A collection of new music inspired by dance and protest; a new venture on the fringes of jazz and electronica; a contemporary trumpet trailblazer’s live revisitation of his debut album. All this and more in our list of ten albums released this month (March 2022) that you need to know about.
Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ghost Song (Nonesuch)
Release date: March 4
Singer/songwriter Cécile McLorin Salvant’s Nonesuch Records debut full-length features a diverse mix of seven originals and five interpretations of songs on the themes of ghosts, nostalgia and yearning performed in a wide range of settings. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” she explains via a press release. “It’s getting closer to reflecting my personality as an eclectic curator.” Order Ghost Song here.
Melissa Aldana, 12 Stars (Blue Note)
Release date: March 4
12 Stars presents seven striking new original compositions by Santiago-born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist/composer Melissa Aldana and marks her Blue Note debut as a leader. Produced by Lage Lund, this quintet LP was conceptually inspired by the symbols and traditions of tarot and grapples with concepts of childrearing, familial forgiveness, acceptance, and self-love, finding her at her most contemplative and lyrical. Order it here.
Tomas Fujiwara’s Triple Double, March (Firehouse 12)
Release date: March 4
Drummer/composer Tomas Fujiwara reconvenes his Triple Double sextet for March, a collection of new music inspired by dance and protest. The group includes six of the strongest voices in contemporary music, with drummer Gerald Cleaver, guitarists Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook, and trumpeter Ralph Alessi and cornet player Taylor Ho Bynum. Order March here.
Jameszoo, Blind (Brainfeeder)
Release date: March 11
Visionary Dutch producer Jameszoo embarks on further adventures on the fringes of jazz and electronica, re-examining our understanding of music composition and consumption on his new album. Blind, which marks his return to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, also features a wide cast of instrumentalists and collaborators, including Petter Eldh, Evan Parker, Niels Broos and many others. Order it here.
Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens, In Common III (Whirlwind)
Release date: March 11
Having wowed listeners with their previous two collaborations, saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens return with a new full-length of their In Common project, which finds them interacting with different improvisational musicians from all corners of the scene. Their comrades in music this time are none other than NEA Jazz Masters Dave Holland and Terri Lyne Carrington, plus acclaimed pianist Kris Davis. Order In Common III here.
Danilo Pérez featuring The Global Messengers, Crisálida (Mack Avenue)
Release date: March 18
Pianist/composer Danilo Pérez imagines a world where everyone radiates individual light and humanity regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation on his new album, Crisálida. Due out on Mack Avenue, the LP comprises two engrossing suites on which he leads the Global Messengers, a new large ensemble consisting of alumni from Berklee College of Music’s Global Jazz Institute. Order it here.
Kevin Eubanks and Orrin Evans, EEE (Eubanks-Evans-Experience) (Imani)
Release date: March 18
Guitarist Kevin Eubanks and pianist Orrin Evans are releasing their exploratory duo album debut, EEE (Eubanks-Evans-Experience) via Imani Records. The LP’s wide-ranging program veers from gut-rumbling blues to delicate, airy impressionism, mixing up on-the-spot originals with funk-jazz deep cuts, as well as reimaginings of tunes by jazz masters. Order it here.
Joel Ross, The Parable of the Poet (Blue Note)
Release date: March 18
Inspired by parable tellings and retellings, vibraphonist/composer Joel Ross explores new, more expansive territory and continues in his commitment to blurring the lines between improvisation and written composition. The Parable of the Poet is a seven-movement suite performed by his eight-piece Parables band, bringing together young trailblazing artists, including saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and trumpeter Marquis Hill, among others. Order it here.
Marquis Hill, New Gospel Revisited (Edition)
Release date: March 18
New Gospel Revisited is trumpeter/composer Marquis Hill’s live reinterpretation of his 2011 debut album, New Gospel, performed with an all-star sextet. The record’s 13 tracks are given new life and interspersed with interludes by each band member, including Walter Smith III, Joel Ross, James Francies, Kendrick Scott and Harish Raghavan. Order it
Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Perpetual Pendulum (Smoke Sessions)
Release date: March 25
Organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart celebrate more than three decades as an organ trio with Perpetual Pendulum. Recorded on July 2020 at New York’s Sear Sound, the new album offers a program that combines original compositions by all three musicians, as well as fresh organ trio takes on jazz classics. Order it here.
Information provided by JAZZIZ
