After more than four decades of recording, Dan Siegel is finding value in imperfection. His nine-song album Resolution, due September 11, 2026, captures the pianist and composer easing up on his tendency to polish every detail. “I have a tendency to overwork things, to iron out all the little kinks,” he says. “That kind of leaves it without humanity – a little too perfect and polished. This is a little bit raw and rough around the edges in places.”

Siegel initially envisioned a rootsier, Americana-leaning trio recording, bringing together bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Jay Bellerose. Bellerose’s approach helped shape the music from the start. “His style is really subtle, he came up with different grooves,” Siegel says. Most of the album’s piano performances survived from those original trio sessions, even when Siegel considered replacing them. “I couldn’t really recapture the vibe,” he says of his attempts on a few tracks. “I just said, forget it. Leave it.”

The trio is enhanced by guests including percussionist Lenny Castro, vibraphonist Craig Fundyga, guitarist Dean Parks and longtime collaborator Rogerio Jardim. “If you hire people that are going to bring something to the party,” he says, “you let them have a good time.”

Resolution is dedicated to Siegel’s mother, Elizabeth, who died in 2026 in her late nineties. She insisted he take piano lessons, encouraged his early composing and remained interested in his music into her nineties. “She played a big part in my creative life,” he says. “She was a lot of fun.” Her encouragement helped launch a lifetime of writing music, and Siegel’s approach today reflects the confidence that comes with experience: “I’ve gotten to a point where I just let the music be what it’s going to be. You don’t want to get in the way. Let it speak.”

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When “Lujon (Slow Hot Wind)” randomly came up on my playlist yesterday, I knew I had to share it. It was so timely. The track features the great Pat Metheny, a fellow Midwesterner born in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. And that slow hot wind is definitely something we’ve been dealing with around here.

So enjoy this track from The Henry Mancini 100th Sessions: Henry Has Company, the 2024 tribute celebrating the centennial of Mancini’s birth. The album brought together an impressive collection of contemporary jazz stars and musical legends, including Herbie Hancock, Arturo Sandoval, Quincy Jones, John Williams, Snarky Puppy, Take 6, and Stevie Wonder. It was an extraordinary all-star celebration of Mancini’s music.

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More than three decades after helping Chick Corea redefine the acoustic piano trio, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl are returning to that musical conversation.

The longtime Corea collaborators have formed a new trio with Georgian pianist Beka Gochiashvili for For Chick, a 12-track album honoring the late jazz innovator. Recorded during three days at Brooklyn’s Bunker Studio in December 2025, the project mixes music associated with the Chick Corea Akoustic Band, lesser-known pieces from Corea’s catalog and two newly written compositions.

Gochiashvili is not simply stepping into Corea’s seat. A Corea protégé who has also performed with Stanley Clarke, the pianist previously joined Patitucci and Weckl for the 2022 world premiere of Corea’s Concerto for Trio in Budapest. That shared history gives the new group a foundation of its own.

Patitucci and Weckl first played together in Corea’s Elektric Band before joining him in the Akoustic Band. The trio’s self-titled 1989 debut won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group, while the subsequent live album Alive earned another nomination.

For Chick is being prepared as separate listening experiences for double vinyl, CD and streaming. Early previews include Corea compositions “Humpty Dumpty” and “Windows.”

Select U.S. performances are planned for late 2026, followed by broader touring in the United States, Europe and Japan in 2027. Dates and the album’s release schedule have not yet been announced.

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