Richard D. Johnson - Warm Embrace - Shifting Paradigm
Pianist, composer, and U.S. Musical Ambassador Richard D. Johnson returns with Warm Embrace, a vibrant and emotionally rich vocal jazz album born out of a unique residency in Shanghai, China. Over three weeks of nightly performances—two to three sets each night— Johnson and his ensemble developed a deep musical chemistry, exploring a rotating series of thematic performances that emphasized spontaneity, connection, and joy. The album features a stellar lineup with DownBeat Rising Star vocalist Alyssa Allgood, tenor saxophonist Gregory Tardy, acoustic bassist Jeremy Boettcher, and drummer Gregory Artry. While the core repertoire remained consistent, each performance brought fresh arrangements and evolving interplay. The result is a collection of live recordings that capture a spirit of creativity, warmth, and unity—qualities that reflect the album’s title and message.
Jen Allen - Possibilities – Truth Revolution
Possibilities, Jen Allen’s latest album, unfolds with her signature introspection and melodic richness, inviting listeners into a soundscape where curiosity, truthfulness, and transformation take root. The album explores what becomes available when we soften our grip on certainty and lean into the unknown. Possibilities offers a deeply personal yet universally resonant meditation on change, resilience, and the quiet power of choosing openness over fear. Jen Allen is a dynamic pianist, composer, and educator whose vibrant musical voice has resonated across stages throughout North America and Europe. With performances at notable festivals such as the Winnipeg Jazz Festival and the Greater Hartford Monday Night Jazz Series, Jen’s presence is marked by emotional depth and compelling artistry. She has performed alongside jazz greats like Don Braden, Jimmy Greene, and Camille Thurman, solidifying her reputation as a standout leader and collaborator.
Adegoke (Ah-day-go-kay) Steve Colson & Iqua Colson - Glow: Music For Trio...Add Vocals - Silver Sphinx
Pioneering artists and AACM stalwarts Adegoke Steve Colson and Iqua Colson return with their most personal and thematically resonant release in years: GLOW: Music for Trio…Add Voice, out August 22, 2025 on their longtime imprint Silver Sphinx Records, now distributed worldwide by The Orchard. Blending original compositions with wordless vocals, poetic resistance, and intimate improvisation, the album is both timely and timeless—reflecting a lifetime of creative integrity shaped by struggle, joy, and love. The trio on GLOW features Adé on piano, the legendary Andrew Cyrille on drums, and acclaimed bassist Mark Helias with Iqua performing on four tracks. Together, they deliver music that moves fluidly between structure and freedom, language and abstraction, present urgency and historic depth. “This record wasn’t conceived as a protest album,” says Iqua, “but when the world turns as it has, the music bears witness.
The Haas Company Vol 4 – Thirteen feat. Jerry Goodman - PR&T LLC
Vladimir Kostadinovic Sextet - Iris - Criss Cross
Alex Sipiagin – Reverberations - Criss Cross
On his 14th Criss Cross leader album, titled Reverberations, Alex Sipiagin booked a six-concert tour in November by a sextet of long-time friends and bandmates from several years of activity that constitute his thriving career. After a few days off, they convened at a well-appointed studio in Bassano del Grappa, the grappa capital of Italy, a 10-minute drive from Sandrigo, the village in the north Italian region of Vicenza, where Sipiagin resides with his wife. “My improvisations and compositions have more space, more air, more stopping to process what I feel,” Sipiagin, now 58, said, “Living here, you can breathe, create and practice.” On Reverberations you can feel that attitude suffusing the contributions of Will Vinson and John Escreet, both U.K.-born, the formidable Berlin-based Russian expat bassist Makar Novikov, and Donald Edwards, a son of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. “There’s nothing super-complicated except a few melody heads,” Sipiagin says. “We took our time and relaxed, played it in the same order as the concerts, and it came out quite spontaneously.”
Mark Winkler – Hold On - Café Pacifico
Vocalist MARK WINKLER, an acclaimed artist on the Los Angeles jazz scene, is a prolific recording artist and lyricist. His original songs have been sung and recorded by a cadre of top singers like Dianne Reeves, Randy Crawford, Claire Martin, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Winkler is now releasing his 22nd album, HOLD ON, a collection of mostly original tunes with a few tasty standards for good measure. Despite his long tenure at the microphone, Winkler does not just sit on his laurels. Each new album builds on the previous one. According to JW Vibe, “Winkler is one of those rare artists who not only never misses but keeps getting better with time.” He continues to seek new and interesting ways of expressing himself through the creative energy he draws from collaborating with other like-minded artists. For HOLD ON, he worked with six stellar pianists. HOLD ON brings us into Winkler’s world where swing, humor, and even elegance coexist.
Lauren Scales, Mike Flanagan, Chris Grasso - Many Rivers - Truth Revolution Records
Many Rivers is the effervescent trio debut from vocalist Lauren Scales, saxophonist Mike Flanagan, and pianist Chris Grasso — three acclaimed artists from divergent backgrounds united by creative chemistry. Due August 8 on Truth Revolution Recording Collective, the album features a soul-stirring program of seven covers and two originals by Scales, brought to life with support from Grammy-winning bassist Luques Curtis and first-call drummers Richie Barshay and Grammy-nominee Charles Haynes. Scales, Flanagan & Grasso is a forward-thinking jazz trio defined by dynamic interplay, genre-blending repertoire, and a shared reverence for storytelling through music. With roots in Provincetown, MA, their collaboration emerged organically through residencies and live performance, evolving into a full-fledged creative partnership that has captivated audiences across the Northeast and beyond.
Etienne Charles - Gullah Roots - Culture Shock Music
Etienne Charles traverses an underexplored corner of the African American diaspora on Gullah Roots, set for a June 20 release on his own Culture Shock imprint. Helming an extraordinary sextet that includes alto saxophonist Godwin Louis, pianist Christian Sands, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Russell Hall, and drummer Harvel Nakundi (plus special guests), trumpeter/composer Charles immerses himself in the history, culture, and music of the Black ethnic group centered in the Lowcountry region of the southeastern United States. Follow jazz trumpeter, composer and educator Etienne Charles on a journey through Gullah-Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. His travels influenced the music he presents in his latest collection, Gullah Roots.
Karla Harris - Merge - Gobykar LLC
With the release of MERGE, Karla Harris’ fifth album, the celebrated jazz vocalist offers up a multifaceted landscape where varied musical and cultural influences shimmer with original approach. Within MERGE, Harris stays rooted in jazz as she gives a loving nod to the diverse musical styles she grew up with. The album artfully melds swing, Latin, blues, reggae, funk, musical styles she grew up with. The album artfully melds swing, Latin, blues, reggae, funk, hip-hop, and ballads as Harris and co-producer/pianist Tyrone Jackson arrange Great American Songbook standards with a respectful contemporary approach and color old-school R&B classics with a jazz-infused brush. The album’s 13 tracks breathe with an honest and sophisticated sound that leans modern, reads soulful, and draws on Harris’ innate ability to convey deep emotion. “This album is about convergence – the intersection of stories, sounds and styles that flowed into my world early on and gave shape to a lifelong stream of joy,” Harris says.