From captivating compositions to virtuosic performances, these releases encompass a wide range of styles and showcase the creativity and artistry of today’s jazz musicians. Here is our curated selection of ten new jazz albums released this month (January 2024) that you need to know about!
Ethan Iverson, Technically Acceptable (Blue Note)
Technically Acceptable is a far-ranging new project that finds pianist and composer Ethan Iverson helming two different trios, one with the bass/drum team of Thomas Morgan, the other with Simón Wilson and Vinnie Sperrazza. The album features a striking set of new Iverson originals, plus singular new versions of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and Thelonious Monk’s “‘Round Midnight,” the latter featuring Rob Schwimmer on theremin. Release date: January 19.
Keyon Harrold, Foreverland (Concord Jazz)
Trumpeter/composer Keyon Harrold creates a vivid tapestry of melody, harmony and instrumental improvisations across ten timely and timeless originals exploring themes of empowerment, positivity, love, loss and vulnerability on his new album. Foreverland also includes contributions from a high-octane lineup of special guests, including Common, Robert Glasper, PJ Morton, Jean Baylor, Chris Dave and Greg Phillinganes. Release date: January 19.
Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y, A New Beat (Cellar Music)
Drummer, bandleader and composer Ulysses Owens Jr. introduces Generation Y, an ensemble of emerging jazz talents, with A New Beat. Significantly inspired by the passing of Mulgrew Miller, and one of his great inspirations, Roy Hargrove, the album serves as both a tribute to the rich legacies of the greats of the past and a celebration of the boundless potential of the evolving spirit of jazz. Release date: January 19.
Abdullah Ibrahim, 3 (Gearbox)
3 is a new album by 89-year-old piano master Abdullah Ibrahim, taken from his recent sold-out headline date at London’s Barbican Center. The new album is spread out across two performances, the first without and the second with an audience, and includes new compositions, improvisations and renditions of favorites from his catalogue performed in a unique trio alongside Cleave Guyton on flute, piccolo and saxophone, and Noah Jackson on bass and cello. Release date: January 26.
Adam Bałdych and Leszek Możdżer, Passacaglia (ACT)
Passacaglia brings together two standout figures in Polish jazz, violinist Adam Bałdych and pianist Leszek Możdżer. Their first album together encapsulates the musical essence of both protagonists, performing pieces created together and individually, and offering reinterpretations of themes by Erik Satie, Josquin des Prez and Hildegard von Bingen. Release date: January 26.
Christoph Grab’s Reflections, Oneness (Lamento)
Oneness, dedicated to the works of Thelonious Monk, is the latest album by saxophonist Christoph Grab with his quintet, Reflections. Bookended by creative reinterpretations of familiar Monk melodies, the album provides ample space and freedom for each member of the quintet to impart their own improvisational voice and energy into the music, creating a musical statement driven by a love of tradition and contemporary individuality. Release date: January 26.
Michael Wollny and Joachim Kühn, DUO (ACT)
DUO showcases a musical dialogue between two leading lights of European jazz piano, Michael Wollny and Joachim Kühn. The album comes 15 years after their first recorded venture as a duo and documents a performance between the two piano luminaries that was recorded on January 2023 at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. Release date: January 26.
Kinga Głyk, Real Life (Warner)
Real Life is the first new album by bassist/composer Kinga Głyk in more than four years and showcases a genre-defying program inspired by jazz and funk but uniquely original in arrangement and aesthetic approach. Real Life was produced by Michael League and recorded at his Estudi Vint in Catalonia, Spain, and finds Głyk joined by such like-minded musicians as Casey Benjamin, Robert “Sput” Searight and Brett Williams, among others. Release date: January 26.
Marlon Simon and the Nagual Spirits, On Different Paths (Truth Revolution)
On Different Paths is the fifth album from drummer, percussionist and composer Marlon Simon with his eclectic ensemble, The Nagual Spirits. Partly funded by Simon’s 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship, this bold new project propels beyond the innovative fusion of pan-Latin jazz and classical elements found in their earlier works, embracing a captivating blend of diverse cultural and musical traditions. Release date: January 26.
Philip Glass, Philip Glass Solo (Orange Mountain)
Philip Glass, one of America’s most esteemed composers, shares an intimate collection of solo piano versions of some of his most enduring works on his latest album. Philip Glass Solo offers a portrait of the renowned pianist at 84 and was recorded in his New York home studio, offering one of his most personal recordings to date. Release date: January 26.
Featured photo by Kwafu Alston.
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