New Music From Eckemoff, Bayon, B.I.T. Duo, El Saffar & More

World of Jazz 771

A raft of new releases is dominated by female pianists offering cutting edge music. In between two new discoveries of Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing live plus other exciting ground-breaking albums and to close something to reflect the season.

AUDIO

PLAYLIST

• Yelena Eckemoff “Strandvägen Pier” from Rosendals Garden (L&H Production) 00:00¹

• Juan Bayon “Anti-Monitor” from Como Enfrentar al Mundo Entero (ears&eyes) 07:58²

• B.I.T. DUO with Danielle Di Majo and Manuela Pasqui “Luce di mezznotte” from R-Esistenze (Filibusta Records) 15:38 ³

• Nadia Labrie “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio - Part 2. Sentimentale” from Flûte Passion — Hommage à Claude Bolling (ATMA Classique) 20:46⁴

• Rahsaan Roland Kirk “Kirk’s Delight” from Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate (Resonance Records) 29:20 ⁵

• Amir ElSaffar New Quartet “Orientations I-V” from Live at Pierre Boulez Saal (Maqam Records) 41:45⁶

• Haeun Joo “Until The End” from Just Gravity (577 Records) 58:26⁷

• Satoko Fujii Quartet “Solar Orbit” from Burning Wick (Libra Records) 1:05:33 ⁸

• Hugo Blouin “Un camion pizza” from Le buffet (Ambiances Magnétiques) 1:18:21 ⁹

• Carl Ross “Freetime Blues” from Distant Colours (Jazz Hang Records) 1:25:10 ¹⁰

• Bellbird “The Call” from The Call (Constellation) 1:34:57 ¹¹

• Rahsaan Roland Kirk “Prelude To A Kiss” from Seek & Listen : Live at The Penthouse (Resonance Records) 1:41:29 ¹²

• Out Of/Into “Juno” from Motion II (Blue Note Records) 1:49:11¹³

• Maria Kaushansky “So Long Centrepoint Mall” from Northbound To Finch (Flat 6th Records) 1:57:09¹⁴

• Kevin Brown Quintet “Phos Hilaron” from Adventus (Self-Released) 2:02:19 ¹⁵

NOTES

1. Pianist/composer Yelena Eckemoff describes some of her favourite spots of Sweden on her new album, Rosendals Garden, due for a March 27, 2026 release on her own L&H Production label. The album teams Eckemoff with Sweden’s own Svante Henryson on cello, double and electrical basses, and Morgan Ågren on drums and percussion. On preview tracl“Strandvägen Pier,” Eckemoff recalls all the creative excitement of Stockholm’s architecturally stunning waterfront by this name. Eckemoff leads this dynamic trio in painting a vivid soundscape where elegant simplicity meets bustling diversity—an ode to the beauty, rhythm, and spirit of one of Stockholm’s most popular landmarks. This track embodies Yelena’s gift for transforming place and emotion into sound. The album as a whole explores Sweden’s natural and cultural magic through sophisticated jazz storytelling and intuitive group improvisation.

2. Argentine bassist/composer and co-founder of indie label, KUAI Music, Juan can often be found expanding the realms of Buenos Aires jazz. His new album as a leader, the first in four years features an all-star line-up of the leader, Juan Cruz de Urquiza - trumpet, Lucas Goicoechea - alto sax, Santiago Leibson - piano, Lucio Balduini - guitar, and, Fran Cossavella - drums.

3. The Italian female jazz duo B.I.T. (Back In Time), composed of saxophonist Danielle Di Majo and pianist Manuela Pasqui, returns with R-Esistenze, an album that intertwines memory, identity, and poetic resistance in an evocative soundscape of original compositions. The name B.I.T. (Back In Time) carries a double meaning. The first recalls the idea of a time machine: in their exploration of musical origins, the duo envisioned themselves as pilots journeying through different eras, searching for fragments that could reveal the roots of their own musical language. The second meaning plays on the word beat, symbolizing rhythm, pulse, and shared presence, that intimate space where two musicians meet in expressive honesty and spontaneous creation. Released on April 25, 2025, R-Esistenze stands as a reflection on cultural heritage and the resilience of the human spirit, a theme symbolically tied to Italy’s Liberation Day, marking the 80th Anniversary of the Italian Resistance. This national commemoration celebrates the country’s liberation from Nazi-Fascism in 1945 and honours the courage of those who fought for freedom, equality, and democracy, values that continue to inspire generations. The title R-Esistenze holds a profound dual meaning. In Italian, the word plays on “resistenza” (resistance) and “esistenze” (existences), intertwining two vital concepts that define both human and artistic experience. On one hand, R-Esistenze evokes the spirit of resistance, cultural, emotional, and creative, that has shaped Italy’s history and continues to inspire new generations. On the other, it reflects the personal and collective act of existing: of enduring, evolving, and affirming one’s identity through time.

4. With this new release flutist Nadia Labrie pays tribute to one of France’s most iconic jazz composers and pianists. Accompanied by a remarkable ensemble of musicians, she presents the complete works for flute and jazz piano trio by Claude Bolling (1930–2020), including the Suite No. 1, Suite No. 2, and the Picnic Suite for flute, guitar, and jazz trio. This triple album is part of the Flûte Passion series and marks a significant milestone in Nadia Labrie’s artistic journey. Fifty years after their historic creation by Jean-Pierre Rampal and Claude Bolling, she becomes the first flutist in half a century to revisit and record all these legendary works. Inspired by the renowned collaboration between Rampal and Bolling, Labrie steps out of her classical comfort zone to explore the richness and freedom of jazz. Her performance shines with luminous sincerity, where the breath of the flute converses with the energy of the jazz trio. Nadia Labrie delivers a vibrant, contemporary homage to Claude Bolling’s inventive spirit—a true pioneer of the dialogue between jazz and classical music—whose Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (1973) became a timeless classic, remaining on international charts for years. She is joined by Jonathan Turgeon – piano, Dominic Girard – double bass, Bernard Riche – drums, and, Hugo Larenas – guitar.

5. The wildly imaginative instrumental genius of multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk can be heard on a newly unearthed 1963 recording from New York’s Village Gate, Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate, is released in cooperation with Dorthaan Kirk of the musician’s estate, the high-energy set features the phenomenal, sightless musician on his arsenal of reeds and flute. He is supported on a mix of originals and standards by a rhythm section of bassist Henry Grimes, drummer Sonny Brown, and a battery of pianists — Horace Parlan (like Kirk a veteran of Charles Mingus’ groups), Melvin Rhyne (a keystone of Wes Montgomery’s bands), and young New Yorker Jane Getz.

6. New Quartet Live at Pierre Boulez Saal documents the initial encounter between trumpeter Amir ElSaffar’s trio, consisting of Tomas Fujiwara, one of NYC’s most in-demand and dynamic drummers, and Ole Mathisen, a tenor saxophonist of unparalleled technique and versatility, with Greek pianist Tania Giannouli, a rising star who has headlined almost every major jazz festival and venue in Europe over the past several years. ElSaffar’s nuanced and vibrant trumpet sound, rooted in Chicago school classical technique, combining subtle ornamentation and microtones of Arab Maqam with Jazz influences ranging from Miles to Woody Shaw, resonates throughout the session, guiding the new ensemble into unexplored musical territories. The music ranges from intensely quiet and nearly silent to ecstatic and declamatory, with the microtonal piano ringing ear-opening and beautifully unconventional harmonies throughout. The four musicians had a mini-residency consisting of two rehearsal days, a concert, and an all day recording session at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, a hall known for its phenomenal acoustics and legacy of its namesake, 20th century pioneer conductor and composer Pierre Boulez.

7. Haeun Joo is a New York-based pianist whose debut recording makes a striking statement of artistry, intention, and freedom. Her music reveals a distinctive voice—rooted in deep listening and expressive clarity—evoking the spirit of past innovators while confidently charting new terrain. The album, Just Gravity, unfolds primarily as a solo piano journey, with select tracks expanding into a responsive piano trio featuring Chris Tordini on bass and Steven Crammer on drums. Throughout, Joo explores the balance between structure and spontaneity, weaving lyrical romantic ideas with bold rhythmic freedom and intuitive interplay. “This album is a raw, spontaneous exploration of sound,” says Joo. “Mostly solo piano, with a few intuitive trio moments woven in, it captures music made entirely in the moment. Each track is a conversation between impulse and instrument, where structure gives way to pure expression and the boundaries of form dissolve into open, searching improvisation.” Just Gravity invites listeners into an intimate sonic world—where each note feels both deliberate and untethered, suspended in its own quiet gravity. The album will be available January 16th, 2025 on CD, digitally, and through Bandcamp via 577 Records.

8. On Burning Wick pianist-composer Satoko Fujii steers her powerhouse avant jazz-rock fusion quartet with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, bassist Hayakawa Takeharu, and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida in new directions. Originally founded in 2001, the ferociously energetic all-star quartet was one of Fujii’s first working bands. They recorded five albums together before she put the band “on hold” in 2007. Reunited last year after a nearly 20-year hiatus, the band has lost none of its playfulness and daring as Fujii harnesses their unique energy for another joy ride into the unknown. “I have more fun playing with this band than ever before,” Fujii said. “We know each other better, we respect each other, and we enjoy the differences between our respective styles. We are not young anymore—our average age is 68 years old—but we have so much fun making music together that we feel like teenagers.” Fuji’s compositions play an expanded role in shaping the music on Burning Wick. “For the last album, Dog Days of Summer, I ended up changing the arrangements a day before the recording in order to keep the band’s wildness,” Fujii said. “This time, I changed almost nothing, because in rehearsals the band sounded so good playing what I wrote.” Right off the bat featured track “Solar Orbit” shows how Fujii’s composing honors the differences among players while melding them together at the same time. Fujii’s ethereal introduction, accompanied by muted rumbles from Yoshida, strikes a softer note than usual for this quartet. But what begins delicately builds slowly into a tumultuous clatter. As is often the case with Fujii’s composing, the piece takes many surprising twists and turns before Tamura, in one of the album’s highlights, returns to run the voodoo down over a slow-burn jazz-rock beat.

9. Hugo Blouin’s eccentric Le buffet is culinary-themed odyssey through ten exuberant and angular jazz compositions featuring an all-star band. Le buffet follows Blouin’s other outings blending the conceptual and playful within agile, proggish jazz pieces. He enlists revered drummer John Hollenbeck, vocalist Eugénie Jobin Tremblay (AKA Ambroise), Aurélien Tomasi on winds, pianist Marianne Trudel as well as the following esteemed guests: Alissa Cheung (of Quatuor Bozzini) on violin, Émilie Fortin (trumpet), backing vocalists Sylvaine Arnaud and Charlotte Layec, as well as Marion Rampal who takes the vocal lead on one cut. The music uses actual recipes collected from his friends as well as interviews with them adding a personal dimension to the album.

10. A seven-track album blending jazz, blues, and Caribbean influences, Distant Colours is structured around tributes and thematic reprises. The title track opens with a contemplative tone, while “Freetime Blues” and “Trinijazz” explore extended improvisation and rhythmic interplay. “Brother Ray” and “One for Nat” pay homage to Ray Charles and Nat King Cole, respectively. The album is framed by two versions of “I Will Always Be Near,” dedicated to Carole. Original release: 11 November 2022 (independent); reissue forthcoming via Jazz Hang Records (2025). Personnel - Carl Ross – piano, Ben Scholz – drums, John Lang – bass, Mike Smith – saxophone, Victor Garcia – trumpet, Andy Brown – guitar, and, Steve Eisen – flute, baritone saxophone.

11. Constellation welcomes Montréal-based jazz ensemble Bellbird to the label. Info about the quartet’s debut album for Constellation will drop early in the new year. Meanwhile Bellbird celebrates with new track “The Call” and will kick off 2026 playing a half-dozen shows on a winter tour of Western Canada in January. Bellbird features tenor saxophonist Claire Devlin, alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Allison Burik, bassist Eli Davidovici, and drummer Mili Hong. The players hail from various countries and backgrounds: rooted in modern jazz, Bellbird’s music also channels influences from the players’ wide range of influences steeped in Montréal’s genre-mashing experimental undergrounds, including punk/rock, drone/minimalism, electroacoustics and more. (Constellation has previously worked with Hong via her terrific drumming on The Obsession With Her Voice by Erika Angell and for Angell’s smouldering live shows). Bellbird’s first album Root In Tandem was self-released in 2023, garnering some well-deserved critical accolades, and acclaimed live appearances on the Avant/Jazz circuits in Canada ever since.

12. Further Kirk and fresh bright moments are added to the discography of the extraordinary Rahsaan Roland with Resonance Records’ November 28 release of Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse, a two-LP set of jubilant previously unreleased 1967 performances by the jazz genius. The Kirk package, an exclusive RSD Black Friday release is again produced in cooperation with Dorthaan Kirk of the musician’s estate and Jim Wilke and Charlie Puzzo, Jr., of the Penthouse, continues a long association between the Seattle club the Penthouse and Resonance co-president and album producer Zev Feldman, who has issued hitherto unheard albums by Les McCann, the Three Sounds, and Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio on the label. The collection finds Kirk in typically freewheeling and ebullient form, blazing through a generous set of originals like “Now Please Don’t You Cry Beautiful Edith” and interpretations ranging from an expansive Duke Ellington medley to Bobbie Gentry’s then-recent hit “Ode to Billie Joe.” His astounding double-blowing playing and circular breathing technique on an arsenal of horns is supported by pianist and longtime accompanist Rahn Burton, bassist Steve Novosel, and drummer Jimmy Hopps.

13. Blue Note Records celebrate the December 5 release of Motion II by Out Of/Into featuring pianist Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer. The all-star collective—which was initially founded as the Blue Note Quintet in celebration of the label’s 85th anniversary—is a profound embodiment of the label’s ethos, presenting state-of-the-art music and musicians while also honoring Blue Note’s rich legacy. Or as Ross puts it, “The way the collective keeps the Blue Note legacy going is by unapologetically being true to ourselves.” The follow-up to the band’s acclaimed 2024 debut Motion I is an album of music drawn from the inspired recording sessions that took place in the midst of the group’s anniversary tour. The set presents six band member originals that point emphatically towards the future each composition was thoroughly explored and developed during nearly 40 live engagements at some of America’s finest concert halls.

14. Maria Kaushansky is a pianist residing in NYC. Born in Kovrov, Russia, she grew up in Toronto, Canada. Maria holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Toronto. Since moving to NYC in 2015, she has performed with Cameron Brown, Conrad Korsch, Peter Brainin, Dave Ambrosio, Tiger Okoshi, and Tony Jefferson. As a bandleader, she has held long-term residencies at venues including Eventi Hotel’s Back Bar, CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Gotham Restaurant, and IVY Room, among others. Maria’s debut album, Northbound to Finch, was recorded in December 2024 at Trading 8s Studio in NJ. Featuring all original compositions, the album is a tribute to her upbringing in Toronto. The album title draws inspiration from Toronto’s subway system (TTC). Northbound to Finch refers to Finch Station — her home stop in Toronto — symbolizing both a physical place and a metaphorical return home through music. Maria is joined by Paul Gill - bass, and Anthony Pinciotti -drums.

15. Kevin Brown Quintet’s Adventus, self‑released on 25 November 2025, is a nine‑track album recorded in Wheaton, Illinois earlier that year and mixed/mastered by John Paul Peters at Private Ear Recording in Winnipeg. Running for 53 minutes, it reinterprets sacred and seasonal repertoire such as Phos Hilaron, O Come O Come Emmanuel, and Gaudete through a contemporary jazz framework. The quintet—Kevin Brown on guitar, Andy Schlinder on saxophones, Matt Peterson on piano and keyboard, James Ross on bass, and Lucas Gillan on drums—presents the material with ensemble interplay that reflects the album’s title, meaning “arrival,” and its intent to bring traditional hymns into modern improvisation.