Trumpeter Jim Rotondi is a solid post-bop musician with a warm tone and an improvisational approach deeply steeped in the tradition of great jazz trumpeters. While the Butte, Montana native began piano lessons with his mother at age eight, it was the trumpet that became his main instrument from age 12 on. After graduating high school in 1980, Rotondi enrolled in the highly regarded jazz studies program at North Texas State University. In 1984, he earned first place in the International Trumpet Guild's jazz trumpet competition.

There is something to be said for moving the music forward while remaining deeply rooted in and respectful of the tradition. North Carolina-born jazz pianist Thomas Linger threads that needle masterfully on his debut album Out In It…

Recorded at New York's Mezzrow, in the heart of Greenwich Village, the Jeb Patton Trio delights with clever arrangement of jazz classics and some lesser known gems from the likes of Thad Jones and Phineas Newborn Jr. Tenthish was recorded in front of an audience of 35 invited guests and the trio including bassist David Wong and drummer Rodney Green are clearly enjoying the proceedings.

Hot on the heels of his vinyl release for Cellar Live in 2015, New York saxophonist Grant Stewart returns with his trio for Roll On. Stewart's lyrical tenor is at the forefront of a 9-song set that includes music from bebop masters like Elmo Hope and Fats Navarro, as well as beautifully arranged interpretations of standard material. The album is a steady burn from the first beat to the last.

Cory Weeds' previous recordings for Cellar Live all swing and swing hard. ''It's Easy To Remember'' is no different.

Young pianist Emmet Cohen has a reverence for the history of jazz and a deep abiding yearning to preserve the music of the masters and to this end, Cohen developed the concept of a Masters Legacy Series intended to be a collection of recordings and interviews with various living jazz icons who began their careers fifty or sixty-years-ago. Volume one celebrates and documents the music of Jimmy Cobb, arguably one of the finest drum masters of our time, and is the center piece in the inaugural installment of the project.

Pianist/vocalist Ben Paterson continues the tradition of bouncy, infectious swing established by the drummerless trios of Nat 'King' Cole and Oscar Peterson, drawing upon his musical experiences in both Chicago and New York to deliver a soulful and engaging recording. Joined by longtime Benny Goodman guitarist Chris Flory and powerhouse bassist George Delancey, Ben's trio mixes sophisticated improvisation with heavy doses of the blues, ranging from well known Jazz standards to more recent popular songs.