The Return of Cool Vic; Reimagining Bitches Brew; Great American Songbook x 2; Ukrainian Jazz Media; More Jazz Fiction; and Songs of the Week

We hope our U.S. subscribers came through this week's massive storm safely. We experienced snow and sleet at AAJ HQ but were fortunate not to lose power. While temps remain chilly, they are expected to rise next week, and let's hope the trend continues. We'd also like to recognize our friends in the Twin Cities jazz community. Our thoughts are with you.

Cool Vic Returns

Long before this Jazz Detective, there was another. His name was Vic... "Cool" Vic, to be exact. Back in 1998—1999, Vic was a music dick—chasing down lost artifacts, missing recordings, and cold cases from the shadowy alleys of jazz history. Then he disappeared. Retired. Vamoosed. Now he's back. For how long? That's anyone's guess. But Cool Vic is once again ready to field your questions, crack a few cases (bottled and investigative), and maybe a few heads along the way. Scroll down for his latest case files.

Reboot Too

We're also excited to welcome back award-winning jazz vocalist, composer, arranger, and author Tish Oney, who has revived her mega-popular Anatomy of a Standard column with a deep dive into "Willow Weep for Me" by Ann Ronell. You can explore Tish's full column archive here. With more than a million collective reads, the series will now return with new analyses four times a year.
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Song of the Week Playlist

To help pages load faster across both All About Jazz and Jazz Near You, we've relocated the Song of the Week playlist to the ENGAGE section on the home page. From there, you can access every Song of the Week playlist dating back to 2022.

Album Reviews

The album reviews below represent our most popular from the past week. View more recent reviews.

Live in Chicago Kenny Reichert	Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings (Remastered 2025) Bill Evans	Alternate Route Kerry Politzer	Stygian Gates Michael Eaton
Umwelt Denman Maroney Quintet	SYBlings, Vol. 2 Seth Yacovone Band	Purity Of Intent Jerome Sabbagh	Riddle Diddle: The Prague Sessions Darren Heinrich

Looking for an album review?

If you're a musician, publicist, or record label seeking album review coverage on All About Jazz, please first read our review submission guide, then complete the coverage request form here. When submitting your request, include up to five AAJ album reviewers who best align with your music. For example, if it's a big band or large ensemble recording, select Jack Bowers. You can familiarize yourself with our staff, here.

Reimagining Bitches Brew at the New York City Winter Jazzfest

Each year, the New York City Winter JazzFest, in collaboration with the music-promotion collective Pique-Nique, presents its "Take Two" series, which revisits and reimagines landmark recordings from the jazz canon. Previous editions have paid tribute to historically significant works, including a memorable presentation of Max Roach's Members, Don't Git Weary (Leo Lab, 1968) several years ago. This year's "Reimagine Bitches Brew" event, which took place at Le Poisson Rouge (LPR) on January 13, 2026, extended that lineage, situating the album within a broader continuum of recordings that continue to resonate deeply within the jazz tradition. This photo essay is not intended as a review, but rather as a reflection on my impressions and experience, conveyed through text and images. Continue reading...

Remembering Marilyn Mazur: Percussion Shaman

Marilyn Mazur, the trailblazing Danish drummer, percussionist, composer and bandleader, who enjoyed an extraordinarily varied career, has died at the age of 70. In over fifty years working in jazz and improvised music, Mazur collaborated with Alex Riel, Wayne Shorter, Gil Evans, Charlie Mariano, Jon Balke, Dhafer Youssef, and Jan Garbarek, amongst many others. She holds the distinction of being the only woman ever to play in Miles Davis' band. Mazur was born in New York City in 1955 to a Polish mother and an Afro-American father. As she told All About Jazz in a 2015 interview, her ears were drawn to music while still a toddler. "What I remember is that my mother had a baby-book with percussion sounds and my family kept telling me that I was fascinated by them and wanted to hear them again and again. Continue reading...

A Love Supreme at Carnegie Hall: Coltrane's Night of Fire and Grace

Carnegie Hall, New York City—November 1965. Something sacred broke open the air last night. It began not with a note, but with a shimmer. Elvin Jones washed a mallet across a suspended gong, a metallic exhale that seemed to expand until it touched the gilded balconies of Carnegie Hall. The silence that followed was heavy, not empty—the kind of silence that waits for a prophecy. When John Coltrane stepped forward, flanked by McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison, the tuxedoed formality of the venue felt suddenly brittle, ill-equipped to contain what was about to happen. Continue reading...

Case Files: 2026-01

Case File: The Phantom from Fairfield

Question: Victor,

I've been searching for a reissue of Kenny Dorham's Whistle Stop from the '60s. I heard there was a rare Japanese pressing—any leads?

Earl "Red" Haskins
Dodge City, Kansas

Read Vic's answer...

Songs of the Week

Two more late-2025 entries: from West Africa to Portugal.

Top Songs

The songs below represent the most heard in the past four weeks. View the Song of the Day archive.

Whispering Images From the album Angel Falls By Sylvie Courvoisier	Subdivide and Conquer From the album Apperceptions By Nick Freer	The Achiever From the album Mirror 9 By Franz von Chossy	Survivor From the album Endless Mystery By Przemyslaw Straczek
Do You Feel Good From the album Sampled By Adam Meckler	Spirit of Summer From the album Spirit Of Summer (Featuring Eumir Deodato) By Ithamara Koorax	Eat Your Greens From the album Emeralds By Parlor Greens	Miles From the album Miles By Rebecca Perricone

Choice Content

Ukrainian Jazz Media: Unwavering Service (read); "Willow Weep for Me" by Ann Ronell (read); Marc Seales & Ernie Watts at Jazz Alley (read); Ra Kalam Bob Moses and the Heart Breath Ensemble at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem (read); Marilyn Mazur: The Song in the Woods (read); Braxton Cook Plays SFJAZZ (view photos); Deodato: In Concert—Live At Felt Forum (read); The Great American Songbook Goes To The Movies (read).

Radio & Podcasts

Tune into our extensive collection of quality programs every week.

The Outer View: Loren Schoenberg, Horace Silver, and Masabumi Kikuchi (listen); Allston Boylston: New Archie Shepp with Naïssam Jalal, Kronos Quartet, remembering Ralph Towner, and introducing the Alfie Jackson Sextet (listen); Exploration: Classic jazz from Arthur Prysock, Lee Morgan and recently releases from Elijah Rock, Lisa Hilton, and more (listen); Backstage Bay Area: Michael League's Musical Universe Unleashed (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Melba Liston Centennial, New Music By Alexa Tarantino, Nabou, Monika Herzig, Aubrey Johnson & More (listen); Backstage Bay Area: From Hendrix to Henderson: Marcus Machado's Black Psychedelic Funk Journey (listen); Neon Jazz: Julian Lage, Rick Roe, Kate Wyatt & Maria Kaushansky (listen); North Star Sounds: New (ish) Releases from Chicago Underground Duo, Potsa Lotsa XL, Angelika Niescier, & Darrifourcq/Hermia/Ceccaldi PLUS older gems (listen); Jazz On The Tyne: David Becker, Paul Wertico and Tuxedo Man (listen); The Tonearm: John Mlynczak: Why Namm Still Matters In 2026 (listen); Backstage Bay Area: Hamilton de Holanda's Choro Revolution (listen); Jazz Connections: Jazz Interpretations of the French Impressionist Musical Revolutionaries Erik Satie and Claude Debussy (listen); Ben Boddie On Jazz: Dave Stryker, Michael Dease, Mattias Svensson, Roderick Harper and more (listen); World of Jazz: New Music from Seabrook, Lockheart, Eckemoff, Fernando & More (listen); The Jazz Disturbance: Alexa Tarantino, Greg Burrows, Ben Stapp, Roberto Fonseca and Vincent Segal (listen).

News Announcements

Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.

Elysium Furnace Works Announces Its 2026 Season, Beginning With Tyshawn Sorey And Cooper-Moore On Saturday, March 14 (read); Christian McBride Will Host Important Fundraiser For Jazz Power Initiative (read); New England Conservatory's Contemporary Musical Arts Students Reinterpret Hits Of The 1960s And '70s In 'Genius On The Charts' on February 24 (read); 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival Announces 16 More Artists (read); Jazz Master Anthony Braxton Joins The New England Conservatory Jazz Composers' Orchestra On Thursday, February 12 (read); Eugenie Jones Kicks Off Women I Jazz Month National Tour (read); Estonian Pianist and Composer Rahel Talts Releases 'Back And Forth' (read)

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Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci