Single instrumental features have always been a prominent part of popular music from discreet embellishments behind a vocal presentation to a solo tour de force for a concert audience; the latter often resulting in a standing ovation acknowledging the musicians performance. A key interpreter of these musical experiences was the saxophonist Samuel L. Taylor, who’s playing embraced all kinds of popular music: jazz, swing, rhythm and blues - while making “breathy ballads” a speciality. With his seemingly endless enthusiasm and energy, he also became a leading exponent of the “honking” tenor sax sound heard on many nineteen fifties pop records. During this time he also led his own band recording for MGM and ten years later his ballad playing achieved international recognition particularly in Japan.

It has been nearly 15 years since Cardona's last recording, Bembe, was issued. This is a most welcome addition to the Afro-Cuban music legacy as played by percussionist/vocalist Cardona and friends. Several pieces include larger vocal groups, a raft of fellow percussionists, or Cardona overdubbing himself. Others have tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, trumpeter James Zollar, trombonist Papo Vasquez, pianist Bill O'Connell, bassists Joe Santiago or Andy Gonzalez, and drummer Robby Ameen.

On Unfinished Business, veteran guitarist Dean Brown, whose scintillating six-string work can be heard on over 200 recordings, steps out with his fourth dynamic outing as a leader. Joining him on this eclectic offering, which ranges from hard-hitting funk to lovely ballads, soothing samba flavored grooves, Latin-tinged jams, greasy organ-fueled blues and cool jazz, are longstanding colleagues Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums and Gerry Etkins on keyboards.

A solo album is always, for a musician, something special. Then, when the musician is serious, intact, as Franco D' Andrea, then the solo album takes on a value even higher. Why Today is the result of a research work and preparation, which lasted over a year, finally resulted in a recording session that originated about two hours of music.

Volume deux of the 1955 Cafe Bohemia sessions from Art Blakey's second edition Jazz Messengers is better than the first. The music is more energetic, cohesive, and pushes the hard bop farther. Where the first volume featured compositions of newly recruited trumpeter Kenny Dorham, it is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley asserting himself on the bandstand with his set pieces that formed the foundation of the first studio edition of the quintet that included Donald Byrd. Here, Mobley does not defer to Dorham, pushing his sound forward without compromising his vision. "Sportin' Crowd" is definitely an ear opener, a straight-ahead, hard bop gem based on the changes of the Sonny Rollins' classic "Tenor Madness"…

Pegged years ago by the late Kenny Kirkland as a rising piano star, Antonio Farao has realized his potential and established himself as one of Europe's most respected young players. The Italian pianist teamed his trio with tenor saxophonist Bob Berg in this CD made less than two months before Berg's death in a traffic accident in December, 2002. Farao and Berg were a perfectly matched pair, technical whizzes and masters of an international style not centered in the obvious characteristics of any country or jazz idiom.

Indeed, bassist and educator Jeff Berlin is a modern era pioneer amid accolades that have piled high, spanning several decades via his astounding technique and contributions to progressive-rock, jazz fusion and modern mainstream jazz. Following up his jazz trio outing High Standards (2010, M.A.J. Records) also featuring bassist, pianist Richard Drexler, the core differentiator on Low Standards is that renowned drummer Mike Clark takes over the drum chair from Danny Gottlieb. Yet Berlin's game-plan is similar as Drexler uses the bass for a support role while toggling between piano duties. Nonetheless, the star of the show and lead soloist is Berlin, performing exclusively on electric bass.

Eddie Harris' tenure at Atlantic in the 1960s and '70s was his most productive, but previously it was represented only by a pair of single-album collections. Now a fine two-disc anthology containing selections chosen by Harris and his comments fully covers his Atlantic years. The discs include his huge singles "Exodus" and "Love Theme From the Sandpiper (Shadow of Your Smile)," plus soul-jazz numbers like "Get on Down," "Funkaroma," and "1974 Blues"; his most famous single composition, "Freedom Jazz Dance"; and his remakes of "Giant Steps" and "Love for Sale." Harris has creatively utilized the varitone attachment on his saxophone and the reed trumpet while constructing and playing his blues, soul, and funk solos with zest and a minimum of gimmickry.

When Dave Samuels first formed the Caribbean Jazz Project with, at that time, Paquito D'Rivera and Andy Narell, it was an extension of his own studies in Latin jazz that had been part of his music - both solo and with Spyro Gyra – since the mid-'70s. After two albums with the first team, the Project was set aside for other gigs. During this time, Samuels kindled musical friendships with flutist Dave Valentin and guitarist Steve Khan, and Samuels got excited about the possibility of playing off of a traditional Latin instrument – flute and the guitar, which wasn't.

Recorded in 1972, a decade removed from the last of Horace Silver's classic quintet recordings, In Pursuit of the 27th Man has never been regarded as one of the pianist's prime releases, which likely explains why Blue Note took this long to make it available on CD. But the album, which moves gracefully between quartet performances featuring vibraphonist David Friedman and quintet numbers featuring the young Brecker brothers (Randy on trumpet and Michael on tenor saxophone), has its distinctive charms. While maintaining the crispness and sense of adventure with which he has always signed his music, Silver and bands ease through some of his most appealing melodies. Songs such as Weldon Irvine's "Liberated Brother" have the early '70s written all over them, but even in those cases their light-handed lyricism and boppish vitality keep them fresh. Friedman's idiosyncratic sound adds a sense of mystery to the music, which, with Bob Cranshaw on electric bass and Mickey Roker on drums, never lacks for a solid and soulful center.

The album, which features 18 tracks from original cast recordings. The recording includes songs from Annie, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Cats, Chicago, A Chorus Line, Evita, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Into the Woods, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Wicked and The Wiz. “We’re thrilled to add this distinguished and varied collection of Broadway music to our NOW! family,” stated Jeff Moskow, head of A&R for NOW That's What I Call Music. “In curating this album, we set out to find 18 songs that represent and celebrate the rich history of Broadway from the last 40 years. I think we’ve achieved that and more. We look forward to bringing these brilliant performances to the NOW! audience.”

After her critically acclaimed debut album, the talented Lou Tavano returns with "Uncertain weather". Active member of this young French generation who comes to renew jazz, she draws from a crucible of current influences the raw material of this second opus. The writing begins in August 2016 in the isolated highlands of Scotland where she is invited by her alter ego Alexey Asantcheeff.

This is Art Blakey's early period Jazz Messengers featuring trumpeter Kenny Dorham, saxophonist Hank Mobley, bassist Doug Watkins, and pianist Horace Silver. This first volume of live performance from the Cafe Bohemia in New York City circa late 1955 is a rousing set of hard bop by the masters who signified its sound, and expanded on the language of modern jazz. There are three bonus CD tracks not on the original LP that further emphasize not only the inherent power of Blakey's band and drumming, but demarcate the simplicity of melodic statements that were a springboard for the fantastic soloing by these individuals who would follow those tuneful lines…