Acclaimed pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and esteemed trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith have performed together in various ensembles for more than a decade, but Angel Falls marks their first duo collaboration. The recording succeeds beautifully thanks to the pair’s rare chemistry, fearless improvisation, artistic precision, and deep attention to tone, texture, balance, and form.
Their sonic cohesion is especially remarkable given that the album was recorded and mixed in just five hours. Smith is a poet of the trumpet—graceful, yearning, lyrical, soulful, and smoldering, always epic in scope. Courvoisier, with her fusion of classical technique, improvisational insight, and free-jazz fluency, matches Smith in originality and craft. Angel Falls is a work of exceptional artistry, eight tracks of pure brilliance from two extraordinary and singular musicians.
Multi-instrumentalist Roger Glenn’s remarkable career includes collaborations with Herbie Mann, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Taj Mahal, and Kurt Elling. He celebrates his 80th birthday with only his second recording—his last arriving nearly 50 years ago—highlighting his lifelong love for Latin American rhythms.
Joyous and upbeat, the album features Glenn’s prodigious skills on vibes, flute, alto saxophone, marimba, and vocals. Whether it’s the soaring flute on “Zambo’s Mambo,” the shimmering vibraphone on “Cal’s Guajira,” or the warm alto flute on “A Night of Love,” Glenn proves a master of every instrument he plays. His command of Latin jazz is unmatched. My Latin Heart is a tour de force of instrumental virtuosity, spirit, infectious rhythms, and pure love.
It has been seven years since pianist, keyboardist, and composer Lafayette Gilchrist and his New Volcanoes released an album. The vibrant live recording Move With Love—featuring the ensemble reimagined as a fiery nonet—proves worth the wait.
The album arrives just as Gilchrist becomes the newest member of the storied Sun Ra Arkestra, adding another milestone to an already wide-ranging career. Recorded at Club Car in Gilchrist’s hometown of Baltimore, Move With Love showcases six exuberant tracks infused with jazz, hip-hop, and Washington, D.C.’s trademark go-go funk. From the propulsive opener “Cut Through the Chase” to the spirited title track to the closer “Crosspollination Aggregation,” the album radiates Gilchrist’s message of unity, joy, and love through some of the most irresistible grooves you’ll encounter. It is quintessential Gilchrist—compelling, communal, complex, and unmissable.
Before releasing his debut album just a few years ago at age 52, drummer Brandon Sanders built an eclectic career: playing college basketball, working in New York City schools as a social worker, and DJing in his hometown of Compton. Jazz, however, has always lived deep within him.
Following Compton’s Finest in 2023 and a 2024 follow-up, Sanders returns with Lasting Impression, an aptly titled third release. The recording features an outstanding band, including vibraphonist Warren Wolf, saxophonist Stacy Dillard, and Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn on “Our Love Is Here to Stay” and a stirring rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Until You Come Back to Me.” Two Sanders originals and four jazz classics—including Mal Waldron’s “Soul Eyes”—round out Lasting Impression, a superb album of expressive, deeply swinging jazz.
Grammy Award–winning saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón celebrates 20 years with his Quartet on their first live album, Vanguardia Subterránea. His 18th release as a leader, the album captures stunning performances recorded at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York City.
The rapport among Zenón, pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Henry Cole is unmatched as they navigate a wealth of new material, including six Zenón originals and two inventive arrangements. A master of blending innovation with tradition, Zenón infuses the music with mambo, salsa, and broader Latin American influences.
Highlights include the rhythmically distinctive “Dale la Vuelta” and “Coordinadas,” which transforms geographic coordinates for the Vanguard and the musicians’ birthplaces into riveting musical narratives. Vanguardia Subterránea shines with immediacy, virtuosity, and exceptional artistry.
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