On "We Dream" Lakecia Benjamin Reaches for New Heights

Few artists in contemporary jazz possess the fire, vision and sheer magnetic presence of Lakecia Benjamin, and her latest album, We Dream, is another bold statement from one of the genre's most exciting voices.

Released in June 2026, the New York saxophonist and composer continues to push beyond traditional jazz boundaries, blending hard-hitting improvisation with soul, funk, hip-hop and spoken-word influences. Following the Grammy-nominated success of Phoenix and Phoenix Reimagined (Live), We Dream feels like a natural progression—ambitious in scope while remaining deeply personal.

Rather than simply assembling an all-star cast, Benjamin uses her impressive list of collaborators to enhance the emotional journey of the record. The album features contributions from acclaimed musicians including Terence Blanchard, Hiromi, Chris Potter, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Bilal, Kassa Overall, and Tarriona "Tank" Ball, each adding their own distinctive flavour while allowing Benjamin's expressive alto saxophone to remain at the centre of the music.

The title track, "We Dream," perfectly captures the album's spirit. Featuring the unmistakable voice of Tarriona "Tank" Ball, the song carries an uplifting message of hope, unity and possibility. Benjamin's soaring saxophone lines weave effortlessly around Tank's soulful vocal performance, creating a piece that feels equally rooted in jazz tradition and modern social consciousness.

Lakecia Benjamin (2018) in NYC by Adjoajo, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

It's a reminder that Benjamin has never been interested in musical boundaries. Throughout her career she's collaborated with artists ranging from Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys to The Roots, while also paying tribute to jazz legends John and Alice Coltrane. That broad musical background shines throughout We Dream, giving the album an accessibility that should appeal well beyond dedicated jazz audiences.

Production across the album is polished yet organic, allowing each performance room to breathe. The interplay between the musicians is consistently thrilling, whether the arrangements lean into explosive improvisation or settle into reflective, melodic passages. Benjamin's confidence as both composer and bandleader is unmistakable, guiding every performance with energy and purpose.

Ultimately, We Dream is more than just another impressive jazz release—it's an affirmation of Benjamin's growing status as one of the defining artists of her generation. Rich in groove, fearless in its improvisation and driven by an unmistakable sense of optimism, the album demonstrates why she continues to attract critical acclaim and an ever-expanding audience.

For listeners discovering Lakecia Benjamin for the first time, We Dream offers a perfect introduction to an artist who refuses to stand still. For longtime fans, it's yet another exhilarating chapter in a career that continues to redefine what modern jazz can be.

Cairiss Return with a Landmark Debut as Wilderness Stakes Its Claim Among 2026's Finest Releases

More than a decade after first turning heads with their acclaimed 2014 demo Disgraced, Southampton's Cairiss have finally delivered the full-length album fans have been waiting for—and it has been worth every second of the wait.

Released on 31 July 2026, Wilderness marks the band's long-awaited debut album, arriving after an extraordinary ten-year silence. Rather than feeling like a comeback built on nostalgia, the record sounds like the work of musicians who have spent years refining every detail before unveiling something deeply personal and emotionally devastating. The album follows themes of trauma, dissociation, grief, identity and healing, with the band describing it as a conceptual journey through recovery after life-altering experiences.

Musically, Wilderness sits comfortably alongside modern blackgaze's most compelling artists while carving out its own identity. The band's combination of soaring post-rock atmospherics, crushing post-metal weight and emotionally charged dual-vocal performances creates an experience that's as cinematic as it is punishing.

Opening track "Nervosa" immediately establishes the emotional landscape, balancing shimmering melodies with explosive heaviness before flowing into "The Guide,"arguably one of the album's defining moments. Elsewhere, the haunting restraint of "Integrate" provides a brief moment to breathe before the colossal "Dissociate" and the sprawling "Retrace" continue the record's emotional ascent. Closing track "Wildfire" brings the journey to an unforgettable conclusion, leaving listeners with a rare sense of catharsis rather than simple closure. The six-track record consists of Nervosa, The Guide, Integrate, Dissociate, Retrace and Wildfire.

One of the album's greatest strengths is its patience. Cairiss resist the temptation to chase instant gratification, instead allowing songs to breathe, build and evolve naturally. Every crescendo feels earned, every quiet passage serves a purpose, and every eruption carries genuine emotional weight.

It's this maturity that separates Wilderness from many of its contemporaries. Rather than relying solely on the familiar blackgaze formula of beauty versus brutality, Cairiss weave together elements of shoegaze, atmospheric black metal and post-metal into something remarkably cohesive and deeply human.

Early critical reaction has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with reviewers praising both its emotional depth and its ambitious songwriting. After more than ten years away from the spotlight, Cairiss have achieved something few bands manage: a debut album that not only meets long-held expectations but comfortably exceeds them.

If there is any justice, Wilderness won't simply be remembered as an impressive debut—it deserves to be part of every serious conversation surrounding the very best heavy records released in 2026.

For fans of emotionally immersive, genre-defying heavy music, this isn't merely an album worth hearing. It's one that demands to be experienced from beginning to end.

Behind the Legend: James Gavin Explores the Extraordinary Life of Anita O'Day in Cool Heat

Few jazz singers lived a life as exhilarating—or as perilous—as Anita O'Day. Now acclaimed music historian James Gavin turns his attention to one of jazz's most fearless voices with Cool Heat: Anita O'Day and Her Dangerous Jazz Life, a new biography that promises to peel back the layers of a woman whose remarkable talent was matched only by the chaos surrounding her.

For jazz fans, Anita O'Day hardly needs an introduction. Nicknamed the "Jezebel of Jazz," she transformed vocal jazz during the 1940s and '50s with her daring sense of rhythm, razor-sharp phrasing and refusal to imitate anyone who came before her. Rather than relying on vocal theatrics, O'Day approached every song like an improvising instrumentalist, making standards sound fresh, unpredictable and unmistakably her own.

Her career flourished alongside big band legends including Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton before she forged an acclaimed solo career with Verve Records. Albums such as Cool Heat—the 1959 collaboration featuring Jimmy Giuffre's innovative arrangements—remain essential listening for anyone exploring classic vocal jazz.

But as Gavin's title suggests, this isn't simply another celebration of a jazz icon.

Behind the elegant performances lay decades of addiction, abusive relationships, prison sentences, personal tragedy and an almost unbelievable determination to survive. O'Day openly chronicled many of those struggles in her own memoir High Times, Hard Times, but Gavin draws on fresh research, previously unpublished material and interviews to paint what is said to be the fullest portrait of the singer yet.

Photo by Mel Levine (via Flickr user "pinelife"), Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 (CC BY 2.0)

It's a fitting subject for Gavin, whose biographies have earned praise for placing musicians within the wider social and cultural landscape rather than simply recounting recording sessions and chart success. That approach appears to continue here, examining how O'Day challenged expectations of women in jazz while navigating an industry dominated by powerful men and relentless touring schedules.

Despite everything life threw at her, O'Day remained an electrifying live performer well into her later years. Her unforgettable appearance in the classic concert film Jazz on a Summer's Day introduced generations of new listeners to her unique stage presence, proving that charisma and musical intelligence could be every bit as compelling as vocal power.

For readers who enjoy music biographies that don't shy away from the darker chapters, Cool Heat looks set to be one of the year's standout jazz books. It's not just the story of an exceptional singer, but of resilience, reinvention and a woman who refused to let her personal demons silence one of the most distinctive voices in American music.

Whether you're already an Anita O'Day devotee or discovering her catalogue for the first time, James Gavin's latest work offers another compelling reason to revisit the life and music of a true jazz original.

Fergus McCreadie Brings Together Jazz Heavyweights Mathias Eick and Xhosa Cole for Memorable Edinburgh Collaborations

One of Scotland's brightest musical talents proved once again why he's one of the most exciting names in contemporary jazz, as Fergus McCreadie curated a remarkable series of intimate collaborations during this year's Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.

Hosted at the atmospheric St Bride's Centre, the Fergus McCreadie Meets... series saw the acclaimed pianist step away from his celebrated trio format to perform alongside musicians who have each helped shape today's international jazz landscape. Among the standout performances were captivating duos with Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eickand British saxophonist Xhosa Cole, each offering audiences a completely different musical journey.

The meeting between McCreadie and Mathias Eick felt like a natural pairing. Both musicians have built reputations for creating deeply melodic music infused with a sense of landscape and atmosphere. Eick, whose unmistakable trumpet sound has featured across an extensive catalogue of ECM Records releases, brought his signature lyrical tone to the performance, complementing McCreadie's folk-inspired piano beautifully. Rather than simply alternating solos, the duo created a genuine conversation, weaving together original compositions with remarkable sensitivity and leaving plenty of space for improvisation to flourish.

While Thursday's concert embraced the spacious, cinematic feel of Nordic jazz, the following evening shifted gears entirely.

Joining McCreadie was Birmingham saxophonist Xhosa Cole, winner of the 2018 BBC Young Jazz Musician competition and one of the UK's most inventive improvisers. Their performance centred on the music and spirit of jazz icon Thelonious Monk, but this was far from a straightforward tribute. Instead, the pair deconstructed Monk's compositions, teasing familiar melodies before launching into fearless improvisations that constantly surprised the audience. It was playful, adventurous and packed with musical chemistry.

The collaboration also carried an added layer of history. McCreadie and Cole have known one another since their early careers, with both emerging as leading figures in the new generation of British jazz musicians. Although they had crossed paths many times over the years, opportunities to perform together have been surprisingly rare, making this reunion all the more special.

For McCreadie, the series demonstrated the versatility that has made him one of Scotland's most celebrated jazz exports. Best known for blending Scottish folk traditions with modern jazz, he showed that his musical language is equally at home alongside European lyricism and the angular brilliance of Monk-inspired improvisation. Each collaboration revealed another side of his playing while highlighting his ability to adapt instinctively to the personalities of his musical partners.

The Fergus McCreadie Meets... concerts also underlined the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival's commitment to creating unique musical encounters rather than simply presenting touring acts. By bringing together artists from different traditions, generations and countries, the festival offered audiences performances that existed for one night only—moments of genuine spontaneity that cannot be replicated.

For anyone lucky enough to witness these concerts, it was a reminder that jazz is at its most compelling when great musicians simply listen, respond and create together. Judging by the enthusiastic response from audiences, Fergus McCreadie's collaborative series may well become one of the festival's most anticipated features in years to come.

On Colin Webster, Balázs Pándi & Matt Cargill's Chewed Up And Spat Out, Noise, Fury and Free Improvisation Collide

Few records capture the sheer physical intensity of free improvisation quite like Chewed Up And Spat Out, the blistering collaboration between British saxophonist Colin Webster, Hungarian drummer Balázs Pándi, and electronics specialist Matt Cargill. Although the session was originally recorded at London's Hackney Road Studios in June 2019, the album finally surfaced this year through London's adventurous Raw Tonk Records, and it proves that uncompromising music never loses its impact.

Webster has built a formidable reputation within the UK's free improvisation scene, regularly pushing both tenor and baritone saxophones into thrillingly abrasive territory. He's joined here by one of experimental music's most explosive drummers, Balázs Pándi, whose résumé includes collaborations with Merzbow, Keiji Haino, Thurston Moore and Mats Gustafsson. Completing the trio is Matt Cargill, best known for his work with London's genre-defying collective Sly & The Family Drone, bringing a dense layer of analogue electronics and noise that perfectly complements Webster's visceral saxophone work.

From the opening moments of "To Arise From Sleep," there's little interest in easing listeners into the experience. Webster's sax erupts in shrieks and fractured melodies while Cargill's electronics churn beneath the surface, all propelled by Pándi's relentless, almost volcanic percussion. Rather than traditional jazz structures, the trio embraces spontaneous interaction, allowing textures, feedback and rhythm to constantly evolve into something thrillingly unpredictable.

Image Credit: Merzbow & Balázs Pándi. Photograph via Wikimedia Commons by Kimon Berlin. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 (CC BY 2.0).

Across its five expansive pieces—including the towering centrepieces "Spat Out," "Money Shitter," and the twelve-minute closer "Blot"—the album blurs the boundaries between free jazz, harsh noise and experimental electronics. Moments of near silence are quickly swallowed by overwhelming waves of sound, creating an experience that's as exhilarating as it is uncompromising. It's music that demands total attention, rewarding adventurous listeners with layer upon layer of sonic detail.

Physically, Chewed Up And Spat Out arrives as a limited cassette edition of just 100 copies, housed in a recycled cardboard case with individually hand-produced lino-print artwork created by Webster himself—a fittingly DIY presentation for music that celebrates raw expression over polish. Digital editions are also available for those whose cassette players have long since disappeared.

While this release won't be mistaken for easy listening, that's entirely the point. Webster, Pándi and Cargill have created an album that revels in risk, embracing dissonance, chaos and fearless improvisation without ever feeling directionless. Six years after it was recorded, Chewed Up And Spat Out still sounds startlingly fresh, reminding us that some of the most exciting music happens when accomplished musicians simply trust each other and dive headfirst into the unknown.

Chewed Up And Spat Out was released on 15 May 2026 via Raw Tonk Records and is available digitally as well as in its strictly limited cassette edition.