The Manhattan Transfer went decidedly contemporary with The Offbeat of Avenues at #3. Jeff Lorber co-wrote and produced “10 Minutes Till the Savages Come,” David Pack and Michael McDonald helped write “A World Apart,” and Donald Fagen wrote “Confide in Me.” The album’s “Sassy” would go on to win the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. And check out the debuts: Fourplay’s self-titled first album was already at #6 on its way to #1. At #7 was Candy Dulfer’s debut, Saxuality. Dulfer had already scored an international crossover hit alongside Eurythmics’ David A, Stewart with the instrumental “Lily Was Here,” which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Saxuality would reach #22 on the Billboard 200 and earn Dulfer a Grammy nomination. And at #11, saxophonist Warren Hill was beginning his career with his debut, Kiss Under the Moon.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums

Week of October 12, 1991

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. More than three decades later, James is preparing to release A Simple Man, his 20th studio album. Along the way, he’s earned four Grammy nominations, four Gold albums and, in 2024, became the first artist to score 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz chart. But rather than looking back at those accomplishments, A Simple Man finds James thinking about where he is now and, particularly, what matters to him as he gets older.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I don’t need a lot to make me happy,” James says. “I love making music and playing my saxophone. I strive to focus on the simple and positive things around me and filter out the noise.” In another conversation about the album, he put it this way: “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve wanted to drop the extraneous things.” That desire to simplify ultimately became part of the record itself. “The simple life is something I crave, and that spirit found its way into this album. A Simple Man is about getting closer to what feels essential, both in the music and in my life.”

Musically, A Simple Man continues the blend of jazz and R&B that has been at the heart of James’ sound for decades, while still giving him room to explore. Produced by James, A Simple Man includes guests Ledisi, trumpeter Marquis Hill and guitarist Larry Carlton. James plays flute on the opening “Dreams,” teams with Carlton for the Steely Dan-influenced “Storybook,” and reimagines Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” over a D’Angelo-inspired groove. Even after 20 albums, James says he continues to practice and experiment, still discovering things he can do with the saxophone that he couldn’t do before. He isn’t treating album number 20 as a destination. He’s still making progress.

Maybe that’s what makes the title feel especially appropriate after more than three decades of recording. There are plenty of career milestones to celebrate, but James seems less interested in accumulating accolades than in stripping things down to what makes him happy: making music, playing his saxophone and filtering out some of the noise. There’s something refreshing about hearing that from an artist this far into his career. A Simple Man from Boney James is out October 2 on Concord Records.

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Few guitarists in contemporary jazz have a sound as immediately recognizable as Klugh. His distinctive fingerstyle sound on nylon-string guitar draws from jazz, pop, R&B and Brazilian music, with a strong emphasis on melody. You usually don’t need to see his name to know when Earl Klugh is playing.

And he started remarkably young. As a teenager working at a Detroit music store, Klugh caught the attention of jazz great Yusef Lateef, who invited him to play on his 1970 album Suite 16. Klugh was only 16. He soon recorded with George Benson on White Rabbit, toured with Benson for more than a year and even spent a brief period playing with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever.

His self-titled debut arrived on Blue Note in 1976, beginning a recording career that has now stretched across five decades. His partnership with Bob James produced the classic One on One, which won a Grammy for Pop Instrumental Performance, and he later reunited with Benson for the 1987 album Collaboration.

Klugh has never fit neatly into one musical box. Jazz, pop, soul, Brazilian music and classical guitar have all found their way into his recordings over the years. Klugh once summed up his approach very simply: “Music has no boundaries.”

That sounds like a pretty good philosophy for contemporary jazz, too.

Happy birthday, Earl!

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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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