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Saxophonist and composer Walter Smith III enters a new era of his band leading career with his remarkable Blue Note debut return to casual, the long-anticipated follow-up to his self-released 2014 recording still casual. Eight original works (and one new arrangement) all composed within weeks of each other layer, displace, dismantle and reassemble among the Houston native’s fellow artists. Reprising their bandmate roles, pianist Taylor Eigsti, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist Harish Raghavan, and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire reveal a seasoned depth of dimension alongside a featured guest appearance by pianist James Francies.

The best album of Loudon Wainwright III's career, History features a mix of the humorous and the serious, the autobiographical and the observational, the rockin' and the balladic, all wrapped up in some classy arrangements. There is a mood of personal reflection hanging over the entire proceeding, inspired by the death of Wainwright's father, a noted American writer and editor. "People in Love" kicks the whole thing off with one of Wainwright's trademark observations on the perils of love. On "Men," the singer quietly discusses the whys and wherefores of male behavior, while "The Picture" is a musical reflection on a picture of Loudon and his sister taken 40 years earlier (and reproduced inside the CD booklet).

Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott presents Corridors, a striking new album that finds the Houston-born drummer and composer paring down to a trio featuring saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers. The anticipated follow-up to A Wall Becomes A Bridge, Scott’s much-lauded 2019 release with his band Oracle, Corridors features eight original compositions and one new arrangement of a beloved tune from the Bobby Hutcherson canon.