Curious about what jazz has in store this month? We are excited to share our June 2025 selection of albums set to drop later this month. These releases have caught our ear and we are certain they will captivate yours too. From fresh sounds to unforgettable performances, each album is a must-listen. Explore them in the order of their release dates as you won’t want to miss a single one.
Ches Smith
Clone Row
(Otherly Love)
It is fascinating how Clone Row captures a striking paradox: on one hand, it feels completely modern, infused with forward-thinking energy. On the other hand, there is something almost nostalgic about this modernity, as if it were the sound of a time long past, envisioned decades ago.
The music evokes the feeling of something that could belong in a 1980s sci-fi movie, like a jazz soundtrack imagined for a Jedi adventure, where the sounds seem to represent a possible future. This is indeed a fantastic release, and we can only admire Ches Smith’s drive for innovation, following him on such exciting explorations.
“It’s as if I’m hearing a Jim Hall concert in which one of us did a lot of mushrooms, or (dare I write this?) some post-punk post-Dave Brubeck post-trip-hop experiment with classical form.”
–Marc Ribot, in the liner notes
Ches Smith: percussion; Mary Halvorson: electric guitar; Liberty Ellman: electric guitar; Nick Dunston: bass
Releases June 6, 2025
Maxine Troglauer
Hymn
(Fun In The Church)
Mirroring the album’s dynamic structure, Hymn can be described as a bell curve: beginning with slow rhythms, building to faster tempos, and then returning to slower ones; progressing from solo to duet, then to quintet, before ending back on a solo; and moving through pitches that range from deep, low tones to higher ones, only to return to the low register.
Beyond the form, the content itself is hypnotic and fascinating, demonstrating how intricate and beautiful the fusion of classical and jazz can be, and, above all, showcasing just how talented Maxine Troglauer is.
“Angular, pulsating, brooding, moody, pondering, slippery, trance-inducing, playful
experimentation, intensely fiery and free-flowing. These are just some literal images that come
to mind when I listened through Maxine’s magnificent debut recording.”
–Ingrid Jensen, in the liner notes
Maxine Troglauer: basstrombone; Robert Lucaciu: double bass; Julius Windisch: piano, prepared piano, synthesizer; Wouter Kühne: drums; Peter Evans: trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Releases June 6, 2025
Ben LaMar Gay
Yowzers
(International Anthem)
Americana refers to a genre of music that blends elements of various American roots traditions, including folk, country, bluegrass, blues, and rock, often with influences from gospel and jazz. So it is particularly interesting to read that Ben LaMar Gay describes Yowzers as true Americana:
“For a man who has inhabited and traveled these continents so extensively, it’s safe to call this work true ‘Americana,’ despite what that word might mean to the average person in the United States.”
That must be it. It is likely why his music reaches so many, resonating not only with jazz fans like us. Yes, this amalgamation, evolving over time, may not immediately be recognized by all as Americana, but we believe it represents, embodies, and truly is.
Ben LaMar Gay: cornet, voice, synth, bells, diddley bow, percussion, programming, manipulations; Tommaso Moretti: drums, percussion, voice; Matthew Davis: tuba, piano, bells, voice; Will Faber: guitar, ngoni, bells, voice | Also featuring: Rob Frye: flute, bass clarinet; Ayanna Woods, Tramaine Parker, Ugochi Nwaogwugwu: voice
Releases June 6, 2025
Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Tomeka Reid, Chad Taylor
Pivot
(Silkheart Records)
The ensemble’s cohesion is evident from the outset. As noted in the album’s liner notes, “There is a four-way freedom at play, structures but liberties and no need for elaborate explanation. Everyone spoke the same language.” The sound serves the music perfectly, with a warmth and depth that make it so easy to immerse oneself in it. And because the music was partly inspired by Inger Christensen‘s poetry, it seems like it carries a deep engagement with the natural world and human experience, where form and meaning fuse beautifully.
Mats Gustafsson: baritone and tenor saxophones, flutes; Ken Vandermark: tenor saxophone, Bb and bass clarinets; Tomeka Reid: cello; Chad Taylor: drums
Releases June 10, 2025
Mary Halvorson
About Ghosts
(Nonesuch Records)
This is the Amaryllis sextet, but with ‘more saxophones’ (as Halvorson puts it below), and it really adds something extra, allowing the album to reach further, staying surprising, exciting, and utterly entertaining.
“I started writing this record in the fall of 2023, for Amaryllis, and I thought, ‘You know what? I want to add more saxophones.’ And I just started writing. It felt like an experiment. I was just feeling … denser harmony, more horns. But I wanted to stick with Amaryllis, so it felt natural to add a couple of saxophones to Amaryllis rather than doing an entirely new thing; I’d been playing so much at that point with Amaryllis and we were in a really good place.”
–Mary Halvorson
Mary Halvorson: guitar, synth; Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Brian Settles: tenor saxophone; Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; Jacob Garchik: trombone; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Nick Dunston: bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums
Releases June 13, 2025
Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp String Trio
Armageddon Flower
(TAO Forms)
Like the transcendentals in philosophy (truth, beauty, and goodness) Armageddon Flower resonates with a purity that transcends the limits of music itself. The album isn’t simply listened to; it’s experienced on a deeper level, where intellect, emotion, and instinct converge. It reflects a kind of musical truth, where each note, while initially inconceivable to us, ultimately, once played, seems both inevitable and essential.
The beauty of the interplay between Perelman, Shipp, Maneri, and Parker evokes a profound harmony, while the raw emotion of their performance evokes the idea of a quest for something greater than mere technical excellence, aimed at touching the soul. Like the transcendentals, the qualities of Armageddon Flower do not exist in isolation; they intertwine, creating an integrated whole that goes beyond explanation, offering a glimpse into something beyond, as if we were experiencing the cutting edge of today’s music.
Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano; Mat Maneri: viola; William Parker: bass
Releases June 20, 2025
Amina Claudine Myers
Solace of the Mind
(Red Hook Records)
When listening to a new album, we often have a series of questions we can ask ourselves to guide our approach. These questions create a framework based on criteria that are important to us, whether essential or superficial, that help shape our first listen. For instance: Is it innovative? Is it different? Is it unique? and while doing this, we try to ignore the names of the artists involved. We might also focus on uncovering the message or intention behind the project, among other things.
But sometimes, we become completely absorbed by the music, almost hypnotized by the sense of well-being it brings, without feeling the need to rationalize anything. Solace of the Mind is one of those albums, where all questions fade away in favor of pure experience.
Then, after the listening, if one question arises, it is the only one that truly matters: Is it remarkable? And the answer is clear: Yes, Solace of the Mind is, profoundly so.
“In this album she reveals to us her inner peace, with renderings that are evocative and profound, while simultaneously showing the deft of one’s craft gained by decades of experience. It is Amina’s hope that these musical portraits will provide moments of comfort and solace in this ever-changing world.”
–Robert Thurman, in the liner notes
Amina Claudine Myers: piano, Hammond B3 organ, voice
Releases June 20, 2025
Rez Abbasi
Sound Remains
(Whirlwind Recordings)
Sound Remains feels like a true reflection of the artist’s search for peace through sound, and it shows. Listening to it provides that warm, deep, and pleasant feeling we often seek in a contemporary jazz release. The attention to detail and the excellence displayed by the musicians shine through on every track, making it an incredibly satisfying listen.
“Meditation helps me align with the peace that comes from releasing perpetual desires and personal conditioning. When I reach that space, often the only thing that remains is sound.”
–Rez Abbasi
Discover next: Rez Abbasi: Top 5 Must-Hear Picks
Rez Abbasi: acoustic guitars; Bill Ware: vibraphone; Stephan Crump: acoustic bass; Eric McPherson: drums; Hasan Bakr: percussion
Releases June 27, 2025
June 2025 – New Releases Selection
- Ches Smith – Clone Row (Otherly Love)
- Maxine Troglauer – Hymn (Fun In The Church)
- Ben LaMar Gay – Yowzers (International Anthem)
- Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Tomeka Reid, Chad Taylor – Pivot (Silkheart Records)
- Mary Halvorson – About Ghosts (Nonesuch Records)
- Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp String Trio – Armageddon Flower (TAO Forms)
- Amina Claudine Myers – Solace of the Mind (Red Hook Records)
- Rez Abbasi – Sound Remains (Whirlwind Recordings)
Playlist
Listen to these tracks on our Spotify playlist.
…and discover our selection Best Jazz Albums of 2025 (so far)
That wraps up our June 2025 jazz selection! What do you think of these albums? Feel free to leave a comment and let us know your favorites or any releases you think we should check out. We love hearing from you and discovering new music together!