In Her Hands
Neave Trio
Chandos CHAN 20368 (chandos.net/products/reviews/Chan%2020368)

Piano trios by three women whose places in music history range from significant to tangential to obscure receive loving performances from the Neave Trio, ensemble-in-residence at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Trio in G Minor, Op.17 by Clara Schumann (1819-1896), her most substantial composition, naturally embraces the musical language of her husband Robert and friends Mendelssohn and Brahms, but avoids mere imitation. The angst-ridden Allegro moderato, filled with intense longing, is followed by the gentle, graceful Scherzo – Tempo di Menuetto. Clara, who inspired Robert’s innumerable love songs, evokes his romantic sensibility in Andante, a heartfelt love song “without words.” The invigorating Allegretto provides the trio’s “happy ending.”

Now all-but-forgotten, Croatian Dora Pejačević (1885-1923) composed over 100 orchestral, chamber and vocal works before dying of post-childbirth sepsis. Her sunlit Trio No.2 in C Major, Op.29 features, in turn, a sweet, rocking waltz (Allegro con moto), folk-like melodies and rhythms (Scherzo), dreamy sentimentality (Lento) and festive cheerfulness (Allegro resoluto).

Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) generally considered “a composer of French salon music” – charming, lightweight songs and piano pieces – is slowly regaining the recognition and respect she once enjoyed for her larger-scale compositions, such as her Trio No.2 in A Minor, Op.34. Brilliantly exploiting the varied colours of the three instruments, Allegro moderato kaleidoscopically mixes celebratory grandiloquence, wistful lyricism and sprightly playfulness. Lento is a solemn hymn of hope within despair. Celebration returns in the skittish, rambunctious Allegro energico, ending this very enjoyable work and very enjoyable CD.

Robert LeMay – Works for Brass and Piano
Yoko Hirota; Brian Roberts; Iris Krizmanic; Cathy Stone; Jennifer Stephen
Navona Records nv6807 (navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6807)

Recordings such as AERIS ET SPIRITUS, featuring the music of the Sudbury-based composer Robert Lemay performed by an ensemble of solo piano with trumpet, trombone, tuba or French horn, demonstrate not only how musically satisfying unorthodox instrumental settings can be, but how much creativity and possibility there remains within the genre of new Canadian classical music. 

The album, translated as “Cooper and Breath” features four original Lemay compositions that are all conversational in tone, highlighting beautifully performed and recorded exchanges between various brass instruments and the excellent piano work of Yoko Hirota. As articulated in the album’s accompanying notes, Lemay as composer was striving for duets with this collection (hence the aforementioned conversation analogy) rather than a work of brass with piano accompaniment. And although that difference may be subtle, this intention comes through on Breakpoint, for example, where Hirota’s piano chords and Brian Roberts’ high register trumpet work coalesce together not in the subservient relationship of soloist and accompanist, but rather uniting as a singular voice to collectively form a cohesive musical statement. 

In Deep Down, a series of four short musical sketches for piano and Jennifer Stephen’s stentorian tuba, a third sound of the human voice is subtly introduced into the musical conversation. Perhaps this is the breath referenced in the album’s title? Perhaps these are the improvisatory sounds of a focussed performance? Whatever the case may be, this inclusion brings further levity, and more musicality and intrigue to an already excellent collection out now on Navona Records.

What Came Before Me Is Going After Me
Zihua Tan; No Hay Banda
No Hay Discos NHD 006 (zihuatan.bandcamp.com/album/what-came-before-me-is-going-after-me)

Montreal-based Zihua Tan has won many awards for his compositions worldwide, and his background as a semiconductor engineer informs his experimental sound capture design and finely articulate compositional style. 

His knowledge of amplification really shines on his debut album what came before me is going after me. Using a wide array of microphones, geophone, hydrophone and close-miking, Tan captures the finest nuances of tonalities and colours of even the most innocuous gestures, allowing his compositions to captivate without overpowering the instrumental delivery. This effect is mesmerizing and speaks to his musical philosophy of acoustic and electronic sounds being fluid and instruments being part of sonic possibilities rather than hierarchal forms as bases for sound. 

Percussionist Noam Beirstone delivers remnants present with a delicate nuance and the recording beautifully captures the work. (A video of this performance is available online and is well worth seeing, refreshingly embracing Tan’s philosophy by focusing the cameras throughout the instruments rather than on the performer.)

The second piece is the titular what came before me is going after me, a dreamy textural work in collaboration with Montréal presenter-ensemble No Hay Banda, featuring the quintet of violin, cello, voice, percussion and ondes Martenot. A work that might stretch the uninitiated to unconventional vocal sounds, Tan creates a fascinating exploration of texture and non-hierarchy of instrumentation, allowing the players to use all ways of making sound, and the listener to embark on their own personal attention unmanipulated by volume excesses or preconceived values. 

Much like the title of the work, (possibly a reference to Heraclitus, who reportedly said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice”) Tan’s creative compositions are a discovery of time and what was already there.

Nostos
Clio Theodoridis; Jonathan Nemtanu
Leaf Music LM306 (leaf-music.lnk.to/lm306)

Clio Theodorisis was born in Athens and now performs and teaches saxophone with Quebec as her base. She has won several international awards, is an ambassador for Henri Selmer Paris and performs regularly with Jonathan Nemtanu in Duo Astor. 

The liner notes for Nostos (expressing the return to one’s homeland after a long absence), state that this album’s works trace a “musical and personal odyssey. From Pedro Itturalde’s Suite Hellénique, rooted in Greek heritage, to the contemporary works of Canadian composer Mathieu Lussier, this recording tells our own story: a life between two worlds, between past and present.” 

The album begins with the five-part Ocres rouges by the French clarinetist Alexis Ciesla which “draws inspiration from Klezmer landscapes and colours.” Its Andante - Meditativo movement is sparse and beautiful. The Allegro rythmico begins with some fine percussive saxophone pad work and then launches into several thrilling passages of fast fingers and minor scale runs. Fazil Say’s Suite for Alto Saxophone showcases the full range of Theodoridis’s technique and tone. The Andante movement is a highlight of the album as the saxophone is both delicate and forceful in its treatment of the gorgeous melodic twists and ascending lines. 

Lussier’s Récit et lied, Op 31 begins with a long solo introduction that reminds us slightly of Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, but then moves into several other intriguing directions. The closing work, Suite Hellénique is a lively end to this diverse album. 

The performances by Theodoridis and Nemtanu are masterful and inspired as they lead us through their journey across cultures and geography.

Listen to 'Nostos' Now in the Listening Room

In Praise of Insomnia
Andy Haas
Resonant Music 022 (andyhaas.bandcamp.com/album/in-praise-of-insomnia-2026)

New York city based Canadian experimental saxophonist Andy Haas is back with a solo release. Haas’ 12 short stereo studies here (roughly 29 minutes total) are manipulated live while he is combining the saxophone, circular breathing, and nano pulsar, an electro-harmonics electronics device. It was recorded on Winter Solstice, December 21, 2025. This is such original music with detailed live and electronic sounds which deserves countless repeated listening!

The second track Long Night of Omens opens with two held single sax notes at different pitches, until both start pulsating. This idea continues with two different note short ideas with almost tonal harmonies. Sudden held notes stop and close the movement. Experimental yet very accessible. 

This Dark Land is a lower melody of held notes with some pitches slightly bent. Then comes a  sax duet with slightly different sounds at once. An almost singalong melody now until a closing decrescendo leads to a held note stop. Track 10 Sleep Less has many musical moments like ascending/descending short melodic phrases, and repeated notes with minimalistic touches. The loud repeated notes are reminiscent of an alarm clock sounding when you can’t sleep. Squeeks and short melodies to closing are reminiscent of sleepless moments.  

Haas’ musical ideas and performances here are so enchanting. He has taken troubling insomnia and musically elevated its effects with his uncomplicated live works, simultaneous layering sax playing with superimposed electronic additions in easy to listen to modern music.

Listen to 'In Praise of Insomnia' Now in the Listening Room

From the Soul
Frank Morelli; Wei-Yi Yang; Janna Baty; Callisto Quartet
Musica Solis MS202602 (musicasolis.com/from-the-soul-frank-morelli)

From the Soul is a collection of five chamber pieces for bassoon, three with piano, one with mezzo-soprano and one with string quartet, recorded by the American bassoonist Frank Morelli. Morelli is one of the top teachers of bassoon in North America, having taught for many years at such places as Yale, Juilliard, and even at our own Glenn Gould School, and his playing credentials include groups like the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He’s a player in demand and you can hear why on this disc: lots of fluidity on the instrument, and lots of expression. Some listeners might find the vibrato excessive, but life is short and I’ll always support the goal of more expression, not less. 

Morelli leads off the disc with Elegy for Innocence by Jeff Scott, an episodic and lyrical piece with some very pretty moments. The best music here comes from Wynton Marsalis and his 1999 jazz-infused piece Meeelaan written in three movements for bassoon and string quartet: some nice grooves, impressive turns of phrase and even some gritty moments where the normally mellow bassoon gets downright raunchy. My favourite piece on the album is Prayer, written in 2022 by Nirmali Fenn, in which the composer evokes the exotic sounds of the duduk, and the inside-the-piano effects are fascinating. The Callisto Quartet sounds cohesive and compelling on this disc, as does Morelli’s dramatic and expressive pianist Wei-Yi Yang.

Quinsin Nachoff – Patterns from Nature
Quinsin Nachoff; Matt Mitchell; Ryan Keberle; François Houle; Satoshi Takeishi; Carlo De Rosa; Molinari String Quartet
Whirlwind Recordings (quinsin.com/patterns-from-nature)

Toronto born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist and composer Quinsin Nachoff brings us another momentous work in the form of Patterns from Nature, a full-scale 45-minute work that celebrates the convergence of music, film, and art with scientific research into pattern formation without merely mimicking it. So many elements have convened to create this work that it’s a wonder it could be contained to 45 minutes. Is it a chamber suite? A symphonic work, a film and full score, multimedia presentation, a narrative on the interrelationship of science, art, and the natural environment? It is all of these. As the composer explains: “I composed the music in parallel with filmmakers Tina de Groot, Lee Hutzulak, Gita Blak, and Udo Prinsen, allowing sound and image to evolve together in response to those natural forces. We are not illustrating the science, but working with it as a foundation, something to be interpreted, reshaped, and carried through the form and motion of the piece.” 

Drawing on the research of longtime collaborator (and University of Toronto Professor Emeritus) Physicist Stephen Morris’ work in emergent patterns in nature, Nachoff teamed up with the four filmmakers to integrate music, film and science, a project taking ten years to realize. The composition includes seamless marriages between notation and improvisation, highlighting improvising soloists for each movement: titled Branches, Flow, Cracks and Ripples they feature Nachoff himself, pianist Matt Mitchel, trombonist Ryan Keberle, clarinetist François Houle, percussionist Satoshi Takeishi and bassist Carlo De Rosa, with underpinnings from the Molinari String Quartet and direction from JC Sanford. Each movement entwines the explorations of the informing elements, and the ensemble moves effortlessly through melodic and textural elements of contemporary dialects with infusions of urban jazz keeping the human element present. The attention to detail creates a magnificent work. 

It was an interesting experience to view snippets of the films and photos available online after hearing the album; the added dimension creates a powerful multi-dimensional narration and it’s a shame they are not accessible with the album. One can only hope it is presented again in full soon.

The second work on the album features Nachoff’s three-movement saxophone concerto Winding Tessellations (2017); a seamless addition to the album and no less exquisite.

Listen to 'Quinsin Nachoff: Patterns from Nature' Now in the Listening Room

Le Bolduc Groove Quintet
Remi Bolduc
Independent (remibolduc.com/store)

Rémi Bolduc has long been recognized as one of Canada’s most expressive alto saxophonists and his latest album highlights his gift for balancing technical precision with an easygoing sense of swing. Built around a tight-knit ensemble, the record celebrates groove-driven jazz while leaving plenty of room for personality and improvisational spark. From the opening moments, the quintet establishes a rhythmic foundation that feels both sturdy and playful. Bolduc’s alto saxophone glides across the arrangements with clarity and warmth, delivering melodies that are memorable without sacrificing an exploratory spirit that defines modern jazz. His phrasing is crisp but relaxed, suggesting a musician deeply comfortable in his musical language.

The album’s strength lies in the chemistry between the players, featuring Canadian greats Chantel de Villiers on saxophone and vocals, Nick Semenykhin on guitar, Ira Coleman on double bass and Rich Irwin on the drums. The rhythm section locks in to keep the music moving forward, while piano and bass lines weave around Bolduc’s saxophone with ease. Rather than spotlighting a single voice, the quintet operates as a collective unit, allowing each instrument to contribute to the evolving texture. Groove is the central thread throughout the record. Whether leaning toward funk-inspired rhythms or classic post-bop momentum, the music maintains an inviting pulse that draws the listener in. Even during more intricate passages, the band never loses its sense of flow.

The record ultimately feels like a celebration of ensemble jazz at its most vibrant. Bolduc leads with confidence, but the real story is the shared energy of the group, creating music that is lively, polished, and unmistakably alive.

My World is the Sun
Dominique Fils-Aimé
Ensoul Records (singwithmi.bandcamp.com/album/my-world-is-the-sun)

Captivating Montreal-based vocalist and composer, Dominique Fils-Aimé has already left her indelible mark on the international jazz world, having received two JUNO awards for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year” as well as the 2024 FELIX Award for Best Album for her release, Run Deep. Her fifth studio release, My World is the Sun, features mainly her own distinctive compositions, as well as a deep dive into the marriage of blues, soul, jazz and other contemporary forms. Fils-Aime is well-known for her skill at lyrical interpretation, and regularly takes her audiences on surprising, moving and soulful journeys – and this recording is no exception. A sonic, sensory and emotional treat, rife with thought provoking lyrics as well as diverse musical motifs.

Fils-Aimé has assembled a fine musical coterie for this project, including producer/engineer Jacques Roy; Claudette Thomas on upright/electric bass; Jacques Roy on drums; Harvey Bien-Aimee on keyboards; David Osei Afrifa on piano; Hichem Khalifa on trumpet, Elli Miller Maboungou on percussion; Shawn Mativetsky on tabla; Etienne Miousse on guitar and Steeve St-Pierre on violin. The programme begins with Ma Melodie (Intro) written by Patricia Carli and Leo Missir. A simple and beautiful air, performed with a single, unapologetic guitar and Fils-Aimé’s warm, supple alto voice. A remarkable track is Sea of Clouds, where a mystical, chant-like melodic line, morphs into an esoteric journey, replete with gorgeously arranged, diatonic layers of vocals. 

Also stunning is The River. Soulful and healing, Fils-Aimé’s powerful vocal performance and arrangement embraces the heart of African-American Gospel music (whose roots extend deeply into mother Africa). A true stand-out is the thoroughly delicious Going Home. Composed by Nans Clastrier and Fils-Aimé, this song features fine guitar work as well as compelling lyrics and an intoxicating mood.

Triago de Todo
Jay Danley
Independent (jaydanley.bandcamp.com/album/traigo-de-todo)

Jay Danley’s latest release is an album that feels less like a carefully plotted statement and more like an open musical sketchbook where styles drift in and out with playful ease. Drawing on jazz phrasing, Latin rhythms and funk textures, Danley builds a record that thrives on motion and curiosity rather than strict genre loyalty. What makes Traigo de Todo especially engaging is its sense of warmth. Even in its more meandering turns, the music is thoroughly inviting, full of melodic details that reward close listening. 

Soaring guitar lines intertwine with nimble percussion, while subtle keyboard colours expand the atmosphere without crowding it. There’s a relaxed confidence in the way the songs unfold, as though Danley trusts the listener to enjoy the journey rather than wait for a predictable destination. A great example of this can be heard in Coffee and Beignets, where the aforementioned elements combine into a satisfying whole. What also makes the album unique is its distinct hark back to ‘70s funk and soul sound, a noticeable element that carries through each tune. 

There’s a pleasant near restlessness that is also part of the record’s charm. Traigo de Todo ultimately plays like a musical travelogue, inviting listeners to wander through shifting sonic landscapes guided by curiosity, groove and quiet imagination at every turn along the way forward and beyond expectation or convention altogether. A great choice for listeners looking for something fresh, playful and alive.

The Call
Bellbird
CST Records CST190 (bellbirdband.bandcamp.com/album/the-call)

Together since 2021, this Montréal-based quartet demonstrates tight-knit cooperative performances during this set of group compositions. With Allison Burik on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Claire Devlin playing tenor saxophone, bassist Eli Davidovici and drummer Mili Hong, the four work through tunes that are rugged and expanded when they should be and compressed and exquisite elsewhere.

The last adjective is a bit of an overstatement since Bellbird, the band, eschews aviary delicacy and instead often replicates the tonal flexibility coupled with squawking stridency sometimes found in wild fowl. Although Davidovici’s downward slaps mostly regularize the program, Burik and Devlin layer the expositions with aleatory honks, snuffles and cheeps, offering obbligatos or harmonization with the other reed, whether it’s for sliding toughness on the title track or gentling melancholy expressed on Morning Dove. Hong too switches constructively from ruffs and rumbles that, alongside Davidovici’s strident arco string swabs, buffer a forceful tune like Blowing on Embers, or overcome reed dissonance with brush strokes that promote Phthalo Green’s gentle harmonies. 

Overall, the quartet’s sound reaches its zenith on the extended Eternity Perspective. Contrapuntal as well as cooperative, snarly bass clarinet scoops paced by martial drum patterns centre the piece until one saxophone timbre floats over the other until following an interlude of reverberating double bass thumps, a false ending adumbrates a lush logical diminuendo.

Intertwined enough to suggest ESP, Bellbird is one aviary species that deserves watching and hearing.

Can You Hear the Birds?
Gentiane MG, Levi Dover; Mark Nelson
Effendi FND 178 (gentianemg.com/music)

Can You Hear the Birds is Montreal-based pianist Gentiane MG’s fourth album as a leader and features an exciting set of original trio music. The album has a unique design aesthetic, which Gentiane and her team have made ample use of in its promotion, but the musical performance speaks for itself as well.

The trio features bassist Levi Dover and drummer Mark Nelson. They act as creative partners in this endeavour, while simultaneously laying down the accompaniment and groove listeners expect from a traditional piano trio format. The music pleasantly obscures what is improvised and what is composed, adding to the suite-like flow of the album’s programming. There are open and sparse moments throughout Can You Hear the Birds, alongside tightly arranged sections, notably intricate basslines doubled in the piano’s low register on tracks like Standing on a Cloud. 

I try to avoid direct musical comparisons, for their tendency to cheapen a review, but an overarching sensibility present on this album is that of the finest European jazz. To me Quebec has always felt simultaneously more European, and more American, than other provinces in Canada. How does that relate to Can You Hear the Birds? There is both a stylishness, and an element of visceral grit present, that I don’t hear articulated on the average Canadian jazz album. In some ways this is inevitable, as Gentiane MG and her trio are in a league of their own far above “average.”

The Least Greatest Hits Vol.1 & 2
Worst Pop Band Ever (Drew Birston; Adrean Farrugia; Chris Gale; Dafydd Hughes; LEO37; Tim Shia)
Independent n/a (wpbe.bandcamp.com/album/the-least-greatest-hits-vol-1-2)

The somewhat whimsical name of this genre-bending jazz ensemble belies the clear excellence of the exceptional musicians and composers who founded the group more than two decades ago – and continue to record, write and tour throughout Canada, North America and the immediate world! With the release of their new two-volume collection, the group re-visits, explores and in some cases re-imagines 15 memorable compositions that have been a solid part of this popular group’s diverse repertoire. The majority of the compositions here were penned by the ensemble and are described as having influences that range from Wayne Shorter and J Dilla to Levon Helm. 

This group dances on that fine line between improvisational jazz and indie pop, and is always full of surprises and fresh perspectives. The superb Toronto-based core ensemble includes upright and electric bassist Drew Birsten, pianist/keyboardist Adrean Farrugia, Chris Gale on tenor and baritone sax, Dafydd Hughes on synths and keyboards, turntable-est/vocalist LEO37 and drummer/percussionist/synthesist Tim Shia. The luminous guest artists on the project include vocalists Caity Gyorgy, Elizabeth Shepherd and Rhonda Stakich as well as trumpeter Rebecca Hennessy and soprano saxophonist Hsien Minyen. 

Included in the wealth of fine material here are several standouts, including Shia’s Love is for Losers, which features a moving piano solo from Farrugia as well as a stunning tenor solo from Gale, enhanced by an ironic and groovy lyric rendered by Gyorgy. Vacation for the Emotionally Challenged is a funky, percussive dive propelled by Shia’s skilled percussion work, and the sumptuous blues Too Much News again highlights Farrugia’s gorgeous technique on Rhodes. Other gems include Year of the Tiger and Believe Beleft Below – all rendered with consummate musicianship, taste and even a bit of humour!

Daybreak
Matt Greenwood
Independent (mattgreenwood.bandcamp.com)

Guitarist Matt Greenwood returns with his sophomore album Daybreak, which he aptly describes as “diving deeper into guitar-driven sonic landscapes with renewed purpose.” The album is substantially more “produced” than its 2023 predecessor Atlas, and Greenwood uses studio technology to craft a lush aesthetic atop an intimate guitar-trio base. 

Born in Zimbabwe, Greenwood earned his undergraduate degree in Toronto, where he was introduced to bassist Mike Downes and drummer Mark Kelso. Zimbabwean percussionist Othnell “Mangoma” Moyo guests on the tracks 1000 Paper Cranes and Guide My Hand, lending them their own unique sound without altering the album’s stylistic tone. The latter track brought to mind a phrase a jazz purist colleague used to say, along the lines of “this is what pop music would sound like in a perfect world.” That idea resurfaced several times while listening to Daybreak, as its compositions and arrangements blend elements of indie, folk, and pop while incorporating enough harmonic sophistication to engage even the most esoteric listeners.

Downes and Kelso are perfectly versatile personnel for this genre-eschewing album, adding sensitivity to rambunctious moments, and confidence to subtler ones. The ensemble’s sounds are recorded immaculately, which is a commendable feat with music this dynamic. Greenwood’s writing makes use of Downes’ consummate bow playing on several melodies, adding yet another dimension to the diversity of sounds. Daybreak should appeal to listeners across the gamut of genres, which is a recommendation in itself.

Kinda Out West
Aretha Tillotson
Bent River Records BRR-202508CD (arethatillotson.bandcamp.com/album/kinda-out-west)

Aretha Tillotson teaches bass and theory at MacEwan University in Edmonton and has played with many prominent jazz groups over the past several years including touring with the Ingrid and Christine Jensen quintet. In 2024 she won a Western Canadian Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year. Kinda Out West is her second album as leader and I imagine the title is a reference to Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West (1957) which has just bass and drums behind Sonny’s tenor. 

Kinda Out West has a similarly sparse instrumentation with Ingrid (trumpet) and Christine (alto sax) Jensen along with Dave Laing on drums and Tillotson on bass. Tillotson has written all nine unique and bopping tunes on this album. Jill of All gives us a sonically edgy melody while maintaining an awesome bass/drum groove. Christine Jensen begins her solo with a (Rollins) Pent Up House quote and then moves into a melodic flurry with a sweet wailing tone reminiscent of Ornette Coleman. 

The title tune begins with a tasty and bouncy drum solo and then moves into a happy and loopy melody played with trumpet and alto sax. Eventually the bass picks up the melody and extrapolates it into several marvelous ideas while maintaining the bounce. Sphere of Influence’s melody has definite similarities to Monk’s Well You Needn’t while the improvisations move far beyond mere imitation. 

Kinda Out West is quirky and inventive and each musician is allowed to showcase their own style while contributing to a fabulous collective effort.