Ben Goldberg, "Symphony No. 9" (BAG). Clarinetist Goldberg calls new attention to this playful, breatheable octet suite released a year ago, which exploits his magic triple-wind layerings with Chris Speed's tenor and Kasey Knudsen's alto. Masterfully conceived and executed, this is true American classical music; dig especially the spooky "Inevitable, Part II." Listen/buy here, and check in on Goldberg's song-a-day "Plague Diary."
Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra, "Dimensional Stardust" (International Anthem). Cooking psychedelia, playful Chinoiserie, Sun Ra space waltz, '70s rumble dance -- Chicago sound tweaker Mazurek musters flutist Nicole Mitchell, guitarist Jeff Parker and a roomful of seasoned travelers for a family feast. Listen/buy here.
Adam Rudolph, "Focus and Field" (Meta). The octet of veteran conceptualist and hand drummer Rudolph honors his roots -- the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Detroit mentor Yusef Lateef, Don Cherry -- with jungle groove, Organic expansion, sustaining wind, meditation, awareness and enlightenment. The listener begins to see sun through the leaves. Listen/buy here.
"A Love Supreme Electric" (Cuneiform). Never heard windman Vinny Golia sound so much like Trane, but more than a tribute, this is an unbridled expression of guitar skronk (Henry Kaiser), colorated keys (Wayne Peet), rousing drums (John Hanrahan) and balloon bass (Mike Watt). You'll be inspired to revisit the original "A Love Supreme" and "Meditations," and come back here again. Sample/buy here.
Rich Halley, "The Shape of Things." Veteran abstract pianist Matthew Shipp may deflect comparisons to Cecil Taylor, but the jagged, tumultuous and bluesy forms he sculpts with vocalic saxist Rich Halley, plucky bassist Michael Bisio and alert drummer Newman Taylor Baker make it hard not to hear echoes of "Bulbs" and "New York City R&B." And that's a very good thing. Listen/buy here.
Steuart Liebig, "Disparate Measures." Examine Liebig's distinctive electric-bass technique up close, and cop some funk and space electronix along the way. Wait for the final suspicious/surprising spy chord. Listen/buy here.
Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura, "Pentas," "Mantle" (Not Two); "Prickly Pear Cactus" (Libra). To dip again into the fertile partnership of pianist Fujii and trumpeter Tamura, consult the intuitive directness of "Pentas" and the doomy melodies of "Mantle." To appreciate the way Ikue Mori's gushy synthetics soften Fujii's geometry, try "Prickly Pear" here.
Eric Reed, "For Such a Time As This" (Smoke Sessions). Established L.A. pianist Reed taps local talent for a quartet reaffirmation of postbop values, Monkish extrapolation and gospel tradition. The spirituals settle deepest, with the quiet confidence of "We Shall Overcome" carrying a sad undercurrent that truly makes you feel the "someday."
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Oh, and James Erskine's Billie Holiday documentary is now streaming. Read my review here.