As the next academic year starts, the high heat of Summer is still very much in the (exceedingly) humid Miami air. I travelled a lot this Summer with a soundtrack stacked full of new releases. Whittling the list of reviews down to a manageable amount for this post while also writing syllabi and teaching the first few weeks of courses proved to be a challenge. (I’m also trying to finish up and publish some drafts for TRoS.) Even though they’re not included below, the new releases by Kurt Elling and Sullivan Fortner, Milton Nascimento and Esperanza Spalding, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Miguel Zenon are not to be missed. As with all these features, I try to highlight some artists who are not as well known nor as likely to be covered elsewhere.

Feel free to share your favorites from this month in the comments below and if there’s an upcoming release that you’d like me to feature, you can reach out here.

Thanks for reading!

The Month in Review – August 2024

A beautiful album informed by deep knowledge of tradition and tinged with a bit of nostalgia for the lush studio orchestra recordings of bygone eras, Franco Ambrosetti’s Sweet Caress is a testament to lyricism…and to Alan Broadbent’s skills as an orchestrator. Where listeners might imagine a featured vocalist like Nancy Wilson or Tony Bennett pushed forward in the mix, instead we are treated to instrumental mastery — from Ambrosetti on flugelhorn and an all-star cast of soloists including guitarist John Scofield and violinist Sara Caswell (who also serves as concertmaster) — and skillful sound engineering that balances their performance with the backing orchestra, preserving an ambience where every subtlety resonates. No doubt Sweet Caress will conjure up memories of great jazz records from the past; but the album is in no way derivative, dated, or out-of-fashion. On the contrary, Sweet Caress delights and impresses in equal measure.

Listening to this album conceptualized around bandleader Orrin Evans’s lifelong challenges with neurofibromatosis, some may be surprised by its joyous energy. Perhaps Evans is reminiscing on how far he has come since his childhood challenges. The stories Evans and his bandmates tell in Walk a Mile in My Shoe are first and foremost about superb music-making in community. It features inventive and refreshing covers of well-known tunes — and guest appearances by Lisa Fischer, Bilal, Joanna Pascale, Anthony Tidd, and others.

As a pianist myself, I’m biased on two fronts with this record: I have a soft spot for classic trio records; and I have Keezer to thank for one of the best, single piano lessons I’ve ever taken in my life. Disclaimers aside, Keezer’s Live at Birdland is a superlative album that exudes masterful and confident artistry at every turn. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Keezer sound better. Joined by John Patitucci on bass and Clarence Penn on drums, he pays homage to recently departed masters Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter, while making a definitive case for consideration alongside them…and for one of the year’s best albums.

In my listening notes for Brink I wrote in part, “out in all the right ways.” I’m not sure I can translate the senses of my first impression into text, but if I tried, I’d have to start with “listening.” This album is a continuation of a long-standing collaboration between saxophonist Laubrock and drummer Rainey. It’s not just that the album overflows with melodic lyricism, careful manipulation of timbre, thoughtfully advanced instrumental techniques, and inventive and energetic dialogue; but even more that this duo is listening so deeply to each other — in support, complement, and co-creation — while all that is happening. A masterful testament to partnership.

Since its release in 2019 Louis’s debut Global has remained in frequent rotation. I had high hopes for this follow-up, which Louis exceeded. The band includes pianist Axel Tosca, drummer Obed Calvaire, vocalists Melissa Stylianou and Xiomara Laugart, my Frost colleague Etienne Charles on trumpet, and many more. The personnel, excellent writing, and top-notch performances are more than enough to carry this album, but the inspired and joyous music on Psalms and Proverbs is clearly in service of a higher calling.

On The History of the Vibraphone Warren Wolf exemplifies and upholds the “tradition of innovation” that has always been a part of Black American music. Wolf manages a compelling and elusive balance of paying homage to past masters without sounding passé while showcasing both their and his own superior musicianship. There’s a lot to love about this album — it’s one of my favorites of the month — but I’ll call special attention to the cover of “Captain Señor Mouse,” Wolf’s tribute to Gary Burton. His version starts as a near copy of the iconic Burton and Corea duet; however, two minutes in the rest of the band (saxophonist Tim Green, bassist Vicente Archer, and drummer Carroll “CV” Dashiell III) join in and transport us, the fortunate listeners, to a whole, other level. With tasteful hints of tumbao and montuno in the rhythm section — unarticulated undercurrents in the original version — and some edgy chromaticism that pushes past the original’s modal character, the band reinvigorates this classic tune, not only making it their own, but setting the bar even higher.

Additional releases to check out …! …! …!

John Alvey, Loft Glow (Jazz Music City), released August 23rd.

• Nashville drummer Alvey leads a virtuosic ensemble featuring tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm on this stellar debut recording that also includes compositions by fellow bandmates Roland Barber (trombone) and Jovan Quallo (alto saxophone).

Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri, Transylvanian Dance (ECM), released August 30th.

Jonathan Barber and Vision Ahead, In Motion (Vision Ahead), released August 2nd.

• Members of drummer Jonathan Barber’s band Vision Ahead perform exceptionally throughout on this album full of compelling arrangements and compositions. Catch them in Tennessee, North Carolina, Connecticut, and New York during their October 2024 tour.

Asher Gamedze & the Black Lungs, Constitution (International Anthem), released August 30th.

• I’ve been talking to Asher about this project for a while; and I’m thrilled it’s finally out in the world. Gamedze, a South African drummer and scholar, is pushing boundaries through imaginative and urgent work in multiple media. Constitution — surely one of 2024’s best jazz albums — is the latest sonic manifestation of that work and not to be missed.

Lux Quartet, Tomorrowland (Enja/Yellowbird), released August 9th.

• Pianist Myra Melford and drummer Allison Miller — artists who produced two of my favorite albums last year — co-lead this ensemble also featuring Dayna Stephens and Scott Colley in a beautiful record of original compositions. To say that I expected this album to be exceptional does a disservice to the remarkably consistent levels of superb artistry that these musicians continue to exhibit in each and every outing.

Pauli Lyytinen, Lehto/Korpi (We Jazz), released August 30th.

• Based in Finland, We Jazz is one of the labels that I pay closest attention to; and discovering artists and albums like saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen and his Lehto/Korpi is exactly why. An expansive mix of field recordings, extended woodwind technique, digital processing and post-production, Lyytinen exemplifies thoughtful and inspired artistry on his debut for a label that continues to release topnotch music.

Nicole Mitchell & Ballaké Sissoko, Bamako Chicago Sound System (FPE Records), released August 23rd.

• Like Gamedze’s Constitution, because of conversations with Mitchell (for my book project), I’ve known this album was forthcoming for a while. Bamako Chicago Sound System is a monumental recording — ten years in the making — worthy of praise equal to the greatest Afrodiasporic collaborations in jazz history. I’ll be revisiting this album — with Mitchell and in my book — so for now I’ll just say…don’t miss this one!

Jonathan Powell, Mambo Jazz Party (Circle 9), released August 9th.

• On his latest album trumpeter Jonathan Powell pays homage to the heydays of Latin jazz dance parties, mixing in covers of some of jazz’s best jam bands from the last 50 years. An impressive cast of musicians — including the legend Jimmy Bosch, pianists Axel Tosca and Manuel Valera, bassist Luques Curtis, and trombonist Doug Beavers — joins in the Party, which thrills from start to finish.

Catherine Russell & Sean Mason, My Ideal (Dot Time), released August 23rd.

• Both Russell and Mason anchored excellent albums in 2023; listeners who enjoyed those records will love this one. My Ideal is a delightful duo recording — a reprisal of their partnership — from two musicians who are nurturing jazz traditions with deeply rooted nuance.

Tracy Yang, OR (Brooklyn Jazz Underground), released August 23rd.

• In this record, bandleader Tracy Yang brings various aspects of her life — including her Taiwanese heritage and past career in medicine — into focus via her composition and arranging. Supported by the mentorship and guidance of Darcy James Argue, Yang’s OR features an excellent roster of musicians all playing at a high level.