November was a busy month, personally, professionally, and for new releases. Amid hosting an event at UM in honor of Native American Heritage Month with vocalist Julia Keefe, travel to Chicago for the American Musicological Society’s annual meeting, my wedding anniversary, and a full slate of teaching, I managed to listen to about 100 of this month’s new releases. There’s been a lot of writing on and well-deserved praise for some high-profile releases; here I’m highlighting a few that are just as noteworthy, though not as prominently discussed.

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 – November 2024

This record found me. Though I’ve been working to improve this site’s media presence, I’m still not plugged into all the right channels, so I often miss albums. The “new releases” algorithm for the streaming service to which I subscribe must have been updated recently, because I have it to thank for introducing me to some first-rate releases that I otherwise would not have heard about. This is one of them. (I’m guessing others have missed it too, as a cursory web search revealed no results for reviews.) As a Boston-area native, I’m more than familiar with the renowned saxophonist and educator Jerry Bergonzi. Beantown Ballads, named after our shared city, teams Bergonzi with an ensemble including guitarist Sherry Bailey, trumpeter Phil Grenadier and drummer Anders Mogensen (who operates the small Danish label amm on which the record is released) on a set of twelve Bergonzi compositions. Beautiful, reflective, and bursting with Bergonzi’s signature sound, this under-the-radar release deserves much more praise and attention than it’s garnered thus far.

On his sophomore release, tenor saxophonist Jacob Chung is joined by his mentor saxophonist Vincent Herring and drummer Joe Farnsworth, earning both praise and ample support from this pair of well-known masters. The repertoire is a mix of originals and a few standards, including Duke Pearson’s “Jeannine” (a tune I played at the start of every Friday night set during my time in the house band for Doc Branch’s famed, long-running jam sessions in Richmond). Honoring intergenerational relationships and musical lineages moves in both directions — it’s part of the fabric that has bound jazz communities together since the music first emerged. Recommended to producer Cory Weeds and Cellar Music by Herring, Chung demonstrates mastery of jazz traditions by paying homage to his elders and contributing his own artistic perspective in this rousing set.

During the month when I visited Chicago for the first time ever, it’s only appropriate that I include a release from the label International Anthem in this article. In recent years IA has been producing and releasing urgent and adventurous music, poised at vanguard of the “jazz” world and constantly expanding its horizon. And so it is with guitarist Jeff Parker’s latest release: The Way Out of Easy is a triumph. Joining Parker in the ETA IVtet are: Anna Butterss (amplified double bass), Jay Bellerose (drums, cymbals and percussion), and Josh Johnson (amplified alto saxophone with electronics). This quartet of Los Angeles-based musicians have honed their camaraderie and collective artistry through years of live dates, including this January 2023 session at the now-closed venue for which the group is named. On the album they unfurl and extend four compositions through the careful listening and complementary group improvisations in the long-form performances for which the group is renowned.

I discovered the late French pianist Michel Petrucciani by listening to a memorial show hosted shortly after the pianist’s passing in 1999 by (the late, great) radio broadcaster Eric Jackson on Boston’s WGBH. (“Eric in the Evening” was my introduction to many greats throughout my childhood.) I’ve since become a student of Petrucciani’s career and life, inspired especially by his perseverance through and transcendence of immense physical challenges as I work through my own. This live date — with bassist Gary Peacock and the recently departed drummer Roy Haynes — is another of Petrucciani’s thrilling performances; and this Storyville release will be included in my list of the year’s best. The record abounds with unforgettable moments from these three masters, but Haynes’s solo on “Giant Steps” is especially noteworthy. How fitting that just days after this legend’s passing the world is gifted with yet another example of his excellence.

In a month with lots of excellent releases by well-known, high-profile musicians, this record was my favorite discovery. Based in Amsterdam and led by alto saxophonist/artistic director Tobias Klein, the sextet Spinifex mixes free improvisation, punk rock, and “jazz” with equal portions of artistry, irreverance, noise, and joy. Trying to “wrap your head around” this album won’t really work; it’s more about “stretching your ears.” The eclecticism that unfolds moment-to-moment in each track no doubt results from musicians who are hungry for a diverse spread of sounds, styles, and traditions; and so listening with curiosity rather than expectation will yield a palette-expanding and delectable experience. Both the most exact musicological analysis and the most evocative and nuanced prosaic metaphors would fall short of capturing Spinifex’s Undrilling the Hole, though: just dive in and find out where this record takes you.

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Additional releases to check out …! …! …!

The Heavy Hitters, That’s What’s Up (Cellar Live), released November 22nd

• An all-star line-up led by pianist Mike LeDonne and a horn line of Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Vince Herring (alto sax), and Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), That’s What’s Up features the high-energy, blues-based post bop for which these musicians are renowned.

M.T.B. Solid Jackson (Criss Cross), released November 29th

• M.T.B. is another supergroup — Brad Mehldau (piano), Mark Turner (tenor sax) Peter Bernstein (guitar), Larry Grenadier (bass), and Bill Stewart (drums) — reconvening for an excellent session on Criss Cross. November was filled with high-profile releases, so this may have flown under the radar for some, but this album is not to be missed.

Naomi Moon Siegel, Shatter the Glass Ceiling (Slow & Steady), released November 8th

• Sometimes records strike me instantaneously, but I took my time with Siegel’s latest release and I’m glad I did. As a music writer it’s easy to fall into the trap of “listening for something to write about” and Shatter the Glass Ceiling was a welcome reminder for more mindful listening. This album teems with thoughtfully written, beautifully performed, and emotionally evocative music. Each successive listen to the album yielded new discoveries, surprises, and deeper appreciation for Siegel’s invention, intensity, and artistry.

Billy Taylor, Music Caravan (Arkadia), released November 6th

• In a month replete with excellent archival releases (among all the new records), this is another superb recording that may have been lost in the shuffle. Taylor sounds in top form in a classic set of standards and his own compositions with Chip Jackson (bass) and Steve Johns (drums).

McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slug’s (Blue Note), released November 22nd

• Rightly and widely praised as one of the year’s best archival releases, Forces of Nature should be required listening. Reviews and media attention will abound on this recording — and so I decided to feature other recordings in this article — but any article reviewing this month’s releases that didn’t mention this earth-shattering record would be incomplete.