[COULEURS JAZZ MONTH – THE BEST OF!]
On COULEURS JAZZ RADIO only– www.couleursjazzradio.fr:
At Paris time: Monday 04:00pm, Tuesday 05:00pm, Wednesday 06:00pm,
and @ Toronto time : Tuesday 08:00pm and Wednesday 10:00pm
The 12 Best albums (Hit Couleurs Jazz) released the month before: September 2025, so:
Chantez sous l’appli ! (singing under the rain or under the apps…)
Apps Couleurs Jazz Radio GooglePlay : https://bit.ly/CJRGooglePlay
Apps Couleurs Jazz Radio iOS Appstore : https://bit.ly/CJRAppstore
With:
1️⃣ UNLV Jazz Ensemble for Double or Nothing
Big band punchy & sincere. from Nevada
With Double Or Nothing, the UNLV Jazz Ensemble 1 proves it can stand alongside the world’s finest professional big bands. Directed by Dave Loeb and Nathan Tanouye, the 21-piece ensemble delivers a vibrant mix of reimagined classics (Things To Come, Isfahan) and bold originals penned within the band, carried by sharp ensemble work and inspired soloists.
Trombonist Kirby Galbraith contributes standout arrangements and the title track, pianist Tristan Selzler shines on Octoberdance, and drummer Mateo Hurtado De Mendoza brings stormy power to Krow, with guest spots from Tommy Igoe and vocalist Laura Taylor adding further depth. A multiple DownBeat Award-winning group, UNLV Jazz Ensemble 1 confirms its status with a big band album that is polished, exciting, and full of life.
@unlvjazzensemble
2️⃣ Billy Lester Trio for High Standards
A subtle and lyrical reinterpretation of the standards.
On High Standards, pianist Billy Lester reimagines eight jazz classics with striking freedom, joined by bassist Marcello Testa and drummer Nicola Stranieri. The trio treats the standards not as fixed repertoire but as open canvases, with melodies hinted at, reshaped, and transformed into swinging, abstract variations.
The music bursts with drive on There Will Never Be Another You, Just Friends, and Lover, Come Back to Me, while What Is This Thing Called Love? is rendered as enigmatic as its subject, and You Go To My Head takes an entirely unexpected path. The album closes with a dramatic free improvisation, encapsulating Lester’s fearless inventiveness.
A longtime disciple of Sal Mosca and part of the Tristano lineage, Lester has forged his own unique voice—spontaneous, virtuosic, and uncompromising. High Standards is both a dazzling introduction for new listeners and a bold new statement for those already captivated by his artistry.
@billylestertrio
3️⃣ Baltimore Jazz Collective – Baltimore Jazz Collective
With their self-titled debut, the Baltimore Jazz Collective unites an all-star lineup to honor their city and its rich musical heritage. Featuring Sean Jones (trumpet), Todd Marcus (bass clarinet), Alex Brown (piano), Kris Funn (bass), Quincy Phillips (drums), and Brinae Ali (vocals, tap), the ensemble celebrates Baltimore’s soul through swing, groove, memory, and contemporary struggles.
Each member contributes original music and bold arrangements: Brown’s three-part Red-Lined reflects on segregation and the canceled Red Line transit project, Funn adapts Dance My Pain Away into a jazz masterstroke, Marcus pays tribute to Yusef Lateef and Gary Bartz, while Ali transforms Sisqó’s Thong Song into a searing commentary on exploitation. Tributes abound, from Cyrus Chestnut to Eubie Blake and tap legend Baby Laurence.
The result is an album that feels like Baltimore itself: inventive, committed, steeped in blues and groove yet always forward-looking. Baltimore Jazz Collective is both a heartfelt tribute and a bold artistic statement, where every note embodies community, resilience, and pride.
Vibrant community jazz on the local scene.
4️⃣ Shawn Purcell – Oblivity
Weightless guitar, between dream and introspection.
With Oblivity, guitarist Shawn Purcell delivers a refined and adventurous collection of ten original compositions, blending lyricism, tension, and ingenuity. His playing moves effortlessly between swing, post-bop, and more modern textures, all underpinned by a finely tuned ensemble. Tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf proves a perfect counterpart, offering counterpoint when needed, and complementing Purcell’s expressive guitar voice.
Darden Purcell’s wordless vocals add a subtle but magnetic layer, working more like an instrument than a lead voice, while trombonist Ben Patterson deepens the palette on two tracks. The rhythm section — Chris Ziemba on piano, Jeff Reed on bass, Steve Fidyk on drums — supports the music with clarity and flexibility, providing both structure and freedom.
Oblivity unfolds as a series of musical scenes: from energetic uptempo numbers to introspective ballads, from rhythmic surprises to lyrical flights. It’s not just an album by a guitarist — it’s a full musical journey that marries intellect with emotion, showing that Purcell remains a restless explorer of sound.
@shawnpurcell
5️⃣ Alain Jean-Marie & Diego Imbert – Ballads
A piano-double bass duo of infinite grace.
Since the 1970s, Alain Jean-Marie has been one of the most distinctive voices on the jazz piano, known for a touch that is both clear and understated. In bassist Diego Imbert, he has found the perfect partner for a dialogue where silence is as eloquent as sound. Their new release Ballads takes this stripped-down approach to its finest expression, echoing the great piano-bass duos built on trust and attentiveness.
The repertoire features eleven carefully chosen ballads, from classics (The Nearness of You, Skylark, Laura) to rarer gems like Charlie Haden’s First Song or Benny Carter’s Summer Serenade. Each track unfolds as an intimate landscape: Jean-Marie’s phrasing flows with natural grace, while Imbert’s deep, resonant bass provides both weight and warmth.
The result is a recording free from excess yet full of depth. Ballads speaks volumes with restraint, offering music of breath and intimacy, where slowness becomes intensity and simplicity reveals unexpected richness.
@alainjeanmarie @diegoimbert
6️⃣ Vladimir Torres – Rush
A poetic jazz and lively rhythms, between Cuba and Paris.
French-Uruguayan bassist and composer Vladimir Torres presents Rush, his fourth album, a body of work that captures both the urgency of our times and the intimate impulses that drive us forward. Across nine original compositions, Torres combines harmonic richness with emotional depth, leading his long-standing trio featuring Martin Schiffmann on piano and Tom Moretti on drums — a group known for its singular identity and near-telepathic interplay.
With the addition of guests Damien Groleau (piano), Hugo Diaz (soprano saxophone), and Constantin Meyer(trombone), Torres expands his sound world. The pieces move fluidly between introspection and political outcry, meditative improvisation and cinematic scope. Each track embodies that fleeting moment between inner urgency and the search for breath, a balance of tension and release.
Rush is a statement of borderless jazz, weaving together European lyricism, Latin grooves, urban textures, and shades of Eastern sonorities. Beyond its stylistic diversity, the album carries a clear message — of war and peace, memory and resilience, the passing down of stories and strength. Engaged, poetic, and deeply personal, Rush cements Vladimir Torres as one of the distinctive and vital voices in today’s jazz landscape.
@vladimirtorresmusic
7️⃣ Jonathan Blake – My Life Matters
Commitment and virtuosity combined in a powerful work.
With My Life Matters, drummer and composer Johnathan Blake delivers an album that is both deeply personal and socially urgent. Commissioned by The Jazz Gallery, the 14-part suite reflects two intertwined forces: the family values instilled by his parents and the moral imperative to stand up against injustice. Produced with Derrick Hodge, the record balances grief and hope, anger and resolve, turning sound into a declaration of resilience.
Blake leads a stellar band — Dayna Stephens (saxophone, EWI), Fabian Almazan (piano), Jalen Baker (vibes), and Dezron Douglas (bass), with DJ Jahi Sundance and vocalist Bilal as special guests. The album alternates between full-band power and solo interludes, allowing each musician to contribute a personal perspective to the narrative. The centerpiece, Last Breath, pays tribute to Eric Garner and resonates with the urgency of his last words, “I can’t breathe,” echoing as a rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement.
My Life Matters is never heavy-handed, but it is profoundly moving. In the tradition of socially conscious jazz milestones from Max Roach to Charles Mingus, Blake transforms pain and protest into a compelling musical statement. Both as a composer and a leader, he demonstrates a rare ability to turn lived experience into art that is poignant, inventive, and forward-looking. A powerful manifesto from one of today’s essential jazz voices.
@johnathanblake
8️⃣ JD Allen – Love Letters (The Ballad Sessions)
An elegant tribute to ballads from the repertoire.
With this forthcoming record devoted entirely to standards from the Great American Songbook, J.D. Allen makes a bold pivot: foregoing his usual electronic experiments to place melody and vulnerability front and center. He’s joined by longtime collaborators Ian Kenselaar (bass) and Nic Cacioppo (drums), and now enhanced by pianist Brandon McCune. The piano’s inclusion opens new harmonic vistas and invites more subtle interplay.
In approaching these standards, Allen unveils a quieter side: thoughtful, wrapped in nuance, intent less on surprise than on deep connection. His playing allows space — long lines, breaths, silence — giving the solos room to breathe and resonate. There is a palpable sense of “less is more” here, as though he is exploring the emotional dimensions between the notes.
This turn in Allen’s catalog honors his voice and discipline while redirecting it toward the heart. Like an artist changing palette, he asks listeners to feel what’s always been inside his music — clearer, pared down, honest. A record about vulnerability, remembrance, and the music of silence.
@jdallenmusic
9️⃣ Richard Johnson – Warm Embrace
A gentle, warm swing embrace.
Warm Embrace finds pianist Richard D. Johnson capturing the essence of a singular residency in Shanghai, where three weeks of nightly performances allowed themes and arrangements to evolve organically. What emerges is an album shaped by collaboration, improvisation, and the natural rhythm of live exchange — music that feels at once polished and deeply alive.
Hailing from Pittsburgh, the city of Art Blakey, Ray Brown, and Ahmad Jamal, Johnson stands firmly in that lineage while charting his own path. With training from Berklee, Boston Conservatory, and the Herbie Hancock Institute, and with experience alongside Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, and Stevie Wonder, he embodies both tradition and a wide-ranging cosmopolitanism. His playing is lyrical, rooted in swing, yet alert to global influences.
More than a new release, Warm Embrace is a portrait of a musician who treats the stage as a workshop, constantly reshaping his art through interaction. It reflects Johnson as performer, educator, and cultural ambassador, distilling a career of international dialogue into a warmly inviting recording. A generous, thoughtful album that bridges heritage and openness.
@richardjohnsonjazz
Thom Rotella – Right Time Left
Smooth guitar, somewhere between California and cool jazz.
With Right Time Left, Thom Rotella steps back into the spotlight with an album that is both soulful and sophisticated, building upon the momentum of Side Hustle while venturing into new expressive space. He’s joined by Wil Blades (organ), Charles Ruggiero (drums), Ernie Watts (sax), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), and Tierney Sutton (wordless vocals), forming a collective that balances taste and feeling with finesse. This return to fundamentals — blues, melody, swing — is not a nostalgic retreat, but a mature, fully realized vision.
Rotella, whose résumé includes work with Norah Jones, Stanley Turrentine, and Diane Schuur, brings here a musical clarity that sidesteps flashy gestures. His guitar lines are lyrical and deliberate, moving from whisper to resolve. The ensemble support is equally attentive: the organ folds in warmth, the sax weaves lyrical threads, and the rhythm section anchors with subtle drive. This is not a showcase; it’s a conversation, every voice heard with purpose.
Right Time Left is a record that invites rather than demands. It offers rich harmonic depth, solos that breathe, and tonal colors that shift gently. Above all, it is a statement of enduring artistry — a musician at ease with his voice, yet still eager to explore.
@thomrotella
1️⃣1️⃣ David Helbock & Julia Hofer feat. Marco Davi – Dancing to Another Space
Cosmic exploration and suspended groove.
With Faces of Night, Austrian pianist David Helbock and bassist/cellist Julia Hofer present a duo project built on curiosity and trust. Helbock, long celebrated for his adventurous projects (Random Control, Playing John Williams, Austrian Syndicate), finds in Hofer a partner equally versatile — a bassist with a deep groove and a cellist with a lyrical voice, capable of spanning funk, classical, and beyond. The result is an almost entirely acoustic album that feels both refined and alive.
The repertoire stretches wide: Prince, Thelonious Monk’s Round Midnight, Eddie Harris’ Freedom Jazz Dance, Schumann motifs, and even Gurdjieff’s Woman’s Dance, reshaped with cello hues. Each piece becomes an open playground, reshaped with subtlety and imagination. Guests add new dimensions: vocalist Veronika Harcsa with her surprising Hungarian lyrics to Monk, longtime Helbock collaborator Lorenz Raab on trumpet, and guitarist Mahan Mirarab with his double-neck fretless textures.
The “faces of night” that emerge are many — soulful, playful, reflective, and bold. Faces of Night is a debut brimming with energy and nuance, a striking portrait of two musicians who thrive on dialogue and discovery, expanding their horizons together while inviting listeners into their adventurous journey.
@davidhelbock & @juliahofermusic
1️⃣2️⃣ Stochelo Rosenberg, Rocky Gresset, Brady Winterstein, Costel Nitescu – Django Celebration #01
Classy gypsy swing, a lively tribute to Django.
With Django Celebration #01, Label Ouest and Paris’s legendary Sunset-Sunside club inaugurate a project honoring Django Reinhardt, bringing together two masters of Gypsy jazz: Stochelo Rosenberg and Rocky Gresset. Under the artistic direction of bassist William Brunard, the album is the first step in a multi-year series meant to bridge generations.
The repertoire blends Rosenberg’s originals (For Sephora, Strange Eyes, Double Jeu) with Django standards (Douce Ambiance, Webster) and newer pieces like Made for Isaac or Mozology. The rendition of Over the Rainbow stands out: understated yet resonant, a moment where restraint becomes expressive.
This is more than homage — it’s a living conversation with tradition. Rosenberg’s nuanced virtuosity, Gresset’s lyrical precision, and Brunard’s curatorial vision coalesce into music that feels organic and heartfelt. Django Celebration #01 is a promising start to a cycle that will carry Django’s legacy forward — forever.
@stochelorosenberg @rockygresset @bradywinterstein @costelnitescu
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