New music you’d like to share.

[Half Life 1,803]

Good stuff!

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Jim Rotondi & Dena DeRose, Out Of The Past was released on August 21, 2026.

 

"Although trumpeter Jim Rotondi and pianist-singer Dena DeRose had wanted to record together for years, life always seemed to get in the way. Finally, when they were both on faculty at the University for Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria, Rotondi decided to make it happen. He booked a studio in Vienna, enlisted the services of esteemed Austrian bassist Danny Ziemann (his studio) and drummer Mario Gonzi, and on June 23, 2024, the quartet recorded Out of the Past. Barely two weeks later Rotondi was dead, the victim of a heart attack less than two months before his 62nd birthday. As the album had been on a back burner, so to speak, for more than three decades, it was released posthumously as a final tribute to Rotondi's remarkable talents."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

 

[BluesMan57 1,699]

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Skinny Hightower, Feels Like Destiny was released on August 21, 2026.

 

"Skinny Hightower blends jazz, funk and 1970s soul into a modern, deeply personal sound, revealing a remarkably versatile musician with plenty more to say."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Eric Essix, Streets of Gold was released on July 17, 2026.

 

"Since the release of his debut album, First Impressions, in 1988, guitarist Eric Essix has remained committed to documenting his musical journey—offering listeners an intimate look into both the artist and the man behind the music. As Eric often says, he has maintained consistency “by keeping my head down, moving forward, and focusing on the work.”"

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

 

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Enoch Smith Jr, This is What Love Does was released on August 28, 2026.

 

"Joining Smith on the record are his usual accompanists, bassist Kai Gibson and drummer Logan Bogdan. This trio is as cohesive as possible, bringing to mind the tightness of the great Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen, and the soulful lilt of the Ahmad Jamal Trio with Jamil Sulieman Nasser and Frank Gant. The only exception to this trio format is the smooth Latin-tinged groove of "When I Think of You," Adding a delightful layer is Paula Winter on auxiliary percussion."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

 

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

The Greg Abate Quartet, In The Moment was released on August 7, 2026.

 

"Some jazz musicians spend a lifetime refining a sound. After five decades of recording and performing with various ensembles, Greg Abate is determined not only to continue mastering his vibe but keep pushing its possibilities forward. On In the Moment, his latest Summit Records release by the Greg Abate Quartet, the veteran saxophonist and flutist surrounds himself with pianist Bill O’Connell, bassist Harvie S and drummer Steve Johns, a tightly knit unit whose collective chemistry seems to draw fresh dynamics from his playing as he enters yet another phase of his relentlessly exploratory musical journey."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

[Receiver2000 5,132]

That's really nice - smoking a cigar with a glass of bourbon nice.

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Norside, Coal and Soul was released on July 10, 2026.

 

"The current popularity of primarily instrumental bands combining funk, blues, R&B and soul can’t be entirely traced to the UK’s New Mastersounds. But there is no question that the recently disbanded quartet’s output, which began in 2000, brought new life and a fresh attitude to a genre that experienced a brief commercial surge in the mid-60s.

 

Dubbed “Rust Belt Music,” a reference to Norside’s Pittsburgh hometown as is the album’s title, the threesome elaborates that their “identity isn’t revivalist—it’s lived in.” The assertion is that they “are not a ‘jazz’ band or a ‘jam’ band. This is feel good music.”

 

You can read the rst of the review here...

 

 

 

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Tony Grey featuring Bob James, Nostalgia was released on July 24, 2026.

 

"Pianist Bob James and British-born bassist Tony Grey have crossed paths over the years while on the road and this collaboration materialised after Bob had contacted Tony via social media. This led to Tony Grey visiting Bob James' home studio where the two collaborated in writing and recording. From those sessions, emerged a body of music, culminating in this fine recording. For Grey, this is his first recording for nine years (his last release being the solo album Galactic Duo)."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

 

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Amir the Movement Simply, Impression was released on January 26, 2026.

 

"Amir Arrington is Bass Guitarist of The Movement Simply and Founder Owner of Studio 155th Community Outreach and Studios in South Chicago.

 

He is a Visionary of Music and his landscapes of progressive sounds include influences from many genres of music. The most prominent styles are Gospel & Modern Jazz Fusion with rhythmic ideas influenced by Brazilian & African world music and even electronic dance sounds and grooves."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

 

 

[Sk1Bum 13,622]

Althea Rene, Conspiracy Theory was released on April 24, 2026.

 

"Althea René deserves every bit of praise for her album Conspiracy Theory. This album is a sophisticated addition to her discography and underlines her status as one of  the premier flutists in the smooth jazz scene."

 

You can read the rest of the review here...

 

 

[Receiver2000 5,132]

Never really hear too much flute. Can only recall Hubert Laws and Tim Weisberg. I like it.