Saxophonist Hailey Niswanger plays with all of the skill and sophistication of someone three or four times her age of twenty-one. The latest showcase for her virtuosity is her sophomore release, The Keeper. The 11-track album, which features eight tunes which she composed, is further testimony to Niswanger’s tremendous artistry. The album is a total swingfest, featuring a lineup of talented sidemen who help power the music. Joining the Houston native on the project are Max Moran on bass, Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano, Mark Whitfield, Jr. on drums and Darren Barrett on trumpet for several tracks. The recording includes nice renditions of tunes by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Cole Porter. If you appreciate hearing fantastic, next-level musicianship, you can not go wrong by checking this one out.

San Francisco-based organist Brian Ho first fell in love with playing the organ when he became its full-time practitioner at an African-American church at 16 years old. Today, the thirty-something is a bona fide groover, as his debut release Organic makes very clear. The project features Ho among a solid group of musical sidemen deftly conveying the subtlety and power of the Hammond engine, with a repertoire that ranges from funky jams to bluesy ballads. The song selection is a balance of original compositions and nicely done covers, from classics to pop. Joining him on the set are drummer Lorca Hart, saxophonist Oscar Pangilinan and guitarist Calvin Keys, a veteran of his craft, who has played alongside the likes of organ greats like Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Dr. Lonnie Smith, among others. Such experience in his corner can’t help but contribute to the musical acumen Ho demonstrates on this inaugural effort. This is a fantastic recording kickoff for a rising star of the keys.

It’s not just the fact that Catherine Russell has a voice that sounds like a throwback to earlier singers (including a touch of Billie Holliday), while still being very much in the present, or that she phrases lyrics in a way that recalls a Satchmo trumpet solo, or that she brings a joy to the presentation of the music she sings. It’s really all of the above that make Russell’s latest, Strictly Romancin’, one of our favorites. The singer’s tone is further enhanced by wonderful arrangements and the talents of a terrific band, which includes Mark Munisteri on guitar and bango, Lee Hudson on bass, Mark Shane on piano and Dan Block on clarinet. The recording covers a collection of period tunes, which includes compositions by Mary Lou Williams, Ellington and Strayhorn, Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh, Hoagy Carmichael, and Lillian Green. Russell’s ebullient voice brings these songs to life in a whole new way with an infectious appreciation that is thoroughly pleasing.

Vibraphonist Joe Locke and pianist Geoffrey Keezer join forces to lead a stellar lineup musicians on their collaboration Signing. The album acquired its title from a touching story that Locke tells of his mother, who taught the deaf early her career and later befriended a blind, deaf neighbor. Locke relates this theme of connection to his bandmates here, who include bassist Mike Pope, who suffered a stroke two months before this recording, and drummer Terreon Gully. The interplay of these four talents makes for some fantastic music.The music is mostly original, save a nice arrange of John Coltrane’s Naima, there’s a fantastic sense of telepathy and timing. If you want to hear the beauty and power of what happens when a group of solid musical talents can do when they connect, this is a recording you should check out .

Azul is the terrific recording debut of San Francisco-based pianist and composer Anne Sajdera. The project, co-produced with guitarist Ray Obiedo, has a wonderful melodic feel. Sajdera is joined on the effort by members of her trio, which include Gary Brown on bass and Paul van Wageningen on drums, both of whom are a stellar complement to the pianist. Joining the unit on several tunes are Michael Spiro on percussion and Phil Thompson takes the drumming chair on two of the album’s tracks. The effort is made even more special by the appearance of the legendary percussionist Airto Moreira on a number of tunes. Sajdera is a gifted composer, penning a number of tunes on the album, which blended nicely with reworked bows to Wayne Shorter, Egberto Gismonti and Ivan Lins. The commendable music choices make this artist’s debut a great pleasure to hear.

Ode is the first recording from the Brad Mehldau Trio in 4 years. The project’s title references its musical odes to many different people, fictional and nonfictional, including the late, great saxophonist Michael Brecker, a character from the film Easy Rider, a comic book hero and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. Pianist Mehldau has always been fantastic as something of a solo, high wire artist, but with the trio he demonstrates how he can ‘play well with others’, in this case, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, both stellar talents in their own right. The trio clicks through the albums 11 tunes, all of which Mehldau composed, like a finely tuned watch. The tracks are balance of uptempo numbers and ballads, which provide a showcase for this latest episode in the artistry of the trio.

Vocalist Sara Leib makes a wonderful recording debut with Secret Love, produced by Matt Pierson. Leib delivers warm, inviting vocals over fresh new arrangements of classic and contemporary tunes. Covered are works by Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hammerstein, as well as tracks by Bob Dylan and Ben Harper. Leib devised the new arrangements most of the tunes, with the exception of the title track, re-crafted by her New England Conservatory of Music friends, vocalist Heather Masse (of the Wailin’ Jennys) and pianist Jed Wilson. The production is elevated by the presence of top-notch musician talents, including pianists Aaron Parks and Taylor Eigsti, drummer Eric Harland, bassist Harish Raghavan and saxophonist Dayna Stephen and percussionist Richie Barshay. This is a really nice debut of a great, new talent on the contemporary jazz vocal landscape.

On his latest, Meridies, pianist Dan Cray provides a fantastic portrait of contemporary quartet of musicians at work. Cray is joined by a terrific group comprised of Noah Preminger on saxophone, Clark Sommers on bass and Mark Ferber on drums, all whom provide solid musicianship in their respective chairs. The four musicians swing quite nicely on the uptempo tunes, and have a great sound on ballads as well. The recording is also a tremendous showcase of Cray’s considerable harmonic gifts as a composer. He wrote 6 of the project’s 8 tracks. The effort includes nice renditions of a Joe Henderson tune and the classic “Smile”. Cray is a terrific artist whose work should not be missed.

Guitarmaster and legend Paco DeLucía puts on a quite show on his latest, En Vivo Conciertos Live in Spain 2010. The 2-disc recording captures DeLucia live in front a very enthusiastic home audience in his native Spain. The audience hangs on every note the iconic flamenco guitariist plucks, strokes or strums on the stage; it’s no wonder, as the foot-stomping, percussive energy is infective and quite affecting. DeLucia’s virtuoso playing is enhanced by the talents of guitarist Antonio Sánchez, bassist Alain Pérez, singers David de Jacoba and Duquende, harmonica player Antonio Serrano, and dancer Farru.Though it must have been an amazing experience to have been there for these shows, the power and beauty of DeLucia’s mastery comes across fantastically in this terrific recording.

Oltreoceano is the wonderful self-produced recording debut of bassist Andrea Veneziani. The Italian-born, New York-based musician has a fantastic voice on the instrument and does terrific work as a composer make this a fantastic effort, but add the talents of the great Kenny Werner on piano and you have an even more special product. The trio has a nice chemistry that makes the compositions come alive. Most of the tracks on the package are by the bassist and his musical collaborators here, with a couple of nice renditions of tunes written by Bill Evans, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. Veneziani’s wonderful tone, along with the great selection of material makes this one really worth hearing.