For connoisseurs of modern jazz guitar, “Conversation” will be a revelation. The interplay between the two guitarists Pat Martino and Michael Sagmeister is marked by profound mutual understanding - which is no small wonder, considering Michael Sagmeister has long been interested in Martino’s music. In the meantime, these two world-class musicians are connected by a personal friendship, and they now communicate as two equals. Joining them are Michael Sagmeister’s long-standing rhythm group, Michael Küttner on drums, Thomas Heidepriem on bass. The powerful and flowing grooves of the two musicians form the basis for the unfolding of well-set lines and improvisations by Martino and Sagmeister. The tradition of modern jazz guitar can be followed in exemplary form on “Conversation”, and at the same time, one can hear how a guitar duo should sound in our time.

Although it has come out on a budget label, these four performances (taken from concert appearances in 1978, 1980 and 1981) had never previously been released before. With support from either George Cables or Milcho Leviev on piano, David Williams or Bob Magnusson on bass and drummer Carl Burnett, the great altoist Art Pepper is in excellent form on an emotional "Kobe Blues," an intense version of "Patricia" and hard-swinging renditions of "Allen's Alley" and his own "Straight Life".

The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986). Nine years after the breakup of the final version of Return to Forever, Chick Corea ended a long period of freelance projects by forming his Elektrik Band. This set, the group's initial release, finds Corea meeting up for the first time with the great bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl; half of the selections also have either Carlos Rios or Scott Henderson on guitar. Due to the high musicianship, the personalities of the players, and Corea's colorful compositions, the Elektrik Band quickly became one of the top fusion groups of the late '80s…

A fantastic electric session from the 70s Polish scene - a record that not only features freewheeling trumpet from Tomasz Stanko, and sweet Fender Rhodes from Adam Mackowicz, but also includes some very inventive work on drums and percussion from the great Czelaw Bartkowski! All three players are at the top of their game here - artists who have a strong knowledge of the outside territory of jazz, but also often work a bit more inside - so that their music here can be open and exploratory, but also come back to more soulful, swinging territory too! Most tracks are long, and have the sort of textural energy you'd know especially from Stanko's work.

It's a beautiful thing when a jazz group stays together for as long as drummer Billy Hart's Quartet has. Since debuting in 2006, the quartet, featuring tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street, has only grown more entwined; a sentiment they further underscore on their fourth album, 2025's Just. An icon at 83 years old who has played with such luminaries as Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, Hart's reputation precedes his quartet. Yet, his bandmates (who are all under 60) are also stars in their own right; something that could describe them as a kind of supergroup, if not for their deeply ego-less and generous playing; this is a band in the truest sense.

Jeremy Pelt is two years away from his 50th birthday, and released his first album as leader (Profile) in 2002. In that time, he has created a prodigious body of work. This album marks his 25th album as leader, and he has been sideman to many artists including, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Al Foster and Mingus Big Band. Stylistically, his playing is a mix of Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard and electric-era Miles Davis.
And like Miles, Pelt does not believe in simply going over the same old musical ground. ‘To me, my music is a living, breathing organism that is meant to grow,’ he states boldly in the album’s short liner note, ‘I’m not interested in “new” for the sake of “newness.” Rather, I’m infatuated with disparate perspectives which continue the story.’ Having said that, Pelt is not averse to reworking old tunes, and on this album there are four of them…

The debut domestic recording by Steps Ahead (following three sets only released in Japan) features the 1982 version of the group: vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, pianist Eliane Elias (a young unknown at the time), bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Peter Erskine. The music is essentially high-quality funky fusion, with Brecker typically blowing up a storm, Mainieri often playing the synthivibe, and Elias showing some early individuality. Best known among the seven originals are Don Grolnick's "Pools" and Mainieri's "Islands." The inventive but pretty accessible set concludes with "Trio," a fairly free improvisation featuring Brecker, Gomez, and Mainieri.

This was the first and last time Pepper worked with Jordan, and came about as a result of Pepper's usual pianist, George Cables, being unable to make the dates at Club Montmartre in Copenhagen. To Pepper's dismay, Danmarks Radio decided to record the first gig of the Montmartre series. Pepper need not have worried – the show was a rousing success, with the band tackling a set of standards (and a couple of Pepper originals) with such verve and determination that relatively simple tunes turned into astounding solo workouts (there are several drum and bass solos to be heard on this record), the amazing highlight of which is a shot at "Besame Mucho" that rounds out to twenty-two minutes. Art Pepper was in the process of dying at the time this recording was made, but there's no lack of energy, no loss of vitality. A two-CD live jazz set that's well worth having and should not be overlooked.

This promo CD makes sense to download only for those who have not heard Joshua Redman's music before, for the first acquaintance with the musician's work. All tracks are presented here in the same versions as in the albums specified in the tracklist.

Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski reunite for their second collaboration, 2025's harmonically unfettered, free-leaning Homage. The album, which follows their 2022 duet Arctic Riff, builds nicely upon their intuitive sense of group interplay, moving between deftly composed works and wholly improvised ones. Joining them once again is Wasilewski's trio featuring bassist Sławomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michał Miśkiewicz. This is the same group that earned acclaim for their work with the late trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and who bring an equally empathetic approach to playing with Lovano. Cuts like the opening "Love in the Garden" and "Golden Horn" have a tender, sun-dappled quality that conjures a striking blend of John Coltrane and Duke Ellington's later career small group work…

Drummer Bill Stewart (best known for having formerly been a regular member of John Scofield's group) has been developing into a notable bandleader and composer himself. In fact, seven of the nine numbers on this CD are his (they are joined by Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and an eccentric version of Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning"), and the interesting and unusual structures clearly inspire Stewart's sidemen to some of their best playing. Steve Wilson (on alto and soprano), tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, pianist Bill Carrothers and bassist Larry Grenadier are all up and coming players, and someday this CD may be looked upon as an all-star group. The post-bop solos and occasional surprises make the stimulating set easily recommended.

No matter which edition one hears of the Great Jazz Trio, leader Hank Jones can be counted upon to deliver the goods. This live LP, originally recorded for the Japanese label East Wind and briefly available in the U.S. on Inner City prior to its premature demise, showcases excerpts from two evenings at the Village Vanguard. On this occasion, Jones is ably accompanied by Ron Carter and Tony Williams, so it is no surprise the fireworks begin right away with an exciting interpretation of Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche." Jones immediately cools the crowd with an expressive arrangement of John Coltrane's beautiful ballad "Naima." The pianist previously recorded Claus Ogerman's "Favors" two years earlier for his LP Hanky Panky, but this extended version proves to be an even better post-bop vehicle. Ron Carter's bluesy "12+12" proves to be a suitable closing number for this rewarding live date.

In the summer of 1999, Steps Ahead founder/vibraphonist Mike Mainieri joined Eliane Elias, Bob Berg, Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine for a reunion tour of Europe. They recorded several of those shows but Mainieri didn’t listen to the tapes for two years. He eventually did, and the result is the two-CD set Holding Together (N.Y.C.). The musicians perform the tunes with great sensitivity to one another, both as an ensemble and in solo spotlights. “Uncle Bob” just swings along, while Mainieri’s gliding vibes impart an almost magical quality to a lovely version of Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” and “The Time Is Now” is a 22-minute-plus opus that gives everyone a chance to shine. There are too many high points on this solid set to mention, but it should be noted that Berg’s playing is vigorous and inventive throughout and provides a poignant reminder of the profound loss the jazz world suffered when he was killed in a car accident.

Besides cool playing and his uniquely smoky singing, Mose has great taste in material. "Hey Good Lookin'" fits right in with revisited versions of "I Love the Life I Live," "I Ain't Got Nobody" and "Baby Please Don't Go," complete with what the singer himself calls his distinctive "involuntary groan" during the piano solo. Teo Macero's intimate production makes it feel like you're right there in the studio.