Far from new to the jazz world, saxophonist JD Allen has been a stalwart of the New York scene for more that a decade, lending his astute playing to a string of headline jazz names, from Betty Carter to Cindy Blackman. His own usually piano-less ensemble explores new territory with works that challenge preconceptions and expand the expressive potential of jazz composition. Eleven new pieces are highlighted on “Grace”, a musical monument to his creative spirit featuring dexterous solos, melodic tapestries, imaginative textures and complex rhythms. Allen will take part in the Iowa City Jazz Festival in July.

Creating his own take on the classic jazz-with-strings album was the initial impetus for Joshua Redman’s “Walking Shadows”, a collection of ballads, both vintage and contemporary, that can be as eloquently moody and restless in feel as they are hauntingly beautiful and serene. With his friend and frequent collaborator, the pianist Brad Mehldau, on board as producer, Redman has retooled a familiar formula. The concept serves as a starting point, as foundation and inspiration, for Redman’s exploration of an ambitiously eclectic set of tunes performed in a variety of configurations. “There are six songs with strings, there are quartet songs, a couple of trio songs and a duo song,” explains Redman. “We tried to explore a variety of instrumentation and textures in the course of making the record.”

“Lay Down My Heart”, the third release from the prolific vibraphonist Joe Locke since signing with Motema Records in 2012, is an album of blues and ballads. In Locke’s words, “This music is meant to provide respite for folks who work hard every day and need an opportunity so slow down and be reacquainted with that certain ‘something’ which eludes most of us in the midst of the whirlwind which is modern life. There is no high concept here, just some songs pulled from a deep well, which will hopefully serve to feed the soul.” Surrounding Locke in this endeavor are long-time collaborator and bassist David Finck, label-mate Ryan Cohan on piano, and drummer Jaimeo Brown, who played with another great vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson when he was just 19-years-old.

Also in the mix this week is percussionist Ian Dogle with his eighth release as a leader and his most ambitious and far-reaching project to date, the two-disc set “Outside the Box-Jazz Journeys and Worlds Beyond”; pianist Stephen Anderson and his trio are joined by saxophonist Joel Frahm on their third CD, “Believe”; and pianist Jay D’Amico offers up a program of original compositions on his latest quintet project, “Tango Caliente.“

McBride also has a part on the new disc from Michael Dease, “Coming Home.” As he writes in the liner notes, Dease’s “staggering command of the trombone has rightfully made him the in-demand player that he is today.” The trombonist has played in a host of great big bands over the years, including those of Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Heath, Charles Tolliver, and Wayne Shorter. For his fourth CD as a leader, he’s joined by reedmen Steve Wilson and Eric Alexander and pianist Renee Rosnes, while McBride is joined in the rhythm section by his drummer from Inside Straight, Ulysses Owens, Jr. The disc features five inventive Dease originals complemented by rare covers of songs by Oscar Peterson, Freddie Hubbard and Duke Ellington.

Over the past few years, Resonance Records has established itself as a home for such notable rediscoveries as Freddie Hubbard’s “Pinnacle” and Wes Montgomery’s “Echoes of Indiana Avenue.” Now two titans of jazz piano are captured on the new CD — “Tommy Flanagan/Jaki Byard: The Magic of 2” — a previously unreleased 1982 concert recorded at San Francisco’s celebrated Keystone Korner. “It’s a revelation, how well they played together,” says Keystone’s owner, Todd Barkan. “They had quite disparate styles, but they share such an incredibly large vocabulary and frame of reference that it makes their language coherent.” Jazz historian Dan Morgenstern says the music is a “gift from the past that is both unique and stupendous. Alone and especially together, Tommy and Jaki show us what spontaneous creation is all about.”

Chicago drummer Jack Mouse has spent decades performing with some of the greatest names in jazz, including Stan Kenton, James Moody, Billy Taylor, Bill Evans, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, and many others. Now he’s finally gathered together a quintet of some of his longtime collaborators to put together “Range of Motion” — an intriguing set of ten original compositions. With Art Davis on trumpet, Scott Robinson on woodwinds, guitarist John McLean, and two titan bassists splitting duties, Bob Bowman and Kelly Sill, Mouse’s well-seasoned group aesthetic receives a long-overdue recording debut.

Few musicians have navigated the richly varied avenues of New York City’s abundant music scene with the same passion and adaptability as trombonist and composer Ryan Keberle. Since his arrival in 1999, he’s drawn upon lessons learned playing alongside masters of a multitude of forms, from jazz legends to indie-rock ground-breakers, R & B superstars to classical virtuosos. He’s worked in Maria Schneider’s Big Band and the ensembles of Wynton Marsalis and Rufus Reid, as well as the “Saturday Night Live” house band. He debuted with his Double Quartet in 2007, and 2012 marked the debut of his latest group, the piano-less quartet Catharsis. Their first release– “Music is Emotion” — is highlighted by a handful of Keberle originals along with tunes by Strayhorn, Lennon & McCartney, and Art Farmer.

Cory Weeds is a busy man. One wonders how this club owner, record label owner and distinguished saxophonist accomplishes more in one day than most of us do in a year. He loves to present jazz to enthusiastic fans at his Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver. He also loves to present jazz to the world through his Cellar Live record label. Most importantly, he has a deep passion for making the art itself. Listeners will hear this love, passion and commitment on his brand new disc — “With Benefits” — featuring fellow Vancouverite Bill Coon on guitar and the rhythm section of New York City’s Peter Washington and Lewis Nash.