Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Baritone saxophonist and Sioux City native Adam Schroeder teams up with arranger Mark Masters to deliver a tasty baker’s dozen tunes in the Basie/Ellington/Strayhorn style on “CT!,” with all the pieces composed by renowned trumpeter Clark Terry. Schroeder conceived of the recording as a celebration of the anniversary of Terry’s 100^th birthday in 2020. That plan was delayed by the pandemic but eventually realized a few years later. Schroeder’s motivations for the record were heartfelt. “I wanted to celebrate what Clark gave to me and so many others around the globe for decades—musically, educationally, and as a mentor.”

A professional musician from the age of 16, Kirsten Edkins is a performer, bandleader, teacher, studio musician and accomplished recording artist. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Edkins has been a glowing fixture of the Los Angeles music scene for the past decade-and-a-half. She’s been a member of several Grammy Award-winning bands including the Bill Holman Big Band, the John Daversa Band, John Beasley’s MONK’estra and the late composer Johnny Mandel’s band. “Shapes and Sounds’ is the second album as a leader for the saxophonist and composer, bringing to life a diverse collection of primarily original music.

Also this week, American drummer Brian Melvin and Danish guitarist Soren Lee spearhead a new trio alongside Danish organist Mads Sondergaard, paying homage to the revered saxophonist John Coltrane on “Tranesformation”; Italian-born, New York-based saxophonist and arranger Ada Rovatti delivers a captivating collection of original songs on her seventh album as a leader, “The Hidden World of Piloo”; and percussionist Mark Lipson turns his attention to the many fine composers within the ranks of his fellow Detroit jazzers on “Launch Control.”