Jungsu Choi Tiny Orkester - Tschüss Jazz Era [2018]

Published on NextBop

As someone who has written for theater, musicals and film, Jungsu Choi is no stranger to the grand. The South Korean composer has brought together a band of twelve top class musicians - with the power of at least twice that number. Throughout Tschüss Jazz Era, his Tiny Orkester plays through five pieces that are all arranged by Choi, including two Choi originals, "Stolen Yellow" and "Nach Wien 224."

Thumbscrew - Theirs [2018]

It's odd for a group like Thumbscrew to release an album like Theirs. Mary Halvorson (guitar), Michael Formanek (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums) are musicians who always seem to have their eye on the future, with their albums as a bandleader being composed of mostly original material. Theirs is an album that does not contain one Thumbscrew original. The record is completely focused on much older compositions, including jazz standards like "The Peacocks", a Jimmy Rowles composition that was popularized by classic recordings by greats such as Bill Evans and Stan Getz.

Kadhja Bonet - Childqueen [2018]

Kadhja Bonet's music has an otherworldly quality to it. It's radiant, gorgeous work that defies genre classification. Hints of psychedelia, soul and folk course through the veins of Bonet's compositions. All of this, plus an angelic voice, is what made her debut EP, The Visitor, such a joy to listen to. A few years later, the high quality of Childqueen shows that the brilliance on display in The Visitor was not just lightning in a bottle.