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CD Reviews

Still in Step: Azymuth Marks 50 Years with Marca Passo

Azymuth – Marca Passo ( Far Out Recordings, 2025) Brazilian jazz-funk pioneers Azymuth return with Marca Passo, their first studio album in nearly a decade,…

The album cover for Falling From Earth by Bob Schlesinger features a blurred, grayscale image of a figure mid-air, arms extended upward in a falling or leaping motion. The title and artist's name appear in white text at the top center.

New CDs and Digital releases

Bob Schlesinger Makes His Debut With Falling From Earth

Prog News June 7, 2025 No Comments Bob Schlesinger contemporary jazz jazz jazz-rock

Pianist and composer Bob Schlesinger will release Falling From Earth, his debut album as a bandleader, on August 1, 2025. Recorded with an elite ensemble…

The album cover for Drop (Remastered) by Soft Machine features a black-and-white photo of the band members—Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, Phil Howard, and Elton Dean—leaning over a pool table. The band's name appears at the top in bold lettering, with each member's name below it. The title Drop is centered in a minimalist font, while a red "Remastered" stamp appears below.

CD Reviews

Storm Warning: Soft Machine Unleashed on ‘Drop’

Angel Romero May 27, 2025 No Comments free jazz jazz-rock Soft Machine

Soft Machine – Drop (remastered) (Moonjune, 2025) In late 1971, Soft Machine entered a period of intense stylistic flux. Following the departure of founding drummer…

The album cover for Spellbound by Shez Raja features a deep maroon background with a gold, intricately designed lotus mandala at the center. Within the mandala’s core is the “Om” symbol, also in gold. The artist's name and album title appear in the top left corner in gold serif typography.

CD Reviews

Shez Raja’s Spellbound, a Vivid Journey Through Global Jazz Terrain

Angel Romero May 25, 2025 No Comments fusion jazz jazz-rock

Shez Raja – Spellbound (Gearbox Cut, 2025) With Spellbound, Shez Raja invites listeners into a world where cultures collide, not with clamor, but with coherence.…

The album cover for Abracadabra by Soft Works features a collage-style design with contrasting imagery. A large yellow road sign with a circular arrow dominates the left side. Below it, a keyboard "Return" key is embedded in the composition. On the right, part of a golden Buddha face. The title "Soft Works" appears in bold yellow uppercase letters at the top, with the word "abracadabra" in blue cursive beneath it. The bottom right lists band members: Elton Dean, Allan Holdsworth, Hugh Hopper, and John Marshall. A sticker announces the remastering and two bonus live tracks.

CD Reviews

Hold the Sax: Soft Works Casts a Cool Spell on Abracadabra

Angel Romero May 19, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz fusion jazz-rock Soft Works

Soft Works – Abracadabra (Moonjune, 2025 reissue) When Abracadabra first appeared in 2003, it arrived quietly but confidently, an elusive work from Soft Works, the…

The cover of Cinder by Lux Terminus features a bouquet of vividly colored flowers engulfed in flames, set against a smoky, gradient background that shifts from deep red to blue. The album title is written in elegant, glowing script, while the band name appears above in sleek, modern sans-serif type.

CD Reviews

Lux Terminus – “Cinder”

Professor Mark May 15, 2025 No Comments "Cinder"Brian Craft Cleveland jazz-rock Lux Terminus Matthew Kerschner Ohio Progressive rock Vikram Shankar

Found another great progressive rock/ jazz fusion band that is absolutely out of this world, full of vibrancy. Their name is Lux Terminus, and their…

The album cover for Core by Pymlico features a grayscale coastal landscape sliced into horizontal strips, creating a fragmented, layered visual effect. At the top, the band's name and album title appear in clean serif typeface, while a small Roman numeral “VIII” is centered at the bottom.

New CDs and Digital releases

Core Values — Pymlico Strips Down to Build Up

Prog News May 9, 2025 No Comments jazz-rock Progressive rock Pymlico

Norwegian instrumental rock band Pymlico returns with Core, a new album emphasizing the strength of its current seven-member lineup. Following their performance at Festival Crescendo…

The album cover for Reach by Kneebody features a black background, a series of elongated, gradient-colored geometric shapes—ranging from white to yellow to red and magenta. They recede into the distance, converging toward a small cyan sphere. The band name and album title appear in lowercase in the top left and right corners, respectively.

CD Reviews

Kneebody Stretches Out: “Reach” Finds New Limbs, Same Pulse

Charlie Melville May 7, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz funk fusion jazz-rock Kneebody

Kneebody – Reach (GroundUP, 2025) Six years off the radar, Kneebody returns not with a whisper but with Reach, an electrified statement that doubles as…

The album cover for Soft Ffog – Focus features a dramatic seascape where a pirate ship with tattered, flaming sails floats above a stormy ocean. Below, shipwreck survivors struggle on jagged rocks as lightning flashes across the turbulent sky. A lone black dog watches from a cliff, adding to the eerie, fantastical atmosphere. The band's name and album title appear in stylized white lettering in the top right corner.

CD Reviews

Ffoggy Notions: Soft Ffog Sharpen Their Focus With a Bold, Rock-Forward Evolution

Aiden Robinson April 28, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz jazz-rock Progressive rock Soft Ffog

Soft Ffog – Focus (Is it Jazz? Records, 2025) Norwegian progressive music band Soft Ffog returns with Focus, a follow-up that is at once tighter,…

The album cover for Cocktail by Patrick Forgas features a cartoon-style illustration. A smiling figure in sunglasses and a checkered shirt sits at a counter with a cityscape and sundae in the background, evoking a retro diner vibe. The title "Forgas" appears boldly overhead like a marquee, while a small inset portrait of Forgas himself appears near the bottom.

CD Reviews

Mixing It Up: Patrick Forgas Reissues His 1977 Debut Cocktail with Bonus Tracks

Angel Romero April 24, 2025 No Comments jazz-rock Patrick Forgas Progressive rock psychedelic rock

Patrick Forgas – Cocktail (Cuneiform Rune 3396, 2025). Originally released on LP by Gratte-Ciel ‎- CIEL 2006 (1977, France). French drummer and composer Patrick Forgas,…