Joy documents the inspired collaborations saxophonist/composer Benjamin Boone experienced while living in Ghana for a year as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. He performed frequently with Accra-based tenor saxophonist Bernard Ayisa, pianist Victor Dey, Jr., bassist Bright Osei, drummer Frank Kissi and vocalist Sandra Huson, with this set recorded in Boone's final week in country. Bathed in joy, exuberance and dance, the band tackles four Boone originals, Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," "Curtain of Light" by Ethiopia-based saxophonist Jonovan Cooper, and the title track by the late saxophonist, Gerry Niewood. Following Boone's two previous recordings - critically acclaimed collaborations with U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine - Joy offers a "complete body experience," exploding with movement and fire.

"If There Are Mountains" is the first album by Dave Douglas and Elan Mehler as co-leaders, setting poetry and specifically haiku within the context of improvising music.

New York's first-call bass-drum pair Peter Washington and Billy Drummond find the right tempo and dynamic pulse for every tune. Check the simmering medium groove Drummond hits on "Outsider", how he propells the band through the shifting meters of the unflaggingly burning "Barebones"; hear Washington's sublime time and intonation throughout, his interplay with Bostrom's flute on "End Of The Year So Soon", how he effortlessly navigates the rhythmic permutations of "Three Armed Man".
"No nonsense" is a good way to describe the uncommon blend of pragmatism, craft and creative inspiration with which Walt Weiskopf has approached each stage of his musical career. Song For My Mother shows that he's transcended his influences; chances are he'll influence a few future jazz musicians himself.

Summer Times is an unusual record for pianist Franck Amsallem because, instead of him exclusively performing originals as on most of his previous recordings, he revives five standards. Amsallem shows that he can swing à la Wynton Kelly whenever he wishes and can infuse ballads with honest feeling. His interplay with bassist Johannes Weidenmüller and drummer Joe Chambers is impressive, falling somewhere between Oscar Peterson (where the pianist dominates) and Bill Evans (with equality between the three musicians). Even the three originals are essentially swinging hard bop. Summer Times is the perfect introduction for listeners not familiar with the fine playing of the underrated Amsallem.

What separated this from the average good Bill Evans date was the inclusion of Shelly Manne on drums, who inventively pushed and took unexpected chances. This was Eddie Gomez' (bass) debut release with Evans (piano) and it was quite impressive. There were numerous takes at this session and judging from Chuck Briefer's liners it might be interesting to hear them released.

The Bobo Stenson Trio’s ability of covering far-reaching idioms and wide-ranging repertoire within the scope of their personal diction has become both hallmark and custom, inspiring the New York Times to say the pianist “makes sublime piano-trio records without over-playing. It’s pulsating, with long improvised phrases; it’s alive.” Charting an equally subtle and idiosyncratic path through originals and melodies derived from various Scandinavian composers, the distinguished group proves of a particularly supple alchemy on Sphere.

Gabor Szabo, who always had an original sound on the guitar (displaying his Hungarian heritage), is backed by a string section, horns and a rhythm section (including bassist Ron Carter and either Billy Cobham or Jack DeJohnette on drums) on this Bob James production. For this program Szabo performs two originals, a pair of pop tunes and an adaptation of a Shostakovich classical concerto.

The Layers is a stunning companion piece to guitarist Julian Lage’s acclaimed 2022 album View With A Room. The collection features six original pieces recorded during the same sessions which found Lage discovering new orchestrational possibilities by augmenting his deeply attuned trio of bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of guitar icon Bill Frisell. Intimate and gorgeous, exploratory and embracing, imbued with vibrant colors and exquisite interplay, The Layers is a welcome additional offering from this meeting of two of modern jazz’s most distinctive voices with one of the music’s most skilled and inventive rhythm sections.

True Blue is led in title under the auspices of Dexter Gordon as a welcome home party conducted by Don Schlitten for the expatriate tenor saxophonist in 1976. Essentially a jam session, this very talented septet features a two tenor-two trumpet front line, utilized to emphasize the soloing strength of the horns, not necessarily in joyous shouts or big-band like unison outbursts. The real star here is Barry Harris, and if you listen closely to his comping behind the soloist or his many colorful chords and single-line runs, you realize how brilliant he continued to be in his prime during this beyond-bebop time frame. The distinctly different, legato flavored sound of Al Cohn contrasts nicely to the broader range and richer tones of Gordon, while Blue Mitchell's warm West Coast trumpet phrasings also run aside but a little behind the animated and clipped brassy sounds of Sam Noto, a player deserving much wider recognition, and playing to the hilt on this recording. The session kicks off with the classic superimposed melodies of "Lady Bird" and "Half Nelson," with melodies split between the trumpet and tenor tandems.

Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse (1965-1966) brings forth a collection of previously unreleased recordings of the iconic pianist Ahmad Jamal captured live at the hallowed Seattle jazz club. Featuring trios with bassist Jamil Nasser, and drummers Chuck Lampkin, Vernel Fournier and Frank Gant.

Although Greatest Hits samplers of jazz artists, particularly hard bop musicians, usually don't work particularly well, Columbia's attempt at compiling a Thelonious Monk Greatest Hits album actually succeeds in offering a good sampling of his some of his most familiar material. The collection contains many of his best-known songs, including "Well You Needn't," "Misterioso," "Round Midnight," "Ruby, My Dear," "Blue Monk," and "Straight, No Chaser." While this doesn't find Monk at his most adventurous, it does include some of his most accessible performances, and that makes it a good entry point for the curious.

Hadley Caliman recorded a few albums in the 1970s, then didn't record as a leader for several decades until after retiring from his teaching job, then came a series of CDs issued by Origin, of which this is the third. This reunion with fellow tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb marks their first opportunity to play together since the mid-'60s, aside from one brief meeting in the 40-plus-year stretch leading up to this record date. Many two-tenor sax sessions end up being battles, but the two veterans are old friends who aren't trying to top one another and instead focus on inspiring each other's playing. The potent rhythm section includes pianist Bill Anschell, bassist Chuck Deardorf, and drummer John Bishop, all seasoned players who provide excellent support throughout the date. There's plenty of fire in the rousing workout of "Love for Sale." The very deliberate setting of "I Thought About You" features some of Caliman's most powerful solo work, while the two tenor men have a ball in the loping treatment of Freddie Hubbard's timeless jazz waltz "Up Jumped Spring." The bulk of the CD features strong original compositions. Caliman contributed the vibrant "Comencia," blending a slight Afro-Cuban flavor in a brisk bop vehicle, as well as the hypnotic "Gala," which proves to be the most dramatic performance of the session.

This was the first and last time Pepper worked with Jordan, and came about as a result of Pepper's usual pianist, George Cables, being unable to make the dates at Club Montmartre in Copenhagen. To Pepper's dismay, Danmarks Radio decided to record the first gig of the Montmartre series. Pepper need not have worried – the show was a rousing success, with the band tackling a set of standards (and a couple of Pepper originals) with such verve and determination that relatively simple tunes turned into astounding solo workouts (there are several drum and bass solos to be heard on this record), the amazing highlight of which is a shot at "Besame Mucho" that rounds out to twenty-two minutes. Art Pepper was in the process of dying at the time this recording was made, but there's no lack of energy, no loss of vitality. A two-CD live jazz set that's well worth having and should not be overlooked.