On Stomp Your Stuff, the rousing, energetically arranged and performed debut album by the Oliver-Smith Incomparables, co-leaders Andrew Oliver (piano) and Hal Smith (drums) draw on the classic arranging concepts from Jelly Roll Morton’s timeless Red Hot Peppers recordings as a springboard for something fresh, fiery and intricately original. Mining colorful obscurities from the Melrose Brothers catalog, the ensemble creates a vibrant, imaginative and speedy swinging set that f

Few vocalists could convincingly unite Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Noel Coward, Rodgers & Hammerstein and the Great American Songbook on a single eight-track program. Yet on her eclectic fourth album All This Is Possible, Kay Kostopoulos moves through this remarkably diverse repertoire with such assurance that the stylistic leaps never feel forced. That versatility seems a natural extension of a life spent crossing artistic boundaries—as an internationally touring belly da

When Jun Iida released his debut album Evergreen in 2024, the Japanese-American trumpeter introduced himself as a gifted improviser, thoughtful composer and musical storyteller whose influences stretched across geography, culture and genres. Two years later, his sophomore collection, Bellflower builds naturally on that foundation while revealing a deeper and more expansive sense of artistic purpose. Rich in melody, reflection and emotional nuance, the album finds Iida explori

While some emerging singer-songwriters draw inspiration from books, relationships or colorful hometown memories, Brennan Gilmore arrives at his remarkable debut solo album My Name Is Daniel Leek carrying stories gathered across continents and conflict zones. A former U.S. diplomat whose fifteen-year Foreign Service career took him through Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, the multi-faceted visionary artist has spe

Before diving into the cosmic mysteries, fractured love stories and Gnostic mythology that animate LANDROID’s ambitious sophomore release Constellation, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the remarkable journey of the High Desert duo itself. Formed by veteran musicians Cooper Gillespie and Greg Gordon after decades in the Los Angeles rock trenches, Landroid emerged from the vast isolation of Landers, California, where the endless Mojave horizon inspired a sound that is

One of the most magnanimous gifts of veteran Americana troubadour Todd Adelman is his deeply lived authenticity. Throughout his two-decade plus discography, it’s always felt like his songwriting is rooted in stories he needs to tell, based on hard won wisdom and a deep well of intensely tapestried life experiences. It’s an ongoing vibe that courses through every track of Todd Adelson and The Woodsmen, a self-titled debut that marks the launch of the veteran singer/songwriter

Contemporary opera has long been a space where composers test the limits of narrative, sound, and emotional expression, and Austin Oting Har’s The Ghost – Act I: Part I pushes those boundaries with uncommon, frequently surreal ambition. Drawing on Greek tragedy, ancient philosophy, Chinese and Western instrumental traditions, spectral composition, experimental electronics, and an invented mythology, the Australian-born, U.S.-based composer creates a work that feels less like

More than six centuries after the death of Kabir, the revolutionary Indian mystic whose poetry challenged religious divisions and celebrated the divine within, his words continue to resonate with startling immediacy. On The Mind, Ecstatic: Songs of Kabir, Minneapolis-based Hindustani vocalist, composer, educator and scholar Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan transforms seven of the poet’s timeless texts into a mesmerizing cycle of sonic meditations, blending classical Indian traditions,

In the interconnected universe of contemporary ambient and new age music, Grammy®-nominated composer, producer and sonic architect Tom Eaton has long been one of the genre’s quiet but profoundly influential figures. For decades he has shaped the sound of countless recordings as an engineer, producer and multi-instrumentalist while steadily building his own catalog of deeply evocative solo works. Guitarist Vin Downes, meanwhile, has carved out a respected path of his own throu

Dutch-American vocalist, songwriter and cancer research scientist Louise Alexandra explores love, memory, hope and heartbreak from multiple fascinating angles on Crazy World of Love, an engaging collection that balances thoughtful, soulful originals with fresh takes on standards and wildly inventive vocalese. Working with Dutch piano master Rob van Bavel and an excellent ensemble featuring bassist Frans van Geest, guitarist Vincent Koning, drummer Marcel Serierse and saxophon

In an era where “global music” is often reduced to trendy rhythmic fusions and superficial stylistic blends, Norwegian soprano/songwriter Kristin Amarie and Greek-Cypriot superstar Konstantinos Christoforou create something far more meaningful, impactful and emotionally immersive on “Maybe (Mipos)”—a soaring, deeply impassioned English/Greek duet that transforms longing, uncertainty and romantic hope into a sweeping cross-cultural musical journey. Opening with graceful acoust

The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra’s Ellington Masterworks is much more than a repertory project. Drawn from Duke Ellington compositions spanning 1940-1968 and rooted in the Smithsonian’s vast Ellington archives, the recording reflects the mission that has defined the orchestra since its founding in 1990: preserving jazz history while keeping it vibrantly alive in performance. Under the direction of conductor and artistic director Charlie Young and informed by the dee