Hot on the heels of a Grammy win for Best Latin Jazz Album, O’Farrill presents an album of tunes that mostly emerged from the golden era of Blue Note jazz. Not without contributing his own unique touch and perspective, O’Farrill leads a tight trio alongside bassist Liany Mateo and his own son, Zach O’Farrill, on drums. Some tracks, like ‘Un Poco Loco’ are faithfully reprised renditions of historic arrangements, whilst others, such as ‘Dolphin Dance’ are inventively reimagined. Blistering solo arrangements feature alongside deeply sensitive ensemble work, showing just how far the legacies of the jazz greats have spawned.

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Just shy of turning 81, Taj Mahal returns with an album of swing era standards that would have graced the eponymous ballroom in Harlem that gives this album its name. Recounting the story of his parents’ first meeting at the venue in 1938, you can instantly tell these numbers are in Mahal’s blood. The blues legend’s voice possesses a much grittier edge these days, but his crooning hasn’t lost any of the smooth elegance these tunes require - you can practically taste the whiskey and cigar smoke. It’s an evocative blast from the past, magically transporting you to a time that was.

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With half the line-up previously having undergone stints with Sun Ra, the rest of this band were already accomplished avant-garde musicians in their own right by the time these sessions took place between 1983-84. Vietnam war-vet turned musician Billy Bang leads with a lyrical sensibility that recalls the untouched freedom of a street performer playing for their own amusement. Just try the tactile bop that is ‘Spooning’ if you don’t believe us. This delicious slice of madness is essential listening for fans of Zappa, Roland Kirk and everything in between. You’ve never heard ‘Lonely Woman’ performed quite 

Self-taught keyboardist Hawkins leads his trio in a dazzlingly experimental record that grabs you from the start then proceeds to not let go for even a moment. The first noises we hear involve subterranean synthesiser bleeps, disjointed pizzicato and several faint gong splashes - a taste of the fragmentation to come. It is clear from what follows that Hawkins and co. have adopted a breathtakingly unique approach to this style of jazz, or as reviewer Jon Turney puts it, “moving together rather than hearing-then-responding.” The push and pull of this album’s internal mechanisms are far from strenuous. In fact, the synergy throughout this album’s dance-like structure exhibits the musicians’ playfulness in their adventurousness, as they rise and fall in perpetual freeness.

Finally, we have a studio outing from the Miles Electric Band (M.E.B.) released for the recent Record Store Day. Headed by co-producers and Miles-alumni Lenny White and (Miles’ own nephew) Vince Wilburn Jr., this EP picks up where Davis’ own career left off, and safely offers in return a continuation of his spirit as expressed through music. A melange of R&B, neo-soul and hip-hop, this record is no pastiche. A truly progressive-sounding effort, the attention to detail is immaculate. With samples of the great trumpeter’s voice peppered throughout the track listing, this is a rich and rewarding listen that dares us to imagine, lest we forget.

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