Woody’s Delight (High Note) On this superbly conceived and performed nine-track program, trombonist and composer Steve Turre proves that he is as much a master of fashioning grand concepts as he is of conquering the demanding intricacies of his axe. On this tribute to his mentor, the late trumpeter Woody [...]

Solo (Motéma) For the vast majority of her career, pianist Lynne Arriale concentrated almost exclusively on her trio, not varying the format until her two most recent releases, when she expanded the group to a quartet with the additions of saxophonist Bill McHenry or trumpeter Randy Brecker. Now she takes [...]

Blue Moon: The New York Session (Jazz Village) At 81 years old, pianist and composer Ahmad Jamal sounds like a man half his age. There’s a startling vitality, lucidity and bounce to his playing throughout the 76-minute Blue Moon. Over the course of his career, Jamal has favored small groups, [...]

Girl Talk (Palmetto) In her liner notes, singer Kate McGarry calls Girl Talk “my first straight ahead recording in many years.” From the opening notes of “We Kiss In a Shadow,” however, it’s evident that “straight ahead” may accurately reflect McGarry’s choice of material for her latest album, but her [...]

Accelerando ACT Music Vijay Iyer enjoys the challenge of translating unexpected material into the piano-trio format. His previous trio recording, Historicity, included works from Stevie Wonder and hip-hop artist M.I.A. Here, disco and electronic music fit nicely alongside works from Henry Threadgill and Herbie Nichols. And it all works because [...]

The Monk Project (IPO) Ask a casual jazz fan what he knows about Thelonious Monk, and the likely answer will be that he was an avant-garde composer with an idiosyncratic approach to his piano playing. That shorthand take on Monk’s role in post-swing jazz, however, doesn’t begin to convey the [...]