Recent Releases

May 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 May 2026

UK

Eddie Gripper - Americana
(MultiRingoRecords) - Released: 24th April 2026

Eddie Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums)

'Eddie Gripper is an English pianist, composer and educator based in Cardiff, Wales. Born and raised in Oxford, he first moved to Cardiff in 2018 to study under the tutelage of Huw Warren before graduating with First Class Honours from Cardiff University. In summer 2022, armed with a tent and manuscript paper, Gripper and his childhood friend Henry travelled more than 8,000 kilometres down the west coast of North America, from the Arctic Circle through Alaska and Canada to the western United States. Along the way, Gripper sketched over thirty musical fragments, fleeting impressions and fully formed compositions that became the foundation of the album ....' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Third Beach : Listen to One For The Road :

Andrew McCormack - Luminosity
(mccormackmusic-bandcamp) - Released: 3rd April 2026

Andrew McCormack (piano); Joe Downard (double bass); Rod Youngs (drums)

'Luminosity is the latest addition to my evolving body of trio work. As I continue to move forward as both a pianist and composer, I’m looking more and more for directness in my music. In keeping my material somewhat simple, there’s room for complexity to emerge through the trio’s improvisations. This might be the first recording of mine that fully embraces that idea. The title Luminosity hints at a theme of illumination - clarity in both ideas and textures. It feels as though I’m shedding light on my musical concepts, making them more vivid and immediate for the listener. But I’m also interested in the common human element of one’s own inner light that we all share. This fascination with light has been present throughout my work...... (Andrew McCormack album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Sweet 'n' Lovely : Listen to Port De Cassis :

Steve White Trio - Soul Drums : The Jazz Sessions, Vol 1
(Acid Jazz Records) - Released: 20th March 2026

Steve White (drums); Chris Hague (guitar); Joel White (keyboards) Steve Beighton (sax on some tracks)

'2026 sees a new release series on Acid Jazz: the Jazz Sessions, masterminded by Acid Jazz founder Ed Piller, showcasing his love of ‘60s and ‘70s jazz. We start things off with a very special album from prolific drummer Steve White, in his first album as leader, performing as the Steve White Trio. 'Soul Drums' is out 20 March, 2026. White is known for his long association with Paul Weller, as a member of the Style Council, playing on the hit single ‘Long Hot Summer’ and Weller’s biggest solo albums: Wildwood, Stanley Road, Heavy Soul and As Is Now. He has also played variously with JTQ, Ian Dury, Matt Deighton, Ocean Colour Scene, Squeeze, Oasis and The Who, among others ......' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Changes : Listen to My Ever Changing Moods :

Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra - Fateful Birds & Fledgling Stories
(self release / Bandcamp) - Released: 8th May 2026

Olivia Murphy (conductor); Becca Wilkins (voice tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10); Rebecka Edlund (voice tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9);
Ruta Sipola (flute); Lewis Sallows (alto, soprano saxophone, clarinet); George Garford (alto saxophone, flute); Jonathan Chung (tenor Saxophone); Alicia Gardener-Trejo (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, bass flute); Tom Syson, Alex Astbury & Charlotte Keeffe (trumpet); Dave Sear, Joel Knee & Olivia Hughes (trombones); Hanna Mbuya (tuba); Daniel Kemshell (guitar); Olly Chalk (piano); Aram Bahmaie (double bass); Kai Chareunsy (drums); Chris Hyson (synth track 5)

Olivia Murphy Fateful Birds and Fledgling Stories.jpg

'Composer, conductor, and improviser Olivia Murphy is an innovative and colourful artist, with her music hailed as “some of the most exciting large ensemble jazz emerging from the London scene today” ...... Olivia is a consummate big band composer and yet only by the fourth track does she begin to reveal her full ensemble in the orthodox way, in all its fulgent glory. Throughout the album we sense the building intensity of a studio full of superb musicians, always ready to fly but happy to let the craftswoman unfold her fledgling story in her own time. This is a debut album of courageous self-expression within which many possibilities are tantalisingly presented. One can only guess where Olivia’s grand orchestral murmurations will head to next. (album notes / Django Bates)

Details and Samples : Listen to A Grey-Coated Sand Bird : Listen to Calliope And The Magpies

America

Isabella Isherwood - The Sweetest Sounds

(Sabrina Records) - Released: 3rd April 2026

Isabella Isherwood (vocals); Mike Allemana (guitar); Joe Policastro (bass); Alejandro Salazar (drums)

Isabella Isherwood The Sweetest Sounds.jpg

'Isabella Isherwood’s highly anticipated debut album brings her voice and piano to the forefront, accompanied by guitarist Mike Allemana, bassist Joe Policastro, and drummer Alejandro Salazar. Recorded live in Chicago and produced by Champian Fulton, the album features intimate, expressive performances delivered with clarity and nuance. As Neil Tesser writes, “Her range includes thrilling low notes, a middle register that resonates warmth, and ghostly obbligatos to enhance an arrangement… Isabella Isherwood has just begun to share herself with the world, and there’s plenty more to come.” The result is a listening experience that is at once precise, deeply felt, and quietly unforgettable.' (album notes)

Details : Listen to The Sweetest Sounds : Listen to My Buddy :

Dave Adewumi - The Flame Beneath The Silence
(Giant Step Arts Records) - Released: 27th March 2026

Dave Adewumi (trumpet); Joel Ross (vibes); Linda May Han Oh (bass); Marcus Gilmore (drums)

Dave Adewumi The Flame Beneath The Silence.jpg

'The Flame Beneath The Silence presents as a suite of sorts, with connective sections and evocative titles like the opening title track, "Infinite Loop", "If I Need To Do This Again I’m Going To Throw A Fit" and closer "The Light You Left Behind." Adewumi is as thoughtful in explaining his inspiration as he is translating those ideas into musical oration, whether meditative, celebratory or delicate. "The album grapples with political anxiety about American authoritarianism, a crisis of meaning and a search for heroes who can show us the truth," he explains. "The songs about creation and love exist in the same landscape as the political dread. But I think the titles create a mood more than a message." The title track and second piece "Is" are akin to prelude and exposition, a folksy, gritty introduction yielding to a soaring exploration initially set up by a Ross vamp. "Abandon" feels mystical, with Adewumi as a spiritual herald, with a short drum piece introducing the aforementioned "Infinite Loop", whose classic melody could have come from a '60s Blue Note time capsule ......' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to The Flame Beneath The Silence : Listen to Is :

Ricky Alexander - Ragology
(Turtle Bay Records) - Released: 20th February 2026

Ricky Alexander (clarinet); Jerron Paxton (banjo, vocals); Conal Fowkes (piano); Rob Adkins(bass); Kevin Dorn (drums)

'One of clarinetist Ricky Alexander’s earliest musical memories finds him in elementary school learning the Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s “Tiger Rag” and other ragtime era gems from an old 5-cent music book presented by his teacher Bob Henderson. In his teens, he delved further into traditional early jazz forms, traveling internationally as part of the Capital Focus Jazz Band under the direction of Dave Robinson. Several decades later, Alexander’s lifelong passion for these styles reaches its most comprehensive expression on his third Turtle Bay Records release, RAGOLOGY, a dynamic collection that takes an emphatic dive into the roots of ragtime and tangentially related genres that morphed into jazz.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Wildcat Blues : Listen to Shreveport Stomp :

Caleb Wheeler Curtis - Ritual
(Chill Tone Records) - Released: 10th April 2026

Caleb Wheeler Curtis (stritch, trumpet 9, soprano saxophone 8, sopranino saxophone 9); Hery Paz (tenor saxophone 2, 3, 4, 9, flute 6, 7); Emmanuel Michael (guitar); Orrin Evans (piano 3, 4, 5, 6); Vicente Archer (double bass); Michael Sarin (drums)

"Ritual," Caleb Wheeler Curtis’ sixth album as a leader, showcases the multi-instrumentalist’s compositions and unique vision for an expanded ensemble that, along with his stritch, features flute, guitar, and piano. The group is composed of fantastic interpreters and virtuosos, together for the first time under Caleb’s direction. The sonic landscape for the songs travels from the serene to the transformational, and celebrates the ritual and practice of communal music making. With Ritual, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed albums HEATMAP, and The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery, Caleb leaves no doubt that he is one of the most interesting and compelling saxophonists of the 2020s.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Pond : Listen to You Can't Just Keep The Music :

Europe and Elsewhere

Markos Chaidemenos - Light Beam
(Storyville Records) - Released: 3rd April 2026

KIrini Arabatzi (vocals/lyrics);  Babis Karasavvidis (violin);  Kalliopi Mitropoulou (violin 2); Stelios Papanastasis(viola); Giorgos Tamiolakis (violocello); Yiannis Vagianos (bass ); Panagiotis Kostopoulos (drums);  Markos Chaidemenos (piano/compositions);

'Markos Chaidemenos completed his Jazz piano studies in 2,5 years at Praxis Conservatory and received a master degree in Jazz Performance after graduating from Ionian University of Corfu. His inspirations growing up as a Jazz musician was mainly from the traditional jazz scene. Oscar Peterson played a major role such as Chick Corea and Mulgrew Miller' "Based in Greece. I have just released my new album “Light Beam”, The project blends piano trio with a string quartet and voice, moving between contemporary jazz and chamber music." (album notes / Markos)

Details and Samples : Listen to Light Beam : Listen to 11 Stars :

Malene Mortensen and Christian Sands - Malene & Christian

(Stunt Records - Released: 15th May 2026

Malene Mortensen (vocals); Christian Sands (piano); Thomas Ovesen (bass); Rasmus Kihiberg (drums) Guests: Villads Littauer Bendixen (violins); Lara Biancalana (cello); Mathias Heise (harmonica); Benny Benack III (trumpet); Gabor Bolla (tenor sax); Eliel Lazo (percussion)

Malene Mortensen Christian Sands album.jpg

' ... The album was recorded in Copenhagen in 2025 and blends original compositions with new interpretations of jazz standards. Sands serves both as pianist and producer, shaping a sound that feels intimate while still expansive. At the core of the project lies a shared emotional experience. Both artists entered the recording process after personal breakups, and the music reflects themes of loss, healing, and renewal ..... Mortensen’s songwriting is driven by emotional honesty and storytelling. Her lyrics explore vulnerability and resilience, capturing the feeling of moving through darkness toward light. Songs such as Weight and Sea and Transient Dreams stand alongside timeless standards like I Didn’t Know What Time It Was and Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream, creating a dialogue between personal reflection and the jazz tradition..... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to I Didn't Know What Time It Was :

Julian Argüelles - Echo Fields
(Escapade Records) - Released: 27th March 2026

Julian Argüelles (saxophones); Larry Grenadier (bass); Jorge Rossy (drums)

'For over three decades Julian Argüelles has been at the forefront of European Jazz, working with some of its finest practitioners including musicians of the calibre of Dave Holland, John Taylor, Django Bates, Kenny Wheeler, Phronesis, Mike Gibbs and Carla Bley to name some - the multi-award-winning saxophonist/composer approaches each new project with nothing to prove, his international reputation already documented through a formidable discography. This 2025 trio recording features Larry Grenadier and Jorge Rossy.'

Details and Samples : Listen to Leap Year Marvel : Listen to Piece For Jess

Marco Mezquida Trio - Táctil
(Galileo Records) - Released: 20th February 2026

Celeste Alis (gesang track 6); Celia Gala (percussion); Martin Meléndez (cello); Marco Mezquida (piano, Rhodes, Hammond, Voice on Felice); Aleix Tobias (drums, percussion)

'The new album ‘Táctil’ by Marco Mezquida, winner of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2022, stems from a fundamental desire to restore greater significance to the tactile dimension of musical expression. In a world where sound seems immaterial and destined to disappear immediately after it is created, Mezquida reminds us that music is also a matter of skin, vibration and touch. Music takes shape through physical gestures: striking the keys, plucking or bowing the strings, caressing or striking the membranes. Ten years of shared experience have forged this trio into a unique entity, a musical being with a shared, deep and accomplished voice. TÁCTIL is a declaration of love for life, for the skin, for sound and for all human beings. A work that was born as much out of radiant joy as out of deepest sorrow.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Cádiz : Listen to Felice :

Reissues

Joe Henderson - Consonance : Live At The Jazz Showcase

(Resonance Records) - Released: 24th April 2026 [2 CDs]

Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Joanne Brackeen (piano); Steve Rodby (bass); Danny Spencer (drums)

'Consonance: Live at the Jazz Showcase is the first ever release of saxophone titan Joe Henderson and his quartet featuring pianist Joanne Brackeen, bassist Steve Rodby and drummer Danny Spencer captured live at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase in Chicago, IL in February of 1978. The 2-CD (and limited-edition 180-gram 3-LP) set was mastered from the original tapes by George Klabin and John Koenig, with lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab in Salina, KS, and pressed at Quebec's boutique audiophile pressing plant Le Vinylist. This is part of Resonance's debut launch of releases from Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase archives, marking the beginning of what will hopefully be a long line of incredible releases from the club's archives. The deluxe package includes newly curated liner notes by co-producer John Koenig, plus interviews with Joanne Brackeen, Steve Rodby, Danny Spencer, Joe Segal's son Wayne Segal and more. Includes a 14-page booklet with over 160 minutes of music.' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to Relaxin' At Camarillo :

Courtney Pine - Out Of The Ghetto : A Modern Day Jazz Story

(Universal Music) - Released: 2026 [2 CDs]

Courtney Pine (Tenor & soprano sax, flute, bass clarinet, organ, piano, keyboard, bass) with various other musicians

'Courtney Pine (OBE; CBE) stands as one of the most important architects of modern British jazz. Emerging in the mid-1980s, he was not simply a gifted saxophonist, but a cultural force: a Black British artist who re-centred jazz as a living, contemporary music rooted in Britain’s African-Caribbean communities and in dialogue with reggae, soul, hip hop and sound-system culture. This 2CD collection (28 tracks), alongside an expanded digital edition (33 tracks), traces Pine’s formative recording period from the mid-1980s to the late-1990s - years that laid the foundations not only for his own career, but for the wider ecosystem from which today’s UK jazz renaissance has grown. The album has three previously unreleased demo recordings from May 1986 - Sophisticated Lady, Guidance and Song for Our Children - recorded in the lead-up to Pine’s landmark debut album.
The compilation reflects Pine’s dual legacy as both subject and curator of his own history. CD1 is compiled by respected BBC jazz critic Kevin Le Gendre, offering a critical perspective on Pine’s early impact and artistic development. CD2 is curated by Courtney Pine himself, foregrounding the personal, political and musical choices that shaped his journey. Together, they form a definitive portrait of an artist whose influence continues to resonate — not least in the current wave of UK jazz, where many of today’s leading voices stand on foundations he helped build.' (album notes)

Details : Video with Courtney Pine in conversation :

Roy Hargrove - Bern

(Time Traveller Records) - Released: 18th April 2026

Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn); Sherman Irby (alsto sax); Larry Willis (piano); Geralde Cannon (bass); Willie Jone III (drums)

'For the first time ever, Roy Hargrove’s legendary 2000 performance at the Bern Jazz Festival is officially released - restored from the original tapes and remastered for audiophile fidelity. This is Hargrove at the height of his powers: bold, lyrical, endlessly inventive.' (album notes)

Details : More Details and Listen to Circus :

McCoy Tyner - The Seeker : Live At The Umbria Jazz Festival
(Red Records) - Released: 18th April 2026

McCoy Tyner (piano); Bobby Hutcherson (vibes); Avery Sharpe (bass); Aaron Scott (drums)

'A rare and never before released live performance by McCoy Tyner with Bobby Hutchinson, currently making it only the third time they appear together on an official release. Captured in superb sound quality, this 2CD set in deluxe digipak presentation includes an extensive booklet containing liner notes and rare photographs. As a first-time release recording, it will undoubtedly be much sought after by jazz collectors generally and Tyner and Hutcherson fans in particular. "McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson, two of the leading figures in jazz since the 1960s, have officially shared the recording leadership only twice, but their collaboration, which began in 1966, has resulted in several encounters, to which this new official album can be added. In this concert in Perugia, the vigour of both is still intact and can be felt: supported by the powerful rhythm of Avery Sharpe and Aaron Scott - charter members of Tyner's trio at the time - the pianist and vibraphonist offer us a memorable evening that this writer, who was present at the concert, has continued to remember with enormous pleasure over the years, well before this recording was released by Red, making it available to the whole world. We are sure that those who hear it for the first time will appreciate it just as much as we did." - Luca Conti (from the liner notes)' (album notes)

Details :