Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

Has our country hit bottom yet? Every time that it seems so, those in power find a new low to revel in. I'm not sure we'll be able to turn it around at this point, but I do know that musicians are here to help us in these infuriating and baffling times. Here are notes on a few new jazz releases that you might want to check out.

Kay Kostopoulos: "All This Is Possible" - Vocalist Kay Kostopoulos puts her own special spin on some beloved standards on her new album, All This Is Possible. Here she is joined by John DiMartino on piano, Noel Jewkes on tenor saxophone and soprano saxophone, Peter Brainin on tenor saxophone and soprano saxophone, Sean Conly on bass, and Vince Cherico on drums. The album opens with "Lover," the Rodgers and Hart song, which moves at a good pace, featuring some excellent drumming, even before that delicious solo in the second half. And, coming as no surprise, this track contains a great vocal performance. Check out the way Kay Kostopoulos delivers the line, "Lover, please surrender to my heart," holding onto the world "heart" until the saxophones take over, going into "Diggin' For Diz." This track features both saxophone players, and their work is part of what makes it so good. That's followed by "Never Let Me Go," the music becoming more tender. And here Kay shines even more. "What would I be without you/There's no place for me without you." And Vince's approach to the percussion is also tender. And Peter Brainin delivers some wonderful work on saxophone. But it is Kay's vocal performance that especially grabs us, particularly as she asks, "You wouldn't leave me, would you?" Then "I'm All Smiles" begins with some pretty work on piano, and soon the mood gets lighter. I love the way the saxophone dances and twirls over that nice rhythm. There is some really nice work on bass, particularly in that section. And Kay offers a little scat toward the end. She then delivers the opening lines of "Mad About The Boy" as spoken word, which works incredibly well and sounds seriously cool. "He cast a certain spell," she tells us, and gives a little laugh, while she herself is casting her own spell on all of us who listen. She delivers a tremendous performance here, and this song ends up being one of the album's highlights. It's followed by Charlie Parker's "Segment," with lyrics by Kay Kostopoulos, she clearly having a good time with this one. This track also features a great rhythm. Kay likewise adds her own lyrics to McCoy Tyner's "Search For Peace." "Pursue trust/Put others before us/Suffering surrounds/Disquiet abounds." She then puts her own wonderful spin on "I Enjoy Being A Girl," giving the song a different vibe and making it much more interesting than usual. It features some particularly good work on saxophone. The album concludes with "More Than You Know," which contains a tender, intimate vocal performance. This album was released on June 26, 2026.

Oliver-Smith Incomparables: "Stomp Your Stuff" -  The great Jelly Roll Morton has inspired a lot of musicians over the past century, and on this disc Oliver-Smith Incomparables celebrate the music of the 1920s, with new arrangements by various members of the band. The album opens with its title track, with an arrangement by pianist Andrew Oliver, and immediately we are in a better place and time, a time when it sounds like the whole world was dancing (even if we know somewhere in our brains that it wasn't quite like that). This rendition features some wonderful stuff on piano, and it is that instrument that feels most like a dance. Let your current cares be stripped away, let this music transport you. Andrew Oliver also did the arrangement for "Bucktown Blues," featuring some great work by Andy Schumm on clarinet. There is an easygoing playfulness that is delicious. That's followed by "Grace And Beauty," this version based on the 1926 arrangement by Elmer Schoebel, and it features a nice piano solo in the middle, as well as a delightful final section, the horns letting loose. "Jimtown Blues" is an interesting number, with its use of pauses and changes. That's followed by "Mill Creek Shuffle," which is performed by the trio of Andrew Oliver on piano, Hal Smith on drums, and Andy Schumm on clarinet. This is good fun, all but certain to put a smile on your face. I especially love when that clarinet shouts out toward the end. "Honey Babe," written by Jelly Roll Morton, is also done in a trio setting, this time by Andrew Oliver, Hal Smith, and T.J. Muller on both cornet and vocals (the only of the album's tracks to feature vocals). This is, for me, one of the highlights, in part because of T.J. Muller's excellent vocal performance. The track begins with some pretty work on piano before getting into the main body of the song. "I'm so sad and blue/Honey babe, about you." Things then get lively, get hopping with "San Sue Strut," with an arrangement by T.J. Muller. The band moves into bluesy territory with "29th And Dearborn," but even if things are moving more slowly, they're still moving. And the piano threatens to break out of that realm entirely. And there is a delicious moment with Dan Anderson solo on bass. "Mobile Blues" is great fun, the arrangement by Andy Schumm. Then Andrew Oliver delivers "Dallas Stomp" solo on piano, providing a wonderful rendition. Things take off again with "Original Chinese Blues," featuring some great stuff by Jacob Alspach on banjo and by Colin Hancock on cornet. "Daddy Do" is another of this album's delights. The band wraps things up with another lively gem, "Cafe Capers," featuring some wonderful drumming and some nice stuff on banjo. Dan Anderson is on tuba for this one, adding to the track's appeal. This album is scheduled to be released on August 28, 2026.

Suzanne Pittson & Bevan Manson: "Conversations" - Vocalist Suzanne Pittson and pianist Bevan Manson recorded a demo in April of 2002, which was left unreleased until now. This disc's first four tracks are from that demo. The final track, which features a full band, was recorded in 2009, with additional parts added in 2023. The disc opens with Freddie Hubbard's "Birdlike," with lyrics by Suzanne Pittson, and here given the title "Like A Byrd (Byrd Like)." Immediately we're struck by Suzanne's vocal delivery, which comes at us at a fast pace, making our brains nearly rush to keep up with her. She takes Freddie Hubbard's trumpet part, which flies like a bird, and turns that into lyrics and also some delightful scat. "Like a bird, like a plane/We all know his name/Him and Dizzy, top of the game." The energy here is delicious, and, especially during the scat section, it is clear that she and Bevan Manson are having fun. Following the scat section, Bevan delivers a wonderful piano solo, the energy remaining high. The sound then becomes softer, prettier, more intimate, more thoughtful, during a touching rendition of Cole Porter's "After You, Who?" (here titled "After You"). "After you, who could supply my skies of blue/After you, who could I love?" Because of the way those opening lines are delivered, we might think that her love has died rather than simply left. There seems to be great meaning even in the pause before the words "could I love." Of course, later lines show the other person to still be alive. This is a beautiful rendition. The duo's rendition of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" finds Suzanne delivering fun scat, as if her voice were a horn, her performance containing great joy. That's followed by "I'm A Fool To Want You," the last of the disc's songs from the 2002 demo. This is another beautiful track, Suzanne's voice full of yearning, and Bevan's playing providing a gorgeous landscape where the drama unfolds. The piano seems to also take part in the heartache, while simultaneously trying to fight it. The disc opened with a Freddie Hubbard piece, and it also concludes with one. This time it is "One Of Another Kind," here titled "Out Of The Hub (One Of Another Kind)." The lyrics to this one were written by Evan Pittson, Suzanne's son, who produced this album. This track features strings and horns, bass and percussion. Suzanne plays synthesizer on this track, and also delivers scat. There is an excitement here, but also a magical quality. Bevan Manson delivers an excellent lead on piano. This disc was released on June 26, 2026.

Jeff Rupert Quartet: "Sea Spell" - The Jeff Rupert Quartet is made up of Jeff Rupert on tenor saxophone, Richard Drexler on piano, Ben Kramer on bass, and Marty Morell on drums. The new album Sea Spell contains mostly original compositions by Jeff Rupert, along with covers of three beloved standards. The album opens with one of the covers, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most," written by Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman. Jeff Rupert delivers some pretty work right at the beginning, supported by Richard Drexler on piano, the two musicians setting the tone. When Ben Kramer and Marty Morell come in, the song takes on a good rhythm, and the beauty of the track becomes somewhat brighter. This track features a wonderful lead on piano in the middle, and then Jeff's saxophone raises us all to a place where perhaps nothing can hang us up. And I love the way the saxophone soon gently sets us down before the end. That is followed by "Blue Steel," an original composition. The rhythm to this one is established in its opening moments, and Jeff's saxophone creates a cool vibe and atmosphere, feeling like a character in a film, a character whose thoughts we are privy to through voiceover narration. Once he has us on his side, he begins to dance around with the story, becoming more lively, more animated. Richard's lead swiftly emerges, adding to the tale, taking us to some delightful places. The second cover is "Mambo Inn," a fun and lively number, a dance. And shouldn't we do our best to make life more of a dance, particularly these days? The track features excellent leads on both saxophone and piano. It is followed by the album's title track, a mellower number, the saxophone at first quite soothing, like those moments when we look out at the ocean and feel ourselves a part of the planet's rhythm. And speaking of rhythm, "Look Who's Calling" has a wonderful rhythm. This track really features the great work of Ben Kramer on bass and Marty Morell on drums, and even includes a good lead on bass in the middle, followed shortly by a cool drum solo. The album's final cover is "Polka Dots And Moonbeams," this song never failing to transport us to a more romantic setting. Ah, these musicians know all the answers, and perhaps a few things more. "A Breeze Through The Keys" does feel like a breeze, like a breeze on a warm summer evening. That's followed by "Orca-Stration," a playfully-titled number with its own energy. People have been wondering why orcas have recently been attacking yachts. But whales are smart; they know the rich are the enemy. This track features some great stuff on drums. The album concludes with "Wednesday's News," which has a gentle, cool blues vibe. This album was released on June 26, 2026.

Scott Sadlon: "Songs From Thin Air" - Drummer Scott Sadlon works in both jazz and rock realms, and his new album has elements from both. The Shakespearean phrase "thin air" of the title seemed to promise transportation to another sphere, and this album indeed takes us to interesting and unusual places, and does so right from the first track, "Post Tension," which creates a compelling atmosphere, with a sense of mystery from those opening moments on bass. This piece, like the entire album, was improvised by the three musicians: Scott Sadlon on drums, Rachel Eckroth on keyboards, and Tim Lefebvre on bass. They went into the studio without any material, and ended up creating some exciting and intriguing pieces. "Post Tension" has some electronic elements and moments, and then moves into other areas, sometimes with urgency. This track features some excellent drumming. It's followed by "Wandering Timelines," which begins on drums, and a sort of magical world opens before us, while the rhythm keeps us from losing ourselves immediately. And perhaps the right question isn't "Where are we?" but "When are we?" But surprisingly we find that an answer is not necessary, because wherever or whenever we are, the groove works to make things right. It takes us to some strange, even momentarily unsettling, places, but if we hold on, it will carry us through. At some point, it seems that the rhythm is the pulse of the universe, and if we relax we can witness the birth of galaxies, and then the first breaths of spectral creatures. There is a beauty before the end. Then "Bones" opens in an odd place, where computers breathe and send communications of their own design. And we find ourselves marching side by side with mechanical men into an interesting future. And by the track's second half we are there. Then "Acceptance" eases in, a slow but steady rhyhm, while a beauty rises to light the sky and calm us. There is a sort of alarm then at the beginning of "One A.M.," something to rouse us, while the bass work has a good, positive vibe to it. There are unexpected spaces here, silence to soothe us, the places between working to draw us in, filling them with our own thoughts and our own expectations. And then we've entered a groovy, cool realm, with still more surprises in store, this track becoming fun. "White Knuckles" soon creates its own interesting tension through unusual stimuli, which we try to process by comparing them to what is known to us. But that only gets us so far. Soon we have to learn to let go, travel along the current, and along the way we find beauty. The album concludes with "The Way Out," which creates its own intriguing landscape. Before long, we are feeling so good, so relaxed, and so ready. This album was released on January 28, 2026.