Under the subtitle “Some Other Spring”, this collection brings to the forefront 21 mostly hard-to-find tracks, the wildflowers of a highly productive spring season across April and May, with everything that implies for both their character and selection proccess.
You might also notice that a distinct structural flow has emerged, something akin to Introduction – Part 2 – Part 3 – Epilogue..
Toss it, as it is, into your vacation luggage!
Enjoy the ride!
All about the albums and the musicians that contribute to the playlist
Samson Philipps – Once Upon a Now (XJAZZ! Music)
Jazztronica, Nu-Jazz, Drum & Bass – Zurich
Track: LVB7S
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, HighResAudio
Where the characteristic theme from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is transformed into an immersive groove by Samuel Schmassmann (dr, electr) and Philipp Bucholtz (keys, synths, effects).
kumail, Nickson Dufala – Mudbrown (Tru Thoughts)
Alt.Jazz, Beats, R&B/Soul/Funk/Bossa/Afro – Lisbon
Track: Vultures
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, TruThoughts
Urban beats with a rich, multi-layered sound from Indian producer kumail, featuring Congolese artist Nickson Dufala (voc).
Web Web, Roberto Di Gioia – Kover Kover (Compost Records)
Jazz Fusion, Funk, Electronica – Munich
Track: Slave To The Rhythm
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, SimonSweetMan
A hit by Grace Jones, among other famous pop, rock, electronic, and soul tracks, deconstructed and rebuilt through a jazz fusion lens by Web Web, featuring Roberto Di Gioia (p, keys, synths, perc), Tony Lakatos (fl, ss, ts), Christian Von Kaphengst (b), and Peter Gall (dr).
Olivier Laisney – Spectrum Of Rebellion (Onze Heures Onze)
Genre: Modern Jazz, Jazz-hop, M-Base, Rap, Avant-Garde – Paris
Track: Dernières nouvelles
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, OnzeHeuresOnze
Our well-known French M-Base core, drawing modal influences akin to Olivier Messiaen, this time led by Olivier Laisney (tr, comp), frames Palestinian singer, poet, and rapper Osloob Abdelrahman. The group also features Etienne Renard (b), Stéphane Adsua (dr), with a guest appearance by Magic Malik (fl)
Marta Sanchez – For the Space You Left (Out Of Your Head Records)
Modern Creative Jazz – New York
Track: Frost Bloom
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, AllMusic
Creative and imaginative sonic landscapes painted with vibrant colors, driven by the solo, “prepared” piano performance of the acclaimed Marta Sanchez.
Fatboi Sharif, Child Actor – Crayola Circles (Backwoodz Studioz)
Experimental Hip-Hop, Dark Jazz – New Jersey
Track: How to Disinfect a Live Grenade
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, TheNeedleDrop
The minimalist and dark hip-hop backdrop laid down by producer Child Actor proves to be the perfect match for rapper Fatboi Sharif’s poetry.
David Smith Quintet – Redstone (Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records)
Post-Bop, Contemporary Jazz – New York
Track: Blackley
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, BJURecords
Solid, modern post-bop packed with all the right solos and stamped with the signature aesthetic of the New York scene, courtesy of trumpeter David Smith, alongside Dan Pratt (ts), Nate Radley (g), Gary Wang (b), and Allan Mednard (dr).
Ben Solomon – Archaeoacoustics (Endectomorph Music)
Jazz-hop, Electronic, Experimental – New York
Track: Artifacts
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp
Futuristic jazz-hop driven by electronic samples and classical music undertones, crafted by the versatile saxophonist and producer Ben Solomon (ts, EWI, programming), with drummer Kush Abadey joining in on two tracks.
Schapiro 17 – Best Laid Plans (Summit Records)
Contemporary Jazz, Big Band – New York
Track: Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me
Info: Google AI, SummitRecords, MakingAScene
Standards, original material, and distinctive arrangements bursting with personality from Jon Schapiro’s (comp, arr, cond) large ensemble. The gorgeous alto saxophone solo heard here is most likely credited to Ken Robinson.
David Sánchez – Tambó (Ropeadope)
Latin Jazz, Afro-Caribbean – Puerto Rico
Track: El Gran Caribe
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp
Dedicated to the memory of his mentor Eddie Palmieri, acclaimed saxophonist and SFJAZZ Collective member David Sánchez flawlessly bridges modern jazz with rich Afro-Caribbean rhythmic idioms, as he so masterfully always does. Featuring Luis Perdomo (p), Ricky Rodriguez (b), Tony Escapa (dr), alongside four additional percussionists.
Richard Cortez – i. spring (La Reserve Records)
Vocal Jazz, Traditional Jazz, Ballads – New York
Track: some other spring (feat. Jacob Chung)
Info: Google AI
Driven by his own family history, rising crooner Richard Cortez is backed by an equally compelling quartet, featuring a defining contribution from Jacob Chung on tenor saxophone.
Chris Potter – Alive With Ghosts Today (Edition Records)
Post-bop – New York
Track: The Heavens In Scarlet
Info: Google AI, JazzTrail, Bandcamp
A top-tier super-group session that is both lyrical and dynamic, led by the iconic saxophonist Chris Potter (ts, ss) alongside Bill Frisell (g), Burniss Travis (b), Nate Smith (dr), Rane Moore (cl), Zekkereya El-magharbel (trb), and Sara Caswell (vl).
Chiminyo – NRG 5 (NRG Discs)
UK Jazz, Nu-Jazz, Live, Electronics – London
Track: Transference
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, DeeJayDE
Electrifying live improvisational energy, centered around drummer and producer Chiminyo (dr, triggers, synths) and select elite members of the London jazz scene: Oscar Jerome (g), Kaidi Akinnibi (ts), Charlie Stacey (keys, synths), Rudi Creswick (b), and Magnus Mehta (perc).
MINCKA – MINCKA (Rucksack Records)
Jazz-Techno, Hip-Hop Fusion, Electronic – Netherlands
Track: Neverwhere
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp
A dark, hypnotic blend of jazz-techno and instrumental hip-hop from project MINCKA, helmed by drummer Sergej Kreso (dr) and producer Subp Yao, with several guests stepping in to enrich the sonic result.
Caleb Wheeler Curtis – Ritual (Chill Tone Records)
Modern Jazz – New York
Track: Bleakout
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp
Representative, high-quality modern jazz by the highly capable Caleb Wheeler Curtis (stritch alto, soprano, sopranino, trumpet), backed by Hery Paz (ts), Emmanuel Michael (g), Orrin Evans (p), Vicente Archer (b), and Michael Sarin (dr).
Paul Urbanek – Zawinulology (Lucky Mojo Records)
Jazz-Fusion – Vienna
Track: You Can Listen to It When I’m Gone
Info: Google AI, GalileoMusic
An intelligent, creative approach to the music of Joe Zawinul, masterfully delivered by Austrian pianist and composer Paul Urbanek (keys, synths, p).
Josee Koning – Doce Presença (Live in Amsterdam) (Zennez Records)
MPB, Vocal Jazz, Bossa Nova – Amsterdam / Rio de Janeiro
Track: Doce Presença (Live in Amsterdam)
Info: Google AI, Bimhuis
A vibrant live collaboration overflowing with Brazilian emotion, bringing together specialized Dutch vocalist Josee Koning (voc) and legendary Brazilian composer Ivan Lins (voc, p).
Nenad Vasilic – Non-Artificial (Galileo Music Communication)
Balkan Jazz, European Modern Jazz – Vienna / Serbia
Track: Trilerna
Info: Google AI, HigResAudio
Organic, acoustic jazz that breathes through traditional Balkan rhythms, delivered by low-end master Nenad Vasilic (b) alongside Vuk Vasilic (piccolo b), Somo Hude (p), and Pedja Milutinovic (dr).
Eliane Elias – Ao Vivo (Live) (Candid Records)
Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz – New York
Track: Brasil (Aquarela do Brasil) (Live)
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, JazzIsDiscovery
Classic elegance combined with an awe-inspiring artistic depth in this live rendition of Ary Barroso’s historic anthem, captured from master pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias (p, voc) at the SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium in 2023. Featuring Leandro Pellegrino (g), Marc Johnson (b), and Rafael Barata (dr).
Chris Andrew – Awakening: Solo Piano Sessions (Chronograph Records)
Solo Piano, Contemporary Jazz – Canada
Track: Choro Para Oscar
Info: Google AI, Bandcamp, PapataMusRedux
A solo piano “dialogue” is flowing directly from the two hands of the deeply expressive Canadian virtuoso Chris Andrew (p).
MORE NEW RELEASES
VOCALISTS
- Stacey Kent – A Time For Love (Naive)
- Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman – Spring
- Judith Berkson – Thee They Thy (ECM)
Ft. Trevor Dunn, Gerald Cleaver - Elina Duni & Rob Luft – Reaching for the Moon (ECM)
- Gabrielle Cavassa – Diavola (Blue Note)
- Pauline Frechette, Stanley Clarke – At The Edge of Everything
- Carolina Bubbico – Vocália (GroundUp)
TRUMPETERS
- Paolo Fresu, David Linx & Gustavo Beytelmann – Trama Latina
- Dave Douglas – Transcend (Greenleaf)
Ft. Tomeka Reid, James Brandon Lewis, .. - Wynton Marsalis – The Wonderful Word of Louis Armstrong (Blue Engine)
- Randy Brecker – Espírito
- Arturo Sandoval – Sangú
- Yazz Ahmed – Shinrin-Yoku
- Charlie Sepulveda – Un Poco Mas
SAXOPHONISTS, CLARINETISTS, FLUTISTS
- Tia Fuller, Shamie Royston & Fuller Sound – Dynasty, Vol. 2 (Cellar Live/La Reserve)
- Immanuel Wilkins – Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2 (Blue Note)
- Jesse Davis – Reflections (Cellar Live/La Reserve)
Ft. Spike Wilner, John Webber, Lewis Nash - David Liebman & Ra Kalam Bob Moses – Live at the Lilypad 2017
- James Brandon Lewis – These Are Soulful Days (Live at Jazztopad, Wrocław, 2021) [Tao Forms]
Ft. Lutosławski Quartet - Blue Lou Marini, The Italian Groovers- Playtime (La Reserve)
- Loren Stillman – Seer (Newvelle)
- Immanuel Wilkins – Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 3 (Blue Note)
- Alan Braufman – Anthem for Peace
Ft. Patricia Brennan, Chad Taylor, Luke Stewart - Harry Skoler – Echoes
Ft. Bill Frisell, Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake - Steve Wilson – Enduring Sonance (Smoke Sessions)
Ft. Joe Locke, Renee Rosnes, Jay Anderson, Kendrick Scott, .. - María Grand – Both Sides
Ft. Angelica Sanchez, Immanuel Wilkins, .. - Tim Garland, Geoffrey Keezer – MEZZO
- Sadao Watanabe – BUT BEAUTIFUL
- Michel Portal – Quelques Notes sur la Liberté (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Joe Lovano – Paramount Quartet (ECM)
Ft. Julian Lage, Asante Santi Debriano, Will Calhoun - Paul Dunmall – Afraid To Speak (Discus)
- Lakecia Benjamin, Terence Blanchard – Beyond The Dawn
Ft. Hiromi, Christian Scott, Chris Potter, ..
TROBONISTS, TUBISTS
- Rebecca Patterson, Ron Wilkins – The Vigil & The Sleeping Giant ( Adhyâropa)
- Altin Sencalar – Natural Rhythm (Posi-Tone)
Ft. Sharel Cassity, Michael Dease, Art Hirahara, .. - David Gibson – Darkness Blooms (La Reserve)
- Michel Godard, Danilo Rea – La finestra di Puccini (Parco della Musica)
- Joe Fiedler – Journey To Bowerbird
- Frank Lacy – Live at Smalls (Cellar Live)
Ft. Josh Evans, Stacy Dillard, ..
GUITARISTS, Mandolinists , Oudists
- Gwen Cahue – Mosaïque (Label Bleu)
- Wolfgang Muthspiel – Atlas
- Matthew Stevens – Matthew Stevens (Candid)
Ft. Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeff Parker, Joel Ross, .. - John McLaughlin – Music for Abandoned Heights
Ft. Julian Siegel, Misha Mullov-Abbado, Etienne Mbappé, Gary Husband - Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – Happy Today (International Anthem)
Ft. Josh Johnson, Anna Butterss, Jay Bellerose - John Zorn, Julian Lage, Gyan Riley – Seven Sonnets (Tzadik)
- George Cotsirilos – In the Wee Hours (OA2)
- Bobby Broom – Notes Of Thanks
PIANISTS, KEYBOARDISTS
- Gary Versace – Three Track Mind (Sunnyside)
- Billy Childs – Triumvirate (Mack Avenue)
Ft. Matt Penman, Ari Hoenig - Joachim Kühn – Joachim Kühn & Young Lions (ACT)
- Enrico Pieranunzi & Bebo Ferra – Evanscape
- John Zorn – The Bagatelles Vol. 8 – John Medeski Trio (Tzadik)
- Joel Lyssarides – Late on Earth (ACT)
- Jason Miles – 100 Miles For Miles Davis
Ft. Randy Brecker, Vinnie Coliauta, Jeff Coffin, Ada Rovatti, Romero Lubambo, Russell Gunn, .. - Yvonne Rogers – The Button Jar (Pyroclastic/La Reserve)
- Clara Vetter – What Dances Here (u n i t)
- Emilio Solla – Handmade (Club del Disco)
Ft. Sara Caswell, Tim Armacost, Rodolfo Zanetti, .. - The James Taylor Quartet – Te Deum
Ft. Benenden Chapel Choir - Joel Futterman, William Parker – Transcendent Universe
- Andrew Moorhead – Mirage (OA2)
Ft. François Moutin, Ari Hoenig - Emmet Cohen – Universal Truth (Mack Avenue)
Ft. Joe Farnsworth, Yasushi Nakamura, Ron Carter, Jeremy Pelt, George Coleman, Tivon Pennicott - Phillip Golub = Partisan Ship
- Alexander Hawkins – No Nation but Imagination (Intakt)
Ft. Hamid Drake, Nicole Mitchell, ..
BASSISTS
- Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas & Ted Nash – Triological (Sunnyside)
- Lars Danielsson Liberetto – Echomyr (ACT)
- Bill Laswell – Mount Analogue
- Nat Reeves – Now In Time (Cellar Live)
Ft. Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, Eddie Henderson, Orrin Evans, Jeff Tain Watts - Jasper Høiby, Xavi Torres, Naíma Acuña – 3Elements: Conversations of Hope (Edition)
- Ben Wolfe – Any Time After Now (Bespoke Jazz)
Ft. Chris Lewis, Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Aaron Kimmel - Avishai Cohen – Eternal Child (Naive)
- Simón Cifuentes – Simón Cifuentes (Live at Blue Note São Paulo)
DRUMMERS, PERCUSSIONISTS
- Gregory Hutchinson – Kind of Now – The Pulse of Miles Davis (Warner)
Ft. Ambrose Akinmusire, Ron Blake, Gerald Clayton, Joe Sanders - Airto Moreira & Ricardo Bacelar feat. Flora Purim – Maracanós
- Rodney Green – Live at Smalls (Cellar Live)
Ft. Seamus Blake, Luis Perdomo, Joe Sanders - Tyshawn Sorey – Members… Don’t! (Pi)
Ft. Adam O’Farrill, Mark Shim, Lex Korten, Tyrone Allen II, Fay Victor - Florian Arbenz – Quiet Lights
Ft. Greg Osby, Bill Frisell - Richard Baratta – Another Kind of Bird (Savant)
Ft. Vincent Herring, Bill O’Connell, Paul Bollenback, Eric Alexander, Abraham Burton, Craig Handy, .. - Valérie Lacombe – State of Garden and Shadow
Ft. Camille Thurman, Caoilainn Power, and Ira Coleman
VIBRAFONISTS
- Warren Wolf – Smoove Vibes (BespokeJazz)
- Simon Moullier – Ceiba
- Paulo Almeida – Love In Motion (Dox)
ACCORDEONISTS, HARMONICISTS, ..
- Mathias Heise & The Danish Radio Big Band – A Love Supreme Revisited (April)
- Gabriel Grossi, Laurent Coulondre – Hermeto Universal
Ft. Michael League, Ruy Adrian Lopez Nussa, Varijashree Venugopal, Ibrahim Maalouf, Chris Potter,
HARPISTS
VIOLISTS, VIOLONISTS, CELLISTS
- Mike Khoury – For Hind Rajab (Relative Pitch)
- Line Kruse – 4 WORLDS
GROUPS
- Blue Moods – Directions & Expressions (Posi-Tone)
Ft. Diego Rivera, Eli Howell, Behn Gillece, Art Hirahara, Boris Kozlov, Vinnie Sperrazza - Blue Lou Marini – Playtime
- SLAK – SLAK (Universal)
- Hilde – Timbre (Galileo)
- Will Vinson, Gilad Hekselman & Nate Wood – Trio Grande: What’s Left (La Reserve)
- Pierre-Alain Goualch, Diego Imbert & Franck Agulhon – MU
- New Jazz Underground – Hoodies
- John Zorn – Alea Iacta Est (Tzadik)
Ft. Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, Ches Smith, Sae Hashimoto
BIG BANDS, ORCHESTRAS, ENSEMBLES
- Scott Lee Ensemble – Greetings from Florida: Postcards from Paradise (Sunnyside)
Ft. Camila Meza, .. - Vitor Araújo, Metropole Orkest, Jacomo Bairos – TORÓ
- Jazzlab Orchestra – Glissement du Temps
- Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band – Frames (Edition)
- John Beasley & SWR BIG BAND – Invisible Piano
- Orchestre National de Jazz – With Carla (ONJ)
- Emilio Solla – Handmade (Club del Disco)
Ft. Sara Caswell, Tim Armacost, Rodolfo Zanetti, .. - John Hollenbeck, GEORGE – Looking for Consonance (Out of Your Head)
- Julia Keefe – Incarnadine (Outside in Music)
- Valtteri Laurell & Ricky-Tick Big Band – Visions of Dilla (ΒΒΕ)
- Carlos Henriquez – Monk Con Clave
Ft. Obed Calvaire, Marshall Gilkes, Sherman Irby, Ted Nash, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, .. - Carla Köllner – not obsessed but kinda into it (JazzJazz)
- Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM & Vince Mendoza – Jazz Sinfónico Mexicano
- Zhengtao Pan – Day by Day
Ft. Rufus Reid, Steve Wilson, and Sara Gazarek
BEATS, DJs & PRODUCERS, GROOVES & MOODS, SOUNDTRACKS ..
- Adrian Younge – Younge
- Antonio Carlos & Jocafi, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Antonio Carlos & Jocafi JID026 (Jazz is Dead)
- GoGo Penguin – Call to the Void
- Mario Biondi – PROVA D’AUTORE
- Destin Conrad – wHIMSY! (EMPIRE)
- Midva – musiques de chambre (Naive)
- Ray Lema, Ensemble Partage – Passion Congo
- Ibrahim Maalouf, Sonia Mohammed-Chérif – Fils de personne (Bande originale du film)
- Rocé – Palmier
- Anthony Joseph – The Ark
- Ntjam Rosie – Ntjam Rosie (O-Tone)
- Adam Schatz, Carmen Quill, Qasim Naqvi – Civil Engineering Vol. 1
- Sigmund Friends – Path Of Glory
- Tank And The Bangas – The Last Balloon (Verve)
- Valtteri Laurell & Ricky-Tick Big Band – Visions of Dilla (ΒΒΕ)
- Krakatau – Terra Ignota
- Broken Brass – Dancing Critters, Random Shivers and Snap Decisions
- Cimafunk & La Tribu – Te Toca
- Aja Monet – the color of rain
- Chassol – Funny How?
- Blue Lab Beats – Slow Heart / Fire Up
- Blue Lab Beats – The Blue Lab Beats Show
- Alabaster DePlume – Dear Children Of Our Children, I Knew: Epilogue
Feat. GREEK ARTISTS (Go to jazzlibrary.gr & keepjazzin.gr for more)
- Markos Chaidemenos – Light Beam
- Yiorgos Bereris – Sea in Common
Ft. Ektoras Remsak, Lambros Papanikolaou - Svobotnik, Papanikolaou – Cricket #2
- Katerina Liaki – Midnight Sun