Heads of State is a quartet of living legends that features saxophonist Gary Bartz, pianist Larry Willis, drummer Al Foster, and their latest addition, bassist David “Happy” Williams. The band began life in September 2014 as the Larry Willis All-Stars, assembled for a weekend engagement at Smoke Jazz Club in New York to pay tribute to McCoy Tyner (with whom Bartz, Foster and original Heads of State bassist Buster Williams had all played extensively.) But, there was magic in the air that weekend and the response to their music so overwhelming that they realized that they had something. Something that they wanted to continue. So, they morphed into a collective unit with a far more expansive mission. They made their recording debut in 2015 with the critically and popularly acclaimed “Search for Peace.” Now, after another year of playing together under their collective belts (on top of the nearly five decades of relationships shared by the various members), they return with the aptly-titled “Four in One,” due out March 17 on Smoke Sessions Records.

On her 13th album, Diana Krall reinterprets jazz standards with the idea that subtlety and moderation can provide a powerful platform for intense emotion. That’s brilliantly proven when rumba classic “Sway” is transformed into a slow dance so intimate she could be singing it with her head on your shoulder. The spare arrangements ensure the instrumentation is as emotive as Krall’s voice, and her piano gambols with Stuart Duncan’s fiddle to capture the breathless giddiness of love on “I’ll See You In My Dreams.”

Terence Blanchard is a name you are probably familiar with, even if you’re not a jazz person. Apart of the scene for quite some time, Blanchard replaced his fellow New Orleans mate, Wynton Marsalis, in Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. Before Blakey, Blanchard made his bones with the great Lionel Hampton. Now, if you are still in the dark and the name just don’t ring a chime, Blanchard is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Spike Lee. Multiple GRAMMY-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard has composed a sublime jazz score for The Comedian, the new movie starring Robert De Niro and Leslie Mann that was directed by Taylor Hackford and opens nationwide today. The album The Comedian (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) features the acclaimed trumpeter fronting a top notch sextet with pianist Kenny Barron, tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, alto saxophonist Khari Allen Lee, bassist David Pulphus, and drummer Cary Allen.

Produced by Marcus and engineered by the late and much-missed Roger Cotton, this record is the latest from the Detroit-born blues-rock vocalist, his first since Stand Or Fall. The 7th album "Better Man' has been completed and scheduled to be released in March of 2017. It will be the first vinyl production since the 'Marcus Album' in the USA.

Renowned keyboardist Chick Corea has announced the upcoming release of a live album and documentary film set entitled The Musician. The live audio/video release captures Corea’s 70th birthday celebration concerts held at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City in 2011.

The talented soloists are the highlight of the album, though small mistakes and a lack of continuity keep it from reaching its full potential After appearing as a sideman on several recent Criss Cross releases, this 2017 album is guitarist David Gilmore's first as a leader for the label. He tackles a program of mostly covers, with a few originals mixed in, with a quintet consisting of tenor saxophonist Mark Shim, pianist Victor Gould, bassist Carlo De Rosa, and drummer E.J. Strickland. Vibraphonist Bill Ware and harmonica player Gregoire Maret also make guest appearances on one track each.

For the second ECM album by Aaron Parks – following the solo release Aborescence, which JazzTimes praised as “expansive, impressionistic… like a vision quest” – the prize-winning pianist has convened a trio featuring bassist Ben Street and drummer Billy Hart. The rhythm pair, which also teams in Hart’s hit quartet for ECM, blends fluidity and strength – what Parks calls “an oceanic” quality, producing waves of energy for the pianist to alternately ride and dive into. Find the Way has the aura of a piano-trio recording in the classic mold, from melody-rich opener “Adrift” to the closing title track, a cover of a romantic tune Parks grew to love on an LP by Rosemary Clooney and Nelson Riddle. Parks also drew inspiration for this album from the likes of Alice Coltrane and Shirley Horn (for whom Hart played); space and subtlety are a priority.

The great Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has long been one of the most distinctive musicians in all of jazz, his grainy tone and smeared notes instantly recognizable, his intensely lyrical improvisations and soulful themes as characteristic as the noirish atmospheres they often conjure. "December Avenue" – recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France in June 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher – takes the story forward.

This CD reissue from 1997 features Duke Ellington and His Orchestra running through 11 of the leader's hits and a lesser-known blues tune, "The Twitch." The 1966 version of his big band still had all of its main stars, including such major voices as trumpeters Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson, trombonists Lawrence Brown and Buster Cooper, altoist Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton. All are featured on The Popular Duke Ellington. Since the material is all very familiar, and mostly quite concise (nothing over six minutes long, and a version of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" that is under two minutes), few surprises occur. But Ellington fans will enjoy this well-played effort.

19 мая 2017 года вышел новый альбом голландской певицы Kris Berry, в котором сплетены личные переживания, мечты и воспоминания.

The adroit and sensitive American pianist Steve Kuhn has been changing his famous trio along the years, maintaining his vision and personality within a wide variety of styles.