Amoeba Music

Featuring guest appearances by Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Sam Amidon, and more, New York guitarist Marc Ribot has compiled of a collection of tracks, ranging from World War II-era resistance songs to newly penned commentaries on Donald Trump, as an eclectic document of protest in the face of oppression.

Prolific jazz bassist Christian McBride has a new ensemble, calling itself the New Jawn. Consisting of Josh Evans' trumpet, Marcus Strickland's saxophone, Nasheet Waits' drums and McBride's bass, the quartet really feels the space left by omitting a chordal instrument, giving much of the numbers a weightlessness and unpredictability, like in "Ke-Kelli Sketch," which goes from a seemingly structure-less exploration to an independent, yet cohesive groove.

Salsa legend Ruben Blades joined Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2014 for a critically acclaimed series that crossed genres and blended swing standards with Blades' own Afro-Cuban numbers. Now the experience is available on CD, with highlights including the singer's “Pedro Navaja” and “El Cantante” as well as Cole Porter's “Begin the Beguine,” all arranged by the orchestra's bassist Carlos Henriques. On the single, “Ban Ban Quere,” the exciting combination of rhythms from these virtuoso players dances around Blades' flexible voice with an infectious live energy.

Two time Grammy winner Cecile McLorin Salvant teams up with acclaimed New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner for her latest, The Window. McLorin Savant’s velvety voice is a natural fit for these moody romantic numbers and her impressive vocal range certainly comes out to play. Listening to the album is an intimate experience, like sitting in a smoky, underground jazz club listening to the duo play their hearts out — for an audience of one. But isn’t that love? Expect sophisticated renditions of classics by Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stevie Wonder, Bernstein/Sondheim, as well as an original French language composition by the gifted Ms. McLorin Salvant.