Canada has really been hitting a homerun so far for 2025. It’s more than just the big names from the realms of Rush, Harmonium, Klaatu, VOIVOD, and Maniege. But the ones that are keeping the legacy alive. You have; Half Past Four, Tumbleweed Dealer, Antoine Baril for his One-Man Medley’s (Genesis, Yes, ELP, and Rush) on YouTube, Blood Ceremony, Black Mountain, Crown Lands, and a new band that are keeping that progressive level pumping in the Vancouver area. That band is Brass Camel.

Individually, Kronos Quartet and Sun Ra are two of the most groundbreaking names in contemporary music. The former is the legendary San Francisco-based string quartet that laid a blueprint for what concert music could become, working with the likes of John Cage, Tanya Tagaq, and Astor Piazzolla.

A tribute to Miles Davis. The music of an icon, re-imagined, with elements from modern jazz and orchestral arrangements by Magnus Lindgren and Hans Ek. Featuring US-American trumpeter Theo Croker and his quartet and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

In April 2014, music journalist Anil Prasad was sitting in composer Stephan Thelen’s Zürich flat listening to a demo of his first string quartet titled “World Dialogue.” As a longtime admirer of his work with Sonar, Prasad was fascinated by how Thelen combined his minimalist groove compositional approach with the mercurial nuances only a string quartet is capable of exploring.

Jaga Jazzist return with their new album Pyramid, where the legendary Norwegian eight-piece takes a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences. It’s their first album since 2015’s Starfire, their ninth album in a career now spanning four decades, but it marks the group’s debut on Brainfeeder, the LA-based imprint curated by Flying Lotus. On Pyramid, Jaga Jazzist have crafted a suitably cosmic sound to match their new label home, all the while nodding to forebears spanning from 80s jazz band Out To Lunch and Norwegian synth guru Ståle Storløkken, to contemporaries Tame Impala, Todd Terje and Jon Hopkins.

Austrian Syndicate…the phrase immediately brings to mind the best-known and most influential of all Austrians in jazz, Joe Zawinul. And yet David Helbock’s project is much more than just a homage to his compatriot. It is a return to the roots of fusion jazz and how things developed from then on. It is also a new direction stylistically for Helbock, who has harnessed a panoply of inspiration with a refreshing openness to new sounds from far and wide. As Helbock himself puts it: "This is close to my heart." Helbock has been able to enlist the best rhythm section in Austria for the Syndicate: Raphael Preuschl on bass and bass ukulele, drummer Herbert Pirker and percussionist Claudio Spieler. The quintet also has an American in it, one for whom becoming Austrian was a matter of choice: pianist Peter Madsen. This Austrian supergroup is also a place where Helbock’s stellar international guests shine brightly: Maria João, Fred Wesley, Dhafer Youssef, Alex Acuña and Lakecia Benjamin.

The album Guitar Poetry by Mikael Mani is a captivating musical journey that showcases the artist's exceptional talent and creativity. Released by Act, this album features a collection of mesmerizing guitar compositions that are sure to captivate listeners.

I believe there is only one person who can truly, deeply know you, and that is yourself…even if, inevitably, it doesn't happen all of the time… In the vast, enigmatic expanse of our inner world lies a place we often overlook – a sanctuary untouched by the chaos of everyday life, where dreams and fears intermingle in a delicate dance. This is the realm that shapes our true selves, a place I call Wonderland. It is in this secret haven that our deepest illusions and most fervent hopes reside, guiding us through the labyrinth of life.

On "Your Requests" Canadian singer and pianist Laila Biali fulfills the musical wishes of her fans. Fresh versions of classics from the Great American Songbook with a prominent line-up featuring Kurt Elling, Larnell Lewis, Grégoire Maret, Anat Cohen, Emilie-Claire Barlow and many more.

"Groove Connection" features the highly acclaimed German alto saxophonist Jakob Manz together with a band of international groove-jazz-greats. An album full of infectious rhythms and melodies with great depth and stylistic mastery.

Viktoria Tolstoy’s Act debut album, Shining On You, from 2004, can now be seen as a defining moment, marking the beginning of the continuing success story of popular jazz voices from Scandinavia. The music was written by Esbjörn Svensson, who also formed the core band together with Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström and was soon to become world-famous as ‘e.s.t.’. The album, produced by Nils Landgren, was also a gathering of the Act family of artists - also in its infancy back then - who joined the session as guests.

Nesrine is a very versatile singer and cellist. In keeping with the current zeitgeist, she combines influences from pop, rock, minimalism, and North African music. Originally trained as a classical cellist, she played in Daniel Barenboim's East Western Divan Orchestra and in the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana conducted by Lorin Maazel. However, started making increasingly frequent trips to other musical worlds. Nesrine can be described as a cultural allegory between East and West. She sings poetic lyrics in Arabic, English, and French. In 2018 her album Ahlam was released, which was received very enthusiastically by the international media. She has toured all over Europe and played in venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, and made her debut at the Cello Biennale during the very first edition of CELLOFEST.

When accidents happen, they are normally over in seconds, sometimes minutes; this one has been going on for 20 years. It is two decades since the members of Emile Parisien’s quartet played a jam session together. At the end, they looked at each other in disbelief. They had not just been hit by a collective musical thunderbolt, they also knew they had just brought…well…something…into being. The common ground between them was jazz, but each had all kinds of seeds to sow in it, from classical music and contemporary sounds to rock, electronica and chanson. Saxofonist Emile Parisien, Pianist Julien Touéry, Bassist Ivan Gélugne and drummer Julien Loutelier rip up labels, break down barriers, upset codes, and yet they know exactly where they are headed. There is a shared obsession with narrative. “The central axis of the quartet has always been storytelling,” Parisien emphasizes.

This story begins with just one sound, originating in the place which Berlin jazz people think of as their living room, the A-Trane. Back in December 2019, the club was host to four leading figures in today’s improvised music scene, who turned this cozy space into their blank canvas, their research lab. In eight sets over four nights, piano phenomenon Michael Wollny, re-inventor of the soprano saxophone Emile Parisien, electric bass icon Tim Lefebvre, and that free spirit of the drum kit Christian Lillinger were given free rein.

If anyone knows how to roll with the punches, it’s Travis Roberts. At 24, the Texas songwriter has already battled addiction, buried friends, and been so broke he couldn’t put a roof over his head.