On January 30, 1977 - a day after the sold out 3-day concerts celebrating legendary US saxophonist Stan Getz's 50th birthday in Copenhagen - Stan and his crew including Danish ace bassist Orsted Pedersen were in studio to record. The huge success of the double live album kept us in suspense for three decades for the release of the unissued material. Well, here it is for us to enjoy.

Pianist Noah Haidu sees a certain irony in his current recorded output. “I love composing but improvisation has always been my greatest passion. When I started releasing music in 2011 I relied on my songwriting to make a unique artistic statement, but I’ve come full circle and realized that finding my own voice on a simple, unadorned standard is a rare and necessary endeavor.” Haidu embraced that endeavor on his 2023 release Standards, and on Standards II, due out April 12, 2024 on Sunnyside Records. The new album is a breathtaking masterpiece featuring Haidu with two of the music’s most esteemed players, Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums.

BEING GUIDED BY THE LIGHT is the fifth album by pianist Mamiko Watanabe and the fifth album to be released by acclaimed record label, Jojo Records. It is the representation of a musician in full flower, an artist reveling in her endless state of exploration. Mamiko plays the piano with the grace of a master but also the feral intensity of a jungle cat. This has led esteemed bassist Santi Debriano, one of her long-time collaborators and in the trio on this album, to compare Mamiko to the legendary McCoy Tyner.

Yotam Silberstein, one of the leading jazz guitarists of his generation, has gained acclaim for a sound rich in bebop and blues as well as musical folklore from South America, North Africa and the Middle East, giving his music an increasingly global thrust.

There is a transcendental place that musicians can reach during performance. A space where they get lost in the music, letting the years honed skills and natural inclination take control. Many of the exhilarating moments in improvised music come from the sudden shift, the accentuation of razor sharp focus, to get back on course.