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From captivating compositions to virtuosic performances, these releases encompass a wide range of styles and showcase the creativity and artistry of today’s jazz musicians. Here is our curated selection of ten new jazz albums released this month (August 2024) that you need to know about!
In Motion marks drummer and composer Jonathan Barber’s fourth studio album with his longstanding Vision Ahead group, featuring guitarist Andrew Renfroe, pianist Taber Gable, bassist Matt Dwonszyk and tenor saxophonist Matt Knoegel. Presenting eight originals and a pair of covers, and blending youthful energy with mature prowess, the record is described via a press release as Barber’s “most astute statement yet” and a testament to the staying power of Vision Ahead.
Nearly a decade in the making, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin marks Meshell Ndegeocello’s second Blue Note album, featuring a lineup of frequent collaborators and special guests, and offering a striking homage to the eminent writer and activist James Baldwin on the year of his centennial. This work is described via an official press release as being at once “a musical experience, a church service, a celebration, a testimonial and a call to action.”
Release date: August 9
Louis Cole transforms recordings from a select number of his live performances in The Netherlands with the Dutch Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley on his latest album. A fascinating studio/live album hybrid, nothing incorporates both new works as well as previously released songs, including “Let It Happen,” “Shallow Laughter” and “Bitches” from his GRAMMY-nominated 2022 album, Quality Over Opinion.
Release date: August 9
Milton Nascimento and esperanza spalding have joined forces on a new collaborative album, Milton + esperanza, produced and arranged by spalding and featuring five reimagined Nascimento classics, original compositions by spalding, and captivating covers of songs by Michael Jackson and The Beatles. Mostly recorded in Brazil in 2023, this album is a culmination of nearly 15 years of friendship and collaboration between the two artists, and is enriched by guest appearances by Paul Simon, Dianne Reeves, Guinga, Shabaka Hutchings and many others.
Release date: August 23
On Vibe Provider, pianist, composer and bandleader Emmet Cohen presents a program of original compositions and beloved classics dedicated to his late friend and mentor, Harlem-based creative Michael Funmi Ononaiye, who died in December 2023. The new album also features Cohen alongside an all-star band including: Bruce Harris, Tivon Pennicott, Frank Lacy, Cecily Petrarca, Philip Norris, Joe Farnsworth and Kyle Poole.
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Release date: August 23
Michael Dease pays a heartfelt tribute to the late legendary trumpeter Roy Hargrove on his latest album, Grove’s Groove, convening a band full of Hargrove alunmi, friends and devotees, including Steve Davis, Terell Stafford, Rodney Whitaker, Ulysses Owens Jr., Bill Cunliffe and Jocelyn Gould. The record also marks the second full-length outing where Dease, a renowned and in-demand trombonist, focuses solely on the baritone saxophone.
Release date: August 23
Having performed with such acclaimed artists as Abdullah Ibrahim and Afrobeat band Antibalas, New York-based trombonist, composer and educator Michael Pallas makes his powerful statement on his full-length debut recording as a bandleader. Gateway showcased Pallas’ fluency in many different genres, as he explores the intersections of Latin, jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop on this new album, performing alongside saxophonist Lomar Brown, pianist Yeissonn Villamar, bassist John Benitez, drummer Jonathan Barber and percussionist Matthew Gonzalez.
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