New releases last eight weeks: Jazz

Review: Jazz trumpet legend Donald Byrd has one of those seemingly endless discography that takes in solo and group albums and is full of treasure that is well worth exploring no matter your particularly stylistic penchant. 1963's A New Perspective is a landmark album that brings gospel and soul elements into his usual jazz sound. It features a stellar lineup including Herbie Hancock and Hank Mobley and the centerpiece is the iconic 'Cristo Redentor,' a soulful composition that showcases Byrd's lyrical trumpet playing. With its fusion of genres, the album broke new ground and paved the way for future jazz explorations that Pitchfork have said is one of the best albums of the 1960s. Byrd's innovative approach and the ensemble's tight chemistry make that so.

Review: Miles Davis' Volume 2 (Classic Vinyl Series) encapsulates the quintessence of his bebop brilliance. Originally recorded in 1953, this album showcases Davis at the peak of his improvisational prowess and backed by a stellar ensemble including Horace Silver, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey. Tracks like 'Donna' and 'It Never Entered My Mind' exemplify Davis' innovative approach to harmony and melody, while others show his ability to infuse standard tunes with newfound depth. This reissue, part of the Classic Vinyl Series, pays homage to Davis' enduring influence on jazz with an all new pressing.

Review: Blue Note's Tone Poet series is one of the most prolific and driven reissuing motors out there, focusing on faithful, audiophile-quality restorations, remasters and re-presses. Next on their list is Brooker Ervin's sax masterpiece Tex Book Tenor (1968). Contrasting to the revolutionary unease of its year of release, Tex Book Tenor abides by the book, bringing together five steady performances, including two covers (of Kenny Barron 'Gichi' and Woody Shaw's 'In A Capricornian Way'), and three originals, 'Den Tex', 'Lynn's Tune' and '204'. The album is soft-spoken in sound here - contrasting to his reputation for tough playing elsewhere - but this variety only proves Ervin's status as one of the fullest vessels around.

Review: Bill Frisell's Orchestras, a collaboration with composer-arranger Michael Gibbs, showcases the transformative power of jazz when paired with symphonic ensembles. The album combines Frisell's trio with the Brussels Philharmonic and the Umbria Jazz Orchestra, resulting in a dynamic interplay between jazz intimacy and orchestral grandeur. Gibbs' masterful orchestrations, inspired by Gil Evans and cinematic scores, seamlessly enhance the trio's telepathic rapport. Frisell's signature shimmering sound blends effortlessly with strings and brass, creating a rich and expressive tapestry. Notably, the collaboration highlights the deep connection between Frisell and Gibbs, a legendary innovator in jazz arranging. Gibbs' intuitive writing draws out the trio's spontaneity and pushes them into uncharted territory. Frisell and Gibbs' mutual admiration and influence create a palpable energy throughout the album, showcasing the transformative power of collaboration.

Review: Blue Note first delivered Horace Silver's Silver Serenade in 1964, adding yet once more to their precious collection of sonorous soul jazz metals. With Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor saxophone, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums, the natural scarcity of this serenade is a cultivated one, not spooned; Silver's naturalistic trumpet sounds carpal and easy, dancing brightly against clear, impeccably recorded contrapuntal movements by Brooks and Taylor.

Review: Bobby Hutcherson's iconic Happenings is a mesmerizing jazz opus that even now all these years later still brims with innovation and emotion. Released originally in 1966, the record showcases Hutcherson's mastery of the vibraphone and how he effortlessly weaves intricate melodies with a vibrant rhythmic pulse. Backed by a stellar ensemble including the one and only Herbie Hancock, Hutcherson crafts a sonic landscape that is both sophisticated and accessible. Tracks never fail to captivate with their dynamic interplay and infectious grooves, while reflective pieces are also included to offer moments of introspection. Happenings then is a standout from an unparalleled talent.

Review: Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage shares Speak To Me, his vivid and wondrously textured new Blue Note album produced by Joe Henry which offers a series of dispatches from his ongoing search for narrative beyond words. Intimate in tone and capacious in intention, the music travels a wide range of American music,and delights in the deliberate crossing of wires between gospel hymn and rural blues, California singer-songwriter sunshine and skronky jazz. The 13-track set of new Lage originals is introduced today with a two track single pairing the hard-driving, bluesy '76'with the atmospheric acoustic ballad 'As It Were'. The album also includes the previously released single 'Omission', a reverent tune imbued with a pastoral swing.

Review: Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage's Speak To Me is a dynamic Blue Note album produced by Joe Henry. Arriving with 13 original tracks, Lage's compositions navigate a rich tapestry of American music genres, from gospel hymns to California singer-songwriter vibes and skronky jazz. The album's lead single '76' showcases a hard-driving blues essence, while 'As It Were' offers an atmospheric acoustic ballad. With contributions from Kris Davis, Patrick Warren, Levon Henry, and his trusted trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King, Lage presents a multifaceted musical journey that captivates and enthrals in equal measure here.

Review: Charles Lloyd returns with his latest musical offering, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow, a majestic double LP of new studio recordings from the legendary saxophonist. Despite this being Lloyd's eleventh album for Blue Note, it still makes for a sudden comeback, as it is the first new set of sessions to appear since 2017's twin releases, 'Vanished Garden' and 'Tone Poem'. On The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow, Lloyd proffers a muted, tender sound, abiding by emotive progressions backed up by homespun lower bout hits and natural piano playing. Lloyd hardly needs to lift a finger to glean the reams of emotion that swell from his instrument.

Review: Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean's 1960s output ran the gamut from hard bop to the avant-gard, with his 1964 post-bop dates It's Time! and Action splitting the difference. Now reissued for Blue Note's Tone Poet series, this reissue of the latter LP follows up Rudy Van Gelder's 2004 curator's edition; McLean's playing is lithe and limber here, piquing out from each mix - from the opening fan-outs of 'Plight' to the continual peacockings of 'I Hear A Rhapsody' - as if to suggest that McLean himself knows that his instrument resounds at the exact high frequency that naturally commands human attention. With the Tone Poet series primed for audiophiles, you're in for a treat.

Review: Hot on the heels of Blue Note's 2024 lineup announcement of their esteemed Tone Poet series - which reissues classic jazz albums for a contemporary audience hungry for audiophile quality editions - comes this eagerly-awaited new version of Anthony Williams' Life Time. A five-piece north star of free jazz and debut record by the expansive drummer, the album held a crucial repute throughout Williams' career as the inspirational namesake of his later band with John McLaughlin, the Tony Williams Lifetime Band. This one, however, pre-empts this movement and instead hears contributions from such greats as Richard Davis, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter, riding high on the wave of divine-genius-by-proxy after already having performed with Miles Davis at the age of 18. Blast back to 1964 with this ideal free jazz intro.