'The Other River' is a personal and striking collection of original songs written, arranged and sung by veteran US guitarist and singer/songwriter Joel Harrison, and follows his acclaimed quintet release on Whirlwind - 'Spirit House'. Whilst it bears some of Harrison's trademark compositional moves, this album - his eighteenth - may come as something of a surprise to his many, established jazz followers. The project's focus is very much its lyrical, unfettered storytelling conveyed through stripped-down music - unabashed Americana modelled on the work of Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, and Robert Hunter - which reaches out to the heart in candidly dealing with mortality and loss, redemption and forgiveness. "I came to this music because I had to", says Harrison. "There were things I was going through that made me yearn for a new level of honesty and bare-bones truth-telling. Words seemed to be the way forward. Instrumental music couldn't pierce these regions in the same way". Joel Harrison's core ensemble all share a love of jazz, country, R&B and gospel, which can be heard in the stylistic multiplicity of their approach to these eleven numbers.

When last heard from, guitarist/composer Nobuki Takamen had released his first solo album, Solo Guitar (2014). He is active on the New York scene, but has returned to his native Japan for an annual tour for many years. For his sixth album he has chosen to document live performances of his trio with bassist Toshiyuki Tanahashi and drummer Naoki Aikawa, long-time musical collaborators for more than a decade.

This time, Joan Chamorro retakes La Màgia de la Veu (The Magic of Voice), adding the voices and instruments of Alba Armengou (sax, trumpet), Alba Esteban (saxs, clarinet), Elia Bastida (violin and tenor sax) and Abril Saurí (trumpet).

Composed in 2011 under the impulse of the pianist and composer Anne Quillier, the group brings together six musicians all animated by a deep desire to explore writing and improvisation, combining the alchemy of timbres and harmonies, , Exaltation and unlimited improvisation. Their new album will be released on January 13, 2017 on the label Pince Oreilles and distributor Inouie Distribution.

Javier Botella gathers those velvety nuances and all the refinement of the themes of that time to adapt them to his voice and personality, as if a contemporary crooner was. COPA ILLUSTRATED is a classical formation: double bass, drums, piano, saxophone, trumpet, trombon and voice,
In which each of its members brings experience, know-how. And musical and vital trajectory to a common project where the fundamental meeting point is the passion for quality music. The elegance of the chosen repertoire is another point of cohesion, and of enjoyment. It sounds round, with a lot of swing!

Charles Aznavour is perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world – renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. Born Shahnour Varenagh Aznavourian, his French roots derive from the fact that his family fled the threat of massacre by the Turks – his father was a singer and sometime-restauranteur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress.

In the last weeks prior to April 9th of 1866, Baudelaire left instructions for the care of the uncensored edition of his book The Flowers of Evil. Aware of his impending death, he knew that his work was destined for posterity, in spite of censorship and adverse criticism. But Baudelaire could not imagine that his work would transcend not only in universal poetry, but that the new themes, accents, environments, melodic figures and dissonances would shape the artery from which the new urban song would be nourished. What was an ironic moniker, a mockery to describe his poetry as Damned Poetry, would reach the twentieth century as a great poetic and cultural tradition. In Mexico it could not be different.

On his third solo album for Hubro, string magician Stein Urheim, really gets serious about honing his complex expressive skills. His previous album garnered excellent reviews internationally, and has become a force to reckon with among listeners.

Miroslav Vitous' 'Ziljabu Nights' is the eighth release in Intuition Records "European Jazz Legends" series, presenting famous names from the European jazz scene in a live performance.

Moons the consistently compelling and charming third album from Myriad3, an eclectic jazz-rooted trio comprising skilled composers and instrumentalists having a blast making music together. Five years of intensive work have paid off in the forging of a deep personal and creative empathy between pianist Chris Donnelly, bassist Dan Fortin and drummer Ernesto Cervini. As a result, their compositions are explored intuitively, not intellectually. Their 2014 release, The Where was nominated by a Juno Award (The Canadian equivalent of a Grammy).

The three major names in the Finnish jazz world featured here come from three very different corners of the firmament. Jukka Perko achieved global recognition as a youth playing alto and soprano saxophone with Thelonius Monk, while guitarists Teemu Viinikainen and Jarmo Saari are better known in Scandinavia, the latter also for his proggy and pop excursions with XL Finland and Von Hertzen Brothers. Together on this disc they combine these orientations to play an assortment of self-penned and cover pieces in a light but very well-tempered mode.

This cd is not for sale and has been licensed by ECM to be sold together with April 2016 issue of Musica Jazz magazine

The early-to-mid 1970s marked perhaps the most unique and radical period in Miles Davis' career. With bands such as Sly & The Family Stone and Parliament/Funkadelic becoming increasingly popular, Davis began to draw considerable influence from their uptempo, electronic funk sound. As his then recently-developed penchant for including longer and longer compositions on his albums continued, Davis enlisted the talents of some of the finest jazz fusion players around, including John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and Billy Cobham.

Old Fellow is Sébastien Jarrousse’s very much awaited second quartet album, after the 2012 album Wait And See, which opened the way to a renewal of the hard bop genre by using a reduced format (drums, bass and piano) and presenting a sensitive and modern “Jarrousse” style. “Let’s admit it, Sébastien Jarrousse is one of the most brilliant saxophonists of the French scene, coupled to a talented composer. Some even say that he is one of John Coltrane’s ‘grand-sons’, which is quite a compliment! Jarrousse indeed creates an abounding and epic universe with his quartet.

A lyrically swinging set from alto saxophonist Chris Byars one that often has his own instrument balanced alongside colorful tones from the guitar of Pasquale Grasso in a way that's angular, but always easygoing!