Mahakala, 2026) collects three sessions recorded at Park West Studio in Brooklyn by saxtenorist Ivo Perelman, who performed different sets of duets sax/guitar, along with, respectively: 1) Marc Ribot, for two long duets recorded in january 2022; 2) Elliott Sharp, for seven duets (july 2024); Joe Morris, for eight duets (june 2024).
Recorded at multiple sessions over 2003-2010 at his Prague studio, Mountain Call (ECM, 2026), his first album as leader in ten years, collects twelve pieces (among which the five-part suite Rhapsody and the three-part suite Evolution) composed by Miroslav Vitous and performed in various ensemble configurations, comprising of Michel Portal and Bob Mintzer (both on clarinet), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Esperanza Spalding (voice), Gary Campbell (soprano sax) Gerald Cleaver (drums), and the CSNO Orchestra. Contemporary musician Michel Portal, lets remember, who collaborated with Boulez, Berio and Stockhausen, died recently, the last february, at 90.
February 2026:
The posthumous Butterfly Mushroom (Trost, 2025) documents an unreleased august 2015 session in a German studio by Peter Broetzmann: (tarogato, contra-alto clarinet and bass saxophone) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums, gongs, percussion). The two improvised nine duets.
Leo restores Evolution, a CD whose first edition dates back to 1998, that documents a collaboration of bassist Joe Fonda along with the Michael Jefry Stevens Group, comprising the leader pianist, Mark Whitecage on alto sax and clarinet, Harvey Sorgen on drums, and Herb Robertson on trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn. This lineup worked together since 1995. This release gathers six pieces, recorded in three sessions, from april to october 1997. Lets mention the 16-minute In The Whitecage, composed by Fonda. The same label also delivers Elements, an unreleased album recorded by Jefry Stevens along with Dominic Duval (bass), Dom Minasi (guitar), Jay Rosen (drums) and Mark Whitecage (alto & soprano saxes). The quintet performed a session in a Brooklyn studio in march 1994, recording thirteen pieces of avantgarde jazz.
Songbook (Artwork, 2025) documents thirteen pieces, composed and recorded from january to april 2025 in two different studios by Kenny Barron. The pianist led the rhythm section of Japanese Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bass) and Johnathan Blake (drums), longtime his sessionmen, along with several vocalists.
The label Envision presents in its websiteNethering, a digital release that features a 2018 session by the trio of Colin Stetson (sax), Trevor Dunn (bass) and Greg Fox (drums). This production collects seven tracks, mostly improvised.
Eremite delivers 2002-06-22 Amherst, a CD that sports a june 2002 session, held in a church, by Alan Silva, who, this time, left alone his bass and played a polyphonic Kurzweil music system (created by Raymond Kurzweil & Stevie Wonder) simulating his Celestrial Communication Ensemble; the only real performers were Laurence Cook (acoustic & electronic drums), Sabir Mateen (reeds & flute) and Raphe Malik (trumpet). Silva composed an Emancipation Suite for the 21st Century, a two-set suite (59 and 29 minutes, respectively). This is the first fully-credited album by Silva, after his H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box (may 2001). Later he has been sessionman in many collaborative recordings.
Inspired by the birds flying, Murmur (Relative Pitch, 2026) features the ensemble Filamental, reunited by pianist Magda Mayas, who composed the namesake 38-minute suite playing with the harp duo of Zeena Parkins and Rhodri Davies, the cello duo of Aimee Theriot and Anthea Caddy, Angharad Davies (violin), Christine Abdelnour (alto sax) and Michael Thieke (clarinet). Recording session: september 2024, in a Berlin studio.
The DoLP Manifeste (Naive, 2026) is the latest Tigran Hamasyans work. The pianist, here also on synthesizer and vocals, composed fourteen new pieces, accompanied by thirteen sessionmen, but quite all performed in trios and recorded in various dates in eight different studios between 2023 and 2025, mixing his avantgarde jazz with electronics and ambient music.
Paris Blow (Utech, 2026) marks the debut of Flojter, i.e. the duo of Mats Gustafsson (flutes, spilapipa, harmonica, electronics and organ) and Fire! Orchestras member Delphine Joussein (flute and electronics) in a Parisian session recorded in october 2025, from which where extracted four long pieces, notably the 16-minute Solid Silver Tube and the 14:30-minute Souffler Sur Les Braises.
In My Dreams (Blue Note, 2026) features twelve pieces recorded by Bill Frisell in four different sessions (three in february 2025, and one live in april 2025). The guitarist, on electric, acoustic and loops, led his sextet, compring of Hank Roberts (cello), Eyvind Kang (viola), US Jenny Scheinman (violin), Claudia Engelhart (live sounds), Thomas Morgan (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums).
Columbia restores in a 10LP boxset (but also in a 8CD boxset) The Complete Plugged Nickel Sessions. Some of these vinyls were firstly released by Sony only in Japan in 1976 and later in 1992, as a 7LP boxset; Columbia, afterward, re-released all on an 8CD boxset in 1995. All this music features a two-night concert held in Chicago in december 1965 by Miles Davis, when the trumpetist led his quintet of that time: Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). 39 were the pieces collected, featuring Davis well known originals, reworkings and first versions of tracks later recorded on Miles Smiles. Extensively presented here.
The DoLP/CD Side-Eye III+ is the new Pat Methenys album in six years, the first just released by Uniquity, a new label created by the guitarist, who composed and recorded in several sessions in the studio eight new pieces during 2025. Metheny led Chris Fishman (keyboards) Joe Dyson (drums), Daryl Johns (bass), Brandee Younger (harp), Luis Conte (percussion), Vincent Peirani (accordion), James Francies (organ), plus an ensemble of nine vocalists led by Mark Kibble, while the leader plays guitar and synth.
The CD/LP Suspended In Time (A Song Cycle) documents a collaboration between pianist Fred Hersch (who composed and arranged the music) along with Chicago-born vocalist Rondi Charleston (who composed lyrics). Mixing contemporary with pop-jazz, the two performed seven pieces, accompanied by Bruce Williamson (clarinet), Matt Aronoff (bass), Kush Abadey (drums), Rogerio Boccato (percussion), the vocalists Gabrielle Stravelli and Kate McGarry, and the Crosby String Quartet, already in session with Hersch for his Breath By Breath. Recording session: december 2023, in a New York studio.
After the Jazztet disbanded in 1962, Art Farmer and Benny Golson played always together until 1982, when they decided to restore the old project, recalling it the New Jazztet. Five were the albums they produced. Voice All was delivered by Japan label Eastworld in 1983, and was left still unreleased. The seven tracks (six by Golson one by Farmer) feature an april 1982 concert held in Tokyo by Farmer (flugelhorn), Golson (tenor sax), Cedar Walton (piano), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Buster Williams (bass), and Albert Heath (drums). Moment To Moment, another unrereleased disc, was a 1983 vinyl by Italian label Soul Note, featuring their first album in the studio (in Milano, may 1983), again six Golsons pieces and one by Farmer. Nostalgia, another unrereleased vinyl by Japan label Baystate, sports another session in the studio (New York, november 1983), with a new rhythm section: Rufus Reid (bass) and Billy Hart (drums). Back To The City, a Contemporary 1986 album also restored in 2005 in Germany after its first Japan release, was recorded in New York (february 1986), six pieces composed together by Farmer and Golson. Real Time, a Contemporary vinyl out in 1988, documents other seven pieces coming from the previous session (february 1986). The last document by the project, but under the name of Golson only, was One Day, Forever, released by Arkadia Jazz in 2001. The nine tracks collect three different sessions: november 1996, september 1999 and october 2000 (when Farmer died in the meantime), all in the studio. Golson assembled different lineups, which, over Farmer and Fuller, were comprising of Ron Carter (bass), Mulgrew Miller (piano), twelve celloists, plus French horn, oboe, flute and keyboards.
B S-Mart (Confront, 2025) documents Steve Beresford (prepared piano, electronics, & objects), Pierpaolo Martino (double bass & electronics) and Mark Sanders (drums) in Dark Materials, a two-part 44-minute improvisation recorded at Jazz Festival Minareto di Fasano (Bari, Italy), in august 2024.
Timeless restores Reflections In Blue, one of the latest albums recorded in the studio by Art Blakey with his Jazz Messengers. This release, whose first Timeless edition dates back to 1979, documents a december 1978 session in Holland, when the drummer led his lineup of the time: Bobby Watson (alto sax), Dennis Irwin (bass), James Williams (piano), David Schnitter (tenor sax) and Valerie Ponomarev (trumpet). Each of the saxophonists composed a piece, while Williams, above all, wrote the side-long 24-minute Stretching.
Produced now by Evan Parker, the posthumous What Was (False Walls, 2026) documents the until now unreleased september 1995 studio session by the Kenny Wheeler Sextet. The reedist, died in 2014, led on his flugelhorn Ray Warleigh (alto sax and flute), Stan Sulzmann (tenor sax), John Parricelli (guitar), Chris Laurence (bass) and Tony Levin (drums). They recorded four sessions between 1995 and 2003, with a compilation of Wheelers compositions from these sessions issued on Dream Sequence in 2003, whose only track by the sextet, Kind Folk, was taken from the 1995 session which is presented in full here for the first time. What Was includes seven compositions by Wheeler, Warleigh, Sulzmann, Mike Pyne and Lee Konitz.
The same label also just delivered the 4CD boxset The Heraclitean Two-Step, etc., documenting nineteen solo tenor and soprano saxes performances by Evan Parker. Particularly, CD1 features a june 1994 recital, from which was extracted the 22:30-minute Avon; the other tracks on CD1 and the other CDs were recorded between 2018 and 2024. Lets mention, on CD2, the 31:30-minute The Path Is Made By Walking; on CD3 the 15:30-minute The Straight And Narrow; on CD4 the 28:30-minute Timer Sifts and the 19-minute Geeignet.
US label Picc-A-Dilly restores African Concepts, a 1969 vinyl never reissued until now, that features four compositions (notably the 17:40-minute New Africa) by Grachan Moncur III. The trombonist led a notable quartet: Roscoe Mitchell (alto sax and flute), Dave Burrell (piano), Alan Silva (bass) and Andrew Cyrille (drums), plus as guest in one these pieces, Archies Shepp on tenor sax. The session was recorded in a Parisian studio, in august 1969.
Dotolim (Editions, 2026) documents the 70-minute namesake suite composed by Jason Kahn and recorded in october 2023. The multi-instrumentist, though, this time is only on vocals, while the performers were a quintet of South Korean musicians: Jin Sangtae and Jieun Wang on electronics, Jeong Woo Jang on amplified springs, Choi Taehyun on stones, rubber band and contact microphone, Choi Joonyong on tapes. The music is very experimental and mostly improvised.
The posthumous DoLP Dalbergia Retusa (Black Truffle, 2026) features a selection of 23 Hans Reichels solos guitars, recorded between 1973 and 1988, and now collected by Oren Ambarchi. The music was performed using additional strings and fretboards, moveable pickups, extra bridges, and special capos. Born in 1949, Reichel died in 2011.
Wrench In The Works (Zoar, 2026) features the duo of Elliott Sharp (electric guitars, baritone guitar, electric bass, analog synthesizers, drum programming) and Eric Mingus (the son of Charles) on vocals. After their collaboration in many albums in Terraplanes project, they recorded between august and november 2025, in a New York studio, fourteen pieces, mixing jazz, no wave and psychedelic.
Othrwrldly (Queen Bee, 2026) documents bassist Lisa Mezzacappa leading Aaron Bennett (tenor sax), Kyle Bruckmann (oboes and synth), Mark Clifford (vibraphone), Brett Carson (piano), Jordan Glenn (drums) and also Fred Frith as guest on guitar. Mezzacappa composed an eight part suite, on which her themes of chamber music alternate solos and collective. Recording session: september 2025.
The 4CD set The Road To Fusion (Enlightenment, 2026) restores the eight albums released by Gary Burton for RCA, at the beginning of his career: New Vibe Man In Town (july 1961), in a trio with Joe Morello (drums) and Gene Cherico (bass); Who Is Gary Burton? (september 1962), on which the vibraphonist led Phil Woods (alto sax), John Neves (bass), Chris Swanson and Joe Morello (drums), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Chris Swanson (trombonium), and Clark Terry (trumpet); 3 In Jazz (february and march 1963), combining several lineups, with his quartet, Sonny Rollins and Clark Terry; Something's Coming! (august 1963), featuring Jim Hall (guitar), Chuck Israels (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums); The Groovy Sound Of Music (december 1964), the most rare of all, never reissued after is 1965 release, featuring Phil Woods (alto sax and clarinet), Joe Puma (guitar), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone), Steve Swallow (bass), Ed Shaughnessy and Joe Hunt (both on drums); The Time Machine (april 1966), a trio with Steve Swallow and Larry Bunker; Duster (april 1967), with Larry Coryell (guitar) and rhythm section of Swallow and Roy Haynes.
After the self-titled The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis, recorded in december 2022, the Anthony Pirogs lineup returns with the Impulse vinyl Deface The Currency, the second collaboration with the saxophonist Brandon Lewis. The guitarist led again the reedist along with Fugazis Joe Lally (bass) and Brendan Canty (drums), performing seven new pieces, collectively composed. Recording session: july 2025.
The First Touch (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2026) was recorded in july 2025 at the Lublin Jazz Festival in Poland by Trevor Watts (alto and soprano saxes), Barry Guy (double bass) and Ramon Lopez (duras). From their performance were extracted seven pieces, mostly improvised, among which the 21:30-minute Lublin and the 18-minute Emerging.
Live At The Hungry Brain (Trost, 2026) documents a performance recorded in june 2023 at Chicagos Hungry Brain by Marilyn Crispell (piano), Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Damon Smith (double bass) and Adam Shead (drums), from which this release presents two long pieces: the 34-minute A Borderless Event and the 16-minute Bone Eaten Up By Breathing.
MPS restores the vinyl Never Let It End, already released by the label in 1970 and never reissued until now. It documents a one time quartet assembled by Albert Mangelsdorff for a march 1970 session in a German studio. The trombonist led Gunter Lenz (bass), Ralf Hubner (drums), who composed one piece, and Heinz Sauer (tenor and alto saxes), who composed two pieces. The other four pieces of this release were composed by the leader.
Recorded sometimes in 2023, the seven pieces of the posthumous vinyl Contra Madre (VG+, 2026) document a collaboration between Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar) along with James Reichard (guitar) and Julius Masri (drums).
January 2026:
The leader of acoustic jazz band Oregon since 1970, and then also prominent soloist on piano, reeds and above all acoustic and classical guitar, US composer and arranger Ralph Towner died for illness in Rome, where is was living, on january 18, at 85.
The posthumous What Say We Play Today? (Jazz In Britain, 2025) features Tony Coe on clarinets, soprano & tenor saxes, along with Phil Lee on guitar, Gordon Beck on piano, Chris Laurence on bass and Bryan Spring on drums. Recorded at the Camden Festival in London in march 1977. The 71 minutes of this release feature four long pieces, among which the 28-minute title-track.
Recorded in a French studio in june 2025, the nine pieces of Umwelt (Neuma, 2025) feature a new quintet assembled by Denman Maroney, who, on piano & compositions, led Guillaume Orti on soprano & alto saxes, Robin Fincker on tenor sax and clarinet, Scott Walton on bass and Samuel Silvant on drums. Maroney, this time, plays his hyperpiano in one piece only, the other having been written for the quintet, with many variations on his themes. Furthermore, the next month Cuneiform shall deliver Mean Time, an old unreleased concert (april 1995) performed by the pianist with the one-time lineup he assembled, comprising of Herb Robertson (trumpet), Ellery Eskelin (tenor sax), Mark Dresser (bass) and Phil Haynes (drums). Maroney composed a six-part suite playing digital samples of his hyperpiano.
Mingus At Monterey was a DoLP released by Charlie Mingus on his owned label in 1965 (on which he released a few albums, all live), that documents a september 1964 session at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California. This album has been now re-released, always as DoLP, by Candid. The first vinyl features a Medley of themes written by Duke Ellington. The other two pieces are long versions of two Mingus compositions: Orange Was The Colour Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk and the more known Meditations On Integration. The performers: Mingus on bass, Dannie Richmond on drums, Jaki Byard on piano, Charlie McPherson (alto sax), Buddy Collette (alto sax and flute), Jack Nimitz (baritone sax and clarinet), John Handy III (tenor sax), Lou Blackburn (trombone), the trumpet trio of Bobby Bryant, Lonnie Hillyer and Melvin Moore, and Red Callender (tuba).
Duologues 5 features a seven part collaboration between Ivo Perelman (tenor sax) and Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), recorded at Parkwest studios in may 2024. This release is out from Ibeji, the label created by Perelman.
A Fine Rain Anoints The Canal Machinery (Discreet Archive, 2025) documents two sessions recorded by Nate Wooley in 2024 and 2025 collected in two long pieces (35:40 and 33:50 minutes) in this solo album, for which he played field recordings, trumpet, piano, whistling, feet and sine tones. The music, as described in liner notes, is an attempt to build a contrapuntal composition that embraces the confluence between humans and their machines and the uncaring nature they pass through.
Circle The Heart (Relative Pitch, 2025) documents an old unissued performance, six pieces recorded in january 1982 by the duo of Julius Hemphill (soprano and alto saxes and flute), which composed five of them, and Marty Ehrlich (soprano and alto saxes, flute and bass clarinet), who wrote only one. The title-track will be represented by Ehrlich in Emergency Peace (december 1990), a work in a trio with Abdul Wadud (cello) and Lindsey Horner (bass).
The same label also delivers Away, I Was, a solo John Butchers album that collects eight performances by the reedist on tenor and soprano saxes. Two of them, the longest, come from 2024 and 2025 concerts; the others are recordings in the studio, the oldest in 2008, the more recent performed in 2020.
Spontaneous Convergence (Not Two, 2025) documents Joe McPhee (various reeds) and Steve Swell (trombone), along with the rhythm section ofMark Tokar (bass) and Klaus Kugel (drums) in a Polish session of april 2025 during which the quartet recorded five lenghty pieces (notably the 28:30-minute Joy And Imagination Are Uncontainable), basically improvised.
The project Out Of/Into whose history Blue Note presents in its website is a quintet created by a notable lineup: the leader and director Gerald Clayton (piano), Immanuel Wilkins (alto sax), Joel Ross (vibraphone and marimba), Matt Brewer (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums). During a tour in 2024 they recorded seven pieces of contemporary jazz, collected in Motion I, and returned now, in celebration of Blue Note 85th anniversary, with Motion II, featuring other six pieces recorded during 2025, with the same lineup and instruments.
Italian label Dark Companion delivers the posthumous Music For Labyrinths, featuring the namesake 55-minute suite composed and performed on grand piano by Keith Tippett. The music, mostly improvised, was an open live project for soundtracks of labyrinths around the world and inside us, say credits. The British musician assembled a trio along with Claudio Gabbiani (acoustic and electric guitar) and Roberto Musci (sampler, percussion, theremin, synthesizer, didgeridoo, bass clarinet and electronics).
After a digital edition, HighNote delivers now as CD Anthem Of Unity, the latest Joel Harrisons work, recorded in november 2022. The guitarist performed eight tracks (six written by him plus two covers, the Sonny Rollins Doxy and the Bob Dylans Times They Are A-Changin), leading Gary Versace (Hammond organ and piano), Gregory Tardy (sax and clarinet), Jack De Johnette (drums) and no bassist.
The self-produced 2CD set Bunker Ulmenwall Orchestra documents Satoko Fujii in five long pieces coming from an unissued november 2014 concert, during which the pianist led, but without playing, a 17-musician ensemble: five saxophonists, three trumpetists (among which her husband Natsuki Tamura), two trombonists, two drummers, plus cello, double bass, electric guitars, piano and electronics.
Concrete Sun (Infrequent Seams, 2026) documents the trio of Myra Melford (amplified objects and preparations inside the piano), Evelyn Ficarra (found sounds, laptop) and Heather Frasch (synthesizers, DIY kinetic objects) in three compositions premiered in may 2022 and then recorded in june 2024 in a Norway studio. The trio, say credits, created imagined environments, working at times with pre-decided structural ideas, at other times with metaphor and image, and using improvisation to develop the music. Lets mention the title-track (20 minutes) and the 15-minute The Mundane Uncanny.
Blue Note just restored City Lights, one of the oldest albums ever recorded by Lee Morgan, released by the label in 1958. The vinyl gathered five pieces recorded by the trumpetist in august 1957, along with George Coleman (alto and tenor saxes), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums), Ray Bryant (piano) and Curtis Fuller (trombone). All pieces were reworkings, three of them by Benny Golson (among which the title-track). Still unreleased, until now, is Introducing Lee Morgan, a vinyl delivered by Savoy that documents a november 1956 session, during which Morgan played with the Hank Mobley Quintet, featuring the saxtenorist along with Doug Watkins (bass), Art Taylor (drums) and Hank Jones (piano).
Rhino just restored Coltrane's Sound, an Atlantic 1964 release that documents two october 1960 sessions held by John Coltrane in a New York studio, featuring six pieces (in one of them he played soprano and not tenor sax), leading bassist Steve Davis (briefly present in the quartet, and later replaced by Reggie Workman) and the usual Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner. Coltrane composed four of these tracks: Central Park West (4:12), Liberia (6:45), Equinox (8:33) and Satellite (5:48).
Uhhuu (U-Duur, 2025) features Elliott Sharp on electric, baritone & 12-string guitars & drum programming and Estonian New York-based Rainer Jancis on electric, fretless & 7 string guitars, drums & electronics, plus guests Rob Heath (drums) and Tuulikki Bartosik (accordion). Among the four pieces, lets mention the 15-minute Bug Reports. No infos about the session date in the Zoar Studio, but the work was premiered in june 2025.
The posthumous Blue Abstraction: Prepared Piano Project 1985-1987 (Pre-Echo, 2025) compiles eight pieces, unreleased for 40 years, by Jessica Williams, performed on an altered 6'4" grand piano she created, as say credits, placing vibrating and/or muting elements on top of and between the strings at varying distances across the harp, some sounding like bells or gongs (screws, bolts), others like percussion instruments (clothespins, hairpins, washers, erasers).
Dream Archives (ECM, 2026) documents the debuting trio of Craig Taborn (piano, keyboards and electronics), Tomeka Reid (cello) and Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone, percussion and electronics) in a january 2024 session at well known Firehouse 12 studio (New Haven), during which they recorded six pieces (four by Taborn, plus two reworkings of Geri Allen and Paul Motian) of avantgarde jazz, featuring, say credits, a wide musical spectrum as multitudes of idioms pulled from history and reconfigured to form a previously unheard sound world full of reveries.
The self-released Angular Momentum features the Vinny Golia Quintet in a july 2025 session recorded in a Californian studio. The reedist played various clarinets and saxes, leading US pianist Cathlene Pineda, California-based trumpetist Kris Tiner (who also plays flugelhorn), Clint Dodson on vibraphone, waterphone, percussion and drums, and US bassist Miller Wrenn. Wrenn and Tiner were already sessionmen in other Golias lineups. Among the ten tracks gathered, lets mention the 16-minute Use This One, Its For Two
The posthumous Words And Music The Last Bandstand (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2026) documents the two-part 79-minute live performance by Cecil Taylor recorded in April 2016 at the Whitney Museum of New York. The pianist led his New Unit, a lineup comprising of Okkyung Lee (cello), Tony Oxley (electronics), Finnish Harri Sjostrom (soprano and sopranino saxes), and Jackson Krall (drums). This was his last concert ever performed: Taylor died two years afterward.
The 2CD set For Electric Guitar, delivered now by the label People, Places, Records, documents the latest Tim Bradys work. The guitarist, playing also FX pedals and lopper, created three extended compositions: the three sections of the 25-minute title-track, the 15-minute Really, Really Solo Electric Guitar Music, and, on the second CD, nine pieces entitled 9.75 Pieces About Change. All this music was composed and recorded in november 2023, following, say credits his Parkinsons disease diagnosis. This works is very extensively presented here.
The vinyl The Smashing Machine (Warp, 2025) is a multisession album conceived as soundtrack for the namesake Benny Safdies film, collecting eight new compositions by Nala Sinephro. The harpist, also on synthesizer, piano and harmonium, played in several different ensembles, all conducted by Ben Foster. The music was composed and recorded from april to september 2025.
Klimt restores Trio 64, a Verve 1964 release documenting a december 1963 session in a New York studio by Bill Evans (piano), Gary Peacock (bass) and Paul Motian (drums), collecting eight reworked post bop pieces.
Martin Archers Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere returns with Theta Seven (Discus, 2026), the latest and final installment by this ensemble, featuring the leader on woodwinds, keyboards & software, Jan Todd on vocals, texts, electronics, guzheng, lute, flutes, waterphones, recordings & samples, Yvonna Magda on violin & electronics, Andy Peake on piano & keyboards, Terry Todd on bass guitar, Lorin Halsall on acoustic & electric basses, Steve Dinsdale & Walt Shaw on drums. The twelve pieces (among which a Sun Ras cover) were composed, arranged and improvised live in the studio in several sessions, during 2025.
Recorded in july 2025 and inspired by a Franklin D. Roosevelts idea, Four Freedoms (Greenleaf, 2026) documents the latest Dave Douglas work. The trumpetist composed nine new pieces leading a quartet comprising Polish Marta Warelis (piano), Nick Dunston (bass) and Joey Baron (drums).
The three pieces on Three From The Vault (among which the 21-minute Hiding In The Crypt) document the first 2026 release by Aerophonic, featuring the trio of Dave Rempis (soprano/alto/baritone saxes), and celloists Katina Kleijn and Lia Kohl, but Kohl also is on synthesizers, field recordings, toy instruments and radios. Recorded in october 2025, this is a digital release foir their first performance, a concert performed at May Chapel in Chicagos Rosehill Cemetery.
