What should you expect from jazz this month? Welcome to our June 2023 selection of albums that have already been or will soon be released this month. These albums grabbed our full attention, and they are worth your time. They are listed in order of release date.
Best Jazz Releases June 2023
Linda May Han Oh
The Glass Hours
(Biophilia Records)
Besides being one of the most in-demand bassists in the modern-jazz realm, Linda May Han Oh slowly but surely manages to develop her own universe through her projects as a leader and composer.
The Glass Hours, following Aventurine (2019), is engaging–which is often the case with Biophilia Records releases–and it is so uniquely Oh. Thanks to her personal touch and creativity, she delivers a superb album.
Linda May Han Oh: electric and acoustic bass, voice; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Sara Serpa: voice; Fabian Almazan: piano, electronics; Obed Calvaire: drums
Release date June 2, 2023
Illegal Crowns
Unclosing
(Out Of Your Head Records)
Unclosing instantly became a favorite. The four artists truly found an exquisite balance and managed to capture a kind of music that has been lingering in the air for some time, yet had not been perfectly achieved until now. Wow.
Tomas Fujiwara: drums; Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Benoît Delbecq: piano
Release date June 2, 2023
Zoh Amba, William Parker, Francisco Mela
O Life, O Light Vol. 2
(577 Records)
The poetry, power, and fierce intention to fully embody her breath makes Zoh Amba a unique artist. Once she incorporates her instruments, it’s like witnessing the big bang of the universe every time. Exceptional!
Zoh Amba was our Artist of the Year 2022, and O Life, O Light Vol. 2 only solidifies our choice.
Zoh Amba: tenor saxophone, flute; William Parker: bass, gralla; Francisco Mela: drums
Release date June 9, 2023
Devin Gray
Most Definitely
(Rataplan Records)
Most Definitely is the first solo album by drummer Devin Gray. You will quickly notice that every track twists and turns with electronic music, which adds a surprisingly interesting effect to the composition and a seemingly endless layer of possibilities. And Gray seems to enjoy playing with that layer as much as we enjoy listening to it.
It is fascinating that the drum could be so archaic and futuristic at the same time. The current setup really helps to grasp the uniqueness of this instrument–or let’s say the percussions–by spinning your head in different temporalities, making you ask where in the age of humanity this could be placed.
In the liner notes, Devin Gray defends the value of listening. This release will be the best ambassador for his message.
See here if the Most Definitely Summer Tour 2023, USA & Europe, goes through your city.
“The electronic integration really ramps up the excitement of this music for me, making it an honest modern musical offering, of which it Most Definitely is.”
–Devin Gray
Devin Gray: drums
Release date June 9, 2023
Guido Spannocchi
Live at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, 2022
(Audioguido Records)
This live album was recorded without the musicians even realizing it! This anecdote might be what makes this album a pleasant surprise: the musicians play in complete freedom, exploring a wide range of Guido’s compositions together. Therefore, the album’s atmosphere is exactly what we like to find in a jazz club: warmth, inventiveness, and a proper focus on the present moment.
Thanks to the scope covered, the talent gathered, and the genuine involvement, Live at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, 2022 can be summed up in two words: “splendid tranquillity.”
Two release concerts are planned for June 16 & 17 at Ronnie Scott, London.
Discover next, Perihelion (2021) also by Guido Spannocchi
Guido Spannocchi: saxophone; Ruth Goller: bass; Danny Keane: piano, Rhodes; Pete Adam Hill: drums
Release date June 9, 2023
Javier Nero
Kemet: The Black Land
(Outside in Music)
The album Kemet: The Black Land is inspired by the ancient name of Egypt (i.e., Kemet), which means “black land,” and it likely refers to the fertile black soils of the Nile’s flooded plains.
Life and culture start here, and Javier Nero manages to take us on a delightful cruise through these floods of grandiosity, fertility, and freedom, all the way to the closing track, “Contemplation,” which is bittersweet only because after such a pleasantly mesmerizing journey, we certainly now reach the point of a new civilization.
Javier Nero: trombone; Josh Richman: piano; Kyle Swan: drums; William Ledbetter: bass | Special guests include trumpeters Sean Jones and Randy Brecker, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, saxophonist Tim Green, and vocalist Christie Dashiell.
Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Continuing
(Pi Recordings)
Review coming soon
Tyshawn Sorey: drums; Aaron Diehl: piano; Matt Brewer: bass
Release date June 30, 2023
June 2023 – New Albums Selection
- Linda May Han Oh – The Glass Hours (Biophilia Records)
- Illegal Crowns – Unclosing (Out Of Your Head Records)
- Zoh Amba, William Parker, Francisco Mela – O Life, O Light Vol. 2 (577 Records)
- Devin Gray – Most Definitely (Rataplan Records)
- Guido Spannocchi – Live at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, 2022 (Audioguido Records)
- Javier Nero – Kemet: The Black Land (Outside in Music)
- Tyshawn Sorey Trio – Continuing (Pi Recordings)
- …
Next, discover the selection of our Best Jazz Albums 2023.
Playlist
Listen to these tracks on our Spotify playlist ↗.