Midway through 2026 and the Jazzwise Editor Choices are still highlighting the best of the year so far, including the striking Blue Note debut from Gabrielle Cavassa with Diavola, the adventurous contemporary interplay of Ant Law and Alex Hitchcock on House of Light, and the raw energy of Knats on A Great Day In Newcastle.
The archive spotlight shines on Tomasz Stańko's seminal Balladyna, a beautifully restored gem of European jazz, alongside Donald Byrd's hard-bop classic The Cat Walk, a Blue Note masterclass packed with stellar performances.
New Releases
“Gabrielle Cavassa's magnificent Blue Note debut draws from almost a century of popular song…Close-miked and free of reverb, a fascinatingly reimagined take on Bacharach and David's 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' is an early highlight. 'Prisoner of Love', a song associated with one of Cavassa's touchstones, the great Billy Eckstine, finds her approaching the vocal line the way a horn player might.”
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
“All four players have already built formidable reputations among lovers of cutting-edge modern jazz, and the compositions here are working broadly out of the European tradition: there's a certain cerebral poise and introspection to tunes like 'Buried Structure', a love of extended harmony and odd time metres, and a boldness in extending techniques as far as they can go…The sound of four exceptional musicians taking risks, and those risks paying off - essential listening.”
Available Formats: FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
“It's wilder than their first release, channelling their love for rock and metal as well as jazz fusion, and capturing some of the intensity of their much-hyped live shows. Several tracks, including the atmospheric orchestral opening, feature poetry from Geordie wordsmith Cooper Robson, who paints gritty pictures of working class life in the North East - exploring crime, substance abuse and hard labour with fortitude and wit. It's an unlikely mix but it really works. It helps that the playing is excellent.”
Available Format: Vinyl Record
“Let Spin continue to wittily illuminate the narrative with contrastingly ethereal and explosive ensemble textures, in the meantime keeping you guessing as to where composition starts and improv ends. Anchored tastefully yet diabolically by Goller and Panter's raw, angularly spacious groove feel ensuring I am Alien always hangs together through its anarchic spill.”
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
“This album is primarily about texture: the warmth and vulnerability of Lovano's tone, the bright splashes of colour from Lage, the calm authority of Debriano's bass and the endless inventiveness of Calhoun's drums, which keep time only rarely... Whenever you feel you've got the hang of him, Joe Lovano constantly surprises you with the variety and - at times - sheer off-centredness of his ideas, and new discoveries are waiting around the corner each time you listen.”
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
“A lean muscular pulse, melodic focus and emotions laid bare explain their viral success…Hoodies, their debut album, delivers the trio's group aesthetic in 13 compositions, each of which strips out the unessential and gets to the music's emotional essence.”
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Archive/Reissue
“Central to the album is 'Duet' - just Holland and Stanko - in a considered, reflective mood...It's a small but perfectly formed album and having these 40 minutes of music available again is a real treat.”
Available Format: Vinyl Record
“Their synergistic alchemy is immediately evident on the opening 'Say You're Mine,' an elegant Pearson number built on a mesmeric vamp. Byrd's muted trumpet is both plaintive and lyrical, contrasting with Adams' resonant, smoky-toned baritone sax…Packed with scintillating performances, The Cat Walk is undoubtedly one of Byrd's best Blue Note offerings during his hard bop period.”
Available Format: Vinyl Record
“Arguably, the first great New Orleans stylist to add a variety of percussive effects to supplement, the original parade-oriented press roll concept, Baby Dodds (1898-1959) was committed to the idea that the drummer should play for the band… enlightening music with a fine blow-by-blow note makes this a welcome reminder of a musician who always sought to make people happy. Great work, Upbeat.”
Available Format: CD
