Love, Joy, The Blues, And More

Sarah Pillow “A Night In Tunisia” from Wanderer (Buckyball Records) - Sarah Pillow, a powerful singer with a memorable voice, has had successful careers singing jazz, classical music, and the repertoire of past centuries. While Wanderer is a jazz-oriented set of music, she covers a wide range of songs, excelling in every area. For this special project, the vocalist is joined by her husband and very skilled vibraphonist Marc Wagnon (who provided the arrangements), and a set of all-stars from several generations: tenor-saxophonist Donny McCaslin, altoist Nicola Caminiti, trumpeter Joey Curreri, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Mike Clark. Wagnon, McCaslin and Curreri in particular are well featured throughout the program. Throughout Wanderer, her singing is creative, inventive, and powerful.

Candice Hoyes - Pink Clouds - Expecting (LaReserve Records) - Candice Hoyes’ debut solo album is a multidisciplinary body of work. Blending elements of jazz, soul, classical refinement, and modern art-song, the album serves as a deeply personal and expansive sonic canvas centred around themes of active compassion, emotional resilience, and radical protection against everyday cruelty. Preceded by singles like the ethereal “Pink Clouds,” the project features notable collaborations with acclaimed artists—including Makaya McCraven, Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, and Sullivan Fortner—bringing Hoyes’ extensive background in orchestral, jazz, and contemporary performance into a unified, visionary solo focus.

Visions Jazz Ensemble - Deep River - Of The People (Self Released) - A collaborative twelve-song project led by trumpeter Sam Butler and saxophonist Garrett Fasig, featuring acclaimed guest vocalist April Varner. Released to commemorate the semiquincentennial of the United States, the album reimagines centuries of American music—spanning spirituals, folk tracks, country classics, and patriotic anthems—through modern, straight-ahead jazz arrangements. Blending historical storytelling with rich improvisational textures, the ensemble bridges generational divides by breathing fresh emotional life into enduring staples from the American songbook.

Justin Pierce - Meglio Stasera - Sway (Justin Pierce Music) - A collaborative ten-track collection featuring vocalist and musical partner Ashley Pierce. Recorded in a single Dallas session, the project pairs the saxophonist-leader with a rhythm section of University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band alumni—pianist Sean Michael Giddings, bassist Young Heo, and Grammy-nominated drummer Matt Young. Reimagining classics from the American songbook and jazz tradition, the record blends warm swinging grooves, intimate waltzes, New Orleans second-line rhythms, and Latin-infused arrangements to turn standard jazz repertoire into an inviting, danceable atmosphere.

Faye Carol - Bad, Bad News - Faye Sings The Blues (Getdown Records) - A twenty-song project released to celebrate the legendary Bay Area vocalist’s sixtieth year in music. Recorded primarily live in Oakland, the record blends timeless blues standards, dynamic horn arrangements, and fresh originals. Honouring her deep-rooted command of 12-bar blues, the album features an all-star supporting cast of generational icons and contemporary greats—including Taj Mahal, Robert Randolph, James Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Gerald Albright, and Jon Faddis—showcasing the undeniable authority and enduring legacy of a definitive voice in American music.

Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science - Step Song - Trip The Night Fantastic (Candid Records) - This sophomore release is a powerful 13-track collective statement blending art, rhythm, and sociopolitical activism. Following their GRAMMY-nominated debut Waiting Game, the acclaimed core unit of multi-instrumentalist Morgan Guerin, guitarist Matthew Stevens, and pianist Aaron Parks—led by the visionary drummer and producer—explores pressing contemporary themes including gender justice, bodily autonomy, climate change, and immigration. Designed with a rhythmic foundation aimed at movement and hope, the record features an expansive, all-star roster of guest contributors, such as vocalists Ledisi, Arooj Aftab, and Lizz Wright, instrumentalists Brandee Younger and Marc Ribot, and a dynamic line-up of spoken-word artists and emcees including Moor Mother, Aja Monet, and Kassa Overall.

Isiaih Collier - Where I’m Loved - Joy (Brownswood Records) - A powerful five-track project that reframes joy not as escapism, but as a hard-won spiritual grounding and a political act. Blending contemporary and spiritual jazz with soulful R&B textures and gospel flavors, the record features Collier not only on tenor saxophone and piano, but expanding his multi-instrumental artistry across drums, flutes, and vocals. Supported by an expansive ensemble featuring rich horn and string arrangements alongside contributions from guitarist Cole Runge and drummer Jeremiah Collier, the release serves as an urgent, resilient affirmation of community, love, and emotional survival during times of collective uncertainty.

Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble - I Won’t Back Down - Love Is The Whole Thing, We Are Only Pieces (Palmetto Records) - An inventive and deeply expressive contemporary jazz project led by the acclaimed drummer. Following their acclaimed self-titled debut, the ensemble—featuring saxophonist Tia Fuller, pianists/vocalists Jeff Lederer and Dawn Clement, and bassist Ben Allison—expands on their signature blend of complex rhythms, rich harmonies, and playful lyricism. Melding profound social consciousness with buoyant joy, the quintet navigates intricate compositions and poetic vocal-instrumental passages that honour the connective power of community, empathy, and collective resilience.

Francisco Mela - Yo Soy El Tambor, Deja Que Hablen - Carnaval De Oriente (577 Records) - An evocative avant-garde jazz and exploratory percussion journey rooted in the visionary drummer and composer’s deep Cuban heritage. Drawing its title from the vibrant cultural celebrations of Cuba’s eastern region (*Oriente*), where Mela was born and raised, the album bridges the sun-soaked polyrhythms of Caribbean folk traditions with the fearless spontaneity of the New York creative music scene. Blending deeply personal storytelling, intricate rhythmic textures, and expressive vocalizations, the release continues Mela’s ongoing exploration of community, ancestral memory, and radical sonic storytelling.