2021/2022 Jazz Releases, Vol. I

The recipe for a delicious, digestible, and healthy playlist is as follows: As a basis, we put fresh jazz-hop with handmade beats from small producers. This will give us the required modern groove. For the filling we need nice solos, so we choose from excellent post-bop and adventurous modern jazz. We add vintage melodies and beautiful voices for a touch of emotion, we spice it up with some avant-garde/free, we elevate the flavor with hot Latin jazz, we garnish with ingenious new music/contemporary classical and we serve on digital platforms. Let’s dig in!

Listen to the playlist here

 

 

Read details about the albums that take part in the playlist

 

FUTURENOT – Greatest Hits (2021)
Genre: Jazz-hop, soul/funk
Label: Color Red
Place: Seattle, USA
Reviews: SoulAndJazzAndFunk
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Funky and hip-hop beats and riffs by FUTURENOT, a collective  led by Jason Cressey (trb) and Peter Daniel (sax)

Baschnagel Group – Timeline Promenade (2021)
Genre: Post-bop, jazz fusion
Label: Mons Records
Place: Zürich, Switzerland
Reviews: JazzJournal
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Drummer/composer Pius Baschnagel (Zurich Jazz Orchestra), with his rich, energetic drumming, leads his quintet on safe waters

Loophole – Royal Sessions (2021)
Genre: Jazz-hop, downtempo, electronic
Label: Rare Alpine
Place: Switzerland
Reviews: 
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Loophole  is a very cool collective, gathered by Dave Krähenbühl (dr), Michel Spahr (b), and Claude Stucki (g)

Lajos Dudas – On the Third Stream Path (2022)
Genre: Avand-garde jazz, third stream
Label: JazzSick Records
Place: Germany
Reviews: JazzThing.de
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Previously unreleased “third stream” recordings from 1986 – 2003, featuring the 81 y.o. today, Hungarian-born clarinetist Lajos Dudas, in an album nominated for the “German Critics Award”

Isabel – De Isabel para Manuel Alejandro (2021)
Genre: Flamenco, pop
Label: Isabel
Place: Mexico
Reviews: ExclusivasPuebla
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Isabel’s warm and passionate voice on renown Spanish composer Manuel Alejandro’s love songs

Imajin – Imajin (2021)
Genre: Nu jazz, electronic
Label: Raw Tapes Records
Place: New York / Tel Aviv
Reviews: TwistedSoul
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Stylish combination of organic and electronic sounds, by pianist/producer Nitai Hershkovits (aka Imajin) and his guests

Luca Mannutza – The Uneven Shorter (2021)
Genre: Post-bop, modern jazz
Label: Raw Tapes Records
Place: Italy
Reviews: Birdbox, OffTopicMagazine
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Inventive renditions of Wayne Shorter compositions, using odd time signatures by pianist Luca Mannutza and his skillful partners: Paolo Recchia (as), Daniele Sorrentino (b), Lorenzo Tucci (dr)

Smokey Joe & The Kid – War Is Over (2021)
Genre: Electro-jazz, soul/funk, rap/hip-hop
Label: Banzaï Lab
Place: Bordeaux, FR
Reviews: DeeJay, Ulele
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Producers Smokey Joe and The Kid mix rap/hip-hop with classic Black Music grooves

Juan Felipe Pulido – Así Vivió Pepe Riveros (2021)
Genre: Latin jazz
Label: Redpmusic
Place: Vienna, Austria
Reviews: Hjck
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

A nice Latin jazz band based on the rhythms of Colombia, by pianist and composer Juan Felipe Pulido

Salomão Soares, Vanessa Moreno – Yatra-Tá (2021)
Genre: Vocal jazz
Label: Salomão Soares e Vanessa Moreno [dist. Tratore]
Place: Brazil
Reviews: NewsWep
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

A fresh look at the unparalleled musical treasure of Brazil, with Vanessa Moreno (voc) and  Salomão Soares (p, voc)

Michael Mayo – Bones (2021)
Genre: Neo-soul, hip-hop, new jazz
Label: Artistry Music/Mack Avenue
Place: NYC
Reviews: JazzWise, JazzIz
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Known for his collaboration with Herbie Hancock, singer and composer Michael Mayo, on a debut album that received very good reviews

SGJAZZ – SGJAZZ, Vol.2 (2021)
Genre: Jazz-hop
Label: Melting Pot Music
Place: Louisville, Kentacky
Reviews: ScratchedVinyl, JazzIz
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Fundamental Jazz-hop by SGJAZZ, a “Super Group” featuring Dr. Dundiff (dr, producer), Idris Frederick (keys), Patrick Denney (b), Anthony Keenan (g), Noah Reed (as, ts)

Silvana Estrada – Marchita (2022)
Genre: World
Label: Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC
Place: Mexico
Reviews: NPR, RollingStone, NYTimes, Billboard
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

The extraordinary, quirky voice and passion of 24 y.o. singer/songwriter Silvana Estrada  has aroused plenty of interest for this, second, solo album of hers

Jim McNeely, Frankfurt Radio Big Band, Chris Potter – Rituals (2022)
Genre: Modern jazz, big band
Label: Double Moon Records
Place: DE
Reviews: ProperMusic, MarlBank
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Frankfurt Radio Big Band in a modern program, including a rendition of Igor Stravinski’s Rite of Spring by conductor Jim McNeely, and famous saxophonist Chris Potter as guest soloist

Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant (2021)
Genre: Neo-soul, R&B, “Future Beats”
Label: Brainfeeder
Place: Melbourne, AU
Reviews: PitchFork, TheGuardian, MetaCritic
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Etherial and sophisticated is the sound of Hiatus Kaiyote, a group with many credentials and collaborations with pop celebrities. Featuring Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield (g. voc), Paul Bender (b), Simon Mavin (keys), Perrin Moss (dr)

Misha Tsiganov Quintet – Misha’s Wishes (2022)
Genre: Post-bop
Label: Criss Cross Jazz
Place: NYC
Reviews: ChallengeRecords
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

The connoisseurs strike again: Misha Tsiganov (p), Alex Sipiagin (tp), Seamus Blake (ts), Boris Kozlov (b), Donald Edwards (dr)

Ayanda Sikade – Umakhulu (2021)
Genre: Contemporary jazz
Label: Afrosynth Records
Place: South Africa
Reviews: Daily.Bandcamp, News24/Arts, SisgwenJazz
Listen: Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Talented drummer Ayanda Sikade flies high, along with Nduduzo Makhathini (p), Simon Manana (as), Nhlanhla Radebe (b)

Carl Wittigs Aurora Oktett – Perspective Suite (2021)
Genre: Contemporary classical, modern jazz
Label: NWOG Records
Place: Germany
Reviews: Peter.E.Rytz
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Advanced contemporary chamber music, also including improvisation moments, by composer and bassist Carl Wittigs and Aurora Oktett, an ensemble of strings, horns, bass, and drums

Truyols Music – Alive! (2021)
Genre: Contemporary jazz, soul, rap/hip-hop
Label: Truyols Music
Place: Washington, DC
Reviews: 
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Pleasant, diverse program by groups featuring pianist Antonio Truyols

George Kontrafouris Trio – Tribute to Bill Evans (2022)
Genre: Contemporary jazz, mainstream
Label: Irida Jazz
Place: Athens, GR
Reviews: GreekMusicShop, KeepJazzinGR
Listen: Deezer, Spotify, Youtube

Pianist and educator George Kontrafouris is a mature performer that highlights, in an impressionistic mood, the timeless charm of Bill Evans’ style. Featuring Kimonas Karoutzos (b), Jason Wastor (dr)

Find the playlist on streaming services

 

 

You may want to check more remarkable new releases

 

VOCALISTS

TRUMPETERS

SAXOPHONISTS, CLARINETISTS, FLUTISTS

TROMBONISTS, TUBISTS

GUITARISTS

PIANISTS, KEYBOARDISTS

BASSISTS

DRUMMERS, PERCUSSIONISTS

  • Makaya Mccraven – Deciphering The Message (Blue Note)
    (ft. Joel Ross, Marquis Hill, Greg Ward, Matt Gold, Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, and De’Sean Jones)
  • Louis Hayes – Crisis (Savant)
    (ft. Abraham Burton, Steve Nelson, David Hazeltine, Dezron Douglas, Camille Thurman)
  • Mark Guiliana – Music For Doing
  • Taru Alexander – Echoes of the Masters (Sunnyside)
    (ft. Antoine Roney, ..)
  • Mareike Wiening – Future Memories (Greenleaf)
    (ft. Rich Perry, Glenn Zaleski, Alex Goodman, Johannes Felscher)
  • Klemens Marktl Trio featuring Dave Kikoski & Boris Kozlov –  Live in Austria (Fresh Sound)
  • Charles Rumback – Seven Bridges (Astral Spirits)
    (ft. Ron Miles, Greg Ward, ..)
  • Mário Barreiros – Dois Quartetos Sobre o Mar
  • Arnaud DolmenAdjusting (Gaya)

VIBRAPHONISTS

VIOLINISTS, CELLISTS

HARMONICISTS, ACCORDIONISTS, BANDONEONISTS

HARPISTS

BIG BANDS, ORCHESTRAS, ENSEMBLES

GROUPS

BEATS, GROOVES & MOODS, SOUNDTRACKS, DJs, PRODUCERS

GREEK ARTISTS