Like the cool breeze to be expected in the following months ahead, as the sun begins to make its presence known once again, this 25 track release encompasses the chilled aura of our previous compilations while bringing a warmth to be enjoyed wherever you may be.

“I have had this formation in mind for some time now,” Bernhard Meyer says about his quintet, which unites an unusual combination of instruments and charismatic musicians. “The specific sound came together over time in my imagination,” Meyer continues, “inspired by collaboration with these musicians individually, in smaller formations.” Of course the ingenious unity with his brother Peter is present again, well known through three highly acclaimed albums and countless concerts of the Melt Trio.

This unkown gem - that will amaze casual listeners and still conquer regular ones - stars both Masahiko Sato's talent in displaying a wide variety of tones and fusion scales and Dave Liebman's fierce and intense saxophone playing. Sometimes "All-in, All-Out" recalls Weather Report's edgy style of abstract fusion, and Sato's work here serves that purpose very well,which means, painting soundscapes simultaneously dreamy and cerebral. "Sapajou Walk" begins like an orchestrated blues lament, but by the time we reach "Fallout", the last track, we realize that this is not just a pop-oriented jazz thing, but a trip to something much deeper. This is truly great stuff, so check it out.

Three-time Grammy-winning, genre-defying collective Snarky Puppy will release their new album, Immigrance, on March 15 via GroundUP Music. The album is produced by bassist-composer Michael League, who founded Snarky Puppy in 2003 and has helmed it into one of the most popular and influential bands of the current jazz and instrumental-music renaissance.

Chick Corea features an acoustic quartet on this CD, performing a full set of original material. Although the music is tied to a lengthy, complicated, and philosophical fictional piece outlined in great length in the liner notes (which are not really worth bothering with), the performances by the group (which is comprised of Corea on piano, Bob Berg on tenor and soprano, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Gary Novak) are excellent. Berg continues to grow and show individuality beyond the Michael Brecker influence (especially on soprano), the interplay between Corea and Patitucci is as impressive as ever, and Novak is alert to the constantly changing musical events.

Chick Corea may have formed a new band, but still has ghosts from the Return to Forever reunion on his mind. Just check out the cover of The Vigil (named for this group) with its obviously L. Ron-inspired theme and track list ("Galaxy 32 Star 4"?). What year is this? That's not to make light of the music. Corea's international ensemble includes drummer Marcus Gilmore, French bassist Hadrien Feraud, Britain's Tim Garland on reeds and winds, and guitarist Charles Altura.

An amazing package of work from George Duke - 6 of his legendary fusion albums for MPS Records, including the never-reissued double-length set Solus / The Inner Source! That incredible album is worth the price of the package alone - as it begins with some sublime trio work from Duke, rooted in jazz but already stretching out in amazing ways - then moves into some even hipper Latin-styled grooves, with Jerome Richardson on reeds and Luis Gasca on a bit of trumpet! Other albums in the set are equally great - and trace Duke's evolution from straighter jazz into funky freer fusion and soul - an incredible musical shift that's presented on the albums Faces In Reflection, Feel, I Love The Blues She Heard My Cry, The Aura Will Prevail, and Liberated Fantasies - each of them classics in their own right, presented together wonderfully here in this complete MPS package! The set is amazing - with a whopping 64 titles in all, and complete notes on all the music - including some recollections from Duke himself.

What would happen if the dense yet lyrical imagery of Garcia Lorca's Romancero Gitano was woven into the aural tapestry of bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons' offering, that traverses Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and America? A bewitching mix of flamenco, Arabic, jazz and Latin-American music would collide, resulting in a perfect offering such as La Linea del Sur. This imaginary journey through the global south is truly mesmerizing.

Nova Records in the early '90s had the great distinction of having two of the world's most stunning young bass players on their roster: Byron Miller and Brian Bromberg. Bromberg, whose virtuosic mix of funk and mainstream influences have earned him comparisons to Stanley Clarke, has found a magical way to ease his brilliant chops on nine different basses into a very commercial setting. His latest, BASSically Speaking, shows him all aces not only as a consummate player, but as a producer, arranger, and composer as well. Mellow fare like "Take a Walk in the Park With Me" offsets the more up-tempo numbers, and you've never heard "My Funny Valentine" played with this much vigor. Complemented by the likes of Freddie Hubbard and the late flutist Joe Farrell, Bromberg has arrived as the first bassman of contemporary jazz's future.

On his eighth album as a leader, guitarist and composer Rez Abbasi turns to qawwali, the devotional Sufi music of his native Pakistan, for inspiration. Not that you'll hear anything here that seems to refer specifically to that music – instead, Abbasi's goal was "to capture some of the power, passion, and joy of qawwali with an instrumental jazz group, without direct imitation." The result is certainly powerful and arguably passionate, but often feels more determined than joyful.

Brothers & Sisters is the 2014 album by Japanese jazz group Soil And Pimp Sessions. This is a 2CD edition featuring 10th Anniversary! LIVE AT AKASAKA 10th Feb, 2014 as a bonus. This was released by Victor.

Afro-fusion 8-piece band K.O.G & the Zongo Brigade release of their debut album 'Wahala Wahala', via Pura Vida Sounds/Heavenly Sweetness.
Under the guidance of the outrageously talented Ghanaian force of nature Kweku Sackey, aka K.O.G, and the whirlwind of energy that is Jamaican rapper Franz Von, the Zongo Brigade deliver infectious, high-energy West African grooves via Sheffield, drawing on Afrobeat, soul, funk, rock, hip hop and reggae which has fast gained recognition in London and all over the UK.

Reissue. Available only for a limited period of time until December 21, 2015. Comes with liner notes. Dark Magus is a live recording of a very specific 1974 Carnegie Hall date that included most, but not all, of the members who recorded the classics Agharta and Pangaea. While drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas were all present, the key element of Sonny Fortune was not yet in the band. Saxophonists David Liebman and Azar Lawrence were doubling in the saxophone chairs, while Dominique Gaumont, with his Jimi Hendrix-styled effects and riffs, was the band's third guitarist. The deep voodoo funk that gelled on the aforementioned recordings hadn't yet come together on this night at Carnegie, near the end of a tour.

This rather streaky set of music features Miles Davis with keyboardist Robert Irving III (who has since slipped into obscurity) and guitarist John Scofield contributing most of the compositions and the other solos. There are some moments of interest (Branford Marsalis is heard on some cuts on soprano), but it is doubtful if anyone will be reviving "Robot 415," "Freaky Deaky," or "Code M.D." anytime soon.

Reissue with the latest 2014 DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. While the concept of "jazz-rock" was in its embryonic stages, Burton was experimenting with a style combining jazz improvisation with rock energy and rhythms. This 1967 session added another ingredient to the musical mix: country and bluegrass sensibility. Burton used Nashville session players like bassist/harmonica player Charlie McCoy, the great Chet Atkins, fiddler Buddy Spicher, and pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons. The results were impressive and artistically intriguing; the country players provided a loose, loping feel, while Burton's solos were smooth and delicate but forceful enough to hold the distinct styles together.