Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Dr. Scott Routenberg is an award-winning jazz pianist, composer, arranger and educator whose accolades include the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Song of the Year. His works have been premiered at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and around the world, and he is an established arranger for the Metropole Orkest since 2011. The Scott Routenberg Trio presents a swinging tribute to legendary pianist Oscar Peterson on “Live at Merriman’s Playhouse,” crafting a joyous set of Peterson’s memorable originals and the master’s arrangements of timeless jazz standards.

Hailed as a ‘prodigiously gifted composer and virtuoso pianist,’ James Fernando leads his dynamic Philly-based trio with a refreshing take on the piano trio format. The ensemble, featuring Kyon Williams and drums and bassists Sam Harris and Dan McCain, first came together in 2023, when Fernando assembled the band on just three days’ notice for a performance at The Kennedy Center. Since then, the trio has honed its sound through performances across the country, developing a voice that is both distinctive and deeply collaborative. “Philly 3”is their debut recording.

Also this week, The DZ Combo, an award-winning jazz quartet based out of Dubuque, debuts with “It’s Just Your Turn”; drummer John Clay, whose resume includes work with Zoot Sims and Jimmy Rainey, unveils “About Time”; and Boston-based saxophonist and composer Noah Preminger offers up “Dark Days.”

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Much in the way Michael Dease has defined state-of-the-art for jazz trombone over the last two decades, his effectiveness in shaping the next generation of players also requires inspired superlatives. A 2025 Guggenheim Fellow, and Distinguished Professor in Rodney Whitaker’s renowned Jazz Department at Michigan State University, Dease has been central to fostering MSU’s reputation as a thriving center of creative musical development. “Spartan Strong” reflects the powerful musical instincts, exhilarating orchestrations, and uninhibited improvisational prowess of the MSU Jazz Trombones, the 18 members of his teaching studio.

Alexa Tarantino’s fifth studio album, “The Roar and the Whisper,” is a spellbinding new chapter in the jazz musician’s evolution. The saxophonist, flutist, composer and educator has long been lauded for her poise and precision— “a one-woman wrecking crew,” as Wynton Marsalis calls her. The new disc features Ms. Tarantino’s sophisticated compositions as well as her razor-sharp quartet with Steven Feifke on piano, Philip Norris on bass and Mark Whitfield, Jr. on drums. It captures the full breadth of her artistry: from spirited, up-tempo improvisations to intimate, ethereal ballads.

Also this week, the rewarding alchemy between composer, arranger and ensemble distinguishes every track on “Wake Up Call,” Detroit-based pianist Rick Roe’s new release, and the 19^th recording of Lansing, Michigan-based composer Gregg Hill’s music to appear in the last decade; “Strasbourg 82” is a previously unreleased live set from the 1982 edition of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers featuring Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison; and “Old Knew” is saxophonist and composer Gregory Groover Jr.’s follow-up to his 2024 debut release.