Gonzalo Rubalcaba Avatar (Blue Note) Over the course of his two decades in the jazz swim, consummate Cuban-born pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba has pursued multiple directions and projects, in sync with his restless muse. With his latest, Rubalcaba has assembled a solid band of NYC players – including saxist Yosvany Terry [...]

Hendrik Meurkens Sambatropolis (Zoho) Ever since jazz discovered the samba some 50 years ago, many non-Brazilian musicians have flipped over the style and added bossa nova (the genre’s soft and sweet side) and jazz samba (the idiom’s more robust and bop-influenced variant) to their repertoire. Some – including guitarist Charlie [...]

Various Artists Miles…From India (Four Quarters/Times Square) With the recent passing of Teo Macero and Joel Dorn before him, the pool of producers willing and able to push jazz musicians – and listeners – beyond the familiar and into realms of genuine sonic adventure shrunk substantially. Perhaps the last three [...]

Marcus Miller Marcus (Concord) Bassist Marcus Miller’s new CD is typical Marcus. Which means it’s not really typical at all, at least not in a traditional jazz sense. Take the opening cut, “Blast.” It’s a swinging Mid-Eastern outing, with Miller keeping things moving along with popping bass, while swirling strings [...]

David Buchbinder Odessa/Havana (Tzadik) Latin-jazz has been the rage for decades, but few have explored the Cuban-klezmer axis. Trumpeter David Buchbinder and pianist Hilario Dúran fill the void with an inspired collaboration that seamlessly melds these two distinct traditions. What might seem like a strange combination actually has its roots [...]

Carolyn Leonhart and Wayne Escoffery If Dreams Come True (Nagel Heyer) Vocalist Carolyn Leonhart and her husband, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, have lent their talents to one another’s albums previously, but this is their first full-fledged collaborative effort. If there’s any justice, it won’t be their last. From the first note [...]