On Dec. 5, Blue Note Records will release Motion II by Out Of/Into featuring pianist Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer. The all-star collective—which was initially founded as the Blue Note Quintet in... read more
Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage has announced the January 23 release of Scenes from Above, his fifth Blue Note album, the second made in collaboration with revered producer Joe Henry, and his first with a striking new quartet featuring keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Kenny... read more
Announcing the 2026 line-up for the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series! The acclaimed series is produced by the "Tone Poet" Joe Harley and presents definitive audiophile quality vinyl reissues that are mastered all-analog directly from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray of Cohearent... read more
Congratulations to our Blue Note nominees for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards! Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Branford Marsalis – Belonging The saxophonist’s Blue Note debut is a full album interpretation of Keith Jarrett’s 1974 ECM album of the same name featuring Marsalis’ longtime... read more
Saxophonist Dave McMurray has released his new single "The Jungaleers," taken from his upcoming Blue Note release I LOVE LIFE even when I’m hurting out Nov. 14. The album is an affirmation of his indomitable spirit and a celebration of the love that he has for his hometown of Detroit, as well... read more
Maya Delilah has announced the Jan. 9 release of an expanded digital Deluxe Edition of her debut album The Long Way Round, which adds four new tracks including the dreamy folk-pop confection "California" out today. The London-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist began her year by being named... read more
By John Murph I LOVE LIFE even when I’m hurting, the title of the new album from saxophonist and composer Dave McMurray, is an affirmation of his indomitable spirit. It’s also a celebration of the love that he has for his hometown of Detroit, and for the many musicians with which he’s collaborated. McMurray conceived of the title after having a deep discussion about the death of a friend who had been... read more
By Lauren Du Graf In the spring of 2023, while on tour in Portugal, Aaron Parks had a dream. It concerned an upcoming week of shows at the Village Vanguard, where he was scheduled that July to play alongside the bassist Ben Street and drummer Billy Hart. The trio had been intermittently active since 2012, although the bonds between them ran far deeper than a decade of occasional gigs might suggest. That... read more
By Evan Haga Converse with the saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd — a titan of an improviser, still digging deep onstage at age 87 — and you will inevitably arrive at this subject: gratitude. He generously bestows his gratitude in multiple directions: upon his musical heroes, his beloved collaborators, and the spirits that lift him up and guide his breath through his horn. To hear Lloyd describe his... read more
By Shannon J. Effinger For Johnathan Blake, music has always been a family affair. The drummer and bandleader’s previous Blue Note album, Passage (2023), was an homage to his father and chief mentor, the late jazz violinist John Blake Jr. The album cover features a sepia-toned snapshot of father and son, taken by his godfather, Eugene Wood. On his label debut Homeward Bound (2021), Blake honored the memory of... read more
By Evan Haga On NUEVA TIMBA, the new Blue Note album from the Cuban-born pianist Harold López-Nussa, the jazz vanguard meets multiple eras of Cuba’s musical history with results that are at once accessible, life-affirming and strikingly accomplished. Featuring a core of unmatched talent — Harold’s brother, Ruy Adrian López-Nussa, on drums; Luques Curtis on bass; and the harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret... read more