This month I’m trying a new format to cover more records. At the beginning of every month I always post the following month’s new releases; so you can check out November 2025 releases — along with all the 2025 releases — on this page. Below you’ll find some October records that I’ve been looking forward to, as well as some surprises from the month of September. Happy listening!

October 2025 releases to look for…!

Upcoming releases not to be missed…

Doug Beavers, Titanes del Trombón (Remastered) (Circle 9), to be released October 24th.

• Remastered with the collaborative support of Chad McCullough (of Calligram Records), trombonist Doug Beavers re-releases Titanes on its tenth anniversary. The album features an all-star ensemble including trombonists Conrad Herwig, Luis Bonilla, Reynaldo Jorge, Rey David Alejandre, Max Seigel. Beavers’s formidable composition and arranging skills are on full display here, too. If you’ve ever wanted this album on vinyl, now’s the time.

Sonya Belaya, Dacha (Ropeadope), to be released October 10th.

• I met Sonya this past Fall at an Amir ElSaffar concert and, from the first moment when she described her upcoming project, I was hooked. Amir wrote the notes for this album, which is a deeply intimate and provocative reflection on cultural memory, matrilinearity, and grief through Belaya’s powerful storytelling and artistry.

Patricia Brennan, Of the Near and Far (Pyroclastic), to be released October 24th.

• Brennan’s colossal Breaking Stretch from last year landed her on many of the year’s “best of” lists, mine included. This follow-up delivers yet again, propelled by the ages-old inspiration of the night sky and its many constellations and large-small ensemble featuring a string quartet, rhythm section, and electronics, all realizing Brennan’s vision.

Stephan Crump and the Otherlands Trio, Star Mountain (Intakt), to be released October 17th.

• Last year’s album Rewilder, another trio record on Intakt with Crump and drummer Eric McPherson (along with pianist Kris Davis), didn’t garner nearly the attention it deserved. On Star Mountain Crump and McPherson are joined by saxophonist Darius Jones in the debut recording of the newly formed Otherlands Trio. While the personnel might automatically draw listeners’ attention, the resulting collaboration will exceed their expectations.

Charles Lloyd, Figure in Blue (Blue Note), to be released October 10th.

• The latest release from the maestro Charles Lloyd building off a performance from Lloyd’s birthday concert in March of this year. Titled for a Lloyd composition honoring Duke Ellington, the album also pays homage to Billie Holiday and Lloyd’s long-time collaborator, the recently departed Zakir Hussein.

John O’Gallagher, Ancestral (Whirlwind), to be released October 24th.

• I’ve been following saxophonist O’Gallagher’s work for some time — since before 2013’s The Anton Webern Project. Now well established in Portugal, O’Gallagher’s newest record also bears the influence of his recent academic studies, a PhD dissertation on the studied approach that Coltrane took in his later albums (like Interstellar Space). If Webern and PhD studies seem off-putting, trust me: you want to check this out. Not only because O’Gallagher brings endless creativity to such topics, but also because of the stellar band he’s assembled for this record: guitarist Ben Monder and drummers Andrew Cyrille and Billy Hart.

• An exciting collaboration with San Francisco’s de Young Museum, on Collective Imagery each member of the SFJazz Collective wrote tunes inspired by artists featured in the De Young’s collections. This album sends a clear message that artists reflect their ideas about the world around them through their creative works…and that those ideas, when shared across media and in conversation, resonate across communities as well.

David Virelles, Igbó Alákorin | The Singer’s Grove VOL. III: Theatrical Cut (El Tivoli), to be released October 3rd.

• One of two new releases from Virelles’s ongoing archival and performance project related to his hometown of Santiago de Cuba. And there’s more on the horizon coming soon. Virelles’s dedication to reimagining, renewing, and propelling Cuban music into the future across genres, instrumentations, eras, and artistic media continues to unfold with singular vision.

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Revelations…September!

As one month begins, another ends. Here are some records from last month that caught me a bit by surprise…

Rich Brown. Nyaeba (Whirlwind), released September 26th

• A stunning solo electric bass album, this album is Brown’s Afro-Atlantic sonic imaginary across space and time on which his technical skills are eclipsed only by the album’s spirit and soul.

Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura. Ki (Libra), released September 19th

• By my count this is pianist Fujii’s fourth release this year and, like January’s Altitude 1100 Meters, worthy of “revelation” status. Both are intimate, highly expressive, and draw listeners in where some of the pianist’s more energetic and dense recordings might not. Ki is a stripped-down duo with trumpeter Tamura overflowing with responsive musicality and subtle expressiveness.

Noah Garabedian, Quartets and Solos (Contagious), released September 12th

• Quartets and Solos is a beautiful record, thoughtfully conceived and expertly realized. Featuring saxophonist Dayna Stephens and pianist Carmen Staaf (both of whom have excellent recent releases of their own) among others, this album showcases each musician’s artistry individually and collectively in collaborative and soloistic settings. An all-around exceptional album.

Luigi Grasso, La dimora dell’atrove (LP345), released September 26th

• Woodwind specialist Luigi Grasso may be lesser known than his guitarist brother Pasquale, but shows that he’s no less worthy of praise. This record has a compelling concept and a host of skilled improviser/performers — all of which is readily apparent from the album’s first moments — but what caught me by surprise was Luigi’s impressive compositional and arranging skills. All in all, it’s a record that rewards close listening.

Jamile, Pursuit of a Pulse (Cellar), released September 12th

• Inspired by the natural, spiritual, and musical rhythms that drive our lives, vocalist Jamile’s new album features her mentor, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and (one of my favorite pianists) Miki Yamanaka. Pursuit of a Pulse is a deeply evocative set of compositions and superb performances by Jamile and her ensemble.

Tom Skinner, Kaleidoscopic Vision (International Anthem/Brownswood), released September 26th.

• Co-founder of Sons of Kemet and a fixture in the London jazz scene, drummer Tom Skinner has released a record reflective of his career thus far as he contemplates his “middle age.” There are extensive notes on the album’s concept, track listing, and personnel at the link above. This album may have been the biggest surprise of the month for me: I had zero expectations and loved every second of it.