Rolf Thofte Quintet - Martha's Dance Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
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During my five visits to this year's New Mexico Jazz Festival, two artists introduced songs inspired by their children, and one by his grandchild. It seems our progeny can be fertile grounds for artistic expression. This album was inspired by Danish trumpeter/composer's daughter, and it is also a dandy. Mostly straightforward contemporary jazz with lovely melodies and obviously heartfelt expression as well as being full of life and the youthful joy of discovery, this is a splendid listen. While Thofte is definitely his own cat, I did hear some similarity to Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, which is not a bad thing. Highly recommended.
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio - Blues for K Year: 2022
Style or Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
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What makes this contemporary/traditional piano trio album so special is the obvious overflowing of joy and heart that infuses each and every song. In my very limited travels to Japan, I found the Japanese people to be very reserved at first and in public, but then very warm once more familiar. It's as if this music skips the formality and relationship ramp up time and welcomes us into Yamamoto's heart right from the start. This shortcut put as big a smile on my face as quickly as any pianist, regardless of country of origin.
I really like Larry Coryell but Barefoot Boy is not an album I'm familiar with. Having heard Gypsy Queen I need to check it out. You're right, Steve Marcus' sax is ridiculously good.
My favourite Coryell album is actually a live album
Olivia Trummer - Like Water [b]Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre:[/b] Vocal Jazz
For Saturday Night Vocals, I took my first taste of Fraulein Olivia Trummer who sings most of the album in English with but one song in German, and one in Italian. Soft and airy throughout, Trummers vocals may welcome or bore depending on mood. I actually found myself paying more attention to the piano accompaniment which is lovely, and perfectly understated to support Trummer's ethereal approach. Interestingly, my favorite song was Tu io e domini, the one sung in Italian. She also does a marvelous jobwith the Brenda Russel song (made famous by Oleta Adams), Get Here.
Simon Nabatov - Assemblage Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Avant Garde
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The term Avant Garde is often used in both Jazz and Classical circles. As is so often the case with European jazz artists (and prog for that matter), I hear a stronger than usual (relative to North America) Classical influence in Simon Nabatov's music, and his new 2025 release So we get this avant garde blend of classical and jazz that is quite a delight to my ear.
Sullivan Fortner - Southern Nights Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Piano Jazz
There's a lot to love in this album in how it remains grounded in tradition while simultaneously reaching for something new. After getting off to a lukewarm start for me with Southern Nights (originally penned by Albert Toussaint and made famous by Glen Campbell), a tune I grew to dislike despite loving Glen, things really go well for the remaining eight tunes. Especially joyful is when pianist Fortner gets a strong counterpoint going between his left and right hands; he can sound classical and New Orleans at the same time and it's all good.
FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
Peter Somuah - Highlife Year: 2024
Style or Subgenre: African Jazz
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I selected this album based on my dedication to catching as much 2025 music as possible here in the current year. Disappointment struck when I saw this album was actually released in 2024. Well, one listen comfortably wiped away any potential disappointment. Ghanaian trumpeter/composer delivers unique, creative, and varied crossover jazz that filters the traditional music of his roots through some of the jazz lenses British colonists left behind. The result is delightful.
Alexi Tuomarila Trio - Departing the Wasteland Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Modern Creative, Piano Jazz
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Back in the current year, I was nothing short of thrilled with this album from Finnish pianist Alexi Tuomarila and his trio+guitarist+occasional guests. This album bears that unmistakable stamp of a Nordic composer, but is less sparse, having a very full sound. Glorious melodies and clever interplay fill the usual spartan voids of the North country. While I have come to love those voids and the openness they evoke in my listening, I may even more love the full immersion in Tuomarila's richly adorned soundscape. I'm calling this a brilliant album and one I will listen to often. This is my second Tuomarila album [after Constellation (2006)] and both have been unique wonders. At some point, I'm going to have to explore the other remnants of his catalog.
Sasha Berliner - Fantôme Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Bop, Post Bop
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Well, I just found another vibraphonist to fall in love with. While Fantôme is her third album, it's my first listen and it's definitely a good one. Berliner brings some wonderful nuance into her playing, which really brings out the feel of her excellent compositions and arrangements. On this album she collaborates with a few excellent guests who add variety and color in ways that enhance the songs and the listening experience. The current year has been outstanding in the quality and variety of jazz, and this is one of my faves.
This came up in my prog queue, but this fusion definitely deserves a x-post on the jazz side.
Antoine Fafard - Quadra Spherium Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Fusion
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According to wikipedia, fusion is:
Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion[3]) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars and basses, amplifiers, and keyboard instruments (including electric pianos and organs) that were popular in rock began to be used by jazz musicians, particularly those who had grown up listening to rock and roll.
This album by French bassist/guitarist Antoine Fafard is about as fusion as fusion can be. This thing rocks! But it also has great improv, mostly thanks to saxophonist Jean-Pierre Zanella. Fafard's bass delivers complex grooves, and his guitar soloing is also hot, although not at the level of Zanella's tenor. For some songs, Fafard breaks out what sounds like a nylon sting acoustic and his picking is impeccable. Altogether, this is a great fusion album, and one I would definitely recommend to a rock fan.
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Fischman
