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Jazz Album Reviews – Discover all the reviews of the latest jazz albums released – Contemporary, avant-garde, free, bop, experimental:

Naoko Sakata – Dancing Spirits

Dancing Spirits is a solo piano album by the Japanese-born Sweden-based artist Naoko Sakata. After Inner Planets, released in 2020, Dancing Spirits was her second album, and was entirely improvised. It was recorded on the 18th and 19th of August 2020 at Annedalskyrkan, a church in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The album was released on March 26th, 2021.

Martin Archer, Charlotte Keeffe, Martin Pyne – Hi Res Heart

Hi Res Heart is the first album that Martin Archer, Charlotte Keeffe, and Martin Pyne have released together. Hi Res Heart was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown, from August 2020 until March 2021, and it was released on May 14, 2021.

William Parker – Mayan Space Station

Mayan Space Station is William Parker’s first electric-guitar-trio album. It features Ava Mendoza on guitar and Gerald Cleaver on drums. All the tracks were composed by William Parker and recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jim Clouse, in February 2020, at Park West Studios, in Brooklyn.

Archie the Goldfish – Water & Light

Water & Light is the second EP by Archie the Goldfish, a project co-led by trumpet player Graeme Flowers and guitarist Chris Bestwick. Water & Light was released on the July 16, 2021.

Keshav Batish – Binaries in Cycle

Binaries in Cycle is Keshav Batish‘s debut album. It was released on the 9th of July 2021, and it features Keshav Batish (drums), Shay Salhov (alto saxophonist), Lucas Hahn (piano), and Aron Caceres (double bass). The seven tracks (five originals and two covers) were recorded live with no audience on the 3rd of August 2020 at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, California.

Aki Rissanen – Divided Horizon

Divided Horizon is Aki Rissanen’s third solo album, the first on Edition Records after three excellent albums. Divided Horizon was recorded at Kallio-Kuninkala Studio, in Finland, on August 21 and 22 and September 23 and 24, 2020. Additional recordings were made at Studio Porra, in Finland, on January 13 and 14, 2021.

Tomoko Omura – Branches Vol. 2

New York-based Japanese jazz violinist Tomoko Omura has released Branches Vol. 2, the second volume of her compositions and arrangements based on Japanese folklore and traditional music. Tomoko Omura is accompanied by Jeff Miles on guitar, Glenn Zaleski on piano, Pablo Menares on bass, and Jay Sawyer on drums.

Sons of Kemet – Black to the Future

Black to the Future is the fourth album by Sons of Kemet, featuring Shabaka Hutchings on tenor saxophone, clarinet, and bass clarinet, Theon Cross on tuba, and both Eddie Hick and Tom Skinner on drums and percussion. It was released May 14, 2021, on Impulse! Records and recorded in 2020 during the weeks that followed the death of George Floyd.

Jalen Baker – This is Me, This is Us.

This is Me, This is Us is the debut album of vibraphonist, composer, and bandleader Jalen Baker. The album was released June 4, 2021, on Outside in Music. The nine original compositions (plus one reimagined Stevie Wonder classic) were recorded December 7 & 8, 2020 at Big Orange Sheep in NYC.

Devin Gray – Melt All The Guns EP

Melt All the Guns is the new EP by drummer Devin Gray. Together with Ralph Alessi (trumpet), and Angelica Sanchez (piano), they recorded five original tracks after few concerts in Canada and the United States during the Fall of 2019. These tracks were released on Rataplan Records on June 4, 2021.