Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra - A Centennial Salute To Tito & Tito - Truth Revolutions
For more than a decade, the Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra (SOLJO) has been one of the most precious hidden treasures of the Bronx, New York City’s majority Hispanic borough. The trumpeter-educator Steven Oquendo founded SOLJO while working as a music instructor at Harlem School of the Arts. The orchestra performed alongside Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, and Eddie Palmieri, initially as a rehearsal band. At the behest of impresario David Maldonado, the ensemble soon found itself working regularly with a weekly residency across the river. This recording finds the band tearing it up, celebrating the centennial of Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, located just a few blocks uptown from the old Palladium Ballroom, where the two Titos made history at the home of the mambo.
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.
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.