Sounds of A&R (SOAR) - Dishes Ain’t Clean - Soaring Records
Sounds of April and Randall’s fourth album, Dishes Ain’t Clean, is a self-produced collection of 13 original songs that moves fluidly between jazz, indie folk, world pop and R&B. Written by vocalist April May Webb and trumpeter Randall Haywood, the album uses a familiar household chore as an extended metaphor for self-presentation, examining the versions of ourselves we polish for public view alongside the unfinished truths left behind closed doors. Developed with mentorship from T.S. Monk, the project was supported by Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus Program, funded by the Doris Duke Foundation, as well as New Music USA’s Next Jazz Legacy Program. Webb, WINNER of the 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and Haywood, a Juilliard-trained composer and bandleader, lead an ensemble anchored by Webb’s brothers Jacob Webb on bass and Dr. Nathan Webb on drums, joined by pianist Dr. Ryan Tomski, guitarists Charlie Sigler and Drew Cooper, and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Valle. Terri Lyne Carrington describes the album as “a superbly produced eclectic offering from the dynamic vocal/trumpet duo, giving strong cinematic, singer-songwriter, and R&B vibes along with beautifully swinging tracks for your staunch jazz and hybrid jazz fans.”
Carmen Lundy - Notes From The Wine Cellar - Afrasia Productions
Notes From The Wine Cellar, the extraordinary new album from jazz vocalist and composer Carmen Lundy, is set for release August 21st via Afrasia Productions. Created over the course of the past several years but recorded in January of 2026, the record’s arrival coincides with Carmen being named a 2026 NEA Jazz Master, the highest accolade a jazz artist can receive. Drawing from a lifetime of artistic and personal reflection, this collection brings together songs inspired by love, faith, family, social consciousness, and the enduring search for purpose. Rooted in the creative spirit of New York City’s jazz scene and shaped by decades of growth, the album bridges past and present through compositions that have evolved over time alongside newly written works. Blending jazz, gospel, and soul traditions, these songs explore unity, identity, loss, forgiveness, and hope with honesty and grace. Together, they form a deeply personal yet universal statement, celebrating the transformative power of love as life’s greatest and most enduring truth.
Dave Bass - Trio Nuevo Vol 3 - Dave Bass Music
Throughout TRIO NUEVO VOL. 3, Dave Bass continues to demonstrate why he has become one of today’s most distinctive jazz pianists and composers. His adventurous harmonic language, commanding technique, and wide-ranging influences—from jazz and gospel to classical music and Brazilian and Cuban rhythms—combine with the exceptional artistry of Tyler Miles and Steve Helfand to create a trio whose musical conversations are both sophisticated and deeply inviting. TRIO NUEVO VOL. 3 is a compelling statement from three musicians who continue to expand the expressive possibilities of the modern piano trio.
Sullivan Fortner - Leave That In There - Artwork Records
Artwork Records is thrilled to announce the August 28, 2026 release of Leave That In There, the sixth album by GRAMMY Award-winning pianist, composer, and bandleader Sullivan Fortner. Produced by Derrick Hodge, Leave That In There presents Fortner’s most personal and self-referential statement to date. Across a dozen original compositions and one cover, the New Orleans native threads together musical references, memories pulled from family history, spiritual traditions, and sonic callbacks to earlier works throughout his catalog. The album moves fluidly between acoustic trio interplay, Hammond B3 organ, synthesizers, marimba, Bàtá drumming, and fully improvised passages while maintaining the connective language that has defined Fortner’s music since his debut over a decade ago. This is the first studio recording featuring his working trio comprising bassist Tyrone Allen II and drummer Kayvon Gordon.
Mike Jones - Mike Jones with Strings - Capri Records
On his new live album, jazz piano virtuoso Mike Jones embraces hard driving chamber jazz with a swinging drummer-less trio Mike Jones With Strings, out August 21, 2026, via Capri Records, features a deep dive into the Great American Songbook with guitarist Graham Dechter and bassist Alex Frank. The ability to swing has long been at the heart of jazz. For his new live album, virtuoso jazz pianist Mike Jones assembles a drummer-less trio that quickly proves to be one of the most swinging bands on the scene. Mike Jones With Strings was recorded live at Vic’s Supper Club in Las Vegas and features Jones, guitar prodigy Graham Dechter, and versatile bassist Alex Frank on a hard driving, profoundly swinging journey through the Great American Songbook.
Stefon Harris + Blackout - Legacy Dances ft. Casey Benjamin - Motema
4x GRAMMY®-nominated vibraphonist Stefon Harris celebrates 20 years of his groundbreaking Blackout project with Legacy Dances, a vibrant album inspired by ancestral influences, community, and commitment to jazz as a living, ever-evolving art form. Both a celebration and tribute, Legacy Dances features some of the final, and finest, recordings of Blackout co-founder, and beloved electro-soul-jazz innovator, Casey Benjamin. When Benjamin’s sudden, and tragic passing in 2024 shocked Harris and the jazz, soul, and hip-hip communities at large, release plans halted abruptly. Now Harris presents this landmark recording as a triumphant cap to Benjamin’s two amazing decades with Blackout. Produced, arranged, and composed by Harris, Legacy Dances brilliantly expresses his philosophy of jazz as “empathy in action,” through infectious originals, fearless improvisation, and insightful nods to jazz and cultural ancestors. Harris, Benjamin, and founding drummer Terreon Gully are joined by Christian Sands (piano), Dezron Douglass (bass) and Weedie Braimah (percussion). Broadway actor Dwayne Clark’s spoken word feature and Scott Arcangel’s string orchestrations add additional colors and nuance.
Somi - What Does It Take To Bloom - Salon Africano
GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Somi releases her new album What Does It Take to Bloom? on August 7 via Salon Africana. A two-time NAACP Image Award winner and Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, her first collection of original songs in six years is an exploration into the ongoing process of staying faithful to oneself amid life’s dissonance. Written and recorded between Dakar, Lagos, Paris and New York City, the album weaves global sensibilities into an intimate meditation on uncertainty and change — asking whether growth is something we recognize as it’s happening, or once we’ve already been transformed. Having spent years navigating the global jazz scene while also feeling adjacent to it, Somi defies categorization — embracing a hybrid of jazz, soul, highlife, spoken word, and her African heritage. What Does It Take to Bloom? marks an evolution of Somi’s sound and finds her taking greater vocal risks while trusting her instincts more deeply. Abandoning the need to fit inside any artistic box, that refusal in itself is a form of blooming.
Tony Grey - Nostalgia ft. Bob James - Tony Grey Music
A debut collaboration between virtuoso bassist Tony Grey and Grammy-winning pianist Bob James — nine tracks of jazz, world music, and electronica that cross continents and genres. Nostalgia is the new album from bassist, composer and educator Tony Grey, featuring legendary pianist Bob James. Two generations of jazz artists finding new paths grounded in tradition, the album unfolds into a beautiful sonic journey: intimate, melodic and rich with feeling.
Jae Sinnett – Parallel 49 – J-Nett Music
PARALLEL 49 is a brilliant testament to the power of cross-border artistic collaboration. Named for the geographic boundary that connects the United States and Canada, this elite septet features an all-star roster of six premier Canadian musicians led by American drummer and composer Jae Sinnett. Stylistically, the music captures the absolute essence of modern jazz today while keeping its feet firmly planted in traditional roots. Parallel 49 delivers a sound that is both swinging and deeply soulful, moving effortlessly between beautiful, beautiful, intricately arranged standards and compelling original compositions. The project thrives on a unique “1+6” dynamic- the distinct American rhythmic drive of Sinnett’s drums locking in with a powerhouse of Canadian talent to create a sophisticated, high-energy dialogue.
Rick Braun – Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione – Brauntosoarus Music
On Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione, Braun performs every track on the same Couesnon flugelhorn he played as a student at the Eastman School of Music. The collection offers a fresh, joyous revisit of iconic melodies, featuring an extraordinary roster of collaborators, including original Mangione guitarist Grant Geissman, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Tom Scott, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, and flutist Steve Kujala. From the soaring orchestration of “Land of Make Believe” to an amped-up “Feels So Good,” Braun balances technical mastery with reverence. Lead single “Give It All You Got” was produced with Philippe Saisse. This “funky from the get-go” interpretation of Mangione’s second Billboard Hot 100 hit is highlighted by a powerhouse sax solo from the great Tom Scott. Describing the album as a labor of love that truly “took him over,” Braun captures the “overwhelming sense of happiness” that defined Mangione’s impact, marking an auspicious and emotional start to his fourth decade of recording.