Amoeba Music

Recorded at Oscar Peterson’s final date of a long international tour, the magic of consistent performing gives this gig a mind-blowing quality. The legendary Canadian pianist performs alongside guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Dave Young, and drummer Martin Drew. This previously unreleased concert is a stunning addition to the continuing legacy of this beloved master of music.

Versatile double-bassist Christian McBride is joined by Inside Straight (saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin, and drummer Carl Allen) for this swinging, no-holds-barred live album. This recording works as a companion of sorts to the 2015 GRAMMY® Award-winning Christian McBride Trio Live at the Village Vanguard.

Relief is a new benefit album brimming with jazz greats, the proceeds from which go to the Jazz Foundation of America’s Emergency Fund, created in 2020 to aid musicians affected by the pandemic. Cécile McLorin Salvant’s vocals glide wonderfully through “Easy Come Easy Go” and saxophonist Kenny Garrett is light and smooth on “Joe Hen’s Waltz.” Jon Batiste’s “Sweet Lorraine” is a lovely gem, plus Christian McBride, Hiromi Uehara and more also lend their considerable talents to this worthy project. But perhaps the highlight is the live recording from the JFA’s “A Great Night in Harlem” 2014 benefit concert which features Herbie Hancock, Wallace Roney (RIP), Buster Williams, Albert “Tootie” Heath, and Jimmy Heath (RIP).

The restored vocals of Nat "King" Cole are paired up with contemporary vocalists this holiday season for A Sentimental Christmas with Nat "King" Cole and Friends: Cole Classics Reimagined. Johnny Mathis, Kristin Chenoweth, John Legend, Gloria Estefan and Calum Scott take turns singing with that legendary voice, thanks to the magic of GRAMMY-winning engineer Dave Reitzas who brought us Natalie Cole's virtual duets with her late father. From Estefan's full-bodied vocals to sweet-voiced Chenoweth to the smoothness of John Legend, this is the perfect group to spice up these classics.

Source - We Move is a remix of saxophonist Nubya Garcia's 2020 album Source, featuring House, Hip-hop, broken beat, R&B and world fusion artists. The result is an eclectic reimagining of an already fascinating album, with artists like DJ Harrison, Kiadi Tatham, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dengue Dengue Dengue lending their talents. The soulful "La cumbia me esta llamando" gets a funky lift from Tatham, and "Boundless Beings" goes from gently spacey to swinging and groovy in the hands of Muldrow. Dengue Dengue Dengue pick up the pace of the dub-tinged "Source" with some well-placed keys and synth effects.

It might seem like a no-brainer for Norah Jones to have recorded a Christmas album, but I Dream of Christmas is actually the first one for the jazzy, golden-voiced artist. Naturally, it’s several rungs above your standard holiday fare, including strong originals like the stylish and quirky “Christmas Glow” and “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones),” a subtly groovy number with head-bopping percussion. Jones also delights with her renditions of the classics, especially her swinging and sultry rendition of The Chipmunks’ “Christmas Don’t Be Late.”

It’s hard to believe that Sounds from The Ancestors is the inimitable Kenny Garrett’s twentieth album. Whereas many artists with half of Garrett’s prolific output seem to coast on their laurels, the acclaimed alto saxophonist and composer is creating work that sounds as life-affirming, exciting, and rewarding as ever. Inspired by the history of Detroit, ancestral and evocative sounds of Cuba, Nigeria, Guadeloupe, and France, with a firm foundation in Jazz, gospel, and R&B traditions, Garrett has described the album as an attempt to channel the soulful sounds of his musical childhood. He succeeds in spades, with this album puling from the past while writing its own present. An album that should reverberate long into the future and become a favorite of many.

Joey DeFrancesco might be at his most impressive as a performer on the incredible More Music. The virtuoso organist offers up ten originals that already sound and feel like future jazz classics, the mood vibrant and enticing throughout the album's just right run time. DeFrancesco accentuates his organ skills with performances on trumpet, keys, piano, and tenor sax, and contributions from Lucas Brown (organ/guitar) and Michael Ode (drums). It doesn’t get much better than this, folks.

GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum presents his second Christmas album, the reverent and soulful new How Does Christmas Sound?. Instead of an overly cheery collection of carols or holiday classics, Whalum offers originals and familiar tunes that highlight the spiritual side of the holiday. The set even includes a cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” that turns the object of desire into something more holy.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Erroll Garner’s birth, the Erroll Garner Project and Mack Avenue present a previously unreleased live recording of his 1959 concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall. The sold-out concert featured the virtuoso jazz pianist in full swing with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums and a set that includes music from Other Voices (1957) and Erroll Garner Plays Gershwin & Kern (1976), as well as his beloved ballad “Misty.” It’s a wonderful way to celebrate a jazz great at the height of his talents.