DoYeon Kim, Josilemi, Dave Douglas & Alm

Acclaimed in her home country, gayageum player DoYeon Kim has been garnering plenty of praise for her talent in the North American jazz scene, and her first recording as a leader—Wellspring—will certainly add to her reputation. It's a most unique album. There are some trios and duos of note in this episode: Josilemi (Joe Fonda bass, Silke Eberhard saxophone & Emil Gross drums) bring experience and ingenuity to their improvisations on the new Hear This, while Nite Bjuti's second release expands their reputation. If you like things from a more raucous guitar trio, check out the track from Alm from Germany. Duo tracks are all in the free improv vein with two coming from France: Florian Chaigne & Cyril Trochu, drums & piano recorded in the dark as Trochu is blind, and pianist Christine Wodrascka & bassist Bernard Santacruz. The third duo is a reunion of two of the finest pianists around: Satoko Fujii & Myra Melford. Other new music comes from trumpeter Dave Douglas' new Transcend, drummer Jeff Cosgrove's first of a series of new albums this year, and James Brandon Lewis—who's on the Douglas album—with the Polish Lutosławski Quartet on the much-heralded These Are Soulful Days.