Emily Day & Cosmo Alleycats have officially announced the upcoming release of their new 11-track album, More Sweet Songs, scheduled for release on September 30, 2026. Serving as the follow-up to their 2022 album Old Sweet Songs, the new album continues the group’s reverence for Songbook melodies, bolstered by fresh arrangements, with a delivery method reminiscent of mid-50s trio-backed vocal albums like Sarah Vaughan’s Swingin’ Easy and Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You.
Recorded at Brothers (Chinese) Recording in Oakland More Sweet Songs chooses melody-forward Songbook gems, and includes three original tunes by Emily Day inspired by this bygone style of songwriting. Track 04 “There’s A Little Spot” drips with nostalgia as Day explores the negative space created by a love story left unwritten. The lush string arrangement by Charles Chen imbues the song with cinematic flare. Tracks 06 and 09 showcase Day’s high-energy originals: “Maybe I Do” (arranged by Konstantins Jemeljanovs) confronts unexpected love when you’ve finally made peace with singlehood, and “Love Keeps Passing You By” (arranged by Day) is a cautionary tale of destructive ambition.
Cognizant of how jazz is used in everyday life, the More Sweet Songs also features many songs that are playlist-ready to accompany a rainy afternoon or an intimate dinner party. More Sweet Songs, together with Old Sweet Songs, makes clear the band’s unapologetic love for popular song and swing, and has created a charming and memorable collection of pre-existing and new works.
About Cosmo Alleycats:
Link to purchase digital album: https://cosmoalleycats.bandcamp.com/album/more-sweet-songs
Cosmo Alleycats have been a favorite of the San Francisco music scene since the band’s 2010 beginning. The group, led by jazz vocalist Emily Day, “one of the major singers in her field” (Scott Yanow), endears audiences with their inviting musicality and playful improvisation, making quick converts of the jazz-curious, while still nodding to the serious aficionados.
Alexey Kruglov & Krugly Band Orchestra
Following A Love Supreme
feat. Yuri Parfenov
The performance is inspired by John Coltrane`s ideas and based on his music of the «A Love Supreme» suite. The edition marks the centenary of John Coltrane and dedicated to the memory of Michael Sapozhnikov, Vitaly Patsukov and Yuri Parfenov. Recorded at the festival «Sound. Light. Shape. Coltrane 90 Fest» dedicated to the 90th anniversary of John Coltrane at the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art with the support of Iris Foundation. Moscow, September 17, 2016.
Annotation of Alexey Kruglov: On September 23, 2026, a long-awaited release dedicated to the unique jazzman, saxophonist and composer John Coltrane is being released.
The album, released on his birthday, is an homage to his brilliant suite, «A Love Supreme», one of the greatest works in the history of 20th-century music. We created the project exactly 10 years ago. I fondly remember those times, our friends and colleagues, amazing, incredible people – physicist, translator and organizer of numerous jazz events Michael Sapozhnikov; unique art historian and curator Vitaly Patsukov; and outstanding trumpeter Yuri Parfenov. Michael and Vitaly were organizing an incredibly large-scale festival to commemorate the 90th anniversary of John Coltrane. Over the course of two weeks, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art hosted exhibitions, video installations, lectures, and concerts by cutting-edge musicians – the art forum «Sound. Light. Shape.
We sincerely thank our dear friends Vadim Rinsky and Andrey Popov for the support of the edition and the opportunity to release this project, which is so important for all of us!
The recording is provided by the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art.
Project idea, festival production by Michael Sapozhnikov, Vitaly Patsukov
Director of the project, arranger, conductor: Alexey Kruglov
Label: Contempora
Release date: 23.09.2026
Bandcamp: https://contempora.bandcamp.com/album/following-a-love-supreme
Bruce Gertz: Octopus Dreams by Abe Goldstien
OPEN MIND JAZZ 017 (RELEASED AUGUST 15, 2025)
The image of an octopus gracefully navigating through shifting currents is an apt description for the music on bassist’s Bruce Gertz’s Octopus Dreams. The quintet gracefully glides through the lyrical melodies, inviting harmonies and shifting rhythms of seven Gertz originals. The music is modern but grounded on hard bop sensibilities. The horns of trumpeter Phil Grenadier and saxophonist Rick DeMuzio open many of the tunes while Gertz’s unpretentious arrangements provide launching pads for solos from all band members. The opening track, “Power Walk” is a case in point. Based on the chord structure of Sonny Rollins’ “Doxy,” Gertz starts the solo sequence on bass and then weaves his way through a crisp solo from Grenadier and a bluesy solo from DeMuzio. They demostrate their controlled restraint on other similar flavored tunes such as “Sea Worthy” and “Dedacted.” Pianist Gilson Schachnik gets a chance to shine on “Octopus Dreams,” a modal tune reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” and “Speak Like a Child” days, which also features Grenadier on flugelhorn. Drummer Gary Fieldman moves from timekeeper to equal participant on the modern hard bop sound of “I’m Busy” as he exchanges fours with DeMuzio, Grenadier and Gertz. Whether the band is playing ballads such as “Mr. Z,” medium swing numbers such as “Opening,” or a jazz waltz titled “Sea Worthy” — they do it with an uncanny ability to deliver hot, upbeat and impassioned performances while remaining cool, calm and collected. Go with the flow as you enjoy the undulating, soothing and fluid music of Octopus Dreams.
BOTTOM LINE: Bruce Gertz’s Octopus Dreams is packed with dichotomies. The music is accessible yet adventuresome. The solos are refined yet refreshing. The arrangements are intricate yet inviting. It’s a perfect example of how modern jazz played can be played passionately without unwarranted pretentiousness.
Website: https://www.brucegertz.com/
PORGY & BESS - Leo Records
Alexey Kruglov - Karina Kozhevnikova
Alexey Kruglov is a saxophonist, director, performer, actor, poet, producer, one of the leaders of the new jazz and performance scene in Russia, the brightest progressive representative in his generation, participating in numerous projects ranging from classical music to jazz experiments, from theater to related art. He is a founder of the «Krugly Band», and organizer of the Leo Records Festival in Russia. He trained as a saxophonist and director, interned under the «Open World» program at the «Dave Brubeck Institute» in Stockton in 2004. Alexey is a winner of national and international competitions. In 2011 he was named «the future of jazz» by the British magazine «Jazzwise». Alexey is the recipient of many awards («Discovery of the Year» in the «Jazzthetik» magazine pollsv in 2012, «People's Diplomacy Award» the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2020). He has released over 100 albums, staged nearly 50 performances and productions, released several films and books. Alexey has performed with such musicians as Christian McBride, Jimmy Hith, Joe Lovano, Roswell Rudd, and Joachim Kühn, and is a participant in various festivals (such as the Monterrey Jazz Festival and many others). Karina Kozhevnikova is a leading Russian jazz singer, possessing a unique contemporary approach and original vocal technique, performed with Gary Bartz, George Culligan. Alexey and Karina collaborate together for a long time. Their album «Polyphonic Circle», recorded with Alexey's combo «Krugly Band», was named the best vocal album of 2023 by the «Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll», and was presented with a great success at the Moers Festival.
The album «Porgy and Bess» is a new work by Alexey and Karina. Recorded with Alexey Kruglov's orchestra, «Krugly Band», the project is based on George Gershwin's opera. It's a large-scale conceptual double album, representing a long, painstaking, very subtle work. Alexey created this musical project from the point of view of theatrical directing. The dramaturgy of the opera, through the main musical and verbal symbols and a system of leitmotifs, completely permeates the action, to run as a special thread through the work, absorbing the main twists and turns of the opera's main heroes and characters. The opera itself, its content, semantic and figurative loads, highlight through a smooth and chronological sequence of arias, acquiring shades of metaphor and convention. Karina Kozhevnikova plays several roles penetrating into the very essence of the artistic image, finding colors and features inherent only to it, harmoniously revealing the concept, communicating with the opera's heroes. Her art method here is based on musical polystylistics and polygenres at the intersection of styles and genres, based on conversations with the orchestra.
The «Krugly Band» has been in existence for over 25 years, includes contemporary artists. The orchestra consists here of seven brass sections and a rhythm section. The arrangements are written in such a way as to create the illusion of a traditional 13-piece brass orchestra, yet each instrument is presented in a bare, uncluttered manner, reflecting the journey of the opera's main characters. Sound engineers Oleg and Sofia Timofeyevs contributed immensely to the project, creating a sound that seamlessly complements Alexey's arranging method. The syncretism is even reflected on the cover, which references Kazimir Malevich's red square as a symbol of the avant-garde. Disparate parts of the square is a scene on which the opera's main characters appear in sounds by Alexey Kruglov and his colleagues.
Order Link - https://band.link/4rJSN
PEER GYNT - ArtBeat Music
Alexey Kruglov & Igor Goldenberg
The release Peer Gynt (ArtBeat Music) is a new milestone for Alexey Kruglov and Igor Goldenberg. The duo has been active for a long time, having created numerous programs featuring arrangements of classical music. While Alexey is known as an experimental saxophonist and a performer across various genres, Igor is a leading Russian organist, an outstanding representative of the Russian school of piano playing, a composer, a master of playing the antique instruments. Together, they found themselves on Sakhalin Island where the idea for the album was born. The program was recorded in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at the St. James Catholic Church, where musicians played several concerts over the course of several days. Edvard Grieg's profound, mysterious, and colorful ideas proved incredibly suitable for the conception of Alexey and Igor built at the intersection of classical music and improvisation. The program was recorded at night after one of the evening performances. The dim vaults of the cathedral, illuminated only by the faint flickering light from the altar, the sound soaring high into the sky, and the very muted atmosphere of the night set the duo in a special mood. As Alexey Kruglov wrote in the annotation: «Peer Gynt travels the world, his paths even leading to Sakhalin, where, in a soulful, creative environment, the music of the great Norwegian composer takes on a new meaning. During the recording, it felt like we ourselves were participating in the protagonist's life's ups and downs.»
Order Link https://band.link/peergynt
THE WATERS OF NON-EXISTENCE
VISHNU IN NEW YORK – THREE VEDIC TALES OF GOD AMONG US
David Haney composer
On THE WATERS OF NON-EXISTENCE, composer and storyteller David Haney draws on ancient Hindu mythology to craft a contemporary meditation on memory, meaning, and transformation. Inspired by Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization and texts from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Haney reimagines timeless cautionary tales within a modern New York setting. Blending narration and music as equal partners, these works reflect his years as a resident storyteller at The Public Theater, where the emotional resonance of story and sound converge to stir memory, provoke reflection, and illuminate enduring truths.
https://www.ravellorecords.com/catalog/rr8125/
RHYTHM OF THE SPIRIT VOL. 1 - Navona Records
Earl Louis Stewart makes a bold statement: that America’s music — born of sorrow, improvisation, resistance, and joy — belongs within the same canon as Bach or Palestrina. Stewart’s fugues, canons, counterfugues, and retrogrades are written with the strictness of Europe’s 16th and 18th century conventions, yet pulse with the syncopation and soul of ragtime, blues, and jazz.
https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6792/
SydeBoob Duo: Au Naturel FCR481
Brooklyn based SydeBoob Duo (soprano Anna Elder and flutist Sarah Steranka) is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance in repertoire for soprano and flute, bringing their virtuosity to ambitious works that highlight their commitment to broad representation alongside the highest aesthetic standards. On this debut full length release Au Naturel, they perform works by Rebecca Saunders, Eric Moe, Anthony Braxton, Ramin Akhavijou, Max Johnson, and Beat Furrer that are both landmark works for the instrumentation and core works that have shaped SydeBoob as an ensemble.
https://www.newfocusrecordings.com/catalogue/sydeboob-duo-au-naturel/
https://newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/au-naturel
Cadence Jazz World
Album Previews- October 2026