The editors of JAZZIZ have the good fortune of being able to listen to new music before it’s officially released in stores and streaming platforms. And because we’re always listening to new tunes, we always know just what to recommend. That’s why we’ll bring you a roundup of ten songs each week, featuring music from our favorite new albums, singles and other tunes that may have flown under your radar.
We kick off this week’s playlist with a track from a newly-discovered 1993 live recording of a then 23-year-old Roy Hargrove performing The Love Suite: In Mahogany, a Jazz at Lincoln Center commission highlighting his prodigious talent. Gregory Hutchinson and Leona Berlin tell the story of a passionate relationship that teeters on the edge of uncertainty on “Losing You” from the drummer’s new album, Da Bang. L.A. trio Moonchild offer a spacious revisiting of “Money” from their 2019 album, Little Ghost, on their new EP, Reflections.
Soul singer/songwriter Judith Hill speaks to the reflections of an artist finally taking time to look in the rearview mirror on her life’s path on her new single, “Runaway Train.” Pianist Arina Fujiwara introduces her transformation of Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” on her recording debut, Neon. Berlin’s Moses Yoofee Trio’s “Ocean” reflects the spontaneity, inspiration and instinctive refinement of their live performances and serves as the title track of their new album. Blues icon Bobby Rush takes the spotlight on “Boogie in the Dark” from Basie Swings the Blues, the new album by The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart.
Jeff Lorber has released The Drop, a new album with his Jeff Lorber Fusion group, featuring an all-original program and kicking off with a thrilling title track. OKAN fuse classical forms with transitions from Santiago de Cuba on “La Reina del Norte” from Okantomi. Our conclusive track is a new rendition of the Rodgers and Hart composition “Isn’t It Romantic?,” the second single from Master Legacy Series Vol. 5, Emmet Cohen’s collaboration with saxophonist Houston Person.
Listen to this week’s JAZZIZ Editors’ Choice Playlist via the player below.
Featured photo courtesy of Blue Engine Records.
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