What does jazz sound like in January 2026? The opening month of the new year often arrives quietly, once the end-of-year lists have settled and the rush has passed, creating space for new records again. This January 2026 jazz selection brings together albums that value nuance, beauty, and strong artistic intent. These are releases that stayed with us, each in its own way, and felt worth sharing to start the year with focus, curiosity, and open ears.

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On this release by Ivo Perelman and Wadada Leo Smith, the fifth installment in Perelman’s Duologues, seven succinct pieces unfold with a beautiful balance of thoughtful space and spontaneous interplay. The music is rarely explosive, instead favoring a mesmerizing, spacious quality where each musician listens deeply and responds in kind. Both voices remain fully distinct, yet interact with rare empathy, finding common ground in real time. The result is a considered, respectful, and constructive album, one that should feel like a genuine source of inspiration for 2026.

Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet
Released January 2, 2026

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On Swarm Patterns, The Thunks push the piano-trio idea into unusual territory: one piano, two drummers. And the result is not so much chaos, actually, but more of a constantly shifting balance of pulse and pressure. The title quickly makes sense when you think of individual movements (here, percussive gestures) responding to or initiated by one element of the swarm, a single musician triggering closely related reactions from those around them. The album thrives on collective motion, less about solos than about momentum, friction, and the intelligence of shared development.

Elisabeth Harnik: piano; Martin Brandlmayr: drums; Didi Kern: drums
Released January 16, 2026

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Just Gravity by Haeun Joo is mostly a solo piano space, where ideas appear, linger, and dissolve in real time. And when the music sometimes opens into a trio with Chris Tordini and Steven Crammer, it simply adds another layer of response and motion. What is compelling is the way structure and spontaneity remain in constant dialogue: lyrical, almost romantic phrases give way to rhythmic freedom, in solo or as a trio.

Haeun Joo: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Steven Crammer: drums
Released January 16, 2026

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Angelika Niescier clearly came to Chicago to listen, respond, and advance ideas. The music, shaped as much by the personalities around her as by her writing, is tense and grooving, constantly shifting, yet always guided by a clear intention that creates a strong sense of collective presence.

It also fits seamlessly into her run of releases on Intakt Records (Beyond Dragons, New York Trio, The Berlin Concert, or NYC Five), which has been remarkably consistent in both quality and ambition.

“Through such artistic exchanges, Niescier has built a fascinating career by continually forming new partnerships and nonchalantly adapting her own language to the needs of each new context, without ever compromising or dampening her voice. Chicago Tapes captures a new chapter in this journey, and judging by what we hear here, we can only hope that her connection to Chicago is just beginning.”
—Peter Margasak, liner notes

Angelika Niescier: alto saxophone; Jason Adasiewicz: vibes; Nicole Mitchell: flute; Mike Reed: drums; Dave Rempis: alto, tenor saxophone; Luke Stewart: bass
Released January 23, 2026

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For Scenes From Above, Julian Lage formed a new quartet, inviting John Medeski on organ and piano. Medeski’s touch adds depth and color, widening the harmonic space while reinforcing Lage’s usual quiet intensity. What is striking is how majestic the music feels without grand gestures, a quiet mastery that gives a lot of weight.

Julian Lage: guitar; John Medeski: organ, piano; Jorge Roeder: bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums
Released January 23, 2026

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With ¡Take Cover!, Alfredo Rodríguez fully embraces the idea of jazz as a shared, joyful playground. A key figure of contemporary Cuban jazz and long supported by Quincy Jones, Rodríguez takes some of the most recognizable pop anthems (from “The Pink Panther” to “Hotel California”) and reshapes them through Afro-Cuban rhythms, improvisation, and an infectious sense of play. The project grew from his viral soundcheck videos, where global hits turned into high-energy jam sessions, and that live, collective energy runs through the entire album. Incredibly entertaining!

Alfredo Rodriguez: piano; Michael Olivera: drums (?); Yarel Hernandez: bass (?)| Guest Al2 El Aldeano
Released January 23, 2026

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Away, I Was finds John Butcher in a very personal space, a compilation of solo saxophone pieces spanning nearly two decades that blurs improvisation and composition with rare focus. The music moves slowly between long tones, silences, and extended techniques on tenor and soprano. Recorded in a variety of settings and moments, the album nonetheless feels cohesive, as a phase of his work distilled into a series of statements in which every sound is considered, and the absence of some is beautifully freeing.

John Butcher: tenor and soprano saxophones
Released January 23, 2026

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On Nuit Parisienne à La Havane, Roberto Fonseca and Vincent Ségal strip everything down to what truly matters: understanding and intuition. Recorded spontaneously, the dialogue between piano and cello feels so fluid and unforced, moving naturally between classical influences, Cuban tradition, and contemporary improvisation. The album is a succession of short, self-contained scenes, intimate yet profoundly expressive.

“Through atmospheres and melody, I simply try to take everyone who listens on a sonic journey. To make them feel a deep sense of spirituality linked to a strong desire to compose melodies that remain both in the mind and in the heart.”
–Roberto Fonseca

Roberto Fonseca: piano; Vincent Segal: cello
Released January 30, 2026

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Stars really feels like a gathering: generous, unhurried, and deeply grounded in the pleasure of playing together. It is moving in its clarity, with a direct sense of accessibility that allows you to settle quickly into the heart of this warm, beautiful album.

Note that Stars also opens the Newvelle Ten Collection, a five-album series celebrating the label’s tenth anniversary, recorded at Newvelle’s original studio and bringing together new releases by Martin Wind, Ingrid Jensen, Elan Mehler, Loren Stillman, and Skúli Sverrisson.

Martin Wind: bass; Kenny Barron: piano; Anat Cohen: clarinet; Matt Wilson: drums
Released January 30, 2026

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January 2026 – New Releases Selection

• Ivo Perelman, Wadada Leo Smith – Duologues 5 (IBEJI)
• The Thunks – Swarm Patterns (Trost)
• Haeun Joo – Just Gravity (577)
• Angelika Niescier – Chicago Tapes (Intakt)
• Julian Lage – Scenes From Above (Blue Note)
• Alfredo Rodriguez – ¡Take Cover! (Take Cover)
• John Butcher – Away, I Was (Relative Pitch)
• Roberto Fonseca, Vincent Ségal – Nuit Parisienne à La Havane (Artwork)
• Martin Wind – Stars (Newvelle)

Playlist

Listen to these tracks on our Spotify playlist.

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This ends our January 2026 jazz selection, a snapshot of new jazz albums that caught our attention this month. If you have been listening to any of these releases or have discovered other jazz records from January 2026 that we missed, feel free to leave a comment and join the conversation.