Several Worthwhile Releases from the Last Few Months

Despite what is said about physical media going away, a steady supply of new jazz releases keeps showing up every week. Here are some worthy if underappreciated albums from the first half of 2025.

Tobias Meinhart
Sonic River
Self Produced
2025

"Sonic River" is a good description for what German-born saxophonist Tobias Meinhart and his band do here. Their music flows easily like a river, sweeping folk and classical influences along in its wake. Examples of this include the Bach-derived melody of "Fugue Y" and the wicked blues-swing of Lead Belly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" Both the mellow, slow-tumbling likes of "Mr. Vertigo" and the restlessly romantic "Sonic River" are in constant motion. Pianist Eden Ladin stands out as an expressive foil to Meinhart's energetic playing. The album also has fine guest appearances by guitarist Charles Altura and vocalist Sara Serpa, whose cautious singing enhances "Silencio"'s sense of drama.

Ludovica Burtone
Migration Tales
Self Produced
2025

There are many other jazz musicians like Tobias Meinhart in New York today who were originally from other countries. That is the theme behind Ludovica Burtone's Migration Tales. Burtone herself is from Italy and other musicians in her group come from Spain, Argentina and South Korea. Their music reflects the trials of female immigrants in getting to America and then surviving in a new culture. There is a melancholy loveliness to the warm sound of Burtone's violin mixing with Julieta Eugenio's tenor saxophone, Milena Casado's flugelhorn and Marta Sanchez's piano on "The Name" and "Outside My Window." Conversely, "Is this Rage" is a harsh, atonal jumble more in tune with feelings of frustration and struggle. The most haunting track, "Agua e Vinho," is mainly a feature for Burtone's weeping violin and sorrowful vocal.

Chris Varga
Breathe
Calligram Records
2025

Vibraphonist Chris Varga is a musician out of Chicago who went all the way to South Korea to become part of that country's jazz scene. This album marks his return to his Chicago roots. Varga's lively vibes-playing blends beautifully with Geof Bradfield's lean tenor saxophone and Dave Miller's flinty guitar chords. All three of them charge mightily on the up-tempo "Darantula," while "Breathe" is a leisurely stroll where Varga's vibes bounce dreamily against Bradfield. "Lid" and "Passing Remark" both have a restrained country flavor. Drummer Neil Hemphill tumbles behind Miller's careful picking as Varga dances easily over the elusive rhythms. "This System of Things" adds a layer of soulful rhythm guitar to the overall mix, and "Gentle Vicissitudes" is a piece of atmospheric melancholy introduced by Clark Sommers' eloquent bass playing.

Spike Wilner
The Children & The Warlock
Cellar Music Group
2025

This album is pianist Spike Wilner's tribute to his late teacher, Harry Whitaker. According to the album's liner notes Whitaker taught Wilner about playing ""in the moment," and that is exactly what his trio, joined by the Boston tenor sax legend, George Garzone, does here. The group's sound stays within conventional jazz boundaries but always seems about to burst at the seams. This is especially true when Garzone cuts loose in full burning intensity on "Miles' Mode" and "Theme For Ernie." The standout track, "The Child and the Warlock" is a Whitaker composition. It starts with a florid piano introduction, then turns into a forceful waltz melody enlivened by the hard tone and snaky wailing of Garzone's tenor.

Undercurrent Trio & Suzan Veneman
Cloud Song
Zennez Records
2024

With Cloud Song, Undercurrent Trio continues the long tradition of eclecticism in Dutch jazz. With a basic lineup of saxophone, guitar and drums (plus added trumpet), they touch on a lot of familiar styles. "Lonesome Gaucho" and "El Compadre" have shimmery, Western-soundtrack vibes, "Couleur Locale" is a tipsy sax and trumpet stroll over murmuring guitar, and "Buenos Aires Revisited" is a choppy tango offshoot. Guest trumpeter Suzan Veneman fits right into the wry, tongue-in-cheek feel of the basic trio. Their work is reminiscent of Bill Frisell's more evocative Americana-based projects but with a more detached European perspective.

Tracks and Personnel

Sonic River

Tracks: This Is Water; After The Rain; Mr. Vertigo; Sonic River; Fugue Y; Where Did You Sleep Last Night?; The Panther; Silencio; Pinball; Korean Chant; Dark Horse.

Personnel: Tobias Meinhart: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; alto flute; Eden Ladin: piano, pump organ; Matt Penman: bass: Obed Calvaire: drums; Sara Serpa: vocals (7,8); Charles Altura: guitar (1,3,6-9).

Migration Tales

Tracks: Sono Parole; The Name; In The Last Sun; Is this Rage; Agua e Vinho; Outside My Window; Our Voices.

Personnel: Ludovica Burtone: violin, voice; Milena Casado: flugelhorn; Julieta Eugenio: tenor saxophone; Marta Sanchez: piano; Tyrone Allen II: bass; Jongkuk Kim: drums.

Breathe

Tracks: Durantula; Breathe; Lid; Framing the Dragon; Passing Remark; This System of Things; TMI; Gentle Vicissitudes.

Personnel: Chris Varga: vibraphone; Geof Bradfield: tenor saxophone; Dave Miller: guitar; Clark Sommers: acoustic bass; Neil Hemphill: drums.

The Children & The Warlock

Tracks: Hey, Open Up!; The Child and the Warlock; Benediction; Miles' Mode; Theme for Ernie; Moment to Moment (For Harry Whitaker); Re-Solution.

Personnel: Spike Wilner: piano; George Garzone: tenor saxophone; Paul Gill: bass: Anthony Pinciotti: drums

Cloud Song

Tracks: Cloud Song; Buenos Aires Revisited; Wat Nu Weer; En Toen; Lonesome Gaucho; Couleur Locale; 3 to 4; El Compadre; Voors en Tegens; encore: Kattenbel.

Personnel: Suzan Veneman: trumpet, flugelhorn; Iman Spaargaren: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Guillermo Celano: guitar; Marcos Baggiani: drums.

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