Streamnotes: April 28, 2026

Most of these are short notes/reviews based on streaming records from Napster (formerly Rhapsody; other sources are noted in brackets). They are snap judgments, usually based on one or two plays, accumulated since my last post along these lines, back on March 31. Past reviews and more information are available here (26500+ records).

New Music

Juhani Aaltonen + Raoul Björkenheim: Nostalgia (2025 [2026], Eclipse Music): Finnish saxophonist/flautist, made some superb albums in the 1970s, with nothing under his own name between 1982-2000, but recorded much after that, including this album a few months before he turned 90. He plays flute here, in duets with the Finnish guitarist. I'm not much of a flute fan, but in the past he's stood out enough I've voted for him in polls. He's still on top here. B+(***) [sp]

Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman: Miami Lice: Season Four (2026, Rhymesayers Entertainment): Underground rappers Ian Bavitz and Angelo Del Villar II, both with long and notable solo careers, fourth EP/album together as Lice, getting closer to album length with 8 songs, 27:11. B+(***) [sp]

Ali & Charif Megarbane: Tirakat (2026, Habibi Funk): Ali (140 on Discogs) is a Jakarta-based trio, with a couple of previous albums. Megarbane is a Lebanese composer-producer of somewhat longer standing, including aliases like Cosmic Analog Ensemble, The Free Association Syndicate, The Submarine Chronicles, and Trans-Mara Express. B+(*) [sp]

Paulo Almeida: Love in Motion (2025 [2026], Dox): Brazilian drummer, also sings, sixth studio album, with Lorenzzo Vitolo (piano, synths), Josh Schofield (alto/soprano sax), Joan Codina (bass), plus vibes (Jorge Rossy) on one track, vocals (Lisette Spinnler) on another. Nice groove, vocals hit/miss. B+(**) [cd]

Rodrigo Amado/This Is Our Language Quartet: Wailers (2019 [2026], European Echoes): The Portuguese tenor saxophonist's "American Quartet," with Joe McPhee (tenor sax), Kent Kessler (bass), and Chris Corsano (drums), first appeared on the album This Is Our Language in 2012. Impressive, as always, especially when both saxes crank up. A- [dl]

Angine De Poitrine: Vol. II (2026, Spectacles Bonzaï): Instrumental rock duo, from Chicoutimi in Quebec (I've been there, and think of it as far enough off the beaten path to be the Duluth of Canada), appear on stage with masks, one playing microtonal guitar, the other drums. B+(***) [sp]

Atlantic Road Trip: Watch as the Echo Falls (2025 [2026], Calligram): Trio of Chad McCullough (trumpet/synths), Paul Towndrow (alto sax/flute/whistles) and Miro Herak (vibes), sort of chamber jazz. B+(*) [cd]

Elles Bailey: Can't Take My Story Away (2026, Cooking Vinyl): English singer-songwriter, slotted over there as Americana, draws more on blues than country, eighth album since 2017. Strong singer, sounds good. B+(**) [sp]

Teller Bank$: Hate Island (2026, $357ENT): Underground rapper from Des Moines, half-dozen self-released albums since 2019, gave his label a name here. Interesting vibe here, but the pleasures aren't unequivocal. B+(**) [sp]

Yaya Bey: Fidelity (2026, Drink Sum Wtr): Neo-soul singer-songwriter from New York, seventh album since 2016. B+(***) [sp]

Mara Calder: We Stay Ugly 'Til the Pretty Decays (2026, Black Metal Archives Label): According to the only www source I can find, "Mara Calder is a 16-year-old musician and street-smart resident of Black City. Known as the girlfriend and creative partner of Kai (Purple C), she possesses the supernatural ability to see the dead, accompanied by her ghost companion Eli. A talented producer and vocalist, she balances high school life with the chaotic urban underground and paranormal encounters." Based on this debut album, I don't believe a word of this (except "talented producer and vocalist"), even before noting that the website seems to be a catalog of AI characters. Label is British, goes by BMAL, motto "Always underground/always antifascist," self-described as "an artist-first collective, operating on a transparent license." First song is "Junkyard Cabaret," built from "detuned piano, upright bass, clanking metal, and found sounds," including dramatic shifts and time changes that us old-timers recall from cabaret (or postmodern opera from Meatloaf to Ethel Cain). Some ballads are just backed by piano, and are nearly as striking as the more hyper stuff. What we used to call a "tour de force." Sample lyric: "If it's crashing, let it burn." A- [sp]

Julie Campiche [Solo]: Unspoken (2024 [2026], Ronin Rhythm): Swiss harpist, looks like she has several previous albums (but not in Discogs), this one billed as "Solo" (but with sampled voices and electronics, plus bass on 4 of 8 tracks; one track features a Spanish poem by Las Patronas (a group of Mexican women who help migrants to the US) accompanied by drum and shruti. B+(***) [sp]

Chicago Soul Jazz Collective: No Wind & No Rain (2026, Calligram): Original songs by Larry Brown Jr. (guitar, some vocals) and John Fournier (tenor sax), with lead vocals by Dee Alexander, and support from Ryan Nyther (trumpet), Amr Fahmy (keyboards), Micah Collier (basses), and Keith Brooks II (drums). B+(**) [cd]

Paul Citro: Keep Moving (Home) (2024-25 [2026], Calligram): Chicago guitarist, first album, quartet with Nick Mazzarella (alto sax/wurlitzer), Matt Ulery (bass), and Quin Kitchner (drums), playin original pieces by Citro. B+(*) [cd] [05-01]

Caleb Wheeler Curtis: Ritual (2025 [2026], Chill Tone): Plays stritch mostly, with spots of soprano/sopranino sax and trumpet. Has several albums since 2018. This one with Hery Paz (tenor sax/flute), Orrin Evans (piano, 4/9 tracks in the middle), Vicente Archer (bass), and Michael Sarin (drums). B+(***) [cd]

Chalk: Crystalpunk (2026, Alter Music): Industrial dance-punk band from Belfast, first album, Ross Cullen the vocalist, Benedict Goddard multi-instrumentalist, they seem to also have some accomplishments in film. Starts out sounding like what I think metal should sound like, but they're more varied, and ultimately not much more hardcore than, say, the Fall (or some other 1980s band I can't recall but can almost picture). That seems about right, though I still haven't plumbed much depth here. B+(***) [sp]

Stew Cutler & Friends: Under Cover (Mostly) (2025 [2026], self-released): Guitarist, also plays harmonica, has several albums going back to 2000, mostly jazz side-credits (Bobby Previte, Wayne Horvitz), although I'm seeing this filed under blues (which works best when the friend is vocalist Bobby Harden; less so with the organ). Some nifty guitar in spots (but "Summer Breeze" is a bit too saccharine). B+(*) [sp]

Dälek: Brilliance of a Falling Moon (2026, Ipecac): Newark-based experimental hip-hop group, principally Will Brooks (MC Dälek), six albums 1998-2010, returned in 2016 with producer Mike Manteca (Mike Mare), fourth album together. Some interesting industrial undertow. B+(***) [sp]

Damana: Rhizome (2023 [2025], Umulius): Octet led by Norwegian drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen, released a good album on Clean Feed in 2016, group with three saxophones, trumpet, trombone, piano, and bass. B+(**) [bc]

The Delines: The Set Up (2026, Decor/El Cortez/Jealous Butcher): Retro country-soul band from Portland, led by reputable novelist Willy Vlautin, Amy Boone the vocalist, seventh album since 2014. B+(***) [sp]

Elucid & Sebb Bash: I Guess U Had to Be There (2026, Backwoodz Studioz): Rapper Chaz Hall, has a dozen or so albums on his own since 2007, aside from his work in Armand Hammer. With Swiss producer Sebastian Bashmolean. Pretty dense. B+(**) [sp]

Avalon Emerson & the Charm: Written Into Changes (2026, Dead Oceans): Singer-songwriter from Arizona, has a reputation as a Berlin DJ and electronic music producer, but at least here sings on what I'd call electropop (or synth-pop), keeping as group name the title of her 2023 debut. A- [sp]

Fcukers: Ö (2026, Ninja Tune): New York dance-pop group (duo? trio?), first album (11 songs, 28:57) after a couple of EPs. Lightweight but functional, which may be enough. B+(***) [sp]

Flea: Honora (2026, Nonesuch): Famous bassist, I recognized the pseudonym but couldn't place him (Red Hot Chili Peppers), debut solo album, plays trumpet on what is reportedly aa return to his jazz roots. That's not a parade I particularly want to rain on, but it doesn't particularly work as jazz, even as fusion. Part of this is that his social circle intrudes, and they're even less jazz-oriented than he is. B- [sp]

Marie-Paule Franke: Through the Cracks, the Light Is Born (2026, MariPosa): Jazz singer-songwriter, born in Germany, raised in Belgium, seems to be her first album, with a "New York-based quartet." First song is a tribute to Joni Mitchell. Cabaret touches, nice saxophone, a closer in French I particularly like. B+(***) [cd] [06-26]

Fuerza Regida: 111xpantia (2025, Rancho Humilde/Street Mob/Sony Music Latin): Described as "an American regional Mexican band formed in San Bernardino," ninth album since 2019, evidently very popular (Spotify credits then with 45 million streams/month). B+(**) [sp]

Sophie Gault: Unhinged (2026, Torrez Music Group): Americana singer, presumably writes some songs, second album, no notes I can find on it but puts one foot firmly in country by opening with a Buck Owens song, then rocks harder than the Nashville norm. B+(**) [sp]

Girl Scout: Brink (2026, Human Garbage): Swedish indie-pop group, Emma Jansson the singer, multiple songwriters, first album after two EPs. B+(*) [sp]

Barry Greene: Giants (2025 [2026], Origin): Guitarist, recently retired from a long career teaching at the University of North Florida, has several albums, and books and videos on jazz guitar. Half trio with Pat Bianchi (organ) and Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums); half quintet with David Kikoski (piano), Steve Nelson (vibes), Marco anascia (bass), and Owens; with one original and covers mostly from the guitarists who inspired his title (Wes Montgomery, Grant Greene, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, Russell Malone). B+(*) [cd]

Jared Hall: Hometown (2023 [2026], Origin): Trumpet player, based in Seattle, has a couple previous albums (including a Rick Margitza tribute), post-hard-bop quintet with Troy Roberts (tenor sax), Ben Markley (piano), bass, and drums. B+(**) [cd]

Phil Haynes/Ben Monder/Peyton Pleninger: Terra (2025 [2026], Corner Store Jazz): Drummer, originally from Oregon, moved to New York, was part of Joint Venture in 1987 (with Ellery Eskelin, Drew Gress, and Paul Smoker) and settled into their nook of the avant-garde, while maintaining his feeling for the "old, weird America" (not sure who coined that phrase, but you probably know what I mean). Trio with guitar and saxophone: Monder is well known, and coming off a duo with Haynes. Pleninger isn't, with just two credits on Discogs (one with Henry Threadgill). Engages gradually, but engages before the final fade. B+(***) [cd] [05-01]

IDK: E.T.D.S. A Mixtape by .IDK. (2026, Rhymesayers Entertainment): Rapper Jason Mills, born in London, parents from Sierra Leone and Ghana, grew up in Maryland, first mixtape in 2014, five albums since 2019, fifth mixtape (some as Jay IDK, I've seen this attributed both ways). Acronym stands for Even the Devil Smiles. Thematically works through a 15-year prison sentence he entered at 17 (3 years actually served). Not gangsta, but hard knocks. B+(***) [sp]

Kathy Ingraham: Jazz Dreams (2026, Peirdon): Singer, half-dozen albums since 2014, wrote two songs here, the rest rock era (roughly 1964-74) standards: "Dream On," "House of the Rising Sun," "Ruby Tuesday," "Eli's Coming," "Stairway to Heaven." Arranged by Pete Levin (piano/strings/bass), features called out for Randy Brecker (flugelhorn), Evan Christopher (clarinet), Elliott Randall (guitar), and William Galison (harmonica). B+(*) [cd]

Irreversible Entanglements: Future Present Past (2026, Impulse!): DC-based free jazz collective, fifth studio album since 2017, with Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother, vocals), Aquiles Navarro (trumpet), Keir Neuringer (saxes/keyboards), Luke Stewart (bass), and Tcheser Holmes (drums). Impressive as ever. A- [sp]

Tomas Janzon: Jazz Diary (2025 [2026], Changes Music): Swedish guitarist, based in New York, half-dozen albums since 1999. Originals, backed by bass (Nedra Wheeler) and drums (Tony Austin or Chuck McPherson). Includes an extra track from 2000, with Wheeler on bass. B+(**) [cd]

Anthony Joseph: The Ark (2026, Heavenly Sweetness): Spoken word artist from Trinidad, based in England, honed his craft writing poetry and novels, half-dozen albums since 2013 (per Discogs; Wikipedia goes back to 2007), a striking lyricist but I'm even more impressed with the music. A- [sp]

Kesha: . [Period] (2025, Kesha): Dance-pop singer-songwriter, sixth album since 2010, her debut album a big hit, subsequent records never much impressed me, which may be why I didn't bother with this one. Or maybe the title escaped me, until someone translated . to Period — I've actually been listening to a version with three dots, which Spotify calls . (...), but which is the core album plus some not entirely redundant remixes. Or it just didn't garner the rep (AOTY 64/15), but I'm hearing a solid sequence of singles. A- [sp]

DoYeon Kim: Wellspring (2026, TAO Forms): Korean, based in New York, plays gayageum (12- and 25-string), sings some, backed by Mat Maneri (viola), Henry Fraser (bass), and Tyshawn Sorey (drums). Interesting and fairly unique record, but not one I find myself particularly enjoying. B+(*) [cd] [05-01]

Kin'Gongolo Kiniata: Kiniata (2024 [2025], Helico Music): Congolese group, from Kinshasa, first album, handcrafted instruments, in an album that will appeal to fans of Konono No. 1. A- [bc]

Kinact: Kinshasa in Action (2026, Nyege Nyege Tapes): Another Congo band, founded in 2015 by Eddy Ekete, with its own mix of electronics, homemade percussion, and industrial tools. While I find these bands hard to resist, this isn't always as musical as I'd like. B+(**) [bc]

Erica von Kleist: Picc Pocket (2025 [2026], self-released): Flute player and saxophonist, born in Connecticut, several albums since 2005, this one focuses on the piccolo (which "has spent most of jazz history on the sidelines," not without reason). Backed by piano-bass-drums, with some trombone and tenor sax. B [cd] [04-23]

Kronos Quartet: Glorious Mahalia (2026, Smithsonian Folkways): Classical string quartet, founded by David Harrington (violin) in 1973, based in San Francisco, group was stable from 1978-99, with John Sherba and Hank Dutt retiring in 2024. Early albums included works of Terry Riley and Steve Reich, as well as modernists, but they've branched out widely, with Piazzolla and Partch, Dylan and Seeger, and lots of world music — Pieces of Africa (1992) a personal favorite. This tribute to the gospel great incorporates some of her singing, but is mostly built around spoken word samples, with Clarence Jones as well as Jackson, often focused on Martin Luther King Jr. A- [sp]

Jason Kruk: Beyond the Veil (2026, SunGoose): Drummer, has at least one previous album, this one leans fusion, with two guitarists (Wayne Krantz, on 2 songs, and Adam Rogers, on 4), Fima Ephron (bass, 6 songs), and "members of Snarky Puppy" — aside from Michael League (bass) and Bob Lanzetti (guitar) I'm not sure how (or why?) they figure that, as the others on the songs with them (5 of 11) are Art Hirahara (piano) and Brian Donohue (tenor sax). B [cd] [05-01]

Joachim Kühn: Joachim Kühn & Young Lions (2025 [2026], ACT Music): German pianist, debut 1967, 81 when he recorded this, with four younger players I don't recognize: Jakob Bänsch (trumpet), Andrés Coll (marimba), Nils Kugelmann (bass), and Sebatian Wolfgruber (drums), playing new (and quite tricky) pieces by Kühn. Some exceptional music, with the trumpet player a major find. A- [sp]

M.I.A.: M.I.7 (2026, Ohmni): Maya Arulpragasam, born in London, parents Tamils from Sri Lanka, moved back there from 6 months, where her father was active in a civil war, before she returned to England at age 11. Seventh album since 2005, from a time when she partnered with Diplo (2003-08), producing a very infectious funk-rap hybrid. Has had a tumultuous life, including a relationship with one of the Bronfman heirs (2008-12), and a set of political pronouncements that are fiercely heterodox, including endorsements of Corbyn and Trump (following RFK Jr., after she had become one of the world's most vocal anti-vaxxers). Parents were Hindu, but she attended a Catholic school in Sri Lanka, and declared herself a born-again Christian in 2017. This album is "structured around the seven Trumpets of Revelation," and is being treated as Christian rock/rap, although the gospel tinges are minor, the beats uniquely her own, and the narration, well, not something I particulary notice (or mind). B+(***) [sp]

Mammal Hands: Circadia (2025 [2026], ACT Music): British jazz trio, half-dozen albums since 2014, with Jordan Smart (sax), Nick Smart (piano), and Rob Turner (drums). Easy listening jazz with hints of more. B+(*) [sp]

Buck Meek: The Mirror (2026, 4AD): Guitarist in Big Thief, was married to lead singer Adrianne Lenker when they founded the band, divorced in 2018, but remains in band, while both also record solo albums. This is his fourth. B+(**) [sp]

Liudas Mockūnas/Samuel Blaser/Marc Ducret: Twisted Summer (2023 [2026], Jersika): Lithuanian avant-saxophonist (soprano/tenor/bass sax, also clarinet), trio with trombone and guitar. B+(**) [sp]

Ashley Monroe: Dear Nashville (2026, Mountainrose Sparrow): Country singer-songwriter, seventh solo album, the first previewed in 2006 but not released until 2009 (and then only digital), but got more notice for four albums in Pistol Annies. Theme is about the many ways Nashville screws you over. B+(*) [sp]

Gurf Morlix: Cobwebs & Stardust (2026, Rootball): Alt-country singer-songwriter, started connected to Blaze Foley and Lucinda Williams, went solo in 2000, has become increasingly prolific. Choice cut: "My Guitar Is a Blues Machine." B+(**) [sp]

Fabiano do Nascimento & Vittor Santos E Orquestra: Vila (2026, Far Out): Brazilian guitarist, has a dozen-plus albums since 2011. Santos I know as a trombonist, but here he leads a large and rather lush orchestra: not my favorite thing, but lovely, for sure. B+(*) [sp]

Nubiyan Twist: Chasing Shadows (2026, Strut): British jazz-funk group, sixth album since 2015, much depends on their funk quotient. B [sp]

Bill Orcutt: Music in Continuous Motion (2026, Palilalia): Guitarist, has a noise-rock background starting in the group Harry Pussy, has quite a few instrumental albums, of late some with four guitars (including this one, but apparently here they're all him). B+(**) [sp]

The Outskirts: Orbital (2025 [2026], Aerophonic, 2CD): Trio of Dave Rempis (alto/tenor sax), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass), and Frank Rosaly (drums), active in Chicago when the Norwegian bassist live there (2005-08), belatedly released a 2009 live album ("a barely usable rough mix") in 2020, but regrouped here for a couple of live dates in Europe: one in Padova on the first disc (74:41), and one a week earlier in Antwerp on the second (69:45), joined by pianist Marta Warelis. (I filed the old album under Rosaly's name, but Rempis claims all the compositions here.) Rempis is terrific, as usual. Warelis isn't necessary, but a plus. A- [dl]

Praed: Al Wahem (2026, Ruptured/Annihaya): Duo of Raed Yassin (keyboards, electronics, vocals, from Lebanon) and Paed Conca (clarinet, electric bass, electronics, from Switzerland), seventh album since 2008 (plus two albums as Praed Orchestra). B+(**) [sp]

Puma Blue: Croak Dream (2026, PIAS): British electronica producer Jacob Allen, singles since 2016 and albums since 2019, languid beats and dusky atmospherics roughly fit the genre of trip-hop. B+(**) [sp]

Raye: This Music May Contain Hope (2026, Human Re Sources): British pop/r&b singer-songwriter Rachel Keen, second album, has co-written songs for Beyoncé and Charli XCX. This is major, 17 songs for 73 minutes, with a dollop of Al Green in the middle. Too much, but half of this is as impressive as anything I've heard this year. B+(***) [sp]

Jim Robitaille Trio: Sonic (2026, Whaling City Sound): Guitarist, at least eight albums since 2004, backed by bass (Tom Casale) and drums (Chris Poudrier), eight originals plus covers of Coltrane and Davis. B+(**) [cd]

Ted Rosenthal Trio: The Good Old Days (2024 [2026], TMR Music): Pianist, debut was a trio in 1990, quite a few albums since, including a Maybeck Hall solo and many trios. This is mostly trio, a mix of originals and standards, one session with Martin Wind (bass) and Tim Horner (drums), the other with Noriko Ueda (bass) and Quincy Davis (drums), with two of the latter including "special guest" Ken Peplowski (clarinet), who has since passed. The rags are especially delightful. B+(***) [05-01]

Fie Schouten/Vincent Courtois/Sofia Borges/Pierre Baux: Open Space (2025 [2026], Relative Pitch): Clarinets, cello, drums, and spoken voice (in French, which I'm not following very well, but finding interesting). B+(**) [cd]

Jill Scott: To Whom It May Concern (2026, Human Re Sources/Blues Babe): Soul singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, debut 2000, sixth studio album (last was 2015). A pretty major effort. B+(***) [sp]

Aktu el Shabazz: As Seen on TV (2026, 766303 DK): Underground hip-hop, Brooklyn-born, Vancouver-based MC, first album. B+(**) [sp]

Shalosh: What We Are Made Of (2025 [2026], ACT Music): Israeli piano trio: Gadi Stern (piano), David Michaeli (bass), Matan Assayag (drums). Six previous albums back to 2015. Some nice passages, some a bit overwrought. B [sp]

Paul Silbergleit Trio: The Stillness of July (2024 [2026], Calligram): Guitarist, has a 1996 debut album but not a lot since. Trio with Clay Schaub (bass) and Devin Drobka (drums), playing three originals plus more/less standards from Charlie Parker to Stevie Wonder. B+(**) [cd] [05-01]

Harlan Silverman: Music for Stillness (2026, Intentional): Started off playing guitar for Mayer Hawthorne, member of Cosmic Tones Research Trio, first own album, on which he plays bansuri flute, cello, viola, piano, fender rhodes, aiming for "what might peace sound like?" Modest ambition, not to be scoffed at. Functional, even. B+(***) [bc]

Jae Skeese & ILL Tone Beats: The Good Part, Vol. 1 (2026, Griselda): Buffalo rapper, busy since 2020, producer also from Buffalo, associated with Black Soprano Family, they did a single together in 2024. B+(**) [sp]

Slayyyter: Wor$t Girl in America (2026, Columbia): Dance-pop singer-songwriter Catherine Slater, from suburban St. Louis, started with a mixtape in 2019, third album. B+(**) [sp]

Sky Smeed: Live at the Rock House (2026, self-released): Folkie singer-songwriter, based in Lawrence, KS (grew up near Chanute, which means something to me, probably not to you), has more than a dozen albums (4 on Discogs, as far back as 2004). A dozen songs, some attempts at audience participation, plus two "radio edits" (good to be prepared). A- [sp]

Snail Mail: Ricochet (2026, Matador): Indie-pop group from Baltimore, Lindsey Jordan the singer-songwriter, third album since 2018. B+(*) [sp]

Peter Somuah: Walking Distance (2025 [2026], ACT Music): Trumpet player from Ghana, based in Rotterdam, has a couple previous albums (one called Highlife, which wasn't all that deeply rooted in its namesake music). This one doesn't totally dispense with eclectic exotica, but works as contemporary European postbop, with keyboards (Anton de Bruin), bass (Marijn van de Ven), drums (Jens Meijer), extra percussion (Danny Rombout), and spots of guest cello and flute. Still, this is a very nice example. I'd be curious what big fans of Ambrose Akinmusire make of it, since to my ears they are very similar. B+(***) [sp]

Tyshawn Sorey: Monochromatic Life (Afterlife) (2023 [2026], Dacamera): Jazz drummer, MacArthur Genius, just composer and conductor of this single 74:52 piece, played by Kim Kashkashian (viola), Sarah Rothenberg (piano/celeste), and Steven Schick (percussion), featuring the many voices of the Houston Chamber Choir: not that this sounds like a big vocal production — I'd file it under ambient, and forget it. B [sp]

Alister Spence: Always Ever (2025 [2026], Alister Spence Music): Australian pianist, dozen or so albums since 2011, including a couple of duos with Satoko Fujii. Solo. Keeps it interesting. B+(**) [cd] [04-24]

Station Model Violence: Station Model Violence (2026, Anti Fade): Australian post-punk group, first album, Bandcamp page starts by talking about Iggy Pop listening to Neu's "pastoral psychedelicism," which may be what they're aiming for (as opposed to the more obvious Wire gestalt). B+(*) [bc]

Stu Bangas & Wordsworth: Chemistry (2026, 1332): Hip-hop producer Stuart Hudgins, from Boston, has put his name on 33+ albums since 2012, mostly as second bill to some rapper, including a previous album with rapper Vinson Johnson, whose first album appeared in 2002. Title is true, as words and beats mesh into continuous pleasure. A- [sp]

Tanya Tagaq: Saputjiji (2026, Six Shooter): Canadian Inuk throat singer, seventh studio album since 2005. Played it last night and got nothing out of it, but noticed the first song was called "Fuck War," and heard if through the post-industrial din, followed by a spoken word explaining "we're children, needing nurture, not razorblades." Rest of the album wanders some, with nothing quite grabbing me the same way, but the bleak, disturbing chill comes off as its own virtue. A- [sp]

Taroug: Chott (2026, Denovali): Tunisian electronic producer, grew up in Germany, second album, some vocal content, some interest, not both at the same time. B+(*) [sp]

Katelyn Tarver: Tell Me How You Really Feel (2026, Nettwerk): Pop singer, from Georgia, probably songwriter, appeared as a teenager on American Juniors (2003), released an album in 2005 (at 16), did a fair amount of TV acting since 2010, third album since 2021, could pass for country but doesn't make a point of it. B+(**) [sp]

They Might Be Giants: The World Is to Dig (2026, Idlewild): Witty guys, John Linnell and John Flansburgh, released an eponymous album (group named after a cult fave movie) in 1986 that was easily my year-topper, but my interest waned fairly quickly after that, long before this 24th studio album. Which only really caught my attention mid-way through with their cover of "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" (written by Eric Carmen for Raspberries in 1974, the single from one of the year's best albums, Starting Over). The next songs registered stronger, which got me to replay the whole thing, paying more attention. It wasn't unrewarded. B+(**) [sp]

Thundercat: Distracted (2026, Brainfeeder): Neo-soul singer-songwriter Stephen Bruner, mostly plays bass, has a rep as a producer, fifth album since 2011. B+(*) [sp]

Viktoria Tolstoy & Jacob Karlzon: Who We Are (2025 [2026], ACT Music): Swedish jazz singer, adopted the surname of the Russian novelist, a great-great-grandfather. Fifteen albums since 1994. Has a previous (2013) album with the Swedish pianist, who has a similar number of albums since 1997, and who wrote all of the songs here (aside from the Radiohead cover). Choice cut: "Trigger Warning." B+(**) [sp]

Mark Turner: Patternmaster (2024 [2026], ECM): Tenor saxophonist, impressive debut in 1995, recorded for majors through 2001 then fell off, but has been busy since 2018. Quartet with Jason Palmer (trumpet), Joe Martin (bass), and Jonathan Pinson (drums), whose names appear on the over, under the title. B+(*) [sp]

Jessie Ware: Superbloom (2026, EMI): British pop singer-songwriter, sixth album since 2012, Barney Lister the most frequent co-writer/producer. Has some disco glitz. B+(*) [sp]

What You May Call It: Da Qi (2024 [2026], MechaBenzaiten): Quartet of Chris Kelsey (soprano/tenor sax, stritch), Rose Tang (guitar, vocals), Steve Holtje (keyboards, trombone), and Charles Downs (drums). Kelsey I recall as a jazz critic who did some records on CIMP that were long in my shopping list but hard to find. Holtje I know as ESP-Disk's publicist. Downs has a long and distinguished discography with Billy Bang, Cecil Taylor, William Parker, Jemeel Moondoc, etc., but mostly as Rashid Bakr. They make for some powerfully interesting music, but Tang's vocals — an acquired taste, quite possibly — disincline me from playing this again. B+(**) [cd] [05-08]

Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Jazz Is Dead 26: Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (2026, Jazz Is Dead): Brazilian duo, Antonio Carlos Marques Pinto and José Carlos Figueiredo, who brought Bahia folk into MPB, recorded at least 13 albums 1971-96, fitting the producers' focus on 1970s artists who are still kicking (now in their 80s). I'm not familiar with their old work, but this seems like it should work as a fine introductory sampler. B+(***) [sp]

Recent Reissues, Compilations, Vault Discoveries

Angine De Poitrine: Vol. 1 (2024 [2026], Spectacles Bonzaï): First album, first self-released in 2024, then picked up by Les Cassettes Magiques, and now reissued by their Vol. II label. Six songs, 32:54. B+(***) [sp]

Born in the City of Tanta: Lower Egyptian Urban Folklore and Bedouin Shaabi From Libya's Bourini Records 1968-75 (1968-75 [2025], Sublime Frequencies): Seattle label has been scraping together world music obscurities for at least 20 years, including a very wide swath of Asia as well as all of Africa and the deeper recesses of the Amazon (and one I haven't heard called West Virginia Snake Handler Revival). Some striking tracks here, less groove than later raï or dabke but no less remarkable. Hedged a bit because it's not all public. [4/8 tracks] B+(***) [bc]

Eddie Condon: Surprise! Eddie Condon at Town Hall, c. April 1944 (1944 [2026], Jazz Lives): Early swing pianist (1905-73), known more as a bandleader than as a soloist, LPs start in 1956 but recordings go back to 1928. This live set is presented as having been discovered by Michael Steinman in 1988, from the collection of J. David Goldin, and recently cleaned up, running 57:07, with a long list of notable players, identified as we go by announcer Alistair Cooke (including Sidney Catlett [or Cozy Cole], Joe Bushkin [or Art Hodes], Buster Bailey, Pee Wee Russell, Miff Mole, Billy Butterfield, and Max Kaminsky). This material has probably appeared on CD before: Jazzology released 11 volumes of Condon's The Town Hall Concerts from 1944-45. I copied them all down from Penguin Guide, which singled out Volumes 3 & 7 for 4 stars. Before this, I've only heard one later excerpt, so it's impossible to weigh this out, but I'm enjoying this almost as much as Steinman promised. Still, without an actual CD, cover, etc., one shouldn't get carried away. [Link] B+(***) [yt]

Bill Evans: At the BBC (1965 [2026], Elemental Music): Piano trio, with Chuck Israels and Larry Bunker, two sets on one CD, runs 70:15, with Humphrey Lyttleton the announcer. Some remarkable passages, but that's not unusual for the dozen or more Evans live shots that have come out recently. B+(***) [cd] [04-18]

Joe Henderson: Consonance: Live at the Jazz Showcase (1978 [2026], Resonance, 2CD): Tenor saxophonist (1937-2001), made a big impression with Blue Note in the 1960s, and managed to keep going strong through the 1990s. Penguin Guide noted that he always sounds like he's in the middle of a big solo, and there is a lot of that here in sets that span 160 minutes. with Joanne Brackeen (piano), Steve Rodby (bass), and Danny Spencer (drums). Suffers a bit from sprawl, compared to albums like 1985's The State of the Tenor, but the high points are undeniable. A- [cd]

Joe Henderson Quartets: Tetragon (1967-68 [2026], Craft): After five more/less classic albums on Blue Note (1963-66), the tenor saxophonist moved to Milestone for this pair of quartet sessions, with Don Friedman or Kenny Barron (piano), Jack DeJohnette or Louis Hayes (drums), and Ron Carter (bass) on both. A- [sp]

Ahmad Jamal: At the Jazz Showcase: Live in Chicago (1976 [2026], Resonance, 2CD): Pianist (1930-2023), mostly trios starting in 1951, some quite brilliant, including the first disc here, with John Heard (bass) and Frank Gant (drums). Second disc slacks off some. B+(***) [cd]

Freddie King: Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Pulsations Concert (1975 [2026], Elemental Music, 2CD): Blues guitarist-singer (1934-76), placed three albums on Robert Santelli's list of the best 100 blues albums. Live in France, a little more than a year before he died at 42. B+(**) [cd]

Yusef Lateef: Alight Upon the Lake: Live at the Jazz Showcase (1975 [2026], Resonance, 3CD): Tenor saxophonist (1920-2013), also studied and played a lot of flute, especially as his interests moved into African and Middle Eastern musics. Born William Huddleston in Chattanooga, moved to Detroit where his mother remarried, briefly making him Bill Evans, until he converted to Islam and changed his name. Received advanced degrees, and taught in Massachusetts and Nigeria. Quartet here with Kenny Barron (piano), Bob Cunningham (bass), and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums), runs the gamut, includes some impressive tenor sax and a lot of flute (which I've never much cared for, but is not uninteresting). B+(***) [cd]

Art Pepper: Everything Happens to Me: 1959 Live at the Cellar (1959 [2026], Omnivore, 4CD): Alto saxophonist, started out in the 1940s with Benny Carter and Stan Kenton, recorded some brilliant albums early but got busted for drugs and other crimes, spending most of 1954-64 in jail, except for a brief stretch from 1956-60, when he recorded his classics (the prime albums are Meets the Rhythm Section and Smack Up, but also look for the later-collected 1956-57 Aladdin sessions). After he got out, he gigged some, but didn't really get going again until his 1975 album Living Legend, followed by years of manic touring and massive recording until he died at 56 in 1982. The late studio work is collected in a 16-CD box set, The Complete Galaxy Recordings, which invites (and rewards) random sampling. Since his death, his third (and last) wife, Laurie Pepper, has been releasing his tapes, mostly from this late period. But this product goes back to the earlier period, with four hours of live sets recorded in Vancouver, with all the tape they could find (including incomplete tunes when tape ran out, ambient noise, chatter, etc.). Quartet with Chris Gage (piano), Tony Clitheroe (bass), and George Ursan (drums), who are proficient but hardly stars. But Pepper is a star, and able to extend his aura indefinitely. A- [sp]

Michel Petrucciani: Kuumbwa (1987 [2026], Elemental Music, 2CD): French pianist, short-lived (1962-99), physically stunted but he had an amazing span of the keyboard, trio with Dave Holland (bass) and Eliot Zigmund (drums), left some extraordinary performances, but this isn't quite one. B+(**) [cd]

Serengeti: Ajai 2 the Reimagine (2025, self-released): Chicago underground rapper David Cohn, lots of albums since 2006, one called Ajai in 2020, Agai II in 2023, previously graded (**) and (*), this one similar to one on Bandcamp called Ajai 2 Remix Album, which came out about the same time. Probably no better or worse than any other version. B+(*) [sp]

Serengeti: Universe (2022 [2025], CC King): Seems to be a 2022 LP release (50 copies), followed by a digital reissue, but whereas the former had five titles on the A-side, just 1 on the B, this only shows a "side one" and "side two" (which is mostly ambient). B [sp]

Cecil Taylor New Unit: Words & Music: The Last Bandstand (2016 [2026], Fundacja Słuchaj): Avant-garde pianist (1929-2018), debut 1956, ran a legendary band called the Cecil Taylor Unit in the 1970s with Jimmy Lyons, mostly recorded duos and trios after that, including a monumental showcase in Berlin in 1988. Last recording in my database was a duo with drummer Tony Oxley from 2011, so this New Unit album comes as a surprise. With Harri Sjöström (soprano and sopranino sax), Okkyung Lee (cello), Oxley (electronics), and Jackson Krall (drums), with piano and spoken word by Taylor, in a single 79:23 take (now split into two tracks). The music is remarkable. The words, which appear in the second half, are hard to follow, but have their own musicality. A- [bc]

Cecil Taylor Unit: Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts (1969 [2026], Elemental Music, 2CD): Pathbreaking avant-garde pianist (1929-2018), but a charmed one, who recorded early on for major labels, waltzed easily into DownBeat's Hall of Fame, and shows up here in an archival series that had never before strayed farther out than Mingus. But apparently this European tour packaged him alongside Duke Ellington and a very dismissive Miles Davis (described by Taylor as "pretty good for a millionaire"). His Unit always included Jimmy Lyons (alto sax), usually Andrew Cyrille (drums), and on this occasion Sam Rivers (tenor/soprano sax, flute). Three sets, over two long CDs (70:10 + 71:45), where Taylor works his magic, while the discordant horns wail away, remarkable as long as patience holds. A- [cd]

Miroslav Vitous: Mountain Call (2003-10 [2026], ECM): Czech bassist, studied music in Vienna, then got a scholarship to Berklee, emerging in 1970 as a founder of Weather Report, leaving in 1973 to pursue an eclectic solo career. Discography jumps a decade from 1992-2002, resumes with one of his best albums (Universal Syncopations), and continues, but with nothing since 2018. This picks from several sessions, with Michel Portal (clarinets) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) in large print on the cover, and variously the first nine pieces; Esperanza Spalding (voice), Bob Mintzer (bass clarinet), Gary Campbell (soprano/tenor sax), and Gerald Cleaver (drums) in smaller print, plus "members of Czech National Symphony Orchestra" (two extended pieces near the end). B+(*) [sp]

Mal Waldron: Stardust & Starlight: At the Jazz Showcase (1979 [2026], Resonance): A great pianist (1926-2002), came up during the hard bop era, is famous for accompanying Billie Holiday in her last years, but did some of his best work in the 1980s, leading free jazz groups on an Italian label. Transitional trio set here with Steve Rodby (bass) and Wilbur Campbell (drums), joined for the last two tracks by Sonny Stitt (alto sax). A- [cd] [04-18]

Old Music

Bill Charlap/Ted Rosenthal/Dean Johnson/Ron Vincent: The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (1996 [1997], Chiaroscuro): Posthumous tribute to the great baritone saxophonist, also a notable composer, led by his last two pianists, with bassist and drummer from his final quartet. Ends with a 9:24 talk on working with Mulligan. B+(**) [sp]

Dorisburg & Sebastian Mullaert: That Who Remembers (2023, Spazio Disponibile): Swedish electronica producer Alexander Berg, third of three albums since 2016, Mullaert has more albums back to 2011, including a previous live album with Berg. B+(**) [sp]

Joe Henderson: The Elements (1973, Milestone): Featuring Alice Coltrane (piano/harp/tamboura/harmonium), with Charlie Haden (bass) and Michael White (violin) also noted on the cover, and various others. Interesting exotica. B+(***) [sp]

Kesha: Gag Order [Live Acoustic EP From Space] (2023, Kemosabe/RCA, EP): Four songs from her 2023 album Gag Order, mostly produced by Rick Rubin. B [sp]

Kronos Quartet: Howl, U.S.A. (1996, Nonesuch): A lot of back catalog to explore. This seemed like such a obvious item for me: not only does Allen Ginsberg read his epic poem, but we also get I.F. Stone reading "Cold War Suite From How It Happens," Harry Partch's "Barstow," and an opening piece called "Sing Sing: J. Edgar Hoover." Howl was a big part of my late teen years. (I had a poster of Ginsberg glued to the ceiling over the staircase, which my mother hated, and eventually painted over; and I was a subscriber to I.F. Stone's Weekly; my interest in Partch came a bit later.) Not quite sure the music fits, nor are the readers ideal, but Ginsberg's words often overcome all that. B+(***) [sp]

Kronos Quartet: Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet & Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger (2020, Smithsonian Folkways): Friends are singers (Aoife O'Donovan, Brian Carpenter, Lee Knight, Maria Arnal, Meklit Hadero, Sam Amidon), preserving but reshaping folk songs, many classics, most original but some older, a couple surprises (I somehow missed that "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" was his song, as was "Turn Turn Turn"). An interesting and thoughtful reframing of a powerful legacy. A- [sp]

Soda Stereo: Canción Animal (1990, Sony): Rock group from Argentina, seven studio albums 1984-95, this fifth album "considered to be one of the best albums of all time of the Latin Rock genre" (per Wikipedia; Google also recommended it; I only asked because I have a reader lobbying for Argentinian rock in general — I had no idea where to start until this group came up, probably from the same reader). If I could follow the words, I might be able to figure out whether they're as good or bad or whatever as, to pull a couple not-dissimilar bands off the top of my head, Guns 'N Roses or Manic Street Preachers. But I can't, so I'm going off rhythm and sonics. B+(*) [sp]

Ashley Monroe: Satisfied (2006 [2009], Sony): Country singer-songwriter, got noticed for the trio Pistol Annies (3 good albums 2011-18, plus the 2021 Hell of a Holiday, which I missed), where Miranda Lambert was an established star, and Angaleena Presley and Monroe were newcomers, on their way to some pretty good solo albums. But this was Monroe's forgotten debut, recorded and teased with a couple singles in 2006, then shelved until 2009, when it appeared digital-only. She co-wrote seven songs, but the covers stand out ("Can't Let Go," a Randy Weeks song via Lucinda Williams, and a duet with Dwight Yoakam). B+(***) [sp]

Ted Rosenthal: Ted Rosenthal at Maybeck [Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Volume Thirty-Eight] (1994 [1995], Concord): Solo piano, part of a series Concord recorded from 1989-95, showcasing a who's who of (mostly) mainstream pianists (first volume was Joanne Brackeen, followed by Dave McKenna, Dick Hyman, Walter Norris, Stanley Cowell, Hal Galper, John Hicks, Gerry Wiggins, Marian McPartland, and Kenny Barron). He's relatively young here (35), with just a couple albums, but he's impressive, and touches a lot of bases (two originals, Porter and Gershwin, Dameron and Tristano, Powell and Nichols, Bach and James P. Johnson, "Gone With the Wind"). B+(**) [sp]

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: 1980 (1980, Arista): Politically-engaged poet, spoken word albums from 1971 on paved the way for rap, worked with Jackson's funk grooves for seven albums from 1974, with this the last of the series. Regarded by some at the time as the best of the bunch, I'm finding it a bit dated and quaint. B+(***) [yt]

Wordsworth and Stu Bangas: Two Kings (2024, Brutal Music): Rapper, goes back to 2002, and producer. I'm working back from their new one, Chemistry, and finding the same attraction here, in their first collaboration, although "the alliance of two giants" line isn't quite as interesting. B+(***) [sp]

Wordsworth: Mirror Music (2004, Halftooth): Early album, savvy words and beats. B+(**) [sp]

Music Weeks

Music: Current count 36534 [36534] rated (+0), 149 [149] unrated (+0).

Excerpts from this month's Music Week posts:

Notes

Sources noted as follows:

• [cd] based on physical cd
• [cdr] based on an advance or promo cd or cdr
• [lp] based on physical lp (vinyl)
• [dvd] based on physical dvd (rated more for music than video)
• [bc] available at bandcamp.com
• [r] available at napster.com (formerly Rhapsody)
• [sc] available at soundcloud.com
• [sp] available at spotify.com
• [yt] available at youtube.com
• [os] some other stream source
• [dl] something I was able to download from the web; may be freely available, may be a bootleg someone made available, or may be a publicist promo

Grades are probably self-explanatory, aside from B+, which is subdivided 1-2-3 stars, because most records that come my way are pretty good, but they're not all that good.