Rudresh Mahanthappa

Hero Trio

(Whirlwind)

Rudresh Mahanthappa (as), Francois Moutin (b) and Rudy Royston (d). Rec. 2019

Mahanthappa’s 2015 Bird Calls was one of the most intelligent investigations of Charlie Parker’s music in recent memory, using his bebop classics as a jumping off point for thrilling original songs. This new work also looks at the old, but in a broader sense, as the set list includes anthems by soul and country stars, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Cash, as well as jazz icons John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Kevin Le Gendre

Read the full review in the August issue of Jazzwise

Zara McFarlane

Songs of an Unknown Tongue

(Brownswood)

Zara McFarlane (v), plus various personnel. Rec. date not stated

Musically, lyrically, conceptually, in any number of ways Zara McFarlane’s fourth studio album Songs of an Unknown Tongue is a remarkable, soul-stirring collection. It not only presents a fascinating exploration into the folk and spiritual traditions of her Jamaican heritage, but also – on songs such as ‘My Story’ and ‘Native Nomad’ – shines a powerful light on the legacy of colonialism, empire and slavery, and issues of race and identity. Peter Quinn

Read the full review in the August issue of Jazzwise

William Parker

Trencadis

(Centering)

William Parker (b) plus various personnel inc Lisa Sokolov and Leena Conquest (v). Rec. 2019

The love letter to Harlem and the praise songs for Mexico have a sense of both dignity and necessity, as if staying silent about the beauty of black culture and the horror of Trump’s regime are not an option. This is compelling music from an artist whose immense talent and leadership are matched by a desire to offer an antidote to what Stevie Wonder once called the evils of the world. Kevin Le Gendre

Read the full review in the August issue of Jazzwise

Maria Schneider

Data Lords

(Artistshare)

Maria Schneider (comp; arr; cond), Tony Kadleck, Greg Gisbert, Nadje Nordhuis, Mike Rodriquez (t), Keith O’Quinn, Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes, George Flynn (tb), Steve Wilson, Rich Perry, Donny McCaslin, Scott Robinson (saxes), Frank Kimborough (p), Jay Anderson (b), Ben Monder (g), Jonathan Blake (d) and Gary Versace (accordion). Rec. 2020

While Maria Schneider’s last album, the critically acclaimed The Thompson Fields, came in pastel shades, reflective moods and a wistful evocation of an idealised ‘Heimat’; Data Lords, in contrast, releases what Schneider calls her “inner beast”. It contains her most powerful writing yet – the ominous rising tension of the title track, the dark, brooding ‘A World Lost’ or the powerful ‘Don’t Be Evil’. Stuart Nicholson

Read the full review in the August issue of Jazzwise

Nat King Cole

Straighten Up and Fly Right - The Best of Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)

(Resonance Records)

Nat King Cole (p, v), Oscar Moore (g), Wesley Prince, Johnny Miller and Red Callender (b). Rec. 1938-1943

Documenting the six-year period before he signed to Capitol Records and achieved worldwide success as a pop singer, the collection showcases the diversity of Cole’s early career as one of the great jazz pianists and bandleaders. Peter Quinn

Read the full review in the August issue of Jazzwise