In this week’s releases, trio settings can be found throughout, from the sparce trombone trio heard on Disc One of Michael Dease’s City Life: Music of Gregg Hill, to the American-infused guitar trio on show in East by Midwest from Charlie Ballantine, and even the drum-less Affinity Trio on their album New Outlook. We are also treated with re-masters and re-issues of some classic albums like Jerry Bergonzi and a stella Italian lineup on Jerry On Red, the Bossa Nova classic Getz/Gilberto, and a rarer Bill Evans trio playing on California Here I Come. Additionally, we see the 5th anniversary release of Nala Sinephro’s Jazz-Electronic-Ambient album Space 1.8, new music from up-and-coming Danish drummer and bandleader Antonio Dayyani and his sextet on Organisme, and an entrancing folk fiddle duo album from Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead) and Grace Smith, Morning of May.
City Life is the third album of music from trombone powerhouse Michael Dease dedicated to the work of Michigan-based composer Gregg Hill and this double CD is certainly a tale of two sides. Disc one has a frenetic quality created by the freedom and openness between Dease and Bassist, Linda May Han Oh, which is tied together by the ever-reliable Jeff “Tain” Watts on Drums. When Disc Two adds saxophonist Nicole Glover and pianist Geoffrey Keezer the sound is fuller and more cohesive, which contrasts Disc One and makes for an interesting complete programme.
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
East by Midwest is another entry into the canon of Americana inspired Jazz that follows on from the likes of Bill Frisell and Julian Lage. Charlie Ballantine and his trio with drummer Dan Weiss and bassist Quinn Sternberg present a mixture of tunes that include Ballantine originals as well as work from Lennon/McCartney, Elliot Smith and Ornette Coleman. The band are solid throughout the album, but Ballantine’s reworking of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ particularly showcases their ability to rework and reimagine source material effectively.
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Affinity Trio are a drum-less trio comprised of trumpeter Eric Jacobson, pianist Pamela York, and bassist Clay Schaub, that have held residency at Milwaukee institution Mason Street Grill since 2021. New Outlook is their second album after Hindsight (2023) and the strong four-year connection between the musicians can be heard on every track. This record showcases the full range of their abilities from the swinging ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’ to the tender ballad of ‘Hymn to Freedom / A Child is Born’ and captures a joyous performance.
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Organisme is the third album from Danish drummer and composer Antonio Dayyani and it sees his sextet returning to the studio after an extended period touring as a group across Europe. The record combines jazz with influences from rock, americana, and beyond to create a pleasantly varied output that’s glued together by the band’s connection. Dayyani stands strong as one of Denmark’s finest young Bandleaders and this album speaks volumes of his ability to compose accomplished tunes and bring them to life.
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
This 2026 remastered reissue of Jerry Bergonzi’s 1989 album Jerry On Red brings new life to a record that showcases the saxophonists supreme improvising talent. Bergonzi was joined by an Italian rhythm section that included Salvatore Bonafede for the recording, so it is fitting that this version was remastered in Milan by Rinaldo Donati for Red Records. The tracks presented are as interesting today as when they first came out and even more so on this newly mastered offering.
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Space 1.8 was a highly talked about record when it came out in 2021 which features a strong lineup of musicians that includes saxophonist Nubya Garcia. The beautiful ambient electronic soundscapes that make up the tracks have a strong jazz influence and combine the traditional jazz instrumentation with Sinephro’s harp as well as synthesizers to create an other-worldly sound. This new release features the album for the first time as a 2xLP gatefold version.
Available format: 2 Vinyl Records
Sam Sweeney and Grace Smith are already fiddlers of wide acclaim, particularly Sweeney’s work with Bellowhead, but Morning of May is their debut record as a duo. Whilst two fiddles can often be heard together in wider folk contexts, their place in the English tradition is far from a strong one. On this album Sweeney and Smith set out to stake a claim for their instruments and do so in a captivating way. The melodies weave between the two players as they take it in turns to lead on tunes that have been meticulously selected, playing off each other in a way that’s so enthralling to listen to.
Available format: CD
Getz/Gilberto is the album that brought Bossa Nova to the forefront of Jazz in the 1960’s, matching up two giants of Bossa Nova in singer/guitarist João Gilberto and songwriter/pianist Antônio Carlos Jobim with one of the most accomplished saxophonists in America, Stan Getz, to create arguably the finest record of its kind. Featuring now timeless recordings such as ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ and ‘Desafinado’, Getz/Gilberto is re-released here as part of Verve’s Essential Vinyl Series in an extremely accessible package.
Available format: Vinyl Record
California Here I Come is a trio album from Bill Evans, recorded at the scene of what is arguably his most famous release, The Village Vanguard. It comes six years after that famous Sunday, and this time sees him play in a rare line up alongside Eddie Gómez on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. These recording were compiled and released two years after the pianist’s death in 1982 and feature the trio on fine form, covering a wide range of standards from ‘In a Sentimental Mood’ to the then-new Bacharach/David number "Alfie. The Verve Vault series is all-analogue, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Available format: 2 Vinyl Records
