Recent Releases

June 2025
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 June 2025

UK

Snowpoet - Heartstrings
(Edition Records) - Released: 23rd May 2025

Lauren Kinsella (vocals); Chris Hyson (piano, synths); Matt Robinson (piano, synths); Dave Hamblett (drums); Josh Arcoleo (electric bass, saxophone)

'Heartstrings is the new album from London-based Snowpoet, led by the creative partnership of Lauren Kinsella and Chris Hyson. Since their debut EP in 2014, the band has built a devoted audience drawn to their emotionally rich songwriting, intricate production, and distinct sonic identity. With Heartstrings, they take a bold step forward, writing and recording in the studio as a collective for the first time, capturing the raw immediacy of live performance while expanding their sound with lush textures, layered harmonies, and deeply personal storytelling. “We wanted to capture the moment to create something that feels real, unfiltered, and alive,” says Chris Hyson. This album marks an evolution in Snowpoet’s approach. Instead of the fragmented process of previous records, Heartstrings was born in the moment, with the full band improvising, shaping, and refining ideas together in real time. The result is an album that feels alive - organic, immersive, and deeply human......' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Tenderness : Listen to One Of Those People :

Jan
(JM Music) - Released: 25th April 2025

Janette Mason (piano and keyboards); Tom Mason (bass); Eric Ford (drums)

'Janette Mason has a storied career playing for multiple artists across the worlds of jazz and pop. For her latest release, ReWired, she’s selected a basket full of all the tunes that mean the most to her, from timeless standards to modern chart classics, and reworked each of them with her long-time collaborators Tom Mason on bass and Eric Ford on drums. With Janette at the helm, the original tunes’ irresistible melodic personalities are daringly expanded and reconfigured by the trio so that they delight the listener anew with the depth and sophistication of jazz while retaining the direct appeal of pop. No-one is off limits and the repertoire draws from everyone from Gary Numan and David Bowie to Kate Bush and Olivia Rodrigo, with Janette’s fierce and inventive arrangements pulling everything together. Mixing deep grooves, gutsy swing, blazing solos and unforgettable melody, this is timeless music re-wired for the present day.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Cars : Article by Howard Lawes :

Fini orld

(Pastiche Records) - Released: 25th April 2025

Fini Bearman (voice, tenor guitar, composition); Tom Cawley (piano, synths); Matt Calvert (electric guitar); Al Cherry (acoustic guitar); Robin Mullarkey (electric bass, acoustic guitar, track 2); James Maddren (drums, percussion); guests; George Crowley (tenor saxophone track 1); Gareth Lockrane (alto flute track 5); Gwilym Simcock (piano track 6); Alice Zawadzki (violin track 4, 6); Zosia Jagodzinska (cello tracks 4, 6)

Fini Bearman Last Night Of The World.jpg

'An eclectic collection of jazz, folk & pop-infused songs, Last Night of the World draws on Fini’s experiences of motherhood & new beginnings, of love & loss, sometimes of a new-found sense of meaning, sometimes an existential lack thereof! The record was conceived using writing exercises created for her work teaching songwriting, and these seeds grew over time, coming to fruition in tandem with her pregnancy; final vocal and instrumental takes often taking place with Bridget asleep in a sling… Inspiration for the songs is drawn from a diverse spectrum of influences: the melodic inventiveness of Madison Cunningham, the esoteric jazz/folk realms of Becca Stevens, Chris Thile, Paul Simon and the electronic, minimalist songwriting voice of Bjork. ...... ' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to Rise Up : Listen to The Only One

Wor
(God Unknown Records) - Released: 25th April 2025

Andrew Plummer (voice, guitar); Ruth Goller (bass, voice); Will Glaser (drum kit); Matthew Bourne (harmonium)

World Sanguine Report Songs From The Harbour.jpg

'Songs From The Harbour' is World Sanguine Report's third studio album of original avant-rock and experimental ballads. Featuring a new iteration of WSR, 'Songs From The Harbour' was created in partnership with long-standing collaborators of Andrew Plummer: Matthew Bourne, Ruth Goller, and Will Glaser. The most direct WSR album to date, 'Songs From The Harbour' is aptly named. It has a riverside redolence, both musically and lyrically. From the opening lullaby, which breaks like dawn over a dirty Thames, there’s a sense of sunlight breaking through the clouds and playing on polluted water, of bracing salty air contrasting with the stench of the quayside, a tussle of purity and toxicity, light and shade, romance and desolation. “This is the album I’ve wanted to make for more than twenty years, though the timing never felt quite right until now. With this iteration of WSR, I wanted to move away from the theatrical approach of earlier albums, focusing instead on creating music that both the band and audiences could connect with and experience in a more immediate way........ ' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to She Is All :

The n
(Mr PC Records) - Released: 31st January 2025

Simon Spillett (tenor sax); Rob Barron (piano); Alec Dankworth (basss); Pete Cater (drums)

'Recorded at London’s legendary Dean Street Pizza Express here is an hour of high energy, no-nonsense straight ahead jazz featuring the UK’s very own tenor saxophone titan Simon Spillett in the company of Rob Barron (piano), Alec Dankworth (double bass) and Pete Cater (drums)' (Pete Cater)

Details and Samples : Listen to For Members Only : Listen to A Pint Of Bitter :

America

Charles Mingus - In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts

(Resonance Records) - Released: 18th April 2025 [2 CDs]

Charles Mingus (bass and (piano CD1/track 9 and CD2/track 4 only); Ricky Ford (tenor saxophone); Jack Walrath (trumpet);
Robert Neloms (piano); Dannie Richmond – drums

'Mingus In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts is a never-before-released pair of recordings of legendary bassist Charles Mingus captured live in Buenos Aires, Argentina in June 1977 featuring Ricky Ford (tenor saxophone), Jack Walrath (trumpet), Robert Neloms (piano) and Dannie Richmond (drums). Transferred from the original tape reels the album download and 2-CD set includes an elaborate 36-page booklet featuring rare photos from the concert with liner notes by author and jazz historian Brian Priestley; plus interviews with Ricky Ford and Jack Walrath. This is an official release in cooperation with Jazz Workshop, Inc. and the Charles Mingus Estate' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat : Listen to Fables Of Faubus :

Curtis Nowosad - I Am Doing My Best
(La Reserve Records) - Released: 6th June 2025

Curtis Nowosad (drums); Joey Landreth (guitar, vocals); Joanna Majoko (vocals); Andrew Renfroe (guitar).

'I Am Doing My Best is the fourth full-length album from JUNO-nominated, NYC-based jazz drummer Curtis Nowosad. Slated for release in June 2025 on La Reserve Records, the album is co-produced by two-time JUNO- winning guitarist & singer-songwriter Joey Landreth, and features special guests Joanna Majoko on vocals and Andrew Renfroe on guitar. This is music for healing in an increasingly demanding world. We all have something - or many somethings -to heal from, and it is Nowosad’s sincere belief that if we can begin the messy, perpetual process of healing ourselves, we can begin the work of helping to heal our little corners of the world. If we can do that, we can create a kinder, gentler, more equitable and more forgiving world for future generations. Some of the themes explored in the music and particularly the lyrics - co-written with Majoko and Landreth - include self-compassion and treating yourself with kindness, being the person your child needs while doing the same for your younger self, building a life that aligns with your values, accepting your place in the stories of others, embracing change as the only constant in life and choosing faith in the face of self-doubt and indecision. Having long been a staple of the NYC jazz scene, touring and recording with many diverse artists including Braxton Cook, Jazzmeia Horn, Jane Monheit, Brianna Thomas, Jocelyn Gould, Bria Skonberg, Philip Harper, Marc Cary and Craig Harris, the album comes at a critical turning point in Nowosad’s career. He is excited to release this exceptional album ... while showcasing his use of language to express messages that are at once both universal and deeply personal.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Carry You Home : Video for I'm Learning To Be Kind :

Brandon Woody - For The Love Of It All
(Blue Note Records) - Released: 9th May 2025

Brandon Woody (trumpet); Troy Long (piano, organ, Rhodes, keyboards); Quincy Phillips (drums); Michael Saunders (bass) ; Imani-Grace (vocals); Vittorio Stropoli (aux synth).

Brandon Woody For The Love Of It All.jpg

'With his debut on Blue Note Records, Woody positions himself as both an innovator and a griot, balancing technical mastery with a reverence for his roots. This album anchors itself in the past while reverberating forward, tethering listeners to something larger than themselves. In every track, love is palpable, not idealized, but complex, textured, and human. This is music that carries, uplifts, and insists that survival is its own form of artistry, powered by the knowledge that love, in all its dimensions, is what binds us across generations and geographies.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Never Gonna Run Away : Listen to Perseverance:

Mads
(Loveland Rcords) - Released: 28th February 2025

Mark Turner (tenor saxophone)

Mark Turner We Raise Them To Lift Their Heads.jpg

' ..... In a career that spans three decades and encompasses a broad array of musical ventures, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner (b. 1965) has proved himself as one of American jazz’s most original and influential musical thinkers. A New York Times profile of Turner titled “The Best Jazz Player You’ve Never Heard” called him “possibly jazz’s premier player,” noting his reputation amongst his peers and his influential stature in jazz. ....... (That) studio session is now materialized as Mark Turner’s first solo saxophone LP “We Raise Them To Lift Their Heads” on Jakob Bro’s label Loveland Music. It is as vulnerable and raw as it is powerful and something essential to Mark Turner, a document to his harmonic world and vision, which can only be conveyed through music, always finding a new way for putting the pieces together and constantly looking for new ground. He still does.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Red Hook : Listen to Bella Vista :

Fred Mion
(Tao Forms Records) - Released: 11h April 2025

Fred Moten (texts, voice); Brandon López (bass)

'The work of each of these powerfully creative & exceptionally perceptive artists concerns itself with navigating the ascending reign of long-institutionalized madness while simultaneously keeping humanity and sanity intact. Their synergistic mesh in Duo is here presented on record for the first time (following two acclaimed works on the Reading Group label in trio with Gerald Cleaver).' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to #14 :

Europe and Elsewhere

Andrea Rinciari - Soho Sessions
(ECN Records) - Released: 16th May 2025

Andrea Rinciari (guitar); Alex Garnett (tenor sax); Lorenzo Morabito (bass); Mark Taylor (drums)

'When Andrea Rinciari packed his guitar in his native Italy and left for London it wasn’t long before he found himself on a mission. Inspired by sheer quality the players he met in the capital’s melting pot of musicians, he immersed himself in the great tradition of classic 20th century jazz. Mentored and inspired by the great Barry Harris during the master’s frequent visits, Andrea’s passion for the music and tireless application soon elevated him to the front rank of that select coterie of London musicians keeping the bebop flame alive, with regular gigs at Ronnie Scott's, Boulevard Theatre Soho, Chelsea’s 606, and The Vortex. His acclaimed recordings ‘To Bud’ and ‘The Takeover’ paved the way to a residency at Soho’s Piano Bar with a regular quartet of internationally renowned players, developing their repertoire to a peak of empathetic fluency before taking it into the studio. Soho Session is the result - a set of beautifully realised compositions from the Golden Age of jazz. The quality of the players involved underscores the quality of Andrea’s reputation. Alex Garnett on tenor saxophone has cemented a reputation as the key player on the London scene: drummer Mark Taylor returned to the capital after twenty-two years in New York backing everyone from Barney Kessel to Sonny Stitt to Kenny Barron: bassist Lorenzo Morabito is a familiar figure wherever top-flight jazz is being played. Together they blend beautifully into a super swinging, effortlessly creative quartet that keeps the tradition fresh, always digging deeper into the harmony to unleash fresh melodic ideas over an immaculate swing.......... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Time To Smile : Article by Howard Lawes :

Daniel Herskedal - Movements Of Air

(Edition Records) - Released: 25th April 2025

Daniel Herskedal (brass, tuba); Eyolf Dale (piano/keys); Helge Norbakken (drums)

'Norwegian composer and tuba player defies all conventions and preconceptions what is possible as a soloist on the tuba. He is adept with a masters voice in creating vast palettes of colours and exquisite tone in his music. Daniel Herskedal’s Movements of Air is a masterclass in nuance and sonic architecture, an album that transforms breath into vast, moving landscapes. Now a decade into this defining trio with pianist Eyolf Dale and percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken, Herskedal continues to stretch the emotional and expressive potential of brass. From the finely layered textures of Elements of Harmony to the melodic weight of The Olive Branch, every moment is composed with purpose, drawing on jazz, classical, and folk traditions without ever settling into any one. It’s an album built on tension and release, beauty and restraint.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to The Olive Branch : Listen to Elements Of Harmony :

Stedlife
(self-release) - Released: 21st March 2025

Stefano Rocco (guitar); Nick Southcott (piano); Muhamed Mehmedbasic (double bass); Ed Rodrigues (drums)

'Italian-born, Sydney-based guitarist and composer Stefano Rocco presents his sophomore album, Wildlife, alongside his faithful quartet (formed in 2019), featuring pianist Nick Southcott, double bassist Muhamed Mehmedbasic, and drummer Ed Rodrigues. He describes this new body of work as ‘an expedition through the animal kingdom’, showcasing a charismatic musical aesthetic shaped by various jazz currents....' (Jazztrail). 'In this new album, I decided to use animal traits as a starting point to explore a diverse range of emotions. For me, it is an immersive expedition through wonder, mystery, tenderness, and much more. The atmospheres shift from cool and relaxed to obscure and introspective, each carrying its own unique meaning.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Dreamy Koala : Listen to Is It You Chameleon? :

Miish

(Purple Lead Music) - Released: 7th March 2025

Michelle Nicolle (vocals); Larry Koonse (guitar)

'Michelle Nicolle is one of Australia’s most celebrated jazz performers, touring, arranging, composing & recording for the last two decades. .... Although I’ve always recorded with my Quartet in Australia, some of my most favourite albums of all time are duo records: Ella and Joe Pass, Tuck’n’Patti. When it came to planning this, my 11th album, and first U.S. release I knew I needed to record with Larry. From choosing the songs, chatting through arrangements, facing each other in the studio (with so much laughter and also tears) to the detailed mixing and mastering process this album really is the answer to the most moving line from a song, ever: (track 10) “and when you stand before the candles on a cake, oh let me be the one to hear the silent wish you make”.... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to All The Things You Are : Listen to With A Song In My Heart :

Se
(self release) - Released: 28th February 2025

Tal Kalman (tenor saxophone); Bomin Kim (piano); Daphnis Moglia (trumpet); Johannes Ravn (guitar); Seungmin Jung (double bass); Felix Ambach (drums).

'Seungmin Jung, a bassist and composer from South Korea, is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. For his audacious debut album, Anecdotes, he assembles a state-of-the-art sextet whose members share a close rapport, delivering engrossing compositions layered with a genuine spell - no filters or major effects needed.....' (Jazztrail). "Writing music, for me, isn’t just about theory or craft—it’s about listening to what my heart tells me in the moment. Intuition is easy to overlook, but inspiration is always around us—in the scent of spring air, a short humming by a kid on the train, or even in a mouse darting across the subway tracks. I try to catch those moments, hold them close, and let them shape my music....) (Seungmin Jung, album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Blue : Listen to Wasteland :

Reissues

Oscar Peterson - In Session : Oscar's Arrangement
(Jasmine Records) - Released: 9th May 2025

Oscar Peterson (piano) with various personnel including Billie Holiday, Benny Carter, Gene Krupa, Ben Webster, Louis Armstrong and others

'Oscar Peterson was probably the greatest, certainly the best-known pianist in the history of Jazz. whilst his solo and small group material is well known, his career as a sideman is often overlooked. He played with jazz royalty, recording sessions with no less than Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Lester Young, Benny Carter, Roy Eldridge and many others. This set samples the best of his session work, with an emphasis on recordings in which his piano is prominent. Featuring rare recordings from Jazz at the Philharmonic and studio sessions often produced by his mentor and manager Norman Granz, this set features the cream of American Jazz talent from the 1950s.

Details :

Jason Miles - Cosmopolitan : Remastered
(Resonance Records) - Released: 28th March 2025

Jason Miles (Fender Rhodes , Prophet V,ARP Odyssey); Michael Brecker (tenor sax tracks 3,4); Gerry Niewood (alto and soprano sax, flute); Marcus Miller (bass); Ricardo Silveira (electric and acoustic guitar); Jeff Williams (drums); Bada Roy (tabls track 5); Clarice Taylor (vocal track 5); Henry Castelanos (conga)

'Jason Miles had a vision in 1979—an urban world project where electric keyboards, deep grooves, and strong melodies collided. Armed with his brand-new Prophet V synthesizer, he gathered a lineup of young, trailblazing musicians in a New York studio. The core players would go on to become legends: Michael Brecker on tenor sax, saxophone virtuoso Gerry Niewood, a 19-year-old Marcus Miller on bass, Brazilian guitar prodigy Ricardo Silveira, and drummer Jeff Williams. Add in the rhythmic magic of Badal Roy on tabla, percussionists Armen Halburian and Henry Castelanos, and vocalist Clarice Taylor, and the result was Cosmopolitan—a seamless blend of jazz, fusion, and global influences. But despite its undeniable cool factor, the industry wasn't in the right place for its release, and the album never saw the light of day. Fast forward 46 years. While digging through his archives, Jason stumbled upon the original DAT tape of the Cosmopolitan sessions, recorded and mixed by Jeffrey Kawalek at the House of Music in New Jersey. To his amazement, the sound held up - crisp, dynamic, and still ahead of its time ......' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Cosmopolitan : Listen to Gale Warnings :

Bill 1969

(Elemental Music) - Released: 18th April 2025

Bill Evans (piano); Chuck Israels (bass), Larry Bunker (drums); Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson (bass), Allan Dawson (drums); Eddie Gomez (bass); Marty Morell (drums).

This set of major discoveries — which will also be released in a two-CD edition on April 18 — is the 13th Evans archival package to be produced by the award-winning “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman in cooperation with the Bill Evans Estate. Feldman says, “Evans is widely celebrated and has legions of fans all over the world, and these never-before-released recordings present yet another chapter of his musical legacy being issued for the very first time... It’s not lost on me how precious each of these Evans projects is. We take them incredibly seriously and try to present Bill Evans in the best way possible, and also create packages that people will want to come back to for many years to come. Evans is eternal. Further Ahead comprises recordings made during the keyboardist’s Scandinavian tours of the ‘60s. He is heard, at the height of his powers, in Helsinki performances in 1964 (with his working trio including bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker) and 1965 (supported by bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Allan Dawson, with special guest Lee Konitz), and in 1969 at Tampere (with his longest-running trio mates, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell)...... (album notes)

Details : More Details :

(Jasmine Records) - Released: 11th April 2025

Ella John (vocals) with Buddy Johnson and his Band; Buddy Johnson and his Orchestra; and with Ella Johnson and her Orchestra

'The doyen of jazz critics, Leonard Feather praised Ella as "one of the great individualists of modern blues singing" yet the unique Ella Johnson is now largely forgotten among the bigger names of the best jazz vocalists. Recording almost entirely with her brother, Buddy Johnson's band between 1940 and 1964, in 2015 Jasmine Records issued the double CD "Rock On!" to celebrate Buddy's centenary and now present the first of two long-overdue CDs spotlighting the astonishing vocal stylings of sister Ella. This volume, covering the tenure for the American Decca label between 1941 and 1952, again includes the national chart hits such as "When My Man Comes Home" (#1, 1944), "That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch" (#2, 1945) and "I Don't Care Who Knows" (#11, 1949) along with the timeless "Since I Fell For You" and many more perfectly-crafted and hauntingly-performed recordings that have been neglected in recent years.' (album notes)

Details : Listen to Since I Fell For You from YouTube :