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Saxophonist Ron Blake is a native of Puerto Rico and grew up in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. He’s earned three Grammy Awards as a member of the Christian McBride Big Band and four Emmy’s as a member of the “Saturday Night Live” band. He’s been on the faculty of the Julliard School for over 15 years. Blake makes the case that less is more with the lean, uncluttered sound of his new album, “Scratch Band.” The debut of this eponymous ensemble is a more intimate affair than usual, placing the reedman in a trio with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer John Hadfield, and applying the folk-like sonic sensibilities the surrounded him while growing up.

In their star-studded debut album “Seascape,” the Canadian supergroup Atlantic Jazz Collective, comprised of Juno Award-winning artists Mike Murley, Florian Hoefner and Jim Vivian, delivers a truly inspiring and timeless performance. The group presents stunning new vocal versions of beloved modern jazz originals that showcase exceptional artistic craft and a deep musical understanding between the three members of the collective and their two legendary guest artists, Norma Winstone and Joe LaBarbara. It’s a most fitting title for the recording, as the music was recorded in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a city utterly dominated by the sea.

Also this week, trumpeter Markus Joachim Rutz is joined by special guests Brice Winston and Sharel Cassity for his ninth release as a leader, “Many Moons”; The Steve Allee Big Band features a collection of Indianapolis-based artists on “First Circle,” an album that celebrates the musicians, teachers, mentors, history and places that make Naptown a sparkling jewel in the geography of jazz music; and Vienna-based drummer, composer and arranger Vladimir Kostadinovic, one of the European jazz scene’s most sought-after percussionists, unveils his third release as a leader, “Iris.”