Maria Schneider: “Data Lords” (ArtistShare).

As much a philosophical statement as a musical one, “Data Lords” finds the accomplished composer-arranger-bandleader examining distinct realms on two CDs: “The Digital World” and “Our Natural World.” Schneider’s outspoken and eloquent liner notes lament how Big Tech is taking over our lives, and points to the solace she – and we – can find in “silence, books, art, poetry, the earth and sky.” Throughout, Schneider’s orchestral music reminds us of the virtuosity of her pen, the richness of her imagination and her extraordinary attention to instrumental detail.

Chad McCullough: “Forward” (Outside In Music).

A Chicago trumpeter with a remarkable lyrical gift, McCullough is joined by comparably sensitive collaborators: pianist Rob Clearfield, bassist Matt Ulery, drummer Jon Deitemyer and keyboardist Ryan Cohan. Together they’ve created an unusually atmospheric album built on gorgeous melodic phrases, shimmering tone colors and pervasive subtlety. Yet there’s no missing the substance beneath the sheen, thanks to the depth of McCollough’s compositions and concept.

Rudresh Mahanthappa: “Hero Trio” (Whirlwind Recordings).

The “hero” of the title is not alto saxophonist Mahanthappa but the musicians he’s saluting: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz and Ornette Coleman. Yet works by these musicians, or associated with them, bear Mahanthappa’s imprint, thanks to the ferocity of his tone and the speed and acuity of his technique. Joined by bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston, Mahanthappa at once embraces and reimagines a mid-20th century esthetic.

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Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Wynton Marsalis and others have been quite successful in applying a jazz sensibility to classical compositions, and composer-arranger Levy follows boldly in their wake. His reimagining of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” doesn’t merely swing the old tunes but reinvents them. Yet enough of the original remains for listeners to savor the ingenuity of his transformation.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: “The Music of Wayne Shorter” (Blue Engine Records).

We tend to think of Wayne Shorter’s compositions in small-group formats, but they blossom anew in this recording by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. With Shorter as tenor and soprano saxophone soloist, listeners can immerse themselves not only in his heroic musical statements but in vivid new arrangements by JLCO members Victor Goines, Vincent Gardner and Marcus Printup, among others. To hear Shorter classics revisited by the master and given orchestral muscularity is to perceive this work anew.

Kenny Washington: “What’s the Hurry” (Lower 9th).

In a jazz world still sorely lacking in significant male singers, it’s a pleasure to bask in Washington’s work. Performing without pretension or self-dramatization, Washington instead brings ample soulfulness to a series of standards. There’s palpable romance in “Stars Fell on Alabama,” radiant joy in “I’ve Got the World on a String” and disarming introspection in “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

Matthew Shipp: “The Piano Equation” (Tao Forms).

It takes considerable intellectual prowess and musical panache to sustain listener interest in a solo piano album, particularly at this late date. Pianist Shipp does so through the crystalline touch, compositional cohesiveness and tonal imagination of his solo improvisations. His musical language is as unique as his manner of building a solo, each phrase leading inexorably yet surprisingly to the next. The music may be a bit venturesome for conservative tastes but will pique the interest of anyone with ears wide open.

Joyce Grant: “Surrounded by Blue” (Craftedair; Blujazz).

It’s always a pleasure to revel in a voice as throaty and a sensibility as worldly wise as Grant’s. She brings vocal heft and autumnal maturity to “Cry Me a River,” sassy swing to “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and airborne melody-making to “Green Samba.” A joy from first track to last.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/howard-reich/ct-ent-ryan-cohan-review-0713-20190712-7gtwspmkmvh6tcj53bmw7jhuki-story.html" rel="nofollow - Ryan Cohan’s “Originations”  (Origin Records).

The Middle East may be the scene of endless conflict, but supposedly opposing cultural sensibilities intertwine poetically in pianist Cohan’s “Originations.” The six-movement suite juxtaposes Jewish and Arabic musical languages in ways that bring out their commonalities while celebrating their differences. Once again, Cohan shows his skill in long-form writing.

Sharel Cassity: “Fearless” (Relsha Music).

If you didn’t know better, you never would have guessed that alto saxophonist Cassity was suffering the harsh effects of post-Lyme disease when she made this recording. Realizing that, however, only makes the achievement seem all the greater, for Cassity plays alto, soprano and tenor saxophones with tremendous heart and an oft-formidable technique. Joined by pianist Richard Johnson (her husband), bassist Alex Claffy and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr., Cassity proves charismatic as soloist, savvy as composer and firmly in command as bandleader.