New In Music This Week: June 5th

Since I was attending to personal business last week, New In Music This Week: June 5^th includes releases from May 29^th and today, June 5^th.

My top pick is:

JAZZ: MEMBERS…DON’T – Tyshawn Sorey – Pi Recordings

This is an album I haven’t been able to get out of my head and soul since I first started listening to it. The title takes its inspiration from Max Roach’s 1968 album Members, Don’t Git Weary. Roach’s album was a response to the continuing battle for civil rights in the 1960s.

What Sorey has done is take the six tracks on Roach’s album (four of them composed by Stanley Cowell who played piano and electric piano), slightly rearrange them and expand on the 31 minutes or so of music into a continuous suite that runs nearly 96 minutes.

You don’t have to be familiar with Roach’s recording, but it certainly helps to see what Sorey and his fellow musicians have done to expand on, re-imagine, re-arrange and re-harmonize those tracks. This is a monumental recording that speaks to our time with just as much punch as Roach offered on his.

Members…Don’t was recorded live after Sorey and ensemble performed this music over four nights in New York.

That ensemble features Tyrone Allen on bass; Lex Korten on piano; Adam O’Farrill no trumpet and Mark Shim on tenor saxophone. Fay Victor joins as a vocalist in a performance that is completely unforgettable.

Sorey’s masterful album so perfectly captures the chaos that is living in the world in 2026. A cacophony of sounds challenges and confronts listeners to stay tuned in and engaged with the music most immediately, but the world on a more proactive level. There is light at the end of this recording and in our future, but there’s a lot of work ahead, too. Members…Don’t offers an epic response to our times that serves as a blueprint of how to move forward.

Here are the other fine new releases that are New In Music This Week: June 5^th:

CLASSICAL: HOURGLASS / Simone Dinnerstein / Baroklyn – Naïve

Pianist Dinnerstein founded Baroklyn – the string ensemble that accompanies her on this captivating album of two works by Philip Glass.

The album opens with his Suite from The Hours as arranged by Michael Riesman. The second work is his first piano concerto known as Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.

As she has done in other recordings of Glass’s work, she puts her own stamp on these to works. As she says in the liner notes, “we focused on the larger beasts…we wanted every voice to have its own ebb and flow.”

In my 2022 interview with her I asked her about liberties she takes with his music and she responded, “I think that Philip Glass would be the first to say that the music comes to life in the performance by the performer. He certainly grants that freedom to people that interpret his music.”

I think Glass would be very impressed with this recording. I found myself responding uniquely to this music in ways I hadn’t before because I was hearing it played differently.

CLASSICAL: HARPO SPEAKS! THE RIVERSIDE SYMPHONY CONCERT – Riverside Symphony / Harpo Marx – Ramseur Records

Once you get to the sixth track of this completely fascinating album you finally get to hear what you’ve been waiting for – to hear Harpo Marx speak. He does so as he introduces Peter and the Wolf.

The previous tracks find him conducting The Toy Symphony (under the name Umberto Harpolini) and playing the harp on three additional tracks. Then the Prokofiev comes in.

Listening to Harpo Speaks! (recorded in the spring of 1964) makes you wish you had been in the audience for this monumental moment of Harpo speaking in public. (For those too young to know – he was famously the silent Marx Brother.)

As a historical document this album is completely satisfying. And the audience seems to have had a great time.

CLASSICAL: WISHING TREE – The Gesualdo Six / Owain Park – Hyperion Records

Vocal ensemble The Gesualdo Six’s new release is a secular program of music by William Byrd, Francis Poulenc, Ralph Vaughan Williams, traditional works and more. Owain Park’s Fantasia on English Children’s Songs is particularly impressive.

In total there at 20 songs running 64 minutes. Once again, The Gesualdo Six showcase why they are amongst the finest A capella singing ensembles today. This is an excellent record.

JAZZ: WE DREAM – Lakecia Benjamin – Artwork Records              

I started listening to Benjamin’s sixth release, We Dream in March. And I have stopped listening to it. Once again, she proves why she is one of the most exciting artists on the scene today.

She begins by saying, “Out of the ashes I rise.” She goes on to talk about the choices she makes. Which falls right in line with what she told me in our conversation last year. She said, “I’ve always been true to who I am. Now I’m being faces with other decisions. Can I just keep doing what I know will be all right? Or should I continue to reach?

She’s chosen to reach. Her playing has never sounded more focused or more powerful. All 11 tracks are originals. She wrote 9 of them and co-wrote the other two.

Special guests on the album include Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah; Tarriona “Tank” Ball; Bilal; Black Thought; Terence Blanchard; Hiromi; Sean Jones; Kassa Overall; Chris Potter and Sean Jones.

As long as Benjamin continues to reach, we are in store for more brilliant music. With each album she proves she is a force to be reckoned with.

JAZZ: RESONATION TRIO / ULTRA RESONANCE – Steven Bernstein – Royal Potato Family

These two albums offer distinctive music from composer/trumpeter Steven Bernstein.

ResoNation Trio finds Bernstein playing with Scott Colley on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. It’s a lean and fascinating recording that focuses on the music and the improvisational capabilities of the musicians.

Ultra Resonance takes those same recordings and producer Scotty Hard got to completely remix the tunes in his own way. He’s known for his work in jazz and hip-hop. The songs all have different names (taken from chemical elements).

Separately these albums are well worth your time. Together they make for an utterly masterful examination of the work these outstanding musicians have done together and as individuals.

To understand the full vision, you really should hear both albums. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself playing one, then the other and then back to the first one. So much to discover here.

JAZZ: UNIVERSAL TRUTH – Emmet Cohen – Mack Avenue Records

Cohen’s new album features some extraordinary musicians joining him to celebrate the two icons. They are Ron Carter on double bass, George Coleman on tenor saxophone and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. Drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist Yasushi Nakamura complete Cohen’s trio.

Cohen knows that there is a truth about the genius of Davis and Coltrane. He’s created a thoughtful album that doesn’t try to imitate their styles. By choosing to be faithful to the spirit of their work with these fine musicians, he’s created a very enjoyable album.

JAZZ: LA MALINCHE – Eva Cortés – Truth Revolution Records

Personal and international tragedies are the focus of this beautiful album by Cortés. The highs and lows of the stories told in these songs is sung with such warmth, fortitude and hope that you can’t help but enjoy every moment of La Malinche.

Joining her are Zaccai Curtis, Roman Filiú, Christian McBride, Pepe Rivero and Antonio Sánchez.

VOCAL: MY BROTHER’S KEEPER – Joshua Blue / Will Liverman / Joseph Parrish / Alan Williams / Jorell Williams / Chaz’men Williams-Ali / Steven Blier – NYFOS Records

Pianist Blier accompanies these six outstanding Black male singers in an album dedicated to the concept of Black men in support of each other. Sometimes all six perform together. Other tracks are solo performances. There are also unique pairings throughout the 11 tracks.

Some of the tracks were recorded live and the audience response is exactly what you’d expect from these fine performances.

It’s a great concept for a recorded that is realized completely. I listened to My Brother’s Keeper twice in a row. That should tell you everything.

VINYL REISSUES:

CLASSICAL: RACHMANINOFF: PIANO CONCERTOS 1-4; PAGANINI RHAPSODY – Stephen Hough / Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Litton – Hyperion Records

All four of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos were recorded live in concert with Hough at the piano with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Litton. They were recorded in May of 2004 and originally released in October of that year. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was recorded after a performance.

This is the first vinyl release (a 3 LP package) of an amazing series of performances of these challenging works. Hough, as usual, shines brilliantly.

JAZZ:  TIPPIN’ ON THROUGH – Curtis Amy  – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl

This 1962 album features three originals by saxophonist Curtis Amy. There are three additional tracks including the title track by Benny Golson; Dave Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet Way and George Gershwin and Dubose Heyward’s Summertime.

Roy Ayers plays vibraphone; Roy Brewster on valve trombone; John Houston on piano; Lawrence Marable on drums and Bob Whitlock on bass.

JAZZ: A SPIRIT SPEAKS – The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe – Mack Avenue Music Group and Strata-East Records

In December I wrote about the CD reissue of this 1974 album. A vinyl version in limited numbers was released for last year’s Record Store Black Friday Day.

Composer/bassist Bill Lee is Spike Lee’s father and this album is a true family affair as its features his brother Cliff Lee (trumpet) and sisters Grace Lee Mims (a glorious soprano) and Consuela Lee Moorhead (piano).

JAZZ:  COMPONENTS – Bobby Hutcherson – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl

This 1966 album features eight tracks: four of them composed by vibraphonist Hutcherson and the last four by drummer Joe Chambers.

Hutcherson and Chambers are joined by  Ron Carter no double bass; Herbie Hancock on piano and organ; Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute.

JAZZ:  SONGBOOK – Allen Toussaint – Craft Recordings

13 years ago, the incomparable Toussaint released his first live album recorded at Joe’s Pub in New York. This two-disc set features eight additional tracks from those concerts. There are also 11 other live tracks from other sessions plus a nearly 14-minute interview clearly conducted while Toussaint was at the piano.

For vinyl collectors, the original album’s 25 tracks have also been reissued on a 2-LP vinyl edition.

JAZZ:  MOTHERLAND – The Visitors – Jazz Dispensary / Craft Recordings

This 1976 release has long been out of print. The Visitors were Earl & Carl Grubbs on alto and tenor sax. Once listen to this album and you can hear they were very influenced by late-era John Coltrane.

That’s all for New in Music This Week: June 5th.

Enjoy the music! Enjoy your weekend!

Main Photo: Part of the album art for We Dream by Lakecia Benjamin