Take Five

Hark! The new spate of Christmas jazz albums is here.

An Election Week special in Take Five

Few artists ever traveled farther while keeping a foothold in the blues.

Yusef Lateef, the pioneering multi-reedist and composer born 100 years ago this week, could never be constrained, neither by limits nor by labels. He was a serious cultural hybridist long before the imprecise term “world music” entered circulation. And much like John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, who admired him even as he looked up to them, he was a lifelong seeker.

In Take Five, hear one sterling track for each decade of Sonny’s monumental career.

Along with a new collaboration between Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell.

Along with the latest from saxophonists Alan Braufman and Dave Pietro.

It’s never a bad time to celebrate Art Blakey, the indefatigable drummer, towering bandleader and peerless mentor.

But the occasion of a new release by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, just out on Blue Note, is reason enough to hijack this edition of Take Five with a Blakey beat. This hardly begins to scratch the surface of his monumental recorded legacy — but it gives some picture of what he was about. Beginning with a cut from the newly unearthed album, it goes on to cover some of his work as a sideman, and later as a guardian of tradition.

Also: a made-in-quarantine album by Miles Okazaki, and the marital duo of Jana Herzen and Charnett Moffett.

(Complete with a dessert course served by Benny Green.)

Along with a timely track by pianist Mike King, and a video exclusive by Joey Alexander.

Black lives matter. We hold this truth to be self-evident, and yet it needs to be said.

Over the past two weeks, since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, there has been a reckoning in America and around the world. And as we have seen before, musicians are responding in urgent fashion.

Along with some duo magic from Esperanza Spalding and Fred Hersch, and a ray of sunshine from Matt Wilson.

Plus a taste of Michael Olatuja’s new album, featuring Regina Carter.

Also: new music from the Joshua Redman Quartet, Leni Stern, Harold López-Nussa, and Big Heart Machine.

Music of renewal, reassurance and reminiscence.

Bright moments for difficult times, in this week’s Take Five.

The recent passing of Nuyorican pianist Professor Joe Torres reminds us that the important role of a sideman is all too often ignored.

A first-class accompanist who was revered by his colleagues for his ability to add sabor (flavor) and drive, he was also respected for his sight-reading skills.

New music that speaks to our moment, with uplift and determination.

We’ve been losing some of our heroes. Their music lives on.

Here is some brand-new music with the lift we all need.

Hear some new music that speaks clearly of human connection.