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New Marcus Johnson Recording Helps YMCA

Marcus Johnson is donating proceeds from his new live CD, In Concert for a Cause to the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. "I believe in supporting organizations that go beyond providing programs and services to the community," says Johnson. "The YMCA builds community and fosters growth and development for all children and their families." One dollar of each CD sold will be donated to the YMCA’s annual fundraising campaign also known as "Building Bridges." In Concert for a Cause is a compilation of Johnson’s live performances at local venues in DC, Maryland and Virginia and is available now.

Concord Gets the Word Out

Reviewer John Luciano says that Concord Records is "about the only record company supporting jazz in a big way these days (thank God for an independent label)." The label distributes music from Heads Up (home of too numerous to mention contemporary jazz acts), Peak Records (home to a good number of contemporary jazz artists), Stretch Records (Chick Corea's label), and others. The best-selling saxophonists in smooth jazz are on their roster - Kenny G and Boney James. The best thing about the label is that they successfully market their recordings. You can see and hear them - often on display - at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and other popular retailers who sell music. Their press releases are actually picked up by the press. A press release for Marcus Miller's latest, Marcus, strives to promote the artist in addition to the recording, stating that he isn't the "household name he should be." Like John L. wrote in his review, I also haven't paid attention to Kenny G for about 15 years but, due to media promotion, I know his new release is Latin-influenced. With the abundance of ways people can get news today, getting the word out where the greatest number of people can read it is difficult. Given that Concord is an independent label and no doubt has a tiny staff for jazz promotion, it's all the more admirable. Congratulations to Concord's team(s) for helping to keep contemporary jazz in the public eye.

Herbie Sales Jump 967%; On Leno Friday

I know I've written a lot about this already but this is one of, if not the, biggest thing to happen in jazz in years. I've already posted about the immediate sales impact for River: The Joni Letters, Herbie Hancock's winning recording for the Grammy Album of the Year. Now the sales for the week are in. Sales jumped an astronomical 967%. It vaulted from 159 to 5 on the Billboard Top Albums chart. A jazz album in the top five?! Has that happened in my lifetime? It sold 54,000 copies. I thought it had sold 53,000 total so far but Variety says the 54k number is just short of its cumulative sales. It's awesome to see jazz in the mainstream press, as it's increasingly rare unless it's an obituary. Herbie will receive more mainstream exposure on Friday, February 22, when he'll perform with singer Luciana Souza on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

The Day After: Jazz Is #1

Grammy winners usually see a bump in sales. So, what is the best-selling recording today on Amazon.com? It's not Amy Winehouse and it's not Kanye. Jazz rules the music sales charts today. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters may double its sales in one day. It's only sold about 53,000 copies since it's release last autumn.

Herbie Hancock Wins Music's Highest Honor

"Unbelievable," said Quincy Jones after he read the winner of the Album of the Year Grammy. My reaction would have needed to be bleeped. River: The Joni Letters by Herbie Hancock, a pure jazz recording, won the music's biggest award. Herbie said it was the first time in 43 years that a jazz album has won that. What a great thing for jazz.

Contemporary Jazz Grammy Winners

As predicted, Herbie Hancock and Michael Brecker were the Grammy contemporary jazz winners. I'm happy to see Terence Blanchard win as well. The Grammy site has the complete list of winners. I've archived my initial reaction to the nominees.

The Apples - Funk and Electric Jazz

I was just introduced to the Apples, an excellent band out of Israel that fuses jazz, funk, turntables, and electronics. If you like Liquid Soul, you'll love this group. Their MySpace page describes them as a "blend of funk, jazz and electronic music, forgoing the traditional use of guitar, keyboards and vocals. Instead, they center around four turntables, flanked by a sharp horn section served up by thick double bass lines and steadfast drum beats, fed through an attentive sound console and organic effects." I haven't found any of their music available in the States. Thankfully, we have the Internet so geography won't preclude me from buying their music at an online store elsewhere.

Fusion Blog; Nu Jazz Broadcast; MySpace

John Luciano, top-notch ContemporaryJazz.com reviewer, has launched his own blog. iJazz Therefore I Am covers music John loves including 70s and 80s jazz fusion. Among the acts he's posted about already include Jeff Lorber Fusion, Spyro Gyra, and Tom Browne.

A fellow 37-year-old spinning nu jazz music? Sounds like my kind of guy! The surprising part of it: DJ Santo's show is on terrestrial radio here in the States!

Be my friend! ContemporaryJazz.com has a page on MySpace.

Nnenna Freelon Kicks Off 2008 Right

One of my favorite singers, Nnenna Freelon, is starting the new year with a one-two punch. Concord just released a compilation from her catalog at the label titled Better Than Anything: The Quintessential Nnenna Freelon. In addition to pulling from the seven albums she recorded for Concord, the compilation includes the track "Ooh Child" previously available only on the UTV Records gospel compilation Church: Songs Of Soul & Inspiration. It's nicely priced" too.

Nnnena is also featured on the just-released Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars: Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival . She's joined on this recording by Benny Green, Terence Blanchard, and James Moody. It's available now on the Monterey Jazz Festival Records label via iTunes.

News: Oscar Peterson Tribute, David Benoit, John Beasley Tribute To Herbie Hancock

Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Nancy Wilson were among the musicians who paid tribute to the late Oscar Peterson on January 12 at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. The event, titled "Oscar Peterson: Simply the Best" saw 2500 fans offering a final farewell to the legendary pianist. He died on December 23, at the age of 82, of kidney failure. Several good recaps of the emotional goodbye were written by J.D. Considine, John Stewart (for the Mississauga News), and Scott Anderson (for Reuters). An archive is available at the CBC site. Share your thoughts on Oscar Peterson in The Forum.

David Benoit counts Oscar Peterson as one of his influences. The contemporary jazz pianist is recording an album of compositions from his favorite artists, including Peterson, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, the Doors, the Beatles, and Elton John. It's titled Heroes and will be out this year.

Also on the topic of tributes: John Beasley has been working on a tribute to Herbie Hancock. He's joined by Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride and Jeff "Tain" Watts. The recording, expected in March, is the one of the first on a new label called Resonance Records. According to the press release, Resonance Records artists "benefit from an innovative revenue-sharing concept that not only offers greater economic return, but also allows them to produce their music without the typical studio time restrictions and their related expenses."

Let's Go Everywhere - New Music from MMW

Medeski Martin and Wood have released Let's Go Everywhere, their first recording for children and families. MMW have a dedicated MySpace page which explains the origin of the release, how they wrote the music, and features quotes from the band members. Billy Martin says it's "one of my favorite records, one of the best we’ve ever done." From the samples" I've heard, it sounds like a fun recording. It definitely brought a smile to my face and I'll be getting this to listen to with my kids.

Buy the CD or DRM-free download at Amazon.com
Download it from iTunes

News: Return To Forever Reunites

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, and Lenny White are regrouping as Return To Forever. They're hitting the road for a summer tour next year. Fans of the legendary fusion band will be delighted. “We decided we wanted to do the old music first," Stanley says.

Update: The press release, which includes information about a new anthology, was issued Monday.

Praise for Lunar Orbit from the Karl Denson Trio

There is no shortage of praise for Lunar Orbit from the Karl Denson Trio. Andrew Gilbert recently wrote about Denson's reasons for doing the trio format, his thoughts about Greyboy Allstars, and more. To quote Gilbert's article: "Sit him down in the middle of a polka band and Karl Denson would find a way to put it in the pocket and make it groove." True.

ContemporaryJazz.com reviewer John Luciano is also a fan of Denson's. His new review confirms that it doesn't matter if it's a trio, the Karl Denson Tiny Universe, or whatever the format: "this is Karl, funking it up, the way he knows best – soulful, dreamy, hot and sexy jam-based jazzy funk." Read John's full review for more on Lunar Orbit.

Buy the CD at Amazon.com | Download it from iTunes

Grammy Nominees from A Jazz POV

The nominees for the 50th Grammy Awards was announced yesterday. As always, it's interesting to see whom the Recording Academy has deemed worthy of music's highest award. This year, I'm happy to see a few younger musicians being recognized in jazz (though you can expect bigger name artists to go home with the award). Let's take a look.

I was interested to see what other four recordings would be up against Pilgrimage, the last studio recording by the late Michael Brecker, for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. The Academy frequently nominates and rewards posthumously and Pilgrimage is deserving of recognition. Whoa - it's not there! WTF? It's up for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group. I'm not sure how that worked out. Instead, here are the nominees for Best Contemporary Jazz Album:
Party Hats from Will Bernard. A nice surprise. Bernard was also part of the T.J. Kirk recording If Four Was One which was also nominated in 1997.
Downright Upright from Brian Bromberg. Bromberg's acoustic bass project with some fellow Grammy nominees and past winners like Jeff Lorber, Kirk Whalum, and Lee Ritenour gets a nod.
Re-imagination from Eldar. Excellent! The Academy recognizes a young true talent.
River: The Joni Letters from Herbie Hancock. A legend covering songs composed by a legend? Instant win by the Academy. It's also up for Album of the Year, which it also could win. It's great to see jazz in that category.
He Had A Hat from Jeff Lorber. Probably one of the best recordings in the career of this longtime contemporary jazz contributor.

Also tapped for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group with Brecker are Joshua Redman, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano and Hank Jones, and the Bill Charlap Trio. Though Brecker's last studio recording will win, I was surprised to find out that, according to the Grammy winner database, Redman hasn't won a Grammy. Patitucci has only won as part of the Wayne Shorter Quartet. Patitucci is the bassist on Pilgrimage.

For Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, we have Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Paul McCandless, and Terence Blanchard. Blanchard's track is from his moving A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina). Blanchard has established himself as a top composer - it's time that is recognized. Maybe a win in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category will help that.

The category I would expect to see Blanchard in is Best Instrumental Composition. In that category, Harry Connick, Jr., Maria Schneider, Mark Walker, Philip Glass, and Bela Fleck are nominated. Fleck's nomination is for "Spectacle" from his The Enchantment collaboration with Chick Corea. Vince Mendoza could win Best Instrumental Arrangement for "In A Silent Way" from the Joe Zawinul collaboration with the WDR Big Band, Brown Street. I'm happy to see New York Voices on the Grammy list - Jay Ashby, Darmon Meader and Kim Nazarian are up for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for " In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" from A Day Like This.

Other nominees you might be interested in: Beastie Boys, Dave Koz, Spyro Gyra, Joni Mitchell, and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals are up for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. I'd like to see the Beasties win because I enjoyed their all-instrumental The Mix-Up this year and I'd like to see more established artists try this. Maybe they'll win for Best Pop Instrumental Album. The other four nominees in that category are Spyro Gyra, Kirk Whalum, Dave Koz, and Chris Botti. I think Joni will win the Performance award and the Beastie Boys should win Album. Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Freddy Cole, Kurt Elling, and Tierney Sutton will compete for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Randy Crawford and Joe Sample are up for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance with "All Night Long" from their collaboration Feeling Good. Me'shell Ndegeocello, Vikter Duplaix, and Alice Smith are nominated in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category. Ndegeocello's nomination is for a cover of "Fantasy" from Interpretations: Celebrating The Music Of Earth, Wind & Fire. I've played a few good nu jazz tracks from the BBE catalog and I'm inspired to see the label receive nods for Duplaix and Smith.

The complete list of nominees is on the Grammy site. Winners will be announced live on CBS on February 10 (though jazz awards are presented earlier).

Kira Neris - Behind Closed Doors

I haven't written as much as I'd like about the nu jazz/acid jazz music I enjoy listening to the most (though I'll be changing that in 2008). I just discovered Kira Neris, a French producer who has a tremendously addictive sound. His new release, Behind Closed Doors, has the jazz-house-groove vibe that I love to hear. It's heavy on the jazz influence.

Soul Seduction has more information on the man, his influences, and why he took the moniker of a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character. Dusty Groove may have summed up the release best, describing its "warmly composed numbers that have a great sense of soul and a real instrumental sensitivity." He's on MySpace and you can also listen to samples on iTunes.

News: George Duke, Donald Fagen, Bob Baldwin...

George Duke is the newest man on the Heads Up roster. He's bringing his BPM (Big Piano Music) label, which he's released his last few recordings on. According to the press release, his debut promises to be a return to the funk sensibilities he originally explored in the late '70s – the kind that successfully combined energy, fun and thematic substance. On board so far are Bootsy Collins, Jill Scott, Howard Hewett, and Teena Marie. "This is probably going to be the biggest record I've done in a long time," Duke predicts. "I'm trying to get back to the kind of message that was being delivered in the '60s. If you look back at Sly Stone or James Brown, those guys delivered positive, uplifting messages. That's what this record will be about." It's currently scheduled for release in June 2008. Now that Stanley Clarke and George Duke are on the same label, I sense that long-awaited fourth collaboration recording coming.

Other 2008 releases on Heads Up:
February - Roots and Grooves from Maceo Parker; Some Other Time from Diane Schuur
March - The Carribean Jazz Project with the Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band; Your Move from Gerald Veasley
April - Palmystery from Victor Wooten
May - Yellowjackets/Mike Stern collaboration; Esperanza Spalding
June - In addition to George Duke, new recordings from Take 6 and Joe McBride

Mark McSherry recently interviewed Donald Fagen. Among the revelations: "I'm back into songwriting mode ... for myself and also talking with Walter about a Steely Dan album."

Jeff Golub has independently released his holiday recording, Six String Santa. The recording is ten covers of popular seasonal tunes and can be downloaded (for $7.99 - nice) or purchased at his site.

Bob Baldwin is planning on releasing his new recording, NewUrbanJazz.com, in the first quarter of 2008. Noteworthy: Jocelyn Brown, one of my favorite singers, is on it. Other guests include Frank McComb, Najee, and Marion Meadows.

Holiday MP3 Downloads on Amazon.com

Amazon.com continues to be aggressive in competing with iTunes with its MP3 download service. I compared the two services about a month ago. Amazon is a serious competitor since you can play their MP3s on any player and they're the same price, or cheaper, than iTunes. You can buy a digital copy of A Soulful Christmas from smooth jazzer Brian Culbertson for $6.99. With twelve tracks, that's around fifty cents per song. For the same cost, you can download the timeless A Charlie Brown Christmas. Diana Krall released one of her best recordings - Christmas Songs two years ago and you can download all twelve songs for $7.99. I'll be keeping an eye on this and keep you guys updated on other specials. Remember that purchasing at Amazon.com through these links benefits the site!

New Forum Launches

ContemporaryJazz.com has launched a new Forum, based on a different program and featuring more areas for discussion. If you had an account on the old Forum, you'll need to create a new one for this one. New areas include a trading post/wish list area for those hard-fo-find recordings you're looking for and several areas to report concerts, web sites, and record stores in specific regions. The Forum is open for all, has a set of guidelines and rules (which emphasize respect for others), and three moderators.

As a kind of open house gift, I'll be giving away CDs to random people who post in the new Introduce Yourself area. Create an account and post a little about yourself. The goal is to create a community and I hope you'll stick around after your initial post.

News: Deeyah, Stern/Yellowjackets, Gordon James...

Singer/composer/activist Deeyah has a new recording that features Bob James, Andy Summers, and Nils Petter Molvaer. Ataraxis is perfectly described as "an unusual and exciting journey through harsh electronic soundscapes based around powerful, beautiful Pakistani folk and classical influenced vocal melodies and lyrics." It's available now on iTunes but I didn't see any mention of a CD release for the States.

Mike Stern and the Yellowjackets are teaming up for a new recording and tour. The artists record for the Heads Up label and the collaboration is being planned for mid-2008.

Take 6 is currently selecting songs for the next project - an all jazz standards collection.

Trumpeter and flugelhornist Gordon James has just released his latest recording, In Joy. It was produced by James Lloyd of Pieces of a Dream and Bob Baldwin and features Baldwin and Chuck Loeb.

Concord Records has signed Kenny G, giving them two of the best-selling smooth jazz saxophonists of the last two decades (Boney James is also on the label).

News: Pat Metheny Trio, Rippingtons, Maceo Parker

The Pat Metheny Trio (with Christian McBride and Antonio Sanchez) is releasing Day Trip in January. According to Pat's MySpace page, the recording has lots of new Metheny compositions and it was recorded in a day.

According to an interview with Russ Freeman in the Quad-City Times, the next Rippingtons CD will be recorded next year and released in 2009.

Maceo Parker has signed with the Heads Up label. Roots & Grooves. his debut for the label, is scheduled for February 12. The recording is a tribute to Ray Charles and features Germany's WDR Big Band. "I got into Ray at a very early age," Maceo says. "I'd listen to him sing and I'd try to equate that with playing the saxophone."

James Hunter on The Harlem Experiment; 21 Van Morrison Songs

When I wrote my review of The Harlem Experiment, I didn't have the liner notes. I was impressed with "A Rose In Spanish Harlem." Now I know whom to praise: British soul singer James Hunter. From a press release I received:

"You might be wondering what a soul singer from England has to do with a song dedicated to Harlem - but that's the point. Producer Aaron Levinson cites Hunter as being one of the few musicians singing "classic" soul today and says, "I can hear Harlem in Hunter's voice." The result speaks for itself, as James pays respect to soul forefathers with his captivating vocals and old Martin guitar. It's all part of the experiment."

I also learned from the press release that one of Hunter's biggest and earliest fans is Van Morrison. Fans of Van the Man are in for a treat on November 6 when his first ever, cross-label career spanning collection, Still On Top - The Greatest Hits is released. It's worth mentioning because greatest hits compilations that cover an artist's entire career, across labels, is rare. On this collection, there are 21 songs from the Decca, Bang, Warner Bros. and Polydor labels. Songs like "Gloria," "Moondance," "Domino," Someone Like You," "Have I Told You Lately," "Days Like This," and "Wild Night" are on there. It covers music from 1964 to 2005 and styles ranging from jazz to rock to soul to hip hop (just kidding about the latter). It's been recently reaffirmed that Van's music is good for your love life, making an already enticing CD a must-have.

Order The Harlem Experiment from Amazon.com
Order Still On Top - The Greatest Hits from Amazon.com

Quincy Jones Honored

The well-deserved awards never stop for Quincy Jones. This week, he was announced as a recipient of the 2008 NEA Jazz Masters Award. The award is the nation's highest honor in the jazz genre. More information, as well as the other recipients, is on the NEA site.

Quincy also has a new podcast series. Four episodes are online so far. The first two featured Quincy and Celine Dion recording for the We All Love Ennio Morricone tribute. The third and fourth focused on New Orleans, two years after Hurricane Katrina. You can subscribe at iTunes or view them at Q’s site (relaunching later this year).

News: EWI Recording; New Mindi Abair; ClickGroove No More

I remember when the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) started being utilized by contemporary jazz musicians in the late 80s. I specifically recall Michael Brecker's work with it. I haven't received a lot of recordings with it in the past few years but now I have a CD dedicated to it. Check out the contemporary jazz recording by Bernie Kenerson - Just You & Me (The Art of the EWI) which features Kenerson on the AKAI EWI4000s. He's got a site and a MySpace page with information and samples.

Mindi Abair has signed with Peak Records. The tentatively titled Stars is expected in April 2008 (thanks to Eric Viccaro for posting this in The Forum).

Sad news: ClickGroove, my favorite UK site for downloading modern dance-jazz/acid jazz/nu jazz/jazztronica/whateveruwannacallit, has had to close. "Without the necessary level of funding, and continued investment, required to meet its liabilities and take the business forward, ClickGroove Ltd has ceased to trade."

News: Corea On Tour; Joni Tuesday; Tom Scott Teams With Marcus, Duke, and Terence

Chick Corea's remaining 2007 tour schedule astonishes me. It's not the number of dates but rather the different bands and styles. He's wrapping up a series of duets with the young Japanese pianist, Hiromi (who cites Corea as an influence) then playing with his trio of John Patitucci and Antonio Sanchez. In October, there are a few dates with Bela Fleck, in support of their new The Enchantment release. The majority of October is solo piano dates. In November, it's more dates with Fleck then hitting the road with the Chick Corea Freedom Band with Airto Moreira, Eddie Gomez, and Hubert Laws. In December, he reunites the Elektric Band again, with Dave Weckl, Frank Gambale, Eric Marienthal, and Victor Wooten. Go, Chick! (or, better, go see Chick!)

Call September 25 Joni Tuesday: 1. Joni Mitchell releases her new CD, Shine, on Starbucks' Hear Music label on September 25. 2. Herbie Hancock pay tribute to Joni with his River: The Joni Letters which features Joni on her "Tea Leaf Prophecy" composition. 3. Chaka Khan's new Funk This release features a cover of Joni's "Ladies Man." I haven't checked the other releases coming out on this day but I wouldn't be surprised if they all had covers of Joni Mitchell songs too

From Tom Scott's site: Tom recently recorded a CD for Concord Records - a tribute to the late great saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. It features Terence Blanchard, George Duke, Marcus Miller, Steve Gadd, and special guest vocalist Nancy Wilson. Look for a January 2008 release.

Under Old Management!

John Hilderbrand here, founder of this site way back in 1996 (originally known in its first year as cJazz: The Contemporary Jazz Site). Thanks to the graciousness of Mike Owens, I'm resuming ownership of the site, effective immediately. Mike has kept ContemporaryJazz.com vital in the last two years with great interviews, reviews, news, and release dates. I'm hoping that we'll see more contributions from him here on the site.

There are many things I want to do with the site. I'll go into some of those in future posts, but one thing is certain: I won't be able to accomplish what I hope to do alone. I'll be seeking out volunteers. There's a lot to do right now: getting a new design launched, getting existing content organized, and creating new content. I intend for you to see something new every time you visit the site. Interested in contributing to the site? Send me a message letting me know what your skills are (writing, coding, audio, etc.) and your genre interest (smooth jazz, acid jazz, etc.).

You can support this site by buying music through our affiliation with Amazon and iTunes!
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NEW RELEASES

Ken Navarro, The Grace Of Summer Light (6/17)

Hiromi, Beyond Standard (6/10)

Esperanza Spalding, Esperanza (5/20)

Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern, Lifecycle (5/20)

Stanley Jordan Trio, Paris Concert DVD (5/13)

Pat Metheny, Tokyo Day Trip - Live EP (5/13)

Danny Massure, What It Is (5/1)

Brian Culbertson, Bringing Back the Funk (4/29) note: w/ Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Ronnie Laws, Musiq Soulchild; executive produced by Maurice White

Global Noize, Global Noize (4/29) note: DJ Logic/Jason Miles electronica/jazz/world project w/ major players | more info

Chris Standring, Love and Paragraphs (4/22)

Stanley Jordan, State of Nature (4/22)

The Cinematic Orchestra, Live at the Royal Albert Hall (4/22)

Soulphiction, Do You Overstand?! (4/21)

Bradley Leighton, Soul Collective (4/15)

Robert Walter, Cure All (4/15) note: w/ James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich

Various, Miles...From India (4/15) note: 2-CD set of recreations of Miles Davis' music by alumni from his bands and Indian musicians

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Lil' Tae Rides Again (4/8)

Victor Wooten, Palmystery (4/1) note: w/ Neal Evans, Keb Mo, Karl Denson, Richard Bona, and more

Victor Wooten, The Music Lesson (4/1) note: story of a struggling young musician who wanted music to be his life

Spring Heel Jack, Songs and Themes (3/25)

Marcus Johnson, In Concert For A Cause (3/18) note: proceeds support YMCA Annual Fundraising Campaign

South Froggies, Nu Jazz Factory (3/17)

Jamhunters, Music Speaks Louder Than Words (3/15) note: smooth/acid/lounge/latin jazz sounds | more info

JD73, Zeroes and Ones (3/11)

Gerald Veasley, Your Move (3/11)

Solamingus, Define Funk (3/11)

Marcus Miller, Marcus (3/4) note: U.S. release; titled Free in other countries

Bob Baldwin, NewUrbanJazz.com (3/4) note: Jocelyn Brown on one track

Stance Brothers, Kind Soul (3/4)

Danny Lerman, Meow Baby (2/28)

Various, Jazz and Milk Breaks, Vol. 2 (2/27) note: digital download; w/ Mocean Worker, Free the Robots; 6 artists for $6

Gemini Soul, The Nefertiti Xperience (2/25) note: musically inspired by Me'Shell Ndegeocello and Herbie Hancock

Tom Scott, Cannon Re-Loaded: An All-Star Celebration of Cannonball Adderley (2/12) note: w/ Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller, George Duke, Steve Gadd, Larry Goldings, Nancy Wilson

Guru, The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz (2/12) note: compilation of first three Jazzmatazz recordings + bonus tracks

The Blessing, All Is Yes (2/11) | more info

Afternoons In Stereo, The City Is Sleeping (2/11)

Paul Hardcastle, Hardcastle 5 (2/5)

Chick Corea/Gary Burton, The New Crystal Silence (2/5) note: 2-CD set: one duet CD; one with them w/ the Sydney Symphony

Pat Metheny Trio, Day Trip (1/29)

Ron Blake, Shayari (1/29)

Christian Prommer's DrumLesson, Drum Lesson Vol. 1 (1/29)

Vandermark 5, Beat Reader (1/29)

Al Jarreau, Love Songs (1/29) note: collected from his Warner Bros. recordings; some remastered

Various, The Jazz Influence, Vol. 3 (Electronic Jazz Compiled by Kevin Yost) (1/29) note: w/ Luke Hampton, Euphonic 7, Adagio, and more

Michael Manson, Up Front (1/22) note: w/ Norman Brown, George Duke, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Jeff Lorber, Najee, and more

Afro Elements, It Remains To Be Seen (1/22)

Eliane Elias, Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans (1/15)

Nnenna Freelon, Better Than Anything: The Quintessential Nnenna Freelon (1/15)

Megaphone Man, Live at the Tabernacle (1/15) note: sax/bass/drums jam trio

Various, Neujazz (1/15) note: Jazzanova compilation w/ Two Banks of Four, Hipnosis, Build An Ark, Fertile Ground, Hajime Yoshizawa

Medeski Martin and Wood, Let's Go Everywhere (1/8) note: MMW's first recording for children and families

Soul Cycle, Urban Organics (11/28)

Beggar and Co., Jazz Strings N Things (11/20)

Praful, Remixed +2 (11/20) note: two new tracks

Various, Totally Wired & Illicit Grooves: Acid Jazz - The Birth Of The Scene 1987-19 (11/6) note: w/ Brand New Heavies, Snowboy, and more

Will Downing, After Tonight (10/30)

Various, The Harlem Experiment (10/30) note: next in the Ropeadope series, following the Philadelphia Experiment and the Detroit Experiment

Jamiroquai, Live at Montreux DVD (10/30) note: U.S. version

Build An Ark, Dawn (10/30)

Everette Harp, My Inspiration (10/23)

Alan Pasqua, The Anti Social Club (10/23)

Quantic Soul Orchestra, Tropidelico (10/22)

Eric Marienthal, Just Around the Corner (10/16)

Stanley Clarke, The Toys of Men (10/16)

Various, The Weather Channel Presents The Best of Smooth Jazz (10/9) note: inevitable compilation with Najee, Jeff Lorber, Joyce Cooling, and more

Cyrus Chestnut, Cyrus Plays Elvis (10/9)

Jay Azzolina, Local Dialect (10/9) note: w/ John Patitucci, Tim Ries, Larry Goldings, Greg Hutchinson, Cyro Baptista and others

T Lavitz, School of the Arts (10/9) note: w/ Dave Weckl, John Patitucci, Frank Gambale, Steve Morse, and Jerry Goodman

James Taylor Quartet, Don't Mess With Mr. T - JTQ Plays Motown (10/2) note: Hil St Soul and Omar guest

Karl Denson Trio, Lunar Orbit (10/2)

Chris Botti, Italia (9/25)

Peter White, Peter White Christmas with Rick Braun and Mindi Abair (9/25)

Tony Bennett, Sings the Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1 (9/25)

Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters (9/25)

Pat Metheny, Secret Story (Deluxe Edition) (9/25) note: remastered, two-CD set with five new songs

Queen Latifah, Trav'lin' Light (9/25)

Charlie Hunter and Bobby Previte as Groundtruther, Altitude (9/25) note: conclusion of trilogy that includes Latitude and Longitude

Diana Krall, Very Best of Diana Krall (9/18)

Candy Dulfer, Candy Store (9/18)

Dave Koz, Memories of a Winter's Night (9/18) note: new tracks plus previously released holiday songs

Boney James, Christmas Present (9/18)

John Scofield, This Meets That (9/18)

Soul Ballet, Lavish (9/11)

Bob Baldwin, Memoirs from the Hudson DVD (9/4)