2021 Jazz Releases, Vol. 2

Modern jazz-fusion can offer a very attractive package to the demanding listener. In its full version, it incorporates harmonies and sounds from contemporary classical music and progressive rock, it complicates them with its polyrhythms and the use of odd meters, it has always played with electronics, it adopts the current hip-hop/broken beats, displays original solos from the arsenal of modern jazz and secures its place as avant-garde music of the 21st century.
In the end, the list is concluded with some good mainstream, the amazing Veronica Swift, the necessary “new jazz”, and other contemporaries. Enjoy!

Listen to the playlist on music streaming services

(missing 4 tracks)

Information about the 15 albums contributing to the playlist

Antongiulio Foti – Hold Fast
Genre: Jazz, modern jazz, fusion
Label: Alfamusic
Place: Italy
Reviews: 
Listen: Deezer, Spotify

Diversity of compositions with an emphasis on rhythmic and harmonic content, on an album by the young pianist Antongiulio Foti and his group, featuring Jacopo Ferrazza (b), Ettore Fioravanti (dr) and Rosario Giuliani (as), Daniela Spalletta (voc) as special guests

Olivier Laisney – Monks of Nothingness
Genre: Fusion, rap/hip-hop, electronic
Label: Onze Heures Onze
Place: Paris, FR
Reviews: CitizenJazz
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Trumpeter Olivier Laisney applies composition techniques inspired by the classical composer Olivier Messiaen’s work, combining them with an intense hip-hop / broken beat and the necessary electronics. Featuring Magic Malik (fl/voc), Romain Clerc-Renaud (keys, electr.)  Damien Varaillon (b), Franck Vaillant (dr), Mike Ladd (rap)

Peter Kronreif Wayfarers – Aeronautics 
Genre: Modern jazz, post-bop
Label: Fresh Sound New Talent
Place: New York
Reviews: FreshSoundRecords, JazzTrail
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Intricate post-bop by Austrian-born drummer and composer Peter Kronreif and his notable collaborators: Lucas Pino (ts), Andrew Gould (as), Addison Frei (p), Martin Nevin (b), Matthias ‘Pedals’ Loescher (g, #3), Alex Wintz (g, #7)

Kenneth Dahl Knudsen – Uummat
Genre: Modern jazz, contemporary classical
Label: KDK Music
Place: Aalborg, Denmark
Reviews: UkVibe
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify

Bassist Kenneth Dahl Knudsen and his tentet, in cinematic type compositions, balancing between lyricism and modernism

Shijin – Theory of Everything
Genre: Modern jazz, fusion
Label: Music Box Publishing
Place: France
Reviews: MakingAScene, ParisMove
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Outstanding contemporary fusion by Shijin, a quartet that draws inspiration from the “Theory of Everything”.
Stephane Guillaume (ts, ss, fl, bcl), Malcolm Braff (keys), Laurent David (el.b), Stephane Galland (dr)

Metropole Orkest – Metropole Studio Sessions: Dutch Jazz Jam I
Genre: Contemporary jazz, big band, orchestra
Label: Metropole Orkest
Place: Netherlands
Reviews: MetropolOrkest
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

At this time of pandemic, the famous Metropole Orkest, conducted by Jochen Neuffer, presents live on YouTube the Studio Sessions that they organize, inviting remarkable soloists, in this case, Anna Serierse (voc), Jan van Duikeren (tp), Jesse van Ruller (g) and others

Rick Margitza – Sacred Hearts
Genre: Modern jazz, fusion
Label: Le Coq Records
Place: France
Reviews: MakingAScene, JazzWeekly
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

After 15 years, renowned saxophonist Rick Margitza makes a comeback to discography, with a melodic and very pleasant fusion album. His quartet includes Manuel Rocheman (p), Peter Giron (b, voc), Jeff Boudreaux (dr). Guests are Alex Acuna (perc), Bob Sheppard (ts), Jake Langley (g), Chloe Cailleton (voc), Pierre de Bethmann (voc) and others

Francesca Remigi – Il Labirinto dei Topi
Genre: Modern jazz, avant-garde
Label: Emme Record Label
Place: Brussels
Reviews: EmmeRecordLabel
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

This debut album by the Italian drummer and composer Francesca Remigi and her award-winning multinational sextet is characterized by the various influences of a wide range of contemporary music and its ideological and political implications.
Claire Parsons (voc. – LUX), Federico Calcagno (bcl. – IT), Niran Dasika (tr. – AUS), Simon Groppe (p – FR), Ramon van Merkenstein (b – NL)

Offset 5 – Deflections
Genre: Modern jazz, post-bop
Label: Trj Records
Place: Italy
Reviews: IBS
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Original compositions with an interesting combination of instruments, by Offset 5, a youthful quintet that is fluent in the modern jazz language.

Vibraphonist/keyboardist Jake Chapman adapts to the spirit of the era, in collaboration with beatmaker Chakrah and guests

Go to the playlist:

(missing 4 tracks)

More new releases are listed below (links to Deezer)

VOCALISTS

• Gretchen Parlato – Flor
• Jane Monheit – Come What May
• Maria Pia De Vito – Dreamers
• Mario Biondi – Dare
• Allan Harris – Kate’s Soulfood
• Dominique Fils-Aimé – Three Little Words
• Bo Sundström – Det kanske händer (Columbia)
• Mark Winkler, David Benoit – Old Friends
• Rosalind Grant – I Just Found out About Love
• Pamela Badjogo – Kaba
• Alena Neubert – All the Way
• Clare Teal – They Say It’s Swing
• Caity Gyorgy Quartet – No Bounds
• Rosalyn McClore – The Pretty Painted Ladies of Wellington Street
• Hailey Brinnel – I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles

TRUMPETERS

• Charlie Porter – Hindsight (OA2)
  (ft. Nick Biello, Mike Moreno, Behn Gillece, Orrin Evans ..)
• Jeremy Pelt – GRIOT: THIS IS IMPORTANT!
• The New York Blue Note Quintet, Joe Magnarelli – A Weekend at Le Vauban
• Paolo Fresu – P60LO FR3SU
• Franco Baggiani – Appunti sul ‘900
• Bob Revel, Pierre Drevet – Espaces partagés

SAXOPHONISTS, CLARINETISTS, FLUTISTS

• Archie Shepp, Jason Moran – Let My People Go
• The Modern Jazz Trio with Jerry Bergonzi – Standard Gonz
• Chad Lefkowitz-Brown – Quartet Sessions
• Miguel Zenón – Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman (Live)
• Michel Portal (cl) – MP85
• Naïssam Jalal (fl) – Un autre monde
• Randal Despommier – Dio C’è (Outside in Music)
  (ft. Aubrey Johnson, Ben Monder, Jimmy Haslip ..)
• Ryan Devlin – Thoughts on the Matter
• Jonathan Orland – Something Joyful (SteepleChase)
• Dave Koz – A Romantic Night In (The Love Songs Album)
• Stephanie Lottermoser – Hamburg
• Idit Shner – Live at the Jazz Station (OA2)
• Dave Liebman, Paul Shaffer – For Tisziji With Love And Respect
• Joe McPhee – Harmonia Macrocosmica
• Stefan Karl Schmid – Muse
• Jeff Coffin, Derk Brown – Symbiosis (Ear Up)
• Ivo Perelman – The Purity of Desire (NotTwo)
• The Julian Bliss (cl) Septet – I Got Rhythm
• Joseph Howell (cl) Quartet – Live in Japan (Live)
• Arnan Raz – 7 Days
• Marcus Joseph – Beyond The Dome (Jazz re:freshed)
• Peter DiCarlo – Onward (Shifting Paradigm)
  (ft. Rich Perry, Scott Wendholt .. )
• Dan Blake – Da Fé (Sunnyside)
  (ft. Leo Genovese, Jeff Williams .. )
• Pierrick Pedron – Fifty-Fifty (New York Sessions)
  [Sullivan Fortner, Larry Granadier, Marcus Gilmore]
• Alban Darche – Le gros cube #2
  (ft. Jon Irabagon, Loren Stillman, John Fedchock, .. )

TROMBONISTS, TUBISTS

• Rafael Rocha – Rafael Rocha
• Antonio Neves – A Pegada Agora É Essa (The Sway Now)
• Michael Dease – Give It All You Got (Posi-Tone)
  (ft. Gregory Tardy, Ulysses Owens Jr. ..)

GUITARISTS

• Pat Metheny – Road to the Sun
• Tomás Merlo Group – Crisis
• Jakob Bro, Arve Henriksen, Jorge Rossy – Uma Elmo (ECM)
• Fred Frith, Ikue Mori – A Mountain Doesn’t Know It’s Tall (Intakt)
• Diego Barber – Drago (Sunnyside)
• Tisziji Munoz – Immortal Drumming
  (ft. Billy Hart ..)
• Ben Monder – Live at the 55 Bar (Sunnyside)
  [Tony Malaby, Tom Rainey]
• Reinier Baas – #oneminuteradio 1
• Roni Ben-Hur – Stories (Dot Time)
  (Ingrid Jensen, George Cables, Harvie S, Victor Lewis, ..)
• Colin Cannon – McGolrick

PIANISTS, KEYBOARDISTS

• Marc Copland – John
• David Kikoski, Boris Kozlov – Sure Thing (HighNote)
• Omar Sosa – An East African Journey
• Greg Murphy – Cool Water
  (ft. Jeff “Tain” Watts ..)
• Toni Saigi – Plisisiplis. Tronik (Fresh Sound New Talent)
• Yoko Miwa Trio – Songs of Joy (Ubuntu)
• Andy Laverne – Rhapsody (SteepleChase)
  [Zach Brock, Mike Richmond, Jason Tiemann]
• Don Grusin – Out of Thin Air
• Brian Charette – Power from the Air (SteepleChase)
• Cameron Graves – Seven
  (ft. Kamashi Washington ..)
• Makoto Ozone – Ozone 60
• An Pierlé Quartet – Wiga Waga (W.E.R.F.)
• Takahiro Izumikawa – Outage (Ropeadope)
• Uli Lenz – Rainmaker’s Dance
  (ft. Ira Coleman, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, ..)

BASSISTS

• Makram Aboul Hosn – Transmigration
  (ft. Joe Locke ..)

DRUMMERS, PERCUSSIONISTS

• Francisco Mela – M.P.T. Trio Volume 1
• Joe Chambers – Samba de Maracatu (Blue Note)
• Barry Altschul’s 3Dom Factor – Long Tall Sunshine (NotTwo)
  [Jon Irabagon, Joe Fonda]
• Vinnie Colaiuta – Descent into Madness
• Anne Paceo – Circles (Live at Festival Jazz sous les Pommiers)
• Joe Dyson – Look Within

VIBRAPHONISTS

• Nicholas Thomas – Nicholas Thomas 4 Plays the Music of Hank Jones (Fresh Sound) 
• Nazareno Caputo – Phylum

VIOLINISTS, CELLISTS

• Zach Brock – Light Shines Through
• Florin Niculescu – Le temps des violons
• Tamil Rogeon – Son of Nyx
• Florian Willeitner – First Strings on Mars (ACT)
• Marc Crofts – Nomadim (u n i t)
• Krzysztof Lenczowski (vlc) – Lost Journey

HARMONICISTS, ACCORDIONISTS, BANDONEONISTS

• Luciano Biondini – Dialogues (Enja)

BIG BANDS, ORCHESTRAS, ENSEMBLES

• Brussels Jazz Orchestra – Two Places

  (ft. Zediam, Monique Harcum, DJ Grazzhoppa)
• BIG BAND 31, Philippe Léogé  – Billie
  (ft. Dee Dee Bridgewater ..)
• Metropole Orkest – Metropole Studio Sessions: Dutch Jazz Jam II
• Red Light Jazz Society – Hookin’ Up
• Ottimo Massimo – Ottimo Massimo Grand Band (feat. Pietro Tonolo)
• Royal Roost Orchestra – Re-Birth of the Cool
• Michel Schroeder Ensemble – Bunt
• Schapiro 17 – Human Qualities (Summit)

GROUPS

BEATS, GROOVES & MOODS, SOUNDTRACKS, DJs, PRODUCERS

• Adrian Younge – The American Negro (Jazz is Dead)
• Nicola Conte, Gianluca Petrella – People Need People (Schema)
• Compost Nu Jazz Selection Vol. 3 – Silent Season – Jazzy Walk – compiled & mixed by Art-D-Fact and Rupert & Mennert
• Joseph Henson – Groovesonic
• Somebody Tell Joe – Scam Likely
• Various Artists – Allen Ginsberg’s The Fall of America: A 50th Anniversary Musical Tribute
• Femi Kuti, Made Kuti – Legacy +
• J Dilla – Welcome 2 Detroit – the 20th Anniversary Edition
• Sinitus Tempo – Art Session 3
• Bob Baldwin – Newurbanjazz 3 / an Urbansmooth Suite (Full Length)
• Eva Moreno Group – Stories of a Mind
• Malika Tirolien – HIGHER
• A Hutchie – Potion Shop
• Afro Cluster – The Reach
• Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric – Cleveland Time

GREEK ARTISTS

• Stathis Anninos – Anthology
• Petros Klampanis – Rooftop Stories
• Yiannis Oikonomidis – Neverland
• Sakis Tsinoukas – Orange Tip
• Thomas Meleteas – Shapeshifting Wizards 
• Yiannis Papanastasiou Quartet – Context