Colorado-based pianist/keyboadist Jon Wirtz displays incredible chops and a gentle touch on his second full length recording, Tourist. Wirtz’s syncopated style is featured here in a collage of tunes that highlight his compositional depth. The menu is a mix of sounds from upbeat and funky to gospel-flavored and ballads. The effort features a core rhythm section which includes Alejandro Castaño on drums and John Grigsby on bass. There are outstanding guest performances from guitarists Dan Schwindt and John Macy, trumpeter Gabriel Mervine, vocalists Heather Larrabee, Sarah Morris and Jess DeNicola, as a well as a spoken word contribution by Stephen Malloy Brackett. Wirtz’s ability to make it all work as a production renders this a fantastic project to experience.

Steve Lindeman with BYU (Brigham Young University) Synthesis is not ‘your father’s big band’ and their debut recording, The Day After Yesterday, is not your typical big band music. It’s a fresh entry in the genre. It’s not the big overly loud, tint-type ensemble remaking songs from the old big band playbook. This is fresh, refreshing, modern material built from the ground up by Lindeman. You can practically smell the fresh paint and lumber. The music’s contemporary rhythms and times blends nicely with swing and blues to create music that is compelling and contemplative. Mixed in with a horn section which includes trombonist Danny Burt, tenor saxophonist Benny Nichols and trumpeter Dallas Crane, is the guitar of Bradley Bills, the piano of Jordan Kamalu, the drums of Jay Tibbits and all manner of percussion instrument. Kelly Eisenhour delivers beautiful lyrics and song to the albums only tune with vocals. Under the direction of Ray Smith, who also plays multiple reeds on the project, the band makes the music flow as gracefully as any large ensemble could possibly sound. From beginning to end, this fantastic recording is a remarkable achievement.

On her fourth recording release, vocalist Deborah Shulman is joined by the Ted Howe Trio for a really pleasing tribute to great composer and lyricist Bobby Troup. In Shulman, you have an experienced singer who knows her way around a song. In Howe, you have a very talented arranger and bandleader who creates really engaging arrangements of tunes. They work really well together. The project swings nicely and slows down just as well. Also helping to make a good thing better are the other members of the trio, Dave Tull on drums and Kevin Axt on bass. The talented unit, along with the lead, provide an extremely entertaining homage to a great American talent.

Pianist Bill Cunliffe’s latest recording, River Edge, New Jersey, is an outstanding production. Cunliffe leads his trio of Martin Wind on bass and Tim Horner on drums on this set of primarily fantastic original compositions. From ballad to swing, the musical synchronicity here is impeccable, as are the individual contribution of the three musicians, with Cunliffe’s awe-inspiring pianissimo at the heart of the action. The musical repertoire includes nice arrangements of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Harry Nilsson and Björk. The whole effort is excellent from start to finish and an absolute candidate for our favorite recording of the year.

The New York apartment of George Shearing was famed for the great concerts that emanated from behind its walls. In 1983, during a 6-week stint working together, Shearing and bassist Don Thompson rented equipment to record their tea time playing sessions in Shearing’s home, something they did for the sheer enjoyment. When Thompson found himself listening back to the resulting tapes shortly after Shearing’s death in 2011, he heard the magic that we get the hear on this release, At Home. The recording of the two musicians and friends is mesmerizing. What comes across is not only on the sheer virtuosity of both men, but the musical chemistry in their playing as well. Each song is as much conversation as musical interpretation. The duo wind their way through classics by Rodgers and Hart, Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz and David Raskin, among others. Thanks to this great documentation of their living room performances, we get be to an audience to the great music that happened during those days in Shearing’s apartment–and what a privilege.

Vocalist/pianist extraordinaire Eliane Elias turns her attention to tunes associated with the great trumpeter and singer Chet Baker. She treats each song with a style and grace fitting any tribute to Baker. Many of the arrangements reflect the influence of Elias’ Brazilian roots and the singer’s and often-sensuous vocals give the tunes a wholly different feel from Baker’s interpretations. Helping to create the musical mood here is an equally notable lineup, which includes guitarists Oscar Castro-Nieves and Steve Cardenas, drummers Victor Lewis and Rafael Barata, percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos, bassist Marc Johnson (Elias’ husband) and trumpeter Randy Brecker (Elias former husband). The project is a wonderful mix of bossa nova and ballads delivered at the high level of artistry we’ve come to expect from an Elias production .

Vibraphonist Joe Locke is one of the great mallet men of our time. His latest product, “Lay Down My Heart: Blues & Ballads, Vol.1″ delivers a nice mix of contemplative and color-filled performances. The project features Locke’s take on tunes by Bill Withers, Sam Jones, Bobby Troup, Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin, as well as, Frank Foster. Locke contributes a couple of beautiful tunes to the set as well. The sound here is soul-soothing. Contributing to the vibe (no pun intended) is a great accompaniment of players which includes Ryan Cohan on piano, Jimeo Brown on drums and David Finck on bass. The four musicians click like clockwork and make every note worth hearing.

Vocal Denise King and pianist Olivier Hutman are a formidable musical team. They reunite for their latest project, Give Me The High Sign, and what a wonderful work it is. Hutman, the compositional core of the project, collaborates with King and others, on music and lyrics which provides a fresh sound and perspective on life and love. King’s vocals are dynamic and engaging and the musicianship backing her is fantastic. Providing the musical flooring, along with Hutman on piano and keyboards, are Steve Williams on drums, Darryl Hall on bass, Olivier Temme on tenor saxophone and Stéphane Belmondo on trumpet and flugelhorn. There are nice reworkings of tunes by Ellington and Strayhorn, Levant and Heyman and Gil Scott-Heron, but for the most part this is a recording that offers thoughtful, clever and entertaining new music.

Trumpeter David Weiss and his band Point of Departure of musical proof that jazz is very much alive. On Venture Inward, the acoustic quartet creates a brand of music that is electric. Weiss and company take on compositions by Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Andrew Hill and Charlie Moore and the band’s performance lives up to the stature of the jazz greats. The sound and synergy here is too engaging to ignore. Weiss is joined by tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen, bassist Luques Curtis, drummer Jamire Williams and guitarist Nir Felder for a lively musical conversation, one which we have the privilege to overhear.

After many years working seperately, vocalist Rachel Caswell and violinist Sara Caswell decided to work together and the result is heavenly. Alive In The Air , the sisters’ debut recording collaboration, was produced by piano great Fred Hersch. The synthesis of the three musician, along with the talents of bassist Jeremy Allen and drummer Bryson Kern is magical. The singer’s voice is as powerful as the violin is soothing. That the two work so work so well together seems to have more to do with each sibling’s mastery of their respective craft, than familial connection. The musical menu fits the production  with a cross-section of standards, classic and contemporary. The recording is a joyous work from an outstanding duo which re-affirms the fact that inventiveness and brilliance continue to emerge in jazz.