Enrico Rava
New York Days
(ECM)
A true master of space, melody and mood, Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava has been on a roll in recent years, releasing one fascinating album after another. Now comes a quietly dazzling Italo-NYC project on which Rava – who spent a few years in New York in the [...]

Joshua Redman
Compass
(Nonesuch)
Joshua Redman has finally and fully come into his own as an artist. His last album, 2007’s Back East, featured him in trio settings with three different rhythm sections and a few guests (including his father, the late Dewey Redman). This time, he’s building on the trio-plus concept, bringing [...]

Iraida Noriega
Ven Conmigo
(Independent)
Regarded as one of the great new voices in Mexican jazz, Iraida Noriega deserves  recognition beyond the borders of her country. On Ven Conmigo, recorded live at Mexico City’s Papa Beto Jazz Bistro, the singer’s talent shines through a collection of originals blended with personal renditions of a [...]

Bill Frisell
History, Mystery
(Nonesuch)
Guitarist Bill Frisell may not be the flashiest personality in modern jazz, but he’s among the most consistently compelling. While History, Mystery is a relatively low-key affair, the generous two-disc set effectively showcases his skills as a writer, arranger and player of uncommon intelligence and versatility.
The bulk of [...]

Jessica Williams
Songs For A New Century
(Origin)
One of the giants of the jazz piano since her solo breakthrough in the late 1980s, Jessica Williams has technique on the level of Oscar Peterson, a wit inspired by Thelonious Monk, a solid sense of swing and a very fertile imagination. She gives the [...]

Grupo Fantasma
Sonidos Gold
(Aire Sol/High Wire)
The artist formerly known as a symbol, and now, again as Prince, was so taken with Grupo Fantasma’s last release Comes Alive that he hired this Austin band to back him on several occasions and to perform at his Las Vegas nightclub, 3121. The band’s new [...]