Boyer Recording Studio

"It's every jazz musician’s goal to play the Village Vanguard, and we get to do that every week. It's magic every Monday." Trombonist Douglas Purviance details the joys of playing with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard every Monday evening, and the magic that Thad Jones brought to jazz. Listen to Purviance and the rest of the Vanguard in "Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones," now available for streaming and download on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora and Deezer. Purchase physical CDs on Bandcamp.

For his new piece "Labyrinth," jazz composer Billy Childs took inspiration from puzzling artist M.C. Escher to create an intricate and somewhat disorienting piece that blends the traditions of jazz and classical music. Performed by the Temple University Studio Orchestra and led by conductor José Luis Dominguez, "Labyrinth" features Terell Strafford (trumpet) and Dick Oatts (saxophone) as soloists, and is now available for streaming and download on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora and Deezer.

Happy Friday the 13th, and if you're feeling unlucky, I beseech you! In her latest release, Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon provides spoken word and poetry on the journey of life and the challenges we may face in order to survive, thrive, and love ourselves and those around us. Check out this excerpt of "Kerplunk!" from "You Gotta Have Game," now available for streaming and download on all major platforms!