Recent Releases

September 2026
Some Recent Releases

A few words about recent releases / reviews:

Apart from where they are included in articles on this website, I don't have a 'Reviews' section for a number of reasons:

I receive so many requests to review recordings it is impossible to include them all.
Unlike some publications/blogs, Sandy Brown Jazz is not a funded website and it is not possible to pay reviewers.
Reviews tend to be personal opinions, something a reviewer likes might not suit you, or vice versa.
It is difficult to capture music in words, so much better to be able to listen and see whether the music interests you.

For these reasons in particular I just include a selection of recent recordings below where I share the notes issued by the musician(s) as an introduction and links to samples so you can 'taste' the music for yourselves. For those who like to read reviews, these, of course, can be checked out on other sites.

Some albums are priced in dollars or other currencies. These are marked ^. There are currency options if you proceed to order. Recordings are now regularly available on different formats (CD, mp3 downloads, vinyl) or platforms e.g iTunes, Spotify, etc. I am unable to list them all so it is worth checking if you have a favourite platform).

Featured In September 2026

UK

Ben Crosland Quintet - North York Skies
(Jazz Cat Records) - Released: 7th August 2026

Ben Crosland (electric bass); Steve Waterman (trumpet); Steve Lodder (piano); Chris Allard (guitar); Nic France (drums)

'North York Skies continues bassist Ben Crosland's distinctive approach to composition, combining evocative original music with a deep affection for the landscapes, stories and communities of the North York Moors. The album celebrates the beauty, history and folklore of one of Britain's most treasured landscapes through twelve original compositions inspired by the region. ....The title track, 'North York Skies', captures the breathtaking scale of the Moors, while 'Howardian Undulations' reflects the dramatic rises and falls of the road through the Howardian Hills towards Castle Howard. Other pieces draw inspiration from the North York Moors Railway, the RAF Fylingdales early warning station, and local folklore surrounding landmarks such as Lilla Howe, Ain Howe and the legendary Fat Betty cross. ....Inspired by Crosland's regular visits to the region over many years, North York Skies is both a vivid musical journey and a heartfelt tribute to a landscape that has become central to his life. ....' (album notes)

Details : Listen to Ballad Of Lilla Howe : Listen to Purple Is The Colour :

Jack Wilson - The Bear And The Wolf
(Whittington Records) - Released: 26th June 2026

Jack Wilson (tenor sax, compositions); Billy Marrows (electric guitar); Max Kahn (double bass); Jack Yardley (drums)

'The album opens with ‘Cascade’, a flowing piece built around a repeating guitar motif and a standout drum feature; ‘Prelude For The Departed’ follows, drawing on the spirituality of the John Coltrane Quartet, particularly the classic line-up featuring McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones, with a simple theme that builds in intensity. ‘P&P’ is a tribute to mentors Ian Peak and Paul Welch, moving between swing and more turbulent, modern textures. In contrast, ‘Lullaby’ offers a quieter moment with a warm, lyrical ballad, while the title track, ‘The Bear And The Wolf’, unfolds through two contrasting themes, suggesting companionship and a shared journey. Travel and everyday life also shape the music. ‘Södermalm’, named after the Stockholm district Wilson knows well, reflects a sense of warmth and energy, while ‘Mr Fox’ captures a more playful mood, sparked by a regular garden visitor and the angular groove of 1980s John Scofield. At the heart of the album is the chemistry between the four musicians, built over years of collaboration ...... (album notes)

Details : Samples : Listen to P&P : Listen to Lullaby :

Mali Sheard - Hayfever
(Mali Sheard Music) - Released: 4th September 2026

Mali Sheard (saxes, composition); Rob Luft (guitar); Huw Warren (piano); Keira Chakraborty (flute); Kyle Osborne (piano); George Balmont (electric bass); Luke McCarthy (drums)

'Mali Sheard is a London based saxophonist and composer highly focused on finding a sense of creativity, expression and freedom within music. Coming through Tomorrows’ Warriors with a strong sense of community and gathering wisdom from mentors including Gary Crosby OBE and Binker Golding, she continued her studies with scholarship at the prestigious Royal Academy Of Music .... This led to the development of her artistic voice, writing meaningful music personal to her experiences and performing this with her band. Having grown up surrounded by nature at home in Hertfordshire and when visiting the Yorkshire Dales, the natural world holds a huge significance in her life and music. Hayfever, her debut album, introduces her sound to the world ..... The meaning of the album title refers to how good changes can be uncomfortable, portrayed by the unpleasant hay fever symptoms that accompany the warmer, brighter days. Tracks When The Sun and Breathe feature field recorded birdsong and rain from her local childhood forest, .... The music encourages listeners to reflect on life so far, allow themselves to feel and continue onwards feeling uplifted.' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to When The Sun : Listen to Afternoon Tea With A Demon :

Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley - The Mild Mannered And The Mortal
(Efpi Records) - Released: 7th August 2026

Graham South (trumpet, except track 4); Olivia Cuttill (trumpet track 4); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax); Ellie Smith (trombone); Richard Jones (piano); Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Johnny Hunter (drum kit)

Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley The Mild Mannered and the Mortal.jpg

'The Mild Mannered and the Mortal’ is the second album from Manchester-based bassist and composer Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley, released on Efpi Records on 7 August 2026. Featuring a brand new sextet built on the foundation of the dynamic Angle Shades trio, this is a hugely original and creative set of music which showcases the compositional and bandleading talent of one of the Northern scene’s most in-demand figures. Josh’s initial inspiration for the project came from a vivid dream he experienced about a newly unearthed lost Charles Mingus album: ‘The Mild Mannered and the Mortal’. On waking he attempted to recreate a track heard within the dream (now titled ‘Toby would’ve hated this’) and subsequently continued to compose with the essence of this imagined album in mind. “I was by no means trying to write a Mingus album”, Josh explains, “nor could I! It’s more my attempt at realising the memory of the dream, at somehow capturing and communicating the joy I felt discovering and listening to that music”......... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Toby Would've Hated This : Listen to Rich And Catherine :

Sam Furlonger - Get Out And Get Under The Moon
(self release) - Released: 7th Januarty 2026 [Vinyl, Download, Streaming]

Sam Furlonger (vocals); Fraser Urquhart (piano, arrangements); Fraser Smith (saxes); Darren McCarthy (bass); Harry Sankey (guitar) and Joe Dessauer (drums)

Sam Furlonger Get Out And Get Under The Moon.jpg

'Since the idea of putting an album together came about, I've always wanted a vinyl release. Something of a keepsake, something you can hold with both hands in front of your face and think, that looks and sounds cool. So my focus was online distribution with something more substantial like vinyl if people wanted a hard copy. Online streaming and downloads is a must in today's world, but having a vinyl album was a true objective for me. How awesome the artwork is can only be appreciated on a vinyl sleeve........ I knew there would be areas I'd look back on and think, "I should've done that differently" or "sung that differently", but that's just part of the experience and refining my craft. Needing everything to be perfect just isn't possible and can really take the joy out of an endeavour. Working with these musicians has been a complete joy, as I said before they're friends first so it truly was a lad's holiday with a recording session in it. They all played incredibly, as they always do, and that really comes across on the record.... (Sam Furlonger)

Details and Samples : Insight article for Sandy Brown Jazz : Listen to She's Funny That Way :

America

Linda May Han Oh / Melissa Aldana - Beneath Lifted Skies

(Biophilia Records) - Released: 21st August 2026 (digital album)

Linda May Han Oh (bass); Melissa Aldana (tenor saxophone)

Linda May Han Oh Beneath Lifted Skies.jpg

'Beneath Lifted Skies is an intimate and expansive dialogue between bassist Linda May Han Oh and a saxophonist. These two artists turn to the Great American Standard canon not as an act of nostalgia but as a means of discovery. Through a program of standards, bebop classics, free improvisations and solo meditations, the album honors the musicians who shaped the language of this musical tradition while revealing new possibilities within that inheritance. Stripped to the vulnerable clarity of a duo setting, each performance unfolds as a conversation grounded in deep listening, trust, and mutual curiosity, balancing reverence for tradition with a restless spirit of exploration. Like the title suggests, the music exists beneath a vast horizon of artistic possibility - acknowledging the pioneers who “lifted the skies” for future generations while inviting listeners into a boundless space where memory, imagination, freedom, and human connection converge.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to I'll Be Seeing You : Listen to Anthropology:

Ralph Alessi - A Sun That Never Sets
(ECM Records) - Released: 3rd July 2026

Ralph Alessi (trumpet); Joseph Alessi (trombone); Matt Mitchell (piano); John Hébert (double bass); Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone)

'For A Sun That Never Sets, Ralph Alessi expands the quartet configuration with a fifth player for a set of eleven new compositions that elaborate on Alessi’s intricate writing with deep thought and a fresh sense of adventure. The last time Alessi operated with a quintet was with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane in his This Against That ensemble, captured on 2019’s acclaimed Imaginary Friends. Instead of a saxophonist, this time the trumpeter’s brother Joseph Alessi comes into the fold and fortifies an already state-of-the-art group with inspired trombone lines in frequently wild interplay with the trumpet. Pianist Matt Mitchell, John Hébert on double bass and Ches Smith on drums and vibraphone round out a band that navigates Alessi’s syncopated themes like a playground, finding new modes of expression for every turn. Patiently moving, contemplative material and angular structures with heavy blowing coexist in a varied programme that gives every facet of Ralph Alessi’s idiosyncratic playing the space to shine. Online magazine Making A Scene has noted how “Alessi’s trumpet tone is pure and stunning both in terms of range and moods conveyed” – a fact in evidence throughout this album. Mitchell on piano traces the themes while also playing “outside” the harmonies, dancing around the horns as Ches Smith and Hébert keep pulses fluid on high alert.' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to Slow Dancing Bear : Listen to Sweet Spot

Christopher Dammann - Dead Words
(Shifting Paradigm Records) - Released: 17th July 2026

Jim Baker (piano, ARP 2600); Christopher Dammann (double bass); James Davis (trumpet, electronics); Jon Irabagon (stritch, effects); Mike Reed (drums)

'Chicago bassist and composer Christopher Dammann’s Dead Words is a collection of spiritual contrafacts tracing a line from bebop through free jazz into the present. Featuring Jim Baker, James Davis, Jon Irabagon, and Mike Reed, the album balances deep swing, open improvisation, and compositional rigour in a bold personal statement rooted in Chicago’s creative music tradition.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Montrose B : Listen to White Gladis:

Marcus Goldhaber - The Promise Of You
(Fallen Apple Records) - Released: 27th April 2026

Marcus Goldhaber (vocals); Art Hirahara (piano); Michael O’Brien (acoustic & electric bass); Alvester Garnett (drums); Paul Bollenback (acoustic & electric Guitar Tracks 3 and 6); Jay Rattman (tenor & soprano saxophones, clarinet Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6); Summer Camargo (trumpet Tracks 4 and 8); Keita Ogawa (percussion Track 3)

'The Promise of You is my sixth studio album and, by all measures, the work I am most proud of to date. Co-produced with my pianist, Art Hirahara, the album pairs modern-meets-classic originals with reimagined standards. I approached these twelve songs from inside the lyrics, letting their stories shape the arrangements alongside my interpretation and performance. I invite you to join me and the band in exploring themes of desire, love, playfulness, and partnership—having it, longing for it, and rediscovering it. This album swings and sways, lingering long enough for you to get lost in the search for companionship, fuelled by hope and promise. My hope is that these songs meet you wherever you are, remind you that you are not alone and bring you as much joy as it brought us to create!' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Skylark : Listen to The Best Is Yet To Come :

Europe and Elsewhere

Somi - What Does It Take To Bloom?
(Salon Africana Records) - Released: 7th August 2026

Somi Kakoma (vocals) with various musicians

'Somi Kakoma is a Billboard charting and Grammy-nominated vocalist, composer, writer, and actor. Born in Illinois to immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda, she is known in the jazz world simply as ‘Somi’. For Somi, every album is an act of place-making. Her catalog reads like a map of migration and memory: records rooted in Lagos, in Harlem, in the spirit and political inheritance of Miriam Makeba. She has spent years rendering geography into her own unique sound, translating movement into melody, and asking what it means to inhabit multiple worlds at once. ...... Written and recorded between Dakar, Lagos, Paris, and New York City — with Somi also newly rooted between New York and Nairobi — the album carries the imprint of movement ......' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Ngayaya : Listen to Throw Something :

Adam Baldych European Quartet - Endless

(ACT Records) - Released: 28th August 2026

Adam Bałdych (violin); Daniele di Bonaventura (bandoneon); Jacob Karlzon (piano); Michel Benita (double bass).

Adam Baldych European Quartet Endless.jpg

'Adam Bałdych - Polish violinist and composer. First called “a violin prodigy”, he started his career at the age of 14. He was promptly recognised as an innovator combining the achievements of classical music and the contemporary language of the violin with an improviser’s talent. In a short time, he created his own style, which became an inspiration for a new generation of improvising violinist .... Recorded in the resonant space of the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice, the album feels less like a performance than a spiritual journey. Bałdych’s violin leads the music inward, lyrical, fragile and prayer-like, while bandoneon, piano and double bass respond with subtle gestures, shared breath and luminous restraint.....' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Long Way Home : Listen to Michalena :

Nils Petter Molvær - Be Quiet
(Edition Records) - Released: 10th July 2026

Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet) with various musicians including Marilyn Mazur (percussion); John Paul Jones (piano) and Imogen Heap (voice, electronics)

'Norwegian innovator, trumpeter and producer Nils Petter Molvær presents Be Quiet – a duo collaborative album built across nine tracks with nine distinct artists including Imogen Heap and John Paul Jones, recorded in cities spanning Bangkok, Rome, Berlin and London. Across landscapes of electronica, ambient textures and jazz improvisation, Be Quiet unfolds as an intimate, spatial set of recordings - built on proximity and contrast, where different cultures, disciplines and sonic identities meeting Molvær’s unmistakable trumpet voice. The album is accompanied by a documentary film directed by celebrated Norwegian filmmaker Per Manning, capturing the process, environments and relationships behind the music, and informing the project's visual world. Be Quiet unfolds as Molvær steps into each collaborator’s space, responding in real time and shaping a body of work that remains fluid, intimate and constantly in motion.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to London-Hackney: Listen to Copenhagen

Co Streiff / Russ Johnson Quartet - Oracle
(Intakt Records) - Released: 21st August 2026

Co Streiff (alto saxophone); Russ Johnson (trumpet); Christian Weber (double bass); Gerry Hemingway (drums)

Co Streiff Russ Johnson Quartet - Oracle.jpg

'The musical friendship between Swiss saxophonist Co Streiff and American trumpeter Russ Johnson, which has developed through various musical collaborations, dates back to 2004. Their experiences—Streiff as the bandleader of various groups and through her work with pianist Irène Schweizer; Johnson, who has played with just about everyone in New York—are the best aspects of intercultural exchange. "In 2012 the quartet released its stellar debut In Circles, capturing a shared aesthetic for keyboard-less quartets stretching back to Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, and especially Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. Several annual European tours followed for several years, followed by a long hiatus. The musicians reunited in 2019, with Gerry Hemingway stepping on drums, and as heard on Oracle, recorded on different stops along the group’s 2023 tour, the rejiggered line-up had hit its stride", writes Peter Margasak in the liner notes.' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to Smithy Street :

Reissues

Phil Seaman - The Late Great Phil Seaman Vol 2

(SWP Records) - Released: 18th September 2026

Phil Seaman (drums) wit various musicians

Phil Seaman The Late Great Phil Seaman Vol 2.jpg

'Phil Seamen was one of the great jazz drummers of the world. The most African of English drummers, he was born in Burton-on-Trent, a legend in his own lifetime, he died in 1972. Amongst others, Kenny Clarke, Louis Bellson, Joe Morello, Philly Joe Jones were all big fans, Sir James Blades called him a 'percussion genius', to Ginger Baker he was 'God'. He had an innate ability on the drums but alas, he was also a born raver - drug adduction increasingly dogged his career, and it cut short his life. This is our second album of highlights of his playing. Enjoy the cosmic spark that was Seamen's unique talent - it makes this music timeless.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Tangerine : Listen to Harry Flicks :

Gigi Gryce & Donald Byrd - Four Classic Albums

(Avid Records) - Released: 2026 [2 CDs]

Gigi Gryce (saxophone, flute, clarinet), Donald Byrd (trumpet) with various musicians.

Gigi Gryce Donald Byrd Four Classic Albums.jpg

'AVID Jazz continues with its 'Classic Album' series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Gigi Gryce & Donald Byrd, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details. Albums include: 'Jazz Lab (1)', 'Jazz Lab (2)', 'Jazz Lab Quintet' and 'Modern Jazz Perspectives'. (album notes)

Details :

Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Begins : The Flying Dutchman Masters

(Ace Records) - Released: 28th August 2026 [3 CDs]

Gil Scott-Heron (vocals, piano) with various musicians

Gil Scott-Heron The Revolution Begins.jpg

'The three albums Gil Scott-Heron recorded for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman label are some of the most important in the history of black music. They show a multi-talented artist reaching maturity with his first recorded efforts. ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ transcended its place as an album track to become an aphorism, a slogan on a T-shirt, omnipresent shorthand for alternative culture. Over the years these recordings have been treated in a haphazard way, reissued in cheaply packaged collections that used edited versions of some of the most important tracks. “The Revolution Begins” gathers together every piece of music released by Gil on Flying Dutchman, including a track recorded with Bernard “Pretty” Purdie which has never been previously reissued. We have gone back to the original master tapes, bringing you sound that’s better than you’ll ever have heard and new clarity to Gil’s words and the musical performances. Access to those tapes has also enabled us to assemble an alternate version of Gil’s third album, “Free Will”.' (album notes)

Details and Samples Ace Records :

Marion Brown - Live In Europe 1968 &1972
(NoBusiness Records) - Released: 1st May

Marion Brown (alto saxophone); Gunter Hampel (vibraphone); Barre Phillips (bass); Steve McCall (drums)

Marion Brown Live In Europe 1968 and 1972.jpg

'Marion Brown (1935-2010) attacked the new thing when it was really new, but he never achieved the fame of avant garde giants. If you like intense, energetic, and genuinely free jazz, listen to Why not? (ESP 1968). Or, maybe even better, Three for Shepp (Impulse 1966). The collection here is one from the vaults. The first 3 numbers were recorded at the Maison de la Radio that same year. The last 2 at the Festival de Châteauvallon, Ollioules, France in 1972. Along with Brown’s alto sax are Gunter Hampel on vibraphone, Barre Philips on bass, and Steve McCall on drums. The Maison Ronde recordings are by far the best of the five. Brown was a pioneer of a certain kind of free composition. He takes a simple, bluesy phrase, twists it inside out, and extracts every last drop of nectar. Beyond that phrase, there is no narrative. There is, however, the slightly melancholy mood of the horn itself. Brown’s sound reminds me somewhat of Steve Lacy, especially in his collaborations with Mal Waldron. His playing, on the other hand, is similar to what you might hear on Miles Davis Live at the Plugged Nickel or, more recently, the amazing recordings of Fred Anderson. Marion Brown is one of those jazz geniuses that could expand his soul into simple horn lines with such grace as to make the angels jealous...... (Kenneth Blanchard)

Details and Samples : Listen to Current Events : Listen to Epiphanie :