New Music From Bellbird, Rosenblum, Howell, Miller And More
World of Jazz 777
On this edition there is music that traverses the vast landscape of contemporary jazz, avant-garde exploration, and orchestral fusion. In this session, we navigate a diverse range of creative visions—from the intimate flickers of "Blowing on Embers" to the massive, symphonic scale of a tribute to Bill Evans. Along the way, we’ll explore cinematic suites that capture frozen moments in time, vibrant global rhythms from Lisbon to Singapore, and lush vocal collaborations that honour the legends of the genre. Whether it is the restless energy of modern improvisation or the sweeping grandeur of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, these selections represent the cutting edge of the international scene.
AUDIO
PLAYLIST
Bellbird “Blowing On Embers” from The Call (Constellation) 00:001
Ben Rosenblum The Nebula Project “Scenes Frozen In Time : Onslaught” from The Longest Way Round (One Trick Dog Records) 06:46 2
Eli Howell “I Remember Al” from Steps Taken (D Clef Records) 14:103
Joel Miller “Joé Chevere” from What If? (Leaf Music) 21:334
Não confundir com “Não cumpriu o propósito de um final” from Cumprir qualquer propósito (Robalo Music) 27:30 5
Heisenberg Uncertainty Players “Hold On” from Return To The Enchanted Forest (Hostile Postulate Publishing) 38:41 6
Dave Holland, Norma Winstone, London Vocal Project “Inner Traces” from Vital Spark (Music of Kenny Wheeler) (Edition Records) 47:04 7
Kannon “Nakba” from …in a sea of fire (Nightjar) 55:24 8
Tom Oren “Dawn of Adventure” from Dark Lights (Anzic Records) 1:01:15 9
Pete Calandra and Straight Up “Open Window” from Open Window (PCM) 1:10:3610
Simon Mogul “Disturbed” from Simon Says (Self Released) 1:16:21 11
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Clausen Trio, and Jean Thorel “Symbiosis Parts 1 & 2” from Symbiosis – Tribute to Bill Evans (Pentatone) 1:22:52 12
NOTES
Constellation welcomed Montréal-based avant-jazz ensemble Bellbird to the label back in November, sharing a new track entitled “The Call” at that time— which is now confirmed as the title track from the band’s new full-length record released February 6th. While firmly rooted in modern jazz, Bellbird’s music incorporates stylistic influences including atonal counterpoint, rock grooves, folk melodies, Minimalism, and a reigning (post)punk spirit. Growing up in disparate situations spanning three countries and emerging from different musical scenes, the quartet met and coalesced in Montréal’s fertile underground in 2021. Bellbird’s 2023 debut Root In Tandem was praised as “remarkable…with chip-on-the-shoulder confidence” (All About Jazz) and “a solid debut statement featuring thoughtfully structured compositions and empathetic group interplay” (Textura). Following an acclaimed run across Canada’s jazz festival circuit in 2024, the band began writing The Call during a residency at Orford Musique later that year, eventually signing to Constellation in 2025. The group comprises tenor saxophonist Claire Devlin, alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Allison Burik, bassist Eli Davidovici, and drummer Mili Hong.
“Think you’re escaping and run into yourself,” James Joyce wrote in his impenetrably insightful masterpiece Ulysses. “Longest way ‘round is the shortest way home.” Pianist, accordionist and composer Ben Rosenblum has found resonant truth in those words, a favorite quote of his mother’s. So much so that he’s adopted them as the title of The Longest Way Round, the third and most venturesome release to date by his globally influenced ensemble, the Nebula Project. Set for release on February 27, 2026 via One Trick Dog Records, The Longest Way Round is full of revelations. Rosenblum’s compositions find deeply personal introspection by way of a spiritual globalism. In the members of the Nebula Project, the composer has surrounded himself with traveling companions who share his restless curiosity and bring their own diverse influences and backgrounds into this explorative mix. Returning from the band’s previous outings are trumpeter Wayne Tucker, saxophonist Jasper Dutz, guitarist Rafael Rosa, bassist Marty Jaffe and drummer Ben Zweig, joined for this outing by percussionists Gustavo Di Dalva and Brad Dutz.
When trombonist and composer Eli Howell set out to record his debut album, Steps Taken, he imagined a celebratory capstone to his years at Michigan State University. Instead, he woke to find Lansing ripped apart by a tornado. Lightning had struck Troubadour Recording Studios — the space booked for a full-band sextet date — leaving it unusable overnight. With musicians already in town, postponement wasn’t an option, so Howell, producer (and modern trombone leader) Michael Dease, and engineer Corey DeRushia improvised a solution: they built a makeshift, all-in-one-room studio at MSU.
Recording without isolation became a creative spark. “Playing live and feeling so comfortable was so nice,” Howell says. “It felt very much like how people used to record albums — everyone in one room, no overdubs. And it turned out amazing.” What began as an emergency pivot quickly became inseparable from the album’s energy and immediacy.
The music also reflects a deeper personal arc. In the autumn of 2023, Howell — now based in Harlem — developed focal dystonia (a neurological movement disorder causing sustained muscle contractions or spasms) that forced him to stop playing for a year. “It happened over like two weeks,” he says. “I just started to lose the ability to play.” The long rehabilitation reshaped his practice and perspective. “Coming back from that really made me find a lot of joy in playing again,” he continues. “Getting up and playing scales in the morning didn’t feel like checking something off — it was like, wow, I’m actually excited to do this now.” Many of the album’s originals were written during that uncertain period, marking his path toward recovery and renewed purpose.
The personnel on Steps Taken — rooted in Howell’s admiration for the three-horn language of the Jazz Messengers and One for All — represent the mentors who guided him. Trumpeter Brian Lynch, whose tenure with Art Blakey helped inspire Howell’s sextet concept, brings blistering precision; saxophonist Sharel Cassity, an early influence, adds fire and lyricism. The rhythm section features pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., each a crucial shaping force in Howell’s development. Trombone great Wycliffe Gordon and producer Michael Dease appear as featured guests. “It meant a lot that they trusted me enough to say yes to this,” Howell says. “Some of them hadn’t even really heard my music. They wanted to help and be part of my journey.”
Joel says “Happy New Year! I’m excited to bring in 2026 with the physical CD release of my album ‘What if?’ on Friday, February 6th. What if?… I went back to my origins with my classical music Dad & Jazz/eclectic Mom, and fell into using musical languages as a way of understanding differences while seeing the beauty in “both ways.” The album is my musical exploration and offering of how very different traditions and circumstances can have conversations that offer alternative ways of co-existing. It features my original creations, reimagined classical works such as Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ and Armstrong inspirations with myself on saxophones, Cuban-born pianist Silvio Pupo with Resonance New Music, Andrew Reed Miller on acoustic bass, Danielle Sametz on violin and Joël Cormier on percussion.
Não confundir com” is an improvised music trio with an atypical instrumentation, making atypical music. Communication and spatial awareness are key components in a fluctuating group, where frequencies and registers blend to create an entity moving restlessly between the unexpected and the bizarre. The album was released December 13, 2025 and features Nazaré da Silva - Voice, João Gato - Alto saxophone, Zé Almeida - Double Bass. The music was recorded Recorded at Porta Jazz, Porto by Tiago Ralha (22/06/2024) and Penhasco, Lisbon by Bernardo Tinoco (14/07/2024).
Formed in 2011, Heisenberg Uncertainty Players (HUP) is a jazz big band that performs exclusively original compositions and arrangements by its leader and founder, John Dorhauer, and features some of the finest performers of big band music in the Chicago area. HUP has been a mainstay on the Chicago music scene for the past 15 years, having given over 200 public performances during that time. Aside from performing at many of Chicago’s premiere venues, HUP has received multiple Illinois Arts Council grants for recording projects and was invited to perform at the internationally-renowned Ear Taxi 2021 Festival. HUP’s music is noted for its uniqueness and eclecticism, particularly with Dorhauer’s quirky reinterpretations of beloved rock and pop music. HUP has performed Dorhauer’s arrangements of several entire albums, including The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy,” Heart’s “Dreamboat Annie,” Wings’ “Venus And Mars,” and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” HUP is also known for their one-of-a-kind themed performances, which have included a historical retrospective of boy band music, heavy metal music, blues, all 90’s music, movie music, and symphonic movements. Furthermore, several of Dorhauer’s original compositions for HUP are built around inventive themes, including “The Basketball Suite,” which features songs inspired by various aspects of the modern NBA, and “We Tear Down Our Coliseums,” which is a 9-movement multimedia suite in which each movement is written as an homage to a baseball stadium that has been destroyed.
This new release brings together Dave Holland, Norma Winstone and the London Vocal Project under Pete Churchill’s direction to revisit Wheeler’s writing through large‑scale vocal arrangements, combining ensemble voices with Holland’s bass and Winstone’s distinctive delivery. The project focuses on Wheeler’s melodic and harmonic language, expanding his pieces into choral settings that retain their clarity while opening out into broader textures shaped by the ensemble’s phrasing and Churchill’s structural approach. It was recorded in 2023 and includes music never heard or previously released. It’s unforced, delicate, reflective and full of Kenny’s character and energy. It’= is due for release on 20 February - the key contributors are Norma Winstone - voice, Dave Holland - bass, Nikki Iles - piano, James Maddren - Drums, Mark Lockheart - tenor & soprano sax and John Parricelli - guitar.
Kannon is a Nashville, TN based spiritual post-rock quartet that blends the interplay of jazz with the dynamics and instrumentation of post-rock. Formed in 2022, they are about to release their second album, …in a sea of fire. On this release, they have embraced deep listening and spontaneous reaction. By expanding their post-rock aesthetic through free improvisation, the music becomes equal parts meditative and cathartic. Through themes of unity, disruption, and resilience, the album invites listeners into a focused, present moment, free from distractions. The band line-up is Chris Watts on saxophone, Gabe Crouch on guitar, Dillon Smith on bass, and Josh Minyard on drums.
Dark Lights is an inspired set of six compositions and three arrangements by virtuoso pianist Tom Oren and his working trio - Elam Friedlander on bass and Eviatar Slivnik on drums - that reflect the leader’s enviable blend of no-boundaries technique, an equally capacious imagination, and a rarefied ability to tell vivid stories in notes and tones. Throughout the proceedings, Oren uncorks a string of prodigious improvisations – filled with daring polyphony, unexpected harmonic combinations, and an unending stream of melodic invention – that transpire in fluent three-way conversation.
Open Window is a new single by Pete Calandra and Straight Up, released on 9 January 2026, featuring Pete on piano/keyboards with Tom Barney (bass) and Ricky Martinez (congas/percussion). It is an impressionistic jazz samba composed by Pete , blending lyrical harmony with a flowing Brazilian pulse. The track unfolds with Calandra’s piano and synthesizers weaving colour and atmosphere into a relaxed yet deeply expressive groove.
Tenor saxophonist Simon Mogul with Simon Says, his debut album as a bandleader. The nine-track release was produced by bassist Curtis Lundy and recorded with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, pianists Tyler Bullock and William Hill III, and drummer Rodney Green. Drummer Eric Kennedy appears on three tracks: “Cheyenne’s Heart”, “In Exile,” and “Stutz McGee.” The album will be released in February 2026, supported by a South Arts Jazz Road Tours grant, followed by a national release tour and an album-release performance at Smalls in New York on March 10.
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Clausen Trio, and Jean Thorel present Symbiosis – Tribute to Bill Evans, a remarkable album celebrating the enduring legacy of one of jazz’s greatest pianists. Featuring three extraordinary works, the album opens with Palle Mikkelborg’s Bill Evans Suite (1969), reimagining Evans’ classics such as “Waltz for Debby” and “Time Remembered”. Thomas Clausen’s deeply personal For Pi follows, a tender jazz ballad infused with the spirit of Evans, orchestrated for strings and trio with Anders Malta’s lyrical trumpet adding poignant beauty, and featured piece Claus Ogerman’s Symbiosis, reconstructed here for the first full live concert performance. Recorded live with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Symbiosis – Tribute to Bill Evans offers a vivid, contemporary perspective on Evans’ timeless influence, blending intimacy, sophistication, and orchestral grandeur.
