British saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Hannah Horton presents: Stories On The Wind

Release date: May 22nd

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“Rising sax star Hannah Horton…..there’s bold and gritty playing, on both baritone and tenor sax…. – JazzWise

“Hannah is real. She is authentic. She is an artist who draws you in, engages you, inspires you and captivates you” - Jazz In Europe

British saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Hannah Horton is carving out a distinctive place on the UK jazz scene. An Official Selmer Artist and award-winning musician, she trained at the prestigious Junior Guildhall School of Music and Trinity College of Music, drawing inspiration from jazz luminaries like Mark Lockheart, Tim Garland, and Paul Bartholomew. Alongside her own career, Hannah champions the next generation of talent through ‘J Steps,’ a program supporting young musicians under 18 who identify as female or non-binary, tackling the historic gender imbalance in jazz.

Widely recognised for her dedication to honouring the legacy of legendary tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. She regularly performs Gordon’s repertoire so much so her work has earned the admiration of Gordon’s widow, Maxine Gordon, who wrote the liner notes for Horton’s upcoming album, Stories On The Wind.

"The first time I heard Hannah Horton I was reminded of something I learned from Dexter Gordon. When he encountered a musician he had never heard before, anywhere in the world we travelled, he would listen, quietly, with his eyes closed. Then he would turn to me and say, “That’s the real sound. Real music. A real musician.” And then he would smile and nod his head to the music.That was my experience when I first heard Hannah Horton at The Jazz Café – Maxine Gordon

Renowned for her emotional depth, lyrical melodies, and compelling storytelling, Hannah delivers a powerful, expressive sound across both tenor and baritone saxophones. Her forthcoming third studio album, Stories on the Wind is her most personal and ambitious project to date. Evocative and timeless, the music explores themes of memory, longing and the subtle traces of belonging that shape our lives. The album unfolds as a rich, immersive soundscape, spacious and open to interpretation, yet firmly grounded in rhythm, where soaring melodies intertwine with compelling grooves.

Recorded at Red Kite Studio with renowned engineer and producer Martin Levan (Barbara Thompson, June Tabor, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Neil Ardley), the album captures a warmth and depth of sound that perfectly reflects Hannah’s artistic vision. Her band consists of Sam Leak (piano and organ), Rob Statham (electric bass), and Steve Taylor (drums and percussion) , brings additional colour and momentum, forming a dynamic backdrop for Hannah’s expressive saxophone lines. Recent highlights include a headline performance at the EFG London Jazz Festival**,** further cementing her reputation as a compelling live performer.

The album opens with‘Out of the Shadows’, a deeply personal composition inspired by moments when life veers off course. The piece captures that quiet, internal stirring, a sense that change is coming, and that, in time, everything will find its place.

‘Whisper’ is a lyrical baritone-led ballad dedicated to Hannah’s partner, Nick. Written in gratitude for his unwavering support during some of her most challenging times, including the loss of her father. The piece reflects intimacy, resilience and enduring connection. Having met just before lockdown, the two have been together ever since, a bond echoed in the tenderness of the music.

‘Alone’ reflects the solitude that often accompanies life as an independent artist, bandleader, booker, promoter, administrator, and everything in between. While the journey can be lonely at times, the music ultimately moves toward calm and acceptance. Its dreamy, floating ending captures a moment of release: a quiet peace found when the weight begins to lift, and letting go becomes possible.

The album ends on ‘Remembering Mr Gone’, written in response to the passing of Wayne Shorter , known as “Mr Gone”.

“This piece is shaped by the sound world I have always associated with him, particularly the colour and resonance of major seventh chords. While a full quartet version was recorded, an unplanned moment in the studio led to something more intimate. “One morning, instinct took over and we captured a stripped-back take, just baritone saxophone and piano, no rehearsal, no headphones, early in the day. When the final notes faded, there were tears in the control room, including my own”- explains Hannah.

The piece became more than a tribute to Wayne Shorter; it also transformed into a quiet act of remembrance for her father.

Being a female instrumentalist in the jazz world has never been easy, finding your voice in a historically male-dominated space demands resilience and resolve. Stories on the Wind is Hannah’s most personal statement to date: a reflection of where she stands now, both as an artist and as a person. Each composition began as a feeling, a fleeting moment, or a lived story, echoes of childhood, love and loss, hope, and the quiet strength that comes from forging your own path and finally being heard.

Hannah Horton Website click here

We are delighted to announce the upcoming album from Finnish vocalist and composer Selma Savolainen. The album will be released worldwide may 15, 2026, her second release with Whirlwind Recordings.

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One of the challenges facing the contemporary artist is how to negotiate a balance between an outward facing engagement with the wider world and an inward looking focus on a private inner realm. It’s exactly this tension that gives such energy and depth to in the shade, the stunning second album from Finnish singer/composer Selma Savolainen. “The title came from a day when I was trying to write in a sun-lit apartment in Paris. I felt like the sun was sort of like checking on me every day. Like are you doing the job? Are you busy? And I felt that I was taking part in a conversation between inside and outside.” Selma’s powerful voice and her adventurous musicality are the driving forces behind a mesmerizing set of songs that are rooted in contemporary jazz but use a sound-world that ranges far beyond, bringing in influences from the adventurous edges of post-rock and beyond. Selma’s lyrics explore powerful themes of identity, belonging and personal agency, with her clear-toned, expressive voice leading the way, ranging from intimate whisper to searing emotional outpouring.

Each song is brought vividly to life by the extraordinary creativity of her band. Trumpeter Tomi Nikku and multi-reed specialist Max Zenger provide textural backing and melodic improvisation: Toomas Keski-Säntti deploys a range of different keyboards to expand the vocabulary: the bass and drum team of Eero Tikkanen and Okko Saastamoinen expertly control the dynamics. The sense of fellowship between the players – all long-time friends as well as bandmates – adds a feeling of playful spontaneity that lightens the mood even in the music’s darkest moments.

Each song deals with a very different situation, yet themes of identity and belonging thread through them all. ‘Last Summer’ uses a snarling, heavily distorted Wurlitzer and insistent groove to tell a story of responsibilities and missed opportunities that morphs unexpectedly into a heavy, Radiohead-style coda. Selma’s own mother is the subject of the eerily poised, calmly reflective ‘Your Eyes’ which builds into a stunning trumpet solo from Tomi Nikku. “Tomi has such a wonderful clear sound, and he’s just the sweetest guy, and him and Max have this deep, intuitive relationship when they play together.” The album’s centerpiece is the epic 10-minute magnum opus of ‘Lamb’ that moves though a range of moods and textures to deliver Selma’s heartfelt meditations contrasting the innocence of childhood contrasted with the dangers of different forms of fanaticism.

By contrast, ‘Angry Man’ uses a portentous, urgent groove to tell a story of the way public and private interactions spill over in the age of social media, opening out into a free-ranging keyboard solo from Toomas Keski-Säntti that recalls The Doors at their most compelling. Selma herself plays piano on the hushed, intense ballad ‘House’, spelling out further meditations on the mother-child relationship, that merges into the quirky ‘Lie’ with its entirely original mix of jazz inflections and Kate Bush inspired theatrics . Finally, the title track ‘In The Shade’ moves at stately pace from the opening vocal and bass duet through intricate horn parts and some mesmerizing improvisations from all the participants.

‘in the shade’ is the work of an artist fearlessly moving forward, developing her own unique voice, unafraid to tackle serious themes and creating adventurous, ambitious musical settings in which to explore them. At the same time, the deep friendship and trust between all the players comes across in the audible excitement and playfulness of the performances, creating an interplay of light and shade that captures the attention at every moment.

Thank you to Whirlwind Recordings for sharing with us

Selma website click here

Whirlwind Recordings website click here

Empire Child is the new musical project of Ruth Rothwell, slated for release 15th May 2026

Empire Child is a singer songwriter from London, a child of the Empire. Born and raised in London by parents from Jamaica and South Africa, the Empire Child links the continents of Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas and tells the story of navigating life's unpredictable journey.

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Having spent decades shaping music culture from the inside out, Ruth—formerly a senior A&R manager at MCA/Universal—played a defining role in the UK’s 90s dance boom, working across BCM Records and later MCA Publishing, where she helped develop artists including Zero 7, Basement Jaxx and Air, while also nurturing key songwriters behind era-defining hits such as Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and Adele’s “Chasing Pavements.” Despite that success, songwriting remained her constant pull. “Songwriting is really my calling and I could no longer ignore that fact,” she says. That instinct now takes centre stage with Empire Child, her most personal body of work to date.

The forthcoming album, produced by Madrid-based jazz professor and producer Mariano Diaz, is rooted in Ruth’s own story, shaped by her upbringing in London and her mixed heritage. Blending jazz, soul, singer-songwriter intimacy and subtle reggae influences, the record explores identity, resilience and self-belief, with themes of letting go of the past and finding the courage to move forward. “The music represents my culture growing up in London,” Ruth explains. “Music will always bring us back together.”

Written between London and Spain, the album unfolds as a reflection on lived experience, from heritage and migration to healing and growth. “Music is my sanctuary, a way to deal with life on life’s terms,” Ruth says. With Empire Child, she steps forward not as the architect behind other artists’ success, but with a voice and story entirely her own.

Empire Child website here

Thank you to Jazz Promo Services for sharing with us

French-Italian pianist and composer Milena Granci introduces To Some Place New (May 14th, 2026), a striking debut that blends contemporary jazz with folk lyricism and cinematic atmosphere. Based in London, Granci leads a six-piece ensemble whose music unfolds like a journey - built on flowing melodies, layered harmonies and an expansive, emotionally rich sound world.

At the heart of the project is Granci’s desire to move beyond traditional jazz structures, allowing the music to evolve continuously rather than return to fixed forms. “I wanted the music to feel as close to ‘through-composed’ as possible - with minimal repetition,” she says. “When ideas return, they come back transformed, like a story unfolding.” The album’s title track, To Some Place New, reflects that idea directly: music that gradually shifts from introspection and melancholy toward a sense of quiet hope, unfolding layer by layer as the narrative moves forward.

A formative influence on Granci’s approach has been composer and bandleader Maria Schneider, whose expansive writing first inspired her during her conservatoire studies. “Maria Schneider’s compositions opened my ears to a completely different way of developing music.” Another personal influence appears in Remembering John, dedicated to the late pianist John Taylor, whose work Granci studied closely while writing a thesis. The project brings together musicians Granci met while studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama: vocalist Aitzi Cofre Real, alto saxophonist Harry Toulson, accordionist James Pettinger, bassist Ali Watson and drummer Ollie Peszynski. Their interplay helps shape the album’s distinctive palette, where improvisation meets carefully crafted composition. Wordless vocals play a central role in the music’s atmosphere, enabling listeners to impart their own stories and feelings to the music.

With To Some Place New, Granci introduces a distinctive compositional voice shaped by storytelling, collaboration and a rich array of influences. The album marks the arrival of a thoughtful new artist on the London jazz scene - one whose music balances a deeply personal writing style with the openness and imagination of improvisation.

Milena Granci | Piano, Compositions Aitzi Cofre Real | Vocals Harry Toulson | Alto Saxophone James Pettinger | Accordion Ali Watson | Double Bass Ollie Peszynski | Drums

All compositions by Milena Granci

Background info / Liner Notes: Recorded by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studio London May 2024 Mixing and Mastering: Alex Killpartrick Photography: Camille Lemoine Graphic Design: Giulia Cavallini

Supported by Help Musicians

Thank you to Jazz Fuel for sharing with us

The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB) – one of the only jazz big bands in the world comprised exclusively of Native and Indigenous people – is releasing its debut album, Incarnadine, on May 8, 2026. Led by celebrated vocalist Julie Keefe (Nez Perce), Incarnadine brings together a 16-piece ensemble to celebrate a largely unrecognized lineage of Indigenous artists in jazz, while presenting new compositions rooted in tribal histories and storytelling. Following extensive touring at major performing arts centers and jazz clubs across the country, Incarnadine offers the ensemble's first recorded statement.

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On Incarnadine, celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) leads her all-star Indigenous Big Band featuring pianist Marc Cary (Wampanoag), trumpeter Delbert Anderson (Diné), bassist Mali Obomsawin (Abanaki of Odanak), trombonist Quinn Carson (Apache/Kiowa), drummer Edward Littlefield (Lingít), and many more. “We are not culturally monolithic,” said Keefe. “We each bring with us the cultural practices of our ancestors and many of our compositions are derived from traditional melodies and stories. With Incarnadine, we dive deeper into improvisatory music from the Indigenous perspective.”

Reflecting on the album’s title, Keefe mused that “while a word from Shakespeare’s Macbeth might not immediately bring “Indigenous jazz” to mind, ‘incarnadine’ means to redden. I think in many ways, the word encapsulates the goals of this band and this album. We are shining a light on history which is fraught with bloodshed and trauma, but also celebrating the brilliance and resilience of Indigenous people who survived and thrived through the beauty of their culture, prayers, and songs. We are broadening the scope of the listener’s understanding of jazz to include Native and Indigenous jazz musicians. Some people say, ‘decolonize your mind’ and I say, ‘incarnadine your mind.”

The album features music made famous by Indigenous jazz musicians from the Twentieth Century such as Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke) but also amplifies new works from musicians within the band’s ranks. Mali Obomsawin’s “Wawasint8da” is a haunting exploration of a Catholic hymn that was translated into the Abanaki language by an early French Jesuit missionary. DDAT Suite by Delbert Anderson pays homage to his tribal lands, commemorates Diné code talkers, and tells the story of an overnight train ride from Gallup, NM to Los Angeles. Keefe’s composition “Sonnet” was inspired by the poetry of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. To quote the late Jim Pepper, “you can’t generalize about Indian music, it’s too diverse.”

“Incarnadine is musical commentary on our Indigeneity and resilience against the generational impacts of colonial powers upon the indigenous peoples of the Americas,” Keefe said. “Incarnadine offers musical history, protest, and celebration all wrapped up in one album.”

Incarnadine was recorded through the support of The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross.

About Julia Keefe:

Heralded by the New York Times as "a songbird of a jazz vocalist," Julia Keefe is an internationally acclaimed Native American singer, actor, educator, and director of the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, her flagship project celebrating the diversity and vitality of Indigenous people in jazz. Her professional career has spanned over two decades, and she has headlined marquee events at the John F. Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., as well as opened for the likes of 20-time GRAMMY Award winner Tony Bennett and 5-time GRAMMY Award winner Esperanza Spalding. Her life’s work is the revival and honoring of legendary Coeur d’Alene jazz musician Mildred Bailey. Julia earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz vocal performance from the University of Miami and Manhattan School of Music respectively, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

 Julia Keefe website

Thank you to Lydia Liebman for sharing with us

Pianist/composer Yvonne Rogers draws inspiration from her magical childhood in rural Maine for her mesmerizing new solo album. The Button Jar, due out May 8, 2026 via Pyroclastic Records, features 14 miniatures conjuring the beauty and mystery of the natural world through the interplay of whimsy and rigor.

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Growing up in rural Maine without the distraction of even a television, Yvonne Rogers often found herself alone with nothing but her imagination and the natural world around her for inspiration. Now based in the very different environs of Brooklyn, where she is rapidly emerging as a vibrant new voice on the progressive jazz scene, the pianist and composer often finds herself drawing on those early years to guide her distinctive musical approach.

One image that often returns to Rogers’ mind’s eye is the button jar that her artist mother kept for craft projects – a stockpile of mundane but multi-hued items that could be reimagined into endless creative permutations. “It felt like a jar of possibilities,” Rogers says. “You could use it for any number of projects, but you had to know how to properly sew the button on, so it became a balance of whimsical fun and meticulous craftsmanship.”

That notion became a guiding principle for The Button Jar, Rogers’ captivating new solo piano album. Scheduled for release on May 8, 2026 via Pyroclastic Records, the album provides an entrancing introduction to Rogers’ singular sound, a deeply personal weave of play and rigor that marshals childlike wonder in service of a complex and intricate use of rhythm and harmony.

The sense of play that thrives in the music of The Button Jar can be traced to the music’s origins – a series of short explorations that Rogers posted to social media, never intending them to have a life beyond that disposable medium. It was only at the urging of Pyroclastic founder Kris Davis that Rogers considered revisiting and developing these brief ideas into full-fledged solo compositions.

Davis had become a mentor to Rogers after the two met through Focusyear Basel in Switzerland, where Davis served as one of the instructors for the yearlong international ensemble program. Davis not only encouraged Rogers to record for her label, but produced the album and suggested a solo outing, which came as a surprise, as Rogers’ work to date had been wholly focused on ensemble playing. Her 2023 debut Seeds featured a quartet of peers, and she is a member of saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock’s next-generation band Lilith and trumpeter Adam O’Farrill’s quartet Elephant. Rogers also leads her own quartet, which recently received a commission from the venerable NYC performance space Roulette.

“I was immediately struck by Yvonne’s playing,” Davis recalls. “Since the program, I’ve continued to follow her work and have been especially impressed by the solo piano videos she regularly shares on Instagram. She has a unique and personal harmonic and melodic language. I wanted to give her the opportunity to dive deeper into her solo piano approach, so I invited her to record an album for Pyroclastic Records. This is my first time producing an album for another artist on Pyroclastic, and I felt she would be the perfect young artist to uplift and collaborate with.”

The Button Jar casts a spell from the outset, as the gradually evolving rhythms of “Luster” resonate as both pristine and mysterious, contrasted immediately by the evasive angularity of the title track. The chordal density of “Monkey’s Fist” is worlds away from the lilting joy of “Little Dance,” itself distinct from the gentle swing feel of “Puzzle Building.” The pendulum swings from the aching, delicate slowness of “Thread the Needle” to the lively, buoyant dance of “Linear Gel,” its title an anagram for one of Rogers’ formative influences, the great Geri Allen. In addition to Rogers’ compositions, there are three freely improvised pieces: “Avid Risks,” a dedication to (and anagram of) Kris Davis; “The Craft Room” and album closer “Exhale,” a stark release captured at the end of the recording session reflecting on the day’s range of expression.

In a sense, Rogers’ music is a vehicle to recreate the vast imaginative possibilities that her unique upbringing provided. “I grew up in the woods in the middle of nowhere, so I had a very special relationship to nature,” she recalls. “You sense that the world goes on without you, so the problems in your head don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. I want my music to do that for other people – to create a space for them to experience this feeling of wonder so that they can get out of their head for a few minutes.”

Yvonne Rogers is a pianist, composer, and multimedia artist from Maine, now based in Brooklyn, New York. Described as a “Fresh, new voice on piano,” (Paul Acquaro, The Free Jazz Collective), she is in demand as both a sideperson and bandleader, having performed with artists including Ralph Alessi, Linda May Han Oh, Ingrid Laubrock, Harish Raghavan, Sara Serpa, and more. Rogers is a 2024 Next Jazz Legacy Awardee, a grant recognizing outstanding women in jazz founded by Terri Lyne Carrington and facilitated by New Music USA. She was a member of the 2021/2022 Focusyear Band in Basel, Switzerland, where she performed with jazz masters including Kris Davis, Sullivan Fortner, Tineke Postma, Jorge Rossy, Larry Grenadier, Lionel Loueke, Chris Cheek, Elena Pinderhughes, Miguel Zenón, and more. Currently Yvonne performs with Ingrid Laubrock’s Lilith and Adam O'Farrill’s Elephant, as well as leading her own quartet. Her debut album Seeds was released in 2023 on Relative Pitch Records.

Thank you to Braithwaite & Katz for sharing with us

Yvonne Rogers website click here