Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

 “Jazz Bata 2” marks a new peak for composer, pianist and bandleader Chucho Valdes, even as it revisits the small-group concept of his 1972 Cuban album “Jazz Bata.” The new disc is both rhythmic and lyrical at once. The six-hand complexity of the bata repertoire—the deep classical music of West Africa—permeates Valdes’ piano solos throughout the album. “I applied to my solos the different rhythms of the bata,” he says. “The piano is of course a harmonic instrument, but it’s percussive too, and you can play percussion with it.” The new CD also marks the centenary of Valdes’ father and teacher, Ramon “Bebo” Valdes. Between the two of them, they have exercised a massive musical influence since the 1940s.

     “The Time is Now,” the new album from David Hazeltine, finds one of the top pianists of his generation forging an impeccably swinging partnership with two other masters: bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster. These men all come directly from the straight-ahead jazz tradition. Though Hazeltine is a half a generation younger than his two bandmates, he spent many years working with such giants as Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker, Eddie Harris and Buddy Montgomery. He’s since become one of the leading torchbearers for that estimable standard, both on his own and through his work with the swinging super-group One For All.

Also this week, guitarist Jack Jezzro presents instrumental jazz for the holidays with “Christmas Jazz Guitar”; 

Eastern Iowa’s own Roots of Rhythm trio, featuring Lynne Hart, Pat Smith and Rich Wagor, unveil their new holiday release, “Winter Jazz”;

      and Grammy-winning pianist and arranger Randy Waldman remakes his favorite superhero themes, transforming them into fun and exciting jazz compositions on “Superheroes.”