Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify 
Born in New York to Colombian parents, Nelson Riveros grew up learning about the music and cultures of the Americas. After playing a gig of some of Wes Montgomery’s vaunted repertoire a few years ago, he had the idea of reimagining the legendary guitarist’s music in Latin American styles. “The Latin Side of Wes Montgomery” is the long-awaited second release by the acclaimed guitarist, composer and arranger. “I started to hear all kinds of rhythms, basslines, and melodic variations to some of his tunes,” Riveros explains. “The next day I started writing arrangements, and this very project began to take shape.”

     More than fifteen years after his last release as a leader, saxophonist Rick Margitza makes his long-awaited return with the captivating new album, “Sacred Hearts.” The deeply personal disc takes stock of the joys and tragedies that have unfolded over the last decade and a half, with new compositions dedicated to those lost along the way as well as the new life that has come into being. The overall feeling is far from mournful. Margitza set out to celebrate lives well lived rather than to dwell on tragic losses.

 Also this week, “Cleveland Time” is the debut release from Matthew Alec and the Soul Electric, a jazz fusion group based in, and celebrating, Cleveland;

for her sophomore release, “Everybody Knows,” vocalist Brianna Thomas presents a book of songs that encapsulates common human experiences and honors the universal truths “everybody knows”;

      and the Mexico City-born, Los Angeles-based bassist/composer/arranger Mauricio Morales delivers his compelling first outing, “Luna.”

   Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify   
When pianists Chris White and Lara Driscoll perform as the Firm Roots Duo, they draw on profound lines of communication. They’ve developed that bond as spouses and as independent artists with voices of their own. Based in the Chicago area, White and Driscoll met as students at the University of Illinois. They’ve since set aside space in their respective careers to hone and formalize a concept now documented on “Firm Roots,” their duo debut. They interpret canonical jazz works by Horace Silver, Ann Ronell, Cedar Walton and more, drawing on the influences of piano legends on the order of Hank Jones, Art Tatum and Phineas Newborn.

     Guitarist and composer Albare was born in Morocco and grew up in Israel and France. At age 8 he joined the Music Conservatory in his hometown in Israel for 2 years, although his musical development was completely self-taught. These days, as Albare has lost his central vision faculties due to a genetic illness, his playing is completely by ear. In 1972, he discovered the sound of Antonio Carlos Jobim while watching Marcel Camus’s cult film, “Orpheus Negro.” The haunting melodies and unique compositions left a profound impression on the young guitarist and inspired Albare to study and play the melodic style which he is now known for. After the great success of his first disc of Jobim tunes, he now releases “Albare Plays Jobim Vol. 2.”

Also this week, Chad Leftkowitz-Brown releases “Quartet Sessions,” a vibrant, refined and masterful eighth LP from the NYC-based saxophonist;

 “The Mulligan Chronicles” is the culmination of years of study into the compositions of Gerry Mulligan by reedman David Larsen, who enlisted the help of veteran musicians who worked with Mulligan for the project;

      and “Songs of Joy” is pianist Yoko Miwa’s 9^th release as a leader featuring her longstanding trio with bassist Will Slater and drummer Scott Goulding.