Marcus Johnson is presenting three new recordings under the brand FLO – For the Love Of. FLO: Standards covers classics like “On Green Dolphin Street,” “Body and Soul,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “Goodbye Port Pie Hat” and features Johnson, Bobby Lyle, Michael Price, and drummer Lenny Robinson. Like FLO: Standards, the title of FLO: Romance [...]

Jeff Lorber – Heard ThatSome nice pop-jazz gems; guests include Rex Rideout, trumpeters Rick Braun and Ron King, and Gerald Albright. Buy the CD or DRM-free download at Amazon Buy the download from iTunes Will Bernard – Blue Plate Special Buy the CD at Amazon Buy the download from iTunes Take 6 – The StandardA [...]

I’m catching up on press releases and other email (way, way behind). I just read two separate messages with two things in common – bassist Larry Grenadier and family. Grenadier plays on The Growing Season, the latest from his wife of over ten years, singer Rebecca Martin. This is a special and personal recording, inspired [...]

It’s been over 15 years since I’ve gotten a new Kim Pensyl recording (the excellent Eyes of Wonder). He kind of dropped off my radar. I heard he switched to trumpet but whatever label(s) he was on never did any sort of media push that I saw. He’s back, and on piano/keyboards, with When Katie [...]

McCoy Tyner – Guitars CD and DVD with John Scofield, Derek Trucks, Bela Fleck, Marc Ribot, and Bill Frisell. Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette comprise the rhythm section. Buy the CD from Amazon! Charlie Haden Family & Friends’ Rambling Boy with Pat Metheny, Bruce Hornsby, Elvis Costello, Bela Fleck, Vince Gill, Rosanne Cash, Ricky Skaggs, [...]

Kenny Garrett – Sketches of MD: Live At The Iridium. “I wanted to document the band I took on the road for Beyond the Wall while we were working with Pharoah and also write some new songs,” says Kenny of this new recording which features Pharoah Sanders. “The idea of doing the Miles-related songs just [...]

Javon Jackson – Once Upon A Melody Buy the CD or DRM-free MP3 download at Amazon.com Buy the download from iTunes Patricia Barber – The Cole Porter Mix Buy the CD at Amazon.com Buy the download from iTunes Promises Made: The Millennium Promise Jazz Project (with Kirk Whalum) Buy the CD at Amazon.com Nuspirit Helsinki [...]

There are a couple of other new releases out today that I didn’t list on my first post. In stores now are the latest recordings from Russell Gunn and George Colligan. I wasn’t able to quickly find a press release on Russell’s new one but I think the title says it all: Love Stories. There [...]

Drummer/composer Mike Reed releases two new recordings on the same day. Mike Reed’s Loose Assembly – The Speed of Change. Loose Assembly is Mike’s quintet with multi-reedist Greg Ward, bassist Josh Abrams, Tomeka Reid on cello, and vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz. According to the press release, the group moves from pastoral sonic explorations to edgy post-bop [...]

Looks like this recording was just released today. I don’t know anything about it other than I liked what I heard when I sampled the clips. Amazon.com Widgets