Linda May Han Oh and Melissa Aldana Play Bebop and Beyond
Linda May Han Oh and Melissa Aldana create a duet album that freshly straddles a couple of eras, showing that the center of jazz in 2026 is pleasantly de-centered.
jazz
Mary Halvorson and Ambrose Akinmusire Connect to Jazz History
Mary Halvorson and Ambrose Akinmusire’s new LP feels more like an hour of tapas than a tasting menu, which makes it charming and crystalline and leaves room for something more.
Lesley Mok Embraces Impulse and Sonic Manipulation
While Lesley Mok has benefited from the spirit of collaboration, this “solo” album presents her unfiltered musical mind on a solitary, deeply enjoyable ride.
DOMi & JD Beck Create a Brilliant, Jazzy Genre Mash-up
Gen Z “jazz” duo DOMi & JD Beck conjure the breathtaking sophomore release Who Asked?, which straddles jazz, classical, electronica, and pop.
Jazz Pianist Nduduzo Makhathini Mixes Yearning with a Modern Sound
As a South African artist, Nduduzo Makhathini inherits a grand tradition of cross-pollination between American jazz and the music of his own culture.
Tyshawn Sorey Triumphantly Renews a 1968 Jazz Classic by Max Roach
Tyshawn Sorey convenes a searing band for his refraction and elevation of Max Roach’s original Members Don’t Git Weary, and the result is a fresh message for 2026.
Guitarist Miles Okazaki Expands His Sound with ‘Boomtown’
Jazz artist Miles Okazaki has had no trouble defining his own space and personality on the big American landscape. He sounds, finally, like no other guitarist.
Alden Hellmuth Excels on Her Astonishing New Album
Alden Hellmuth is both blazing trails and paying tribute to the past, resulting in what may very well be the finest jazz album of the year so far.
Steven Bernstein Releases Brilliant Twin Albums
For all the amazing horn playing that we finally hear from Steven Bernstein these two records remind us that he remains daring and highly conceptual.
Ibrahim Maalouf Radiates Joy on ‘Trumpets of Michel-Ange Vol. 2’
Trumpets of Michel-Ange Vol. 2 finds Ibrahim Maalouf reaching out to a global family of fellow artists and lifting sounds of life and culture in Lebanon and beyond.
Alexander Noice Gets Melodically Maximalist on Wild New LP
Alexander Noice creates layers of sound and interlocking melodies, blending jazz, improvisation, and tightly wound compositional lines, with modern technology.
Nana Osei Twum Barima Takes Us on a ‘Journey to the Unknown’
There’s a wonderfully guileless quality to the softness of Nana Osei Twum Barima’s steady voice that makes this album all the more touching in addition to its loveliness.