Jazz Album Reviews – Discover all the reviews of the latest jazz albums released – Contemporary, avant-garde, free, bop, experimental:
Branches is a live recording of Evan Parker and Bill Nace in duet at Cafe OTO. Recorded on May 25, 2024, with Parker on soprano saxophone and Nace on a two-string Taishogoto, it was released as a split between Open Mouth Records and Otoroku on May 23, 2025.
Continue reading Evan Parker, Bill Nace – Branches (Live at Cafe OTO)
L’Invisible is an album by Christer Bothén, accompanied by vibraphonist and drummer Kjell Nordeson and bassist Kansan Zetterberg. It features two expansive improvisational pieces, “L’Invisible – Partie 1” and “L’Invisible – Partie 2.” The album was recorded by Daniel Bengtson at Studio Rymden in March 2024 and released on April 4, 2025, by Thanatosis.
French guitarist, composer, and producer Thomas Naïm is one of the most prominent musicians in his country. He was declared one of the top three French guitarists in the ‘Best of’ 2023, and 2024, by Jazz Magazine and Jazz News.
Naïm began his journey with music in his earlier years, at the age of 12. The initial influence that left an indelible mark on him was Rock, which explains why he chose the guitar among all the instruments. However, as time went on, as inquisitive and experimental as his approach to music in the past and present times, he found himself becoming interested in a multitude of musical styles. And as a consequence of his musical journey, he discovered his love for jazz.
Continue reading Thomas Naïm – May This Be Love (Acoustic Guitar Takes on Jimi Hendrix)
Wrecks is a duet album by David Maranha and Rodrigo Amado. It was recorded at Escola do Largo in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 4th, 2023, during a special evening dedicated to duets, and released on October 25, 2024, by Nariz Entupido.
Continue reading David Maranha, Rodrigo Amado – Wrecks
The Susceptible Now is the new release from drummer Tyshawn Sorey’s trio, with Aaron Diehl on piano and Harish Raghavan on bass. They present 4 long tracks: (1) the McCoy Tyner classic “Peresina” from his album Expansions; (2) “A Chair in the Sky” (composed with Charles Mingus) from the Joni Mitchell album Mingus; (3) “Your Good Lies,” from the contemporary soul group Vividry; and (4) “Bealtine” by Brad Mehldau. The Susceptible Now will be out October 11, on Pi Recordings.
Continue reading The Susceptible Now by Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan has released his latest album, The Bird Of A Thousand Voices. This eclectic amalgamation of jazz, prog, and, of course, Armenian folklore is a remarkably polychromatic record, in line with his varicolored oeuvre, that blurs the boundaries among genres, styles, and eras.
Continue reading Tigran Hamasyan – The Bird Of A Thousand Voices
Aloft is the ninth duet album by life partners, pianist Satoko Fujii—who released her 100th album as a leader in 2022—and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. The album was recorded on December 13, 2003, at Samurai Hotel in New York by Mike Marciano and was released on July 12, 2024, on Libra Records.
Continue reading Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura – Aloft
Compassion is the second release by the Vijay Iyer Trio, featuring Linda May Han Oh on double bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. The 12 tracks were recorded in May 2022 at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, New York, and the album was produced by Vijay Iyer and Manfred Eicher. Compassion was released on February 2, 2024, on ECM.
Continue reading Vijay Iyer Trio – Compassion
Heirloom is a solo recording by pianist Lisa Ullén. It was captured during two sessions—with an audience—on June 6 and 8, 2023, at Fylkingen in Stockholm, Sweden. The two concerts were identical, each exploring two variations of the same three-part suite: “Heirloom,” “Fragrance,” and “After Sun.”
Continue reading Lisa Ullén – Heirloom
For Mahalia, With Love is a Mahalia Jackson tribute album by saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and his Red Lily Quintet with Kirk Knuffke on cornet, William Parker on bass, Chad Taylor on drums, and Chris Hoffman on cello. For Mahalia, With Love was recorded at Skyline Studios, New Jersey, and will be released on September 8, 2023, by TAO Forms.
Continue reading For Mahalia, With Love – James Brandon Lewis, Red Lily Quintet