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Maybe this pause is only temporary while they get reorganized. Apparently changes needed to be made. *****

That is all.

Release date October 31: The exquisite vocal gifts of Theo Bleckmann have enlivened the works of many composers and improvisers over the years. This has unfortunately often led to his own projects becoming a rarity. Bleckmann's new recording, Love and Anger, presents the full scope of the vocalist's wide ranging musical talents with collaborators new and old on material imbued with heart.One of Bleckmann's more recent collaborators, Ulysses Owens, Jr., had loved Bleckmann's Hello Earth, a recording highlighting the music of Kate Bush. Bleckmann and Owens' time on the road allowed for a friendship to blossom, leading Owens to express his intention to produce a recording for Bleckmann in 2024.The duo's efforts were fluid and fast, as they chose material that they felt would highlight Bleckmann's unique abilities and, also, was connected to his unique aesthetic. They really wanted to highlight Bleckmann's innate ability to take another composer's work and excavate something out of it that wasn't already there. His pure and daring voice has inspired compositions by Ben Monder, John Hollenbeck, Phil Kline, Ikue Mori, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Julia Wolfe and David Lang, whose chamber opera "Note to a Friend" (commissioned by Japan Society and directed by Yoshi Oida) was composed specifically for Bleckmann's unique sound and sensibility.The musicians recruited to accompany Bleckmann on this deeply personal recording are fellow journeymen on many of Bleckmann's projects, truly making this a band of friends. Drummer Owens is accompanied by stalwart bassist Matt Penman and pianist Mike King, a brilliant performer to whom Bleckmann was introduced during the Songs of Freedom tour. Longtime collaborators Ben Monder and woodwind specialist Timo Vollbrecht are also featured prominently on a number of pieces. These partnerships extend a lineage of trusted creative bonds-Bleckmann has maintained long-term associations with the late Sheila Jordan, Meredith Monk, and Monder, most recently appearing with Monk in her 2024 Park Avenue Armory blockbuster Indra's Net.The ensemble recording was made on July 24, 2024, at Trading 8s Studio by Chris Sulit and then mixed and mastered by Dave Darlington. It begins with two Kate Bush compositions. "Love and Anger" is a song about deep secrets, in this case those of the ills of the Catholic church. Bleckmann's multilayered vocals float above the driving quartet as he asks for resolution from an ugly reality. Bush's "Bertie" delivers a message of love for a child but also a concern for their existence in a confusing moment in time. ABOUT THEO BLECKMANN Since the 1990s, Bleckmann has added a flexible and creative voice to the worlds of jazz, improv, and new music. His vast network of collaborators has grown throughout time, creating longtime partnerships with brilliant musicians like Meredith Monk, Ben Monder, and John Hollenbeck. He has also forged acclaimed collaborations with Laurie Anderson, Ambrose Akinmusire, Philip Glass, John Zorn, Kneebody, The Westerlies, and the Bang on a Can All-Stars. A sought-after interpreter, Bleckmann brings his adventurous sensibility to reimagining songs across centuries-from Henry Purcell, Charles Ives, George Gershwin, and Kurt Weill to Kate Bush, Massive Attack, Frank Ocean, and the Bee Gees. He has discussed this joyful, experimental approach on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.Bleckmann's artistry has earned him Grammy nominations in both jazz and classical categories, as well as the prestigious Echo Award in his native Germany. He has toured Europe with the Oulu Symphony Orchestra and the UMO Jazz Big Band, and just returned from a tour of Japan with orchestra performing the music of Joe Hisaishi.As a composer and bandleader, he has released more than two decades' worth of influential albums, including the luminous Elegy (ECM) and the witty, propulsive 12 Easy Songs (commissioned by National Sawdust, forthcoming in 2026 for ECM).

Release date November 14: Jazz Master Kenny Barron's Songbook, is a landmark recording that will cement his place in the pantheon of jazz greats. Joined by his long-standing trio -Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums - he unveils a collection of original compositions interpreted by an extraordinary cast of guest vocalists, including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kurt Elling, Ann Hampton Callaway, Catherine Russell, Jean Baylor, Tyreek McDole, Ekep Nkwelle, and Kavita Shah. Seamlessly blending lyrical sophistication, harmonic depth, and rhythmic vitality, Songbook is both a celebration of Kenny Barron's artistry and a defining statement in a career that has shaped the sound of modern jazz. This is not just a new album- it is a legacy in the making.

Release date November 7: Old Knew is Gregory Groover, Jr's follow-up to his 2024 Criss Cross debut, Lovabye, on which - in the exalted company of Joel Ross, Aaron Parks, Vicente Archer and Marcus Gilmore - he projected his soulful, reflective tenor saxophone voice throughout an 11-track recital of, as Groover puts it, original "love songs and songs of people I love." On Old Knew, Groover, 32, addresses similarly inspired repertoire from a different angle, eliciting collective kineticism and creative spirit from a pan-generational A-list quintet, comprising Ross, the nonpareil 30-year-old vibraphonist; Paul Cornish, the 20-something pianist; and the glorious drummer Kendrick Scott and bass provocateur Harish Raghavan, both 40-something. Total CD time: 53:49 min

Release date November 7: Brandon Sanders returns to Savant Records, and his new recording is something to get excited about. After turning critics' heads with two previous recordings, Brandon is stepping it up with his new project that's all energy and heart. Part of the buzz comes from the stellar lineup. Joining the session is pianist Eric Scott Reed, certainly a name that carries serious weight in jazz today. Reed is one of those rare players who can make any ensemble shine, and his chemistry with Brandon is remarkable, to say the least. Also on hand is Jazzmeia Horn, the Grammy-nominated vocalist with the voice that's been compared to Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan. Joining forces with Sanders once again, she's featured on two tracks, and her singular style-which combines the timeless with the futuristic-brings a whole other dimension to the music. With music by the Gershwins, Mal Waldron, Eric Scott Reed and the leader himself, this is more than just another album-it's the sound of Brandon Sanders coming into full focus. The entire album is rooted in tradition, shaped by experience, and voiced with a clarity that marks him as an important presence on the US jazz scene. Jazz pianist Lafayette Harris Jr. Presents a new recording that promises to uphold the high standards set with his 2023 album "Swingin' Up in Harlem." That record earned some serious ink, with All About Jazz calling it "top-dollar... it simply does not get much better than this." Here, Lafayette's back in the Van Gelder Studio, this time with Jeremy Pelt, one of the most in-demand jazz trumpeters-voted Rising Star on trumpet for five straight years by both DownBeat and the Jazz Journalists Association, and praised for his melodic, post-bop approach that blends familiar elements with a cutting-edge musical vocabulary. But Lafayette has brought another of his friends to the party-Houston Person, the distinguished senior statesman of the tenor saxophone, who sits in on one track. This is a man whose decades of deeply personal playing, accompanying, and mentorship have shaped the sound of jazz today. His contribution to the session is not just noteworthy, it's what some might call "an event." With this remarkable lineup, Lafayette Harris Jr.'s "All in Good Time" is like a detailed map across a musical landscape. Jazz fans attuned to both tradition and originality will find that this recording flows like a river through the music's history-vibrant, alive, and full of surprises.

Release date October 17: Wolfgang Muthspiel and his trio with Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums goes into its third recording venture swinging, setting the stage for what may be the group's most adventurous trio recording. As has become custom, Wolfgang alternates between acoustic and electric guitars fluently and in equal measures, framing his soft touch and fluid lines in a program that seems to encompass the entirety of the broad idiomatic scope he has unraveled over the past decades. Recorded live in Birmingham during a Contemporary Music Network tour in 2002, Tramonto finds UK pianist John Taylor in a celebratory, outgoing mood, fronting one of his most dynamic and quick-witted groups, with US musicians Marc Johnson and Joey Baron. Here, the repertoire features the well-known Taylor tunes "Pure and Simple," "Between Moons" and "Ambleside" (heard in an epic 15-minute version), as well as the Ralph Towner-composed title track and Steve Swallow's "Up Too Late." In all, a welcome reminder of what a creative force John Taylor could be, as leader of an outstanding piano trio.

Release date November 7: Chet Baker is an icon and needs no introduction! He is currently one of the best known and best selling Jazz artist in the world. Chet Baker performs & sings SWIMMING by MOONLIGHT is a new Chet Baker album that draws from previously unreleased material recorded near the end of his life. From 1986-1987, Chet traveled and worked with the photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber on a project that would become their Oscar-nominated documentary "Let's Get Lost"[1988]. During this period, Chet performed in Cannes, France and recorded sessions at Studio Davout in Paris and Sage and Sound Studio in Hollywood. Long rumored to exist, this will likely be the last new, unreleased Chet Baker music to ever be released. It has been in Bruce Weber's archive for nearly 40 years. Inspired for release by the film - which celebrated it's 35th anniversary last year - SWIMMING byMOONLIGHT is a two-record soundtrack album curated by Bruce Weber and produced by Chet collaborator John Leftwich that compiles music, dialogue and live concert recordings. Slow Down Sounds is thrilled and honored to officially license this music from Little Bear, Inc and release it to the world!

Noal Cohen has updated his discography with new info regarding this session, much of which was helpfully provided by Joe Harley: Tina Brooks Discography - Noal Cohen's Jazz History Website The three new tracks with Tina are great! Note that, curiously, the 6 extra songs differ from the info that was shared in the very first post in this thread. In the spirit of revisiting dates with Tina Brooks, it seems there could be extra material to be considered for the following sessions (Tina may not be on all tracks): The Sermon 2/25/58 (3 songs) Cool Blues 4/7/58 (7 songs) Back To The Tracks 10/20/60 (1 song) Could there be enough for a Jimmy Smith/Tina Brooks out-takes CD? Will purists accuse Blue Note of scraping the bottom of the barrel? The three new tracks with Tina are great, just got my mind blown by his solo on Hackensack/Lady Be Good.

You want to puke? For some unfathomable reason, she was chosen to 'play' Abbey Lincoln in a recreation of Max Roach's We Insist. Nasheet Waits was leading the band, maybe he just did not know. An insult to Abbey's memory and everything she and Max fought for. Several us boycotted the gig.

My friends at work kindly gave me a gift certificate for KC. I still have $65 left on it, no idea how I will use it, except the gift shop may have some CDs. I attended the April Jason Moran and friends concert. Great lineup on paper but somewhat underwhelming, I felt it did not quite gel. I saw a couple of things that I was surprised were able to go through: 1) Sun Ra Arkestra when Marshall Allen was receiving his Jazz Masters award in April. I have never sung along to 'Space Is The Place' with more glee. 2) Fay Victor's Herbie Nichols SUNG in May. Fantastic project, but definitely 'left of center'. My last visit there was a free event for the DC Jazz Festival. There was some unpleasantness on the shuttle bus on the way over which I cannot discuss here per forum rules.

I bought this set on a whim fairly recently. Basically because it was cheap...ordinarily the instrumentation and mostly solo singing wouldn't appeal so much. But I think it's great and am happy I bought it (farewell Berkshire Record Outlet and thanks for the memories).

Wait...does this mean that they used one deck per track? Surely not? Or do they mean one reel per track? As far as Frank being in the room with me...not sure how I feel about that. Would he be in a good mood?

Some really fine playing by Vincent Herring on this one.

Power Rankings https://3downnation.com/2025/09/15/3downnation-cfl-power-rankings-montreal-alouettes-reset-expectations-with-stunning-upset-of-riders/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/2025-week-15-piffles-power-rankings/ ***** Week 15 reviews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/15/landrys-5-takeaways-from-week-15-4/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/15/5-pff-stats-that-stand-out-from-week-15/ ***** Season review https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/15/mmqb-4-reasons-to-be-excited-about-25-cfl-season/ ***** Let's think about the standings. Every year I say that an 8-10 team can expect to make the playoffs, but a 7-11 team probably won't. So that means that Sask, Calgary and Hamilton are in. The other six teams have five games left, and they are separated by only two games. So this might go down to the wire.

Slight price reduction. This is still available, and I will keep it posted through the weekend, as I did not go to my local record store yesterday to trade this in as I had intended. Thanks. Offered for sale is a beautiful vinyl box set of the Grateful Dead's legendary RFK 6/10/73 show This is one of the greatest Dead shows ever and the vinyl makes it sound the best it ever has. Grateful Dead: RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., 6/10/73 8 LP, Rhino, 2023 Everything (records, slipcase, insert) is in Near Mint (NM) condition Records played once and all records are flat and play perfectly Limited Edition of 9000 copies. $109 (+ $11 media mail shipping for this heavy box set). U.S. shipping only. Payment by pay pal friends/family

The Albert Ayler and The British Invasion box sets are still available, and prices reduced on them, as I did not get around to going to my local record store yesterday to trade those in as I had intended. I will keep them posted through the weekend. Thanks. Shipping is $6.50 per item (I can combine shipping if multiple items ordered). U.S. shipping only. Payment by pay pal friends/family. The British Invasion: The History of British Rock, Vols 1-4 4 CD, Rhino, 1990 CDs and CD jewel cases: Excellent Slipcase: Very Good. Slipcase has an approx. 1" tear to top edge of slipcase and some shelf wear to corners and edges. $30 Albert Ayer: Revaluations: The Complete ORTF Fondation Maeght Recordings (4 CD, Elemental Music, 2022) CDs, CD digipacks, booklet: Mint Slipcase: Near Mint due to a horizontal scratch to mid slipcase spine which is how it arrived to me from Amazon. It is a superficial scratch (may be due to a box cutter) and not deep. Otherwise, everything is basically like new. $27

Most of what they're doing at BN now is just rehashing the work Cuscuna did in the CD era, which does encompass the umbrella of EMI holdings that constituted "Blue Note" CD releases back in the day (i.e BN & later tape acquisitions, Capitol, Roulette, Pacific Jazz/WP, United Artists, Solid State, Transition, Jazz West, Aladdin, Imperial, Colpix, maybe a couple others I can't think of at the moment)

👍 😁 One of my favorite West Coast vinyls

What does that title mean?

Pianist Enoch Smith Jr. Returns to Recording After an 8-Year Absence with "The Book of Enoch Vol. 1," Set for November 7 Release On Misfitme Music Recording Features 7 Hymns, Both Traditional & More Contemporary, Given Smith's Own Mainstream Jazz Treatments & Played by His Trio   September 15, 2025 Enoch Smith Jr. gives the gospel music repertoire a fresh infusion of blues and swing with the heartfelt, hard-driving The Book of Enoch Vol. 1, to be released November 7 on his own Misfitme Music. Played by his trio of bassist Kai Gibson and drummer David Hardy, the album—Smith’s sixth, and his first in eight years—obviously draws deeply on the gospel tradition but presents its seven tunes in the context of soulful, infectious straightahead jazz. In other words, it might not be the sound one first associates with a collection of hymns old and new. Yet Smith, who is director of music and worship at the Allentown Presbyterian Church (APC) in New Jersey, had done many of these rearrangements and reimaginings for its jazz vespers. Everyone who heard it encouraged him to share it with the world. “Even the patrons at the services were, like, ‘Are you going to do anything with this? This is some really great music.’ So that’s what led to recording it,” Smith says. “You know, these are great songs. These songs feel good. These songs make me feel good.” How could they not, the way Smith plays them? His take on Andrae Crouch’s “Soon and Very Soon” is loaded to the brim with hope and good cheer, while “Gracefully”—the pianist’s own adaptation of “Amazing Grace”—is indeed full of grace but also a firm resolve. Meanwhile, the traditional hymn “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho” balances lively, forward-moving swing with a lithe, almost flamenco-like Afro-Latin flourish. Enoch Smith Jr. (center) with bassist Kai Gibson & drummer David Hardy. There is also a more introspective side to The Book of Enoch. It’s on display in the quiet splendor of “Holy City,” and in the subtle, serene, yet confident readings of Kenneth Morris’s “Christ Is All” and Ralph Carmichael’s “A Quiet Place.” Even as the closing “Mitch’s Moves” radiates celebration from its bouncy rhythm, it also suggests a more personal, thoughtful trajectory in its melodic and improvisational movement. Smith, Gibson, and Hardy have long played these songs at APC’s jazz vespers services, and when they took the material into the studio they approached it in a similar fashion: played as one full set, all the way through. It captures their skill and spontaneity, but also the joy and assurance that each musician (and all of them, together) bring to the performance. “To be honest, I hadn’t really missed recording,” Smith says of his long absence from the studio. “I’ve never loved the scene itself…. I've just always loved creating music. I’m hoping to just add something to this beautiful landscape.” Enoch Smith Jr. was born November 24, 1978, in Rochester, New York, and was already musical by the time he was a toddler, singing in the children’s choir at church. It set the course for his childhood, which would include trumpet in middle school, concert choir in high school, and drums in the church—before he began teaching himself piano at 14 and also became the church’s substitute pianist. As he exhibited and developed these talents, Smith found encouragement to continue music as a serious pursuit. He thus matriculated at Boston’s Berklee College of Music; Smith had learned to play by ear, and now he needed to learn sight reading and theory just to keep up with his own classmates. (It left him feeling like a misfit, hence the name he would one day give to his record label, Misfitme Music). He continued to play in the church, keeping in touch with his musical roots and inspiration, as he also gained new inspiration from his studies at Berklee. Settling after college in Brooklyn, NY, Smith recorded his first album, Church Boy, in 2010, with the next two, Misfits and Misfits II, following in 2011 and 2015, and To Houston, With Love in 2018. Each recording experimented with the possibilities of pop, rock, and R&B, while also anchoring themselves at the natural intersections of gospel music and jazz. 2016’s The Quest: Live at APC hit that intersection where it lives: at Allentown Presbyterian Church, where Smith serves as director of music and worship. Smith spent the next eight years focusing on a life in Allentown, raising a family, teaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu to underprivileged kids in the community, and leading Jazz Vespers at APC. The overwhelming positive reception he received for putting his own twist on the hymns he played each Sunday led him back to the studio to make The Book of Enoch, Vol. 1. Photography: Mark Krajnak    "The Book of Enoch Vol. 1" EPK  Enoch Smith Jr. Website