In March 2020, a consortium of record labels – Blue Note, Concord Music Group, Mack Avenue Music Group, Nonesuch Records, Verve Label Group and Warner Music group – assembled to raise funds for basic living expenses for American musicians whose livelihoods had been hit by the sudden collapse of live performance caused by Coronavirus. Never before had industry leaders reacted in this way and the proceeds of this album –Relief – will benefit the Covid-19 Musicians’ Emergency Fund.

What emerged was a snapshot of the state of the art of nine leading American jazz musicians. There’s the vintage stylings of Cècile McLorin Salvant paying tribute to Bessie Smith via ‘Easy Come, Easy Go Blues’ and Jon Batiste paying tribute to Nat King Cole on ‘Sweet Lorraine’, while the restless energy of Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese break into a festive, percussion-heavy groove; three tracks that say much about the state of the jazz vocal today. Charles Lloyd’s infinite search for improvisational perfection (and he comes pretty close) on ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, is contrasted by the taut interplay of Joshua Redman’s Still Dreaming band. And then there’s Christian McBride’s Malcolm-X inspired piece ‘Brother Malcolm’ from his album The Movement that summons up the spirits of Coltrane’s ‘Alabama’ and ‘Spiritual’.

There are only two pieces that could be described as 'straight ahead': Kenny Garrett’s ‘Joe Hen’s Waltz’ and Herbie Hancock’s live version of ‘Gingerbread Boy’ with Wallace Roney and Jimmy Heath, and both are pulled off with suave accomplishment.