Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

Ellington Masterworks

MCG, 2026

8/10

Listen to Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

A live set captured on April 6, 2024 at MCG Jazz in Pittsburgh, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks pay tribute to Duke Ellington with these character pieces that are a bit less known from the legend.

“The Flaming Sword” starts with bright horns and frisky drumming, where a festive mood makes an impression, and “Tattooed Bride” follows with a soft ambience that blends the rich horns with Tony Nalker’s animated piano.

“Madness In Great Ones” lands in the middle and showcases Ken Kimery’s crisp drumming alongside the punchy trumpets, while “Ad Lib On Nippon” emits intimacy via the soft keys and Amy Shook’s clever bass plucking.

“Shepherd” and “Jack The Bear” arrive at the end. The former is quite soulful with incredible start and stop brass/wind dynamics, and the latter finishes with an infectious energy courtesy of the scrappy rhythm section and animated winds and brass that will get your body movin’ and groovin’.

The ensemble sure do justice to Ellington’s work, where these selections from 1940-1968 are executed with adventurousness and meticulousness.

Travels well with: Ravita Jazz- Alice Blue; Bruce Gertz Quintet- Octopus Dreams

March To August

Highway 75

Self-Released, 2026

9/10

Listen to Highway 75

This concept album from March To August, i.e. Derrick and Jodi Mears, bring their inimitable storytelling and detailed instrumentation to 13 well thought out tracks.

“Highways And Honkytonks” opens with Derrick’s smooth voice amid the warm acoustic guitar of the country fueled start, and “Two Too Many” follows with quick banjo and Jodi’s well timed backing vocals.

In the middle, “Red Top Mountain Hailstorm” showcases meticulous banjo playing alongside the playfully plucked bass in a rich climate, while “Whiskey Town” emits much graceful beauty via the cozy acoustic guitar and poetic singing from Derrick.

Arriving later, “Fragments” is a heartfelt album highlight that uses the pair’s pipes with vulnerability which complements the soft banjo, and “Quiet Years” exits with a more folk influenced moment of timeless songwriting and carries a wise demeanor that’s reflective.

The tale told here revolves around a truck driver who travels north and south from Florida to the Canadian border in the midst of addiction, loss and remorse. During his journey he helps others and tries to fix the damaged relationships that have defined his existence, and these themes surround the blues, country, folk, bluegrass and rootsy flavored Americana that March To August continually execute with care.

Travels well with: March To August- Songs Inspired By Witnesss; Kenny Shore- Happiness & Misery

Dover Quartet

The Curtis Session

Bimperl, 2019

9/10

Listen to The Curtis Session

These esteemed youngsters have already picked up several awards in their short existence as the Dover Quartet, and just in the last year have played over 100 concerts on North America. Composed by Dr. Eric Sessler, The Curtis Session has the quartet offering 4 movements here in 30 minutes, as they bring Sessler’s Dreams From Life Awake to life in an engaging, mesmerizing performance.

“Reverberation-Exploration-Flow” starts the album with strong collisions of strings in a melodic yet tense setting of exquisite interplay, and “Tenderness-Love-Warmth” follows with gentle, agile musicianship amid a light atmosphere and timeless beauty.

The back half offers us the playful and cinematic “Evolution-Growth-Transformation”, where calm ebbs are met with fleeting moments of rapid intensity, while “Determination-Energy-Resolve” ends the gracefulness with an adventurous spirt where it almost appears that all 4 instruments are on their own journey, but somehow coalesce into an awe inspiring display of sublime beauty.

Amazingly recorded with no edits and just two microphones, it’s no surprise that Dover Quartet have so quickly moved into international stardom as their artistic approach is mature, immediately gripping and unfolds with a skill that seems well beyond their years.

Travels well with: Escher String Quartet- Stony Brook Surroundings, Vol 1; David Shifrin- Shifrin Plays Shifrin