Elucid - Save Yourself [2016]

Regardless of how abstract and indirect it may seem at times - make no mistake, Save Yourself is a deeply personal record. Throughout the development of Save Yourself Elucid's life went through a sea of changes: a change of jobs, the end of a seven-year relationship and the isolation that came with moving to East New York. In the meantime, although some would say the world around him was changing, others might point out that it was just revealing itself, with the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement putting a much needed microscope on the all too common horrid instances of police brutality towards Black Americans. All of this - in addition to the rapper's past, present and views on the future - strongly informs Save Yourself. For Elucid, it's a work "expressing Blackness", delving into "lost love, inequality, and liberation" and speaking on "histories and structures...pointing out where they intersect."

The Nels Cline 4 - Currents, Constellations [2018]

Whether releasing accomplished avant-garde jazz albums with the Nels Cline Singers, or ripping through indie-rock songs with Wilco, Nels Cline's guitar work is always impressive. The guitarist's talents have recently earned him a spot on the legendary Blue Note Records, which released Lovers in 2016. Lovers was a 90 minute testament to Cline's range as a guitarist, boasting absurdly beautiful takes on jazz standards ("Glad To Be Unhappy") as well as tasteful rock covers ("Snare, Girl"). Cline's sophomore Blue Note release, The Nels Cline 4's Currents, Constellations, sounds absolutely nothing like Lovers. In the context of the Cline discography, the album could best be described as a somewhat natural progression from Room, a duet album with one of the most in demand guitarists in jazz today, Julian Lage. 

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.