The world’s pause caused by the Covid-19 pandemic created rifts in regular patterns and collaborations. Pianist Anat Fort found herself effectively separated from her regular trio of bassist Gary Wang and Roland Schneider for the first time in the trio’s 20 years of existence. When an opportunity arose to bring the trio together to perform in Germany, Fort seized on the chance to regroup and record an album that goes against the group’s typical formula on The Berlin Sessions.

Years of study and travel are blessings not afforded to many. It is precious when the results of these blessings are channeled by an artist into genuine and heartfelt statements. For pianist/composer Álvaro Torres, globetrotting and absorbing musical information from around the world has led him to the root of music’s importance to him, namely emotional expression. Torres’s new recording, Heart Is The Most Important Ingredient, provides a perfect example of the pianist’s affecting art.

Developing a program of solo piano music is the ultimate challenge for any improvising pianist. Lucian Ban’s mesmerizing new recording of solo piano improvisations, Ways of Disappearing, represents a daring addition to the genre and is a powerful and uncompromising statement for his first unaccompanied solo album.

The Normyn Suites is both a requiem and celebration, inspired by the life and death of the bandleader’s 15-year-old dog, a female mini dachshund named Normyn. The third album by the Michael Leonhart Orchestra features a pair of suites - the first of which is an exploration of the stages of grieving, while the second is a reflection on love and loss. In keeping with the MLO’s eclectic musical palette, the album features several collaborations with Elvis Costello, with contributions by Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, and JSWISS as well as two bonus offerings with Donny McCaslin.

Grammy award winning artists Luciana Souza and Vince Mendoza have joined forces with the WDR Big Band Köln on this most extraordinary collaboration - Storytellers - Luciana’s tenth recording for Sunnyside Records.

Acclaimed jazz pianist Michael Wolff has confirmed a February 7th, 2020 release date for his joyful new album, ‘Bounce’. Exuberant, beautiful and able to convey a range of emotions, ‘Bounce’ reflects Wolff’s upbeat state of mind following his ‘miraculous’ recovery from aggressive cancer. He comments, “Isn’t it great to be alive? I’m celebrating life every day. This album is dedicated to that celebration. Come Bounce with us!!!!!! I have the good fortune to play with these fantastic musicians: Ben Allison on bass and Allan Mednard on drums. Their playing, ideas and vibes imbue this music with creativity and soul. It's really a listenable album. I thought about what I'd like to listen to at home, and tried to make that album.”

There are relationships that always remain fruitful. Maybe it is because the discourse never lags or there is unflagging affection. Vocalist Jay Clayton and percussionist Jerry Granelli have been making music together for forty years and their musical connection continues to surprise as their affinity deepens. Their new recording, Alone Together, shows how the spark of creativity has only brightened over the duo’s long affiliation.

The incredible relationship between legendary British musicians Norma Winstone and John Taylor has been admired for nearly five decades. The vocalist and pianist have been inextricably linked from their early avant-garde work from the late 1960s through their gorgeous work with Kenny Wheeler and Azymuth.

“Could one make this into an inner happening? I mean, suggest, that it is a composition for different voices in the same soul’s concerto grosso?” – Ingmar Bergman on Persona

What began as an incredible jazz-meets-new music experiment has blossomed into a remarkable ensemble of unique instrumentalist/composers who have found themselves involved in an extraordinary breadth of musical settings. 9 Horses has evolved a great deal since their initial recording, Perfectest Herald, which introduced the band with a stripped-down elegance: “No edits, no overdubs,” was the rule. Since then, the trio has shuffled its lineup, grown its musical palette exponentially, and performed in a wide range of configurations including experimental chamber ensembles, synth programmers, and even symphony orchestras.