British jazz band Matt Bianco have had their fair share of ups and downs. After a run of UK chart singles between 1984 and 1989 including HALF A MINUTE, GET OUT OF YOUR LAZY BED, DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL / WAP-BAM-BOOGIE and YEH YEH, the group was struck by tragedy in December 2016 when their co-leader and keyboard player Mark Fisher died aged just 57. Keen to carry on the legacy, founder and lead vocalist Mark Reilly vowed to carry on performing under the Matt Bianco name, resulting in the release of a new studio album GRAVITY. GRAVITY is Matt Bianco’s thirteenth studio album (excluding compilations) and follows last year’s THE THINGS YOU LOVE, a collaboration with Holland’s New Cool Collective funky jazz band. Recorded live in the studio, the 12 track album revives and modernises Matt Bianco’s Bossa and Jazz roots while maintaining the easy-going swing of their former successes.

New Cool Collective have been happily grooving on 24 years of fame thanks to their unique mix of jazz, dance, latin, salsa, afrobeat and boogaloo. They are always funky, energetic and danceable. As pioneers in the Dutch jazz scene NCC has received many awards and the band have toured the great expanses of Benelux, Great Britain, Germany, Africa, Canada, Russia and Asia. They not only play hipster jazz clubs but also such huge pop and rock festivals as Roskilde (Denmark), Sziget (Hungary), Fuji Rock (Japan), Lowlands (Netherlands), Camden Mix Festival (UK) and the Aberdeen Alternative Festival (UK). And they collaborated with many Dutch and international artists on tour and in the studio. The single “The Things You Love” is recorded with Mark Reilly (Matt Bianco).

“Nightfall” is the second album for ECM by the British trio Quercus featuring the esteemed folk singer June Tabor accompanied by instrumentalists Iain Ballamy (tenor & soprano saxophones) and Huw Warren (piano), two musicians best known for their work in a wide variety of jazz contexts.

Pizzarelli’s second all-bossa record ( July 28, 2017), following 2004’s Bossa Nova, on which he collaborated with several Brazilian musicians (including singer Daniel Jobim, the grandson of bossa nova’s Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim) and arranger Don Sebesky. The new one, Sinatra & Jobim @ 50, is conceived as a celebration of the anniversary of the first bossa nova album by Pizzarelli’s fellow New Jerseyan, Frank Sinatra. Though Pizzarelli operates with sly wit rather than Sinatra swagger, he opened for the legend’s international tour in 1993. The connection is more than geographic.

The euphoric buzz of New York, over cocktails on the edge of evening, alive with possibilities… anything goes. Vocalist, trumpeter and songwriter Bria Skonberg re-imagines it all on her new album, With a Twist. Coming off a recent Juno Award (Canada’s version of The Grammys) for her first collection, Bria, Skonberg spins her cool and confident vocal style---and her sleek and timeless jazz chops---into a program that playfully nods to tradition while always looking ahead.

Special EFX was founded by drummer and percussionist George Jinda and guitarist Chieli Minucci in 1982. The musical concept of the group changed from world fusion to contemporary jazz and smooth jazz. Body Language (1995) was the last album Jinda and Minucci recorded together. In 1997, Jinda had just completed the album Here to Stay, he suffered a massive stroke, from which he never recovered until he died in 2001. Chieli Minucci continues the project in memory of his former teammate with the 22nd Special EFX album Deep As The Night (2017), which will be released on the Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm record label. The new album features a cast of musicians, who are sharing Chieli's musical activities, like bassist Jerry Brooks, drummer Lionel Cordew, keyboardists Jay Rowe, Nicholas Cole and Lao Tizer, percussionist Mino Cinelu, violinist Antoine Silverman, saxophonists Elan Trotman and David Mann.

In the liner notes of Norman Brown‘s exhilarating tenth solo album Let It Go, he speaks about the principals of Maat, the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, harmony, morality and justice. These concepts of wisdom and knowledge inform Brown’s life and music. The highly sought-after Grammy®-winning guitarist, composer, singer and producer lays out the songs on Let It Go as his own truth and blueprint for self-realization and actualization. The guitar wizard’s manifesto is simple. He states, “My desire is for my fans to gain the spirit of joy, comfort, understanding and any hint of direction.”

Since leaving her native Australia to settle in the U.S., bassist/singer Nicki Parrott has settled into the New York City jazz scene and the jazz party circuit, with occasional recording opportunities coming her way as a leader. These 2007 sessions recorded for the Japanese Venus label showcase her engaging vocals and bass chops, backed by pianist John Di Martino, guitarist Paul Meyers, drummer Billy Drummond, and on some tracks, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen.

Wonderfully talented jazz bassist and singer, Nicki Parrott is releasing new albums from the Japanese label Venus Records at a stunning pace, reflecting her popularity in Japan and the eagerness of the label to put out new material. eader. John Di Martino is on the piano chair, and Nicki's sister Lisa Parrott is prominently featured on baritone sax. Participation of the wonderful tenor saxophonist Harry Allen is a great plus as well. Those (mostly) well-known autumnal songs are tastefully and intelligently arranged with straight-ahead sensibilities and performed emotively with romantic lyricism.

Australian bassist and singer Nicki Parrott has released numerous albums from the Japanese label Venus Records over the years, covering many different materials and musical styles. Her latest release is focused on French music, including chanson standards, several songs written by Michel Legrand and the beautiful title track by Jerome Kern. The musical atmosphere of French jazz is enhanced by Jacob Fisher's acoustic guitar and Gil Goldstein's accordion. With John Di Martino on piano and Tim Horner on drums, the musicianship is top-notch and the arrangements are sophisticated and very nice. Of course, the star of the show is Nicki, who plays bass and sings beautifully in both English and French.

"Eleven Cages" is a trio album that's in the top tier of trio albums you need to hear this year. It's innovative, interesting, and certainly takes the format of this instrumental structure places where it has yet to go but has been yearning to for a little while now. Tepfer hasn't playing in the trio format since 2010. If this is a result of such patience, it's a pretty good thing he took his time.