Celebrating 75 years of musical activity! A long-awaited new studio recording album, the first in two years, from living legend Sadao Watanabe, who continues to perform on stage as an active saxophone player! Still performing around 70 live shows annually across Japan, Watanabe remains at the forefront as a leading saxophonist. This highly anticipated new album follows his previous release "PEACE," which was released in 2024, nominated for Best Jazz Album at MUSIC AWARD JAPAN 2025, and received high acclaim both domestically and internationally.

For some players, Joe Zawinul is an influence; for others, he becomes part of their musical foundation. Paul Urbanek clearly belongs to the latter group. His connection to Zawinul’s world isn’t about copying licks, in fact this typical bebop approach would almost be impossible with Joe’s music. But rather what we have here is a more subtle, deeper absorption cultivated over decades. As an improviser myself, I can appreciate the time and dedication required to internalize this special language.

There are some musicians whose every new album is eagerly awaited, and Adrien Moignard is one of them. After the success of Bright Up (2021) and Django’s Songs (2023), the guitarist returns with a new project, Miroirs, recorded this time with a completely acoustic quartet (referred to on the cover as a subtle 4TET), on Label Ouest, a leading label that has already given us an excellent world music album, Samin Dong Rak, and the equally excellent Mosaïque by gypsy jazz guitarist Gwen Cahue.

Bloom, the ACT debut of pianist and composer Bill Laurance as leader, marks the transition from the smallest possible form of musical interaction to a large-scale, broadband format: Following the internationally acclaimed ACT release Where You Wish You Were in duo with multi-instrumentalist and Snarky Puppy bandmate Michael League, Laurance now teams up with Manchester-based 18-piece string orchestra The Untold Orchestra and creates a work of convincingly epic pro-portions. Combining Bill Laurance’s classical sensibilities with jazz, pop grooves, and powerful orchestral synchronicity, Bloom runs the gamut of emotions and moods.

The quartet maintains their usual roles, with their usual flexibilities too; Jusell on violin, Prymek on guitars, Sage on keys and percussion, Shiroishi on saxophones. It’s not unusual for members to veer far from their allotted lanes though; Jusell may suddenly erupt on vibraphone, or Sage may curl through a song on warbling clarinet, Shiroishi’s serene voice is more angelic and more prominently featured than ever, and Prymek’s ambient Americana touches lend the album a shimmering and pastoral delicacy.

Hitmaker Brian Culbertson never imagined hanging with fans online would lead to something of a collaborative masterclass spawning an album trilogy, but that’s how “The Trilogy” was conceived.

A rare solo performance by one of jazz’s great originals, Canadian pianist Paul Bley, recorded live at the Oslo Jazz Festival in 2008 by Jan Erik Kongshaug and Manfred Eicher. There is nothing else quite like a Paul Bley concert. As the New York Times noted, “Mr. Bley long ago found a way to express his long, elegant, voluminous thoughts in a manner that implies complete autonomy from its given setting but isn’t quite free jazz. The music runs on a mixture of deep historical knowledge and its own inviolable principles." Here Bley, encouraged by an attentive and enthusiastic Norwegian audience shapes music in the moment, plays his own compositions, and brings the music to a fine conclusion in a performance of Sonny Rollins’s “Pent-Up House”.

Convergence is a new live album from William Hooker featuring guitarist John King. Recorded at the B10 Festival in Shenzhen, China on October 25, 2024, it captures an exhilarating set shaped by the audience’s energy and deep mutual connection. Hooker’s thunderous drumming meets King’s walls of distorted guitar in an expansive, hour-long performance of raw intensity, recorded direct from the soundboard. The music moves fluidly between intensity and restraint, structure and spontaneity.

From renowned bassist and composer Ben Wolfe comes Any Time After Now, a deeply expressive new album that brings together some of the most exciting voices in modern jazz. Featuring Joel Ross (vibraphone), Sullivan Fortner (piano), Chris Lewis (tenor saxophone), and Aaron Kimmel (drums), the album explores original compositions with elegance, swing, and a cinematic sense of storytelling. Wolfe's signature sound - lyrical, grounded, and harmonically rich - anchors a set of ten tracks that range from uptempo swingers and bluesy grooves to lyrical waltzes and a closing bossa nova. Any Time After Now is a journey through mood and melody, featuring standout soloing and deeply intuitive ensemble interplay. Perfect for fans of acoustic jazz, post-bop, and artists like Ron Carter, Christian McBride, and Bobby Hutcherson, this album blends tradition with a contemporary touch that feels timeless.

Two of the most distinctive voices in Dutch jazz join forces: harmonica virtuoso Hermine Deurloo and guitarist Anton Goudsmit. What begins as a playful exchange between lyricism and groove unfolds into a concert full of unexpected twists, inventive improvisations, and idiosyncratic compositions—plus recognizable covers.

Rising star trombonist Altin Sencalar exceeds expectations with an album of exciting explorations celebrating his Natural Rhythm. This highly anticipated release features a vibrant blend of tradition and innovation — a ten-track opus with an all-star band showcasing Sencalar's talents as a player, his tasteful musicality, and his well-crafted abilities as a bandleader and composer. Sencalar's virtuosity on the trombone is awe-inspiring, capturing the essence of Latin jazz while infusing it with his own unique style and flair. From exhilarating uptempo pieces that pulse with dancing energy to soul-stirring ballads, his versatility shines through in every note. More than a musical endeavor, this album is an invitation to immerse yourself in Sencalar's rich cultural heritage and personal world of tonalities and syncopation — where captivating melodies speak volumes and his Natural Rhythm stirs the soul.

Drummer and composer Kulusé Souriant presents his debut album, Douvan — a work of contrasts, deeply lyrical and unmistakably personal. “I started thinking about my identity as human being and as artist, about my role in this society” says Kulusé, “and I tried to write a music that sounded like me. But I also gave my musicians the freedom to evolve my initial ideas to build a collective vision.” Written after a journey back to his native island of Guadeloupe, Douvan (which means “forward” in Creole) is a call to reconnect with what truly matters: with oneself, with nature, and with others, in order to move ahead with greater harmony and purpose.

Produced by Matthew Halsall, Gondwana Records is delighted to announce Horizons the debut album by Leeds-based saxophonist, composer and band-leader Jasmine Myra.

"Beyond The Dawn" is a pre-release EP featuring tracks from the Lakecia Benjamin new album "We Dream", out in June 2026.

Saxophonist and composer Jasmine Myra presents nine beautiful and powerfully grounded compositions that express her ruminations on life, growth, and progression, powered by the artist’s vision of duality. “It’s those bittersweet moments which are heart-breaking but so important. Looking forward and trying to make sense of life,” she says. “Pain is unavoidable, and you’ll have hardship no matter what, but you don’t grow or learn about yourself or the world around you without it. The duality is the growth and coming out the other side. I had the concept from the start.”