Mike Heger

Connecticut-born / New York-based Mike LeDonne, who divides his time these days between piano and organ, has begun to record more frequently on the Hammond B3, especially with his suitably named Groover Quartet which, according to Owen Cordle's liner notes to Keep the Faith, has been together now for more than a decade. And that's a good thing, as these gentlemen certainly know how to groove, and do so with abandon on an album recorded roughly a year after the quartet's well-received The Groover.

Mike Nock is an icon of the Australian and international jazz scenes. In a career spanning more than 65 years, including 25 years in the US, he has worked with the world’s top jazz artists and garnered a swag of awards, including being inducted into the Australian Jazz Hall of Fame. His discography of more than 35 albums, recorded with his Trio, Quartet, Big Small Band and many other collaborators, includes ARIA, AIR and Jazz Bell awards, but this is his first solo album since the chart-topping ‘Touch’, released 30 years ago almost to the day, in 1993. Its 13 tracks reveal the many colours and moods that can be conjured from keys of a piano, and prove again Mike Nock’s incomparable genius as both composer and performer.

Laula! is the third album by Mike Fentross and Maarten Ornstein; following our debut duo album, Oblivion Soave and having worked with Rima Khcheich on our second album Ombre de Mon Amant, we are once again collaborating with an extraordinary singer — the Estonian mezzo-soprano Kadri Tegelmann. She is not only a superb interpreter of the Baroque music, as featured here, but she also introduced us to the deep and rich tradition of Baltic vocal music with its many folksongs, hymns and chants.

The sturdiness of the blues tradition will support any band with decent chops and good instincts and make it sound good, but only the rarest bands overcome the weight of that same tradition to make music original enough for greatness. The Dallas quartet Mike Morgan & the Crawl is the perfect example of a bar band that serves the blues legacy honorably without ever adding much to it. Ain't Worried No More includes 9 songs by guitarist Morgan among its 13 tracks, but these represent a reshuffling of old materials rather than anything personal enough to be forever associated with its composer. Morgan, who wears a pirate patch over his right eye, is not a singer; he leaves that to his longtime partner and harmonica soloist Lee McBee, whose gruff and soulful baritone never distracts from the band's groove…

Legendary guitarist Mike Stern has been celebrated for his versatile playing style since he first hit the scene in the 1970s, transcending genre by performing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Béla Fleck, Yellowjackets and more. With Echoes and Other Songs, Stern brings together an all-star group of musicians (including Chris Potter, Jim Beard, Christian McBride, Antonio Sanchez, Richard Bona & Dennis Chambers) for 11 brand-new originals that will captivate and unite guitar and jazz fans of all generations.

While flying home from Europe after all tours being cancelled due to COVID-19, Mike Zito decided the band would record an album. Individually they were to be quarantined for 14 days and this idea of writing, producing and releasing an album in the 14 day period seemed like quite an effort and a distraction for him. He followed no rules, he wrote what he was feeling regardless of style or genre and used his feelings of fear, hope, love and rebelliousness to fuel his creativity. Mike left the 'rules' on the floor and followed his heart. "I think these are some of the best songs I have written in years."

Elements represents the many sides of Mike Oldfield, and is a short but interesting journey through some of this multi-instrumentalist's best efforts. Sixteen of his albums are spoken for, with the same number of tracks making up this assortment…