Darren Barrett – dB-ish: Straight Vibesss (Feb. 7, 2025 / dB Studios)
After releasing two acclaimed albums this year, trumpetist/multi-instrumentalist/composer Darren Barrett, who has played on Esperanza Spalding’s GRAMMY-winning album Radio Music Society, will kick off 2025 with dB-ish: Straight Vibesss. Drawing inspirations from J Dilla, among others, the album, which comes out February 7 on his own dB Studios, and marries ‘90s-style hip hop beats with jazz. (dB-ish is Barrett’s experimental jazz project.) This dovetails with Barrett’s mission to push the envelopes of what defines jazz, including mixing other genres. The first single, “dB’s Vibesss,’ is out now, kicking off the album with a crisp beat reminiscent of Dilla. Other instruments join in one by one, first live drums then bass, keys and then the trumpet. DownBeat said, “It is both moving and potentially transformative to listen to Darren Barrett.” Jazziz called him “exhilarating” and All Music said, “adventurous.”
Elliott Galvin – The Ruin (February 7, 2025 / Gearbox Records)
Galvin returns with his first solo studio album in six years. The award-winning composer, pianist, and improvisor is a long-time trailblazer in the UK jazz firmament with four solo albums that have seen him top album of the year lists at the likes of DownBeat and Jazzwise, as well as being a member of the Mercury Prize-nominated Dinosaur, and collaborating with Shabaka Hutchings, Emma-Jean Thackray, Norma Winstone, Marius Neset and Mark Lockheart. Galvin has also earned a fierce reputation as a borderless improvisor having released records with the likes of Mark Sanders and his now labelmate Binker Golding. His latest solo release was an entirely improvised piano album and was named The Guardian’s album of the month and BBC Music Magazine’s album of the year. Outside of this, Galvin is a composer commissioned by the Sinfonietta, and an audio artist with works exhibited at the likes of Turner Contemporary Gallery, and more.
Knats – Knats (March 28, 2025 / Gearbox Records)
Newcastle Upon Tyne quintet Knats are making their full-length debut after signing with London analogue specialist label Gearbox Records (Elliot Galvin, Cahill//Costello, Tinker + Moses, Theon Cross), and comes on the heels of an incendiary year for the band including supporting Geordie Greep (black midi) on a UK tour as well as playing a sold out Jazz Refreshed headliner, supporting Str4ta at a sold Jazz Cafe and performing for the BBC Proms, and touring the UK with R&B legend Eddie Chacon as his backing band.
Jim Kweskin & The Berlin Hall Saturday Night Revue Featuring Cindy Cashdollar – Doing Things Right (April 25, 2025 / Jalopy Records)
Doing Things Right is a musical project that began in the mid 1990s, with roots stretching back to the turn of the 20th century. The Berlin Hall Saturday Night Revue is a collaboration among members of the Swinging Tenants — a Jim Kweskin-led band of the ‘90’s, its off-shoot Hokum’s Heroes, and other ensembles involving bassist and producer Matthew Berlin. It reunites childhood collaborators pianist Sonny Barbato with Berlin, and introduces blues shouter and balladeer Racky Thomas to the four piece horn section of swing dance band darlings Annie and the Fur Trappers — with Annie herself singing a hot number penned by Stump Johnson. We hear country fiddling from master virtuoso Matt Leavenworth over 1920’s trad-jazz standards, Jim Kweskin’s finger picking and golden timbre, the always divine steel pedal of Cindy Cashdollar and the beautiful poignant vocals of Samoa Wilson.
