Nate Chinen

On their new album, two of the most celebrated composers and players in the jazz world pay homage to the pursuit of purpose and joy found in the struggle for liberation.

Bartees Strange. Denison Witmer. The Sun Ra Arkestra's Marshall Allen. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomes Nate Chinen of Philadelphia's WRTI to discuss the best new releases out on Valentine's Day. Featured albums: • Bartees Strange, 'Horror' • Denison Witmer, 'Anything At All' • Marshall Allen, 'New Dawn' • Sullivan Fortner, 'Southern Nights' • John Patitucci, 'Spirit Fall' Check out our longer list of albums out Feb. 14 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org/music. Credits: • Host: Stephen Thompson • Guest: Nate Chinen (WRTI) • Producer: Simon Rentner • Editor: Otis Hart • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed • Vice President, Music & Visuals: Keith Jenkins

There's been some great music released since the last New Music Friday episode in late November. So, on this slow January release day, NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and WRTI's Nate Chinen catch you up on the best albums we heard in December in between "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Featured Albums: • ROSÉ, 'rosie' • Lauren Mayberry, 'Vicious Creature' • Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner & Peter Bernstein, 'Solid Jackson' • The Innocence Mission, 'Midwinter Swimmers' • SAULT, 'Acts of Faith' Visit npr.org/music to see the long list of albums you might have missed in December, and stream our New Music Friday playlist. CREDITS: Host: Stephen Thompson, NPR Music Guest: Nate Chinen, WRTI Producer: Simon Rentner Editor: Otis Hart Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Vice President, Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins

This year's unmissable jazz releases came in two flavors: breakthrough releases by driven young newcomers, and a heap of unearthed treasures from the vault.

In The Listeners, a seductive cult leader and an unexplainable noise divides an innocent community and warps reality. Mazzoli's opera receives its U.S. premiere in Philadelphia.

A saxophonist of otherworldly gusto, two pianists of impulsive eloquence and a critic with a pen nearly as sharp as his ears are the latest selections for the the nation's highest honor for jazz.

Grammy-winning bassist and vocalist esperanza spalding will soon celebrate the release of 'Milton + esperanza,' a collaboration with Brazilian music icon Milton Nascimento. First, she's bringing her songs on tour.

WRTI's Nate Chinen and NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce get all wrapped up in the amniotic embrace of a new album by a guru of the L.A. ambient-jazz scene; the new album by Carlos Niño & Friends is called Placenta. Also: The fourth album by DIIV sees the indie rock group leaning into shoegaze-inspired sounds, and Andrew Bird creates an album in tribute to the "Golden Era" jazz tunes of the 1930s and '40s.

The adult contemporary star, who became a reluctant giant of smooth jazz in the 1980s, died on Sunday after a six-year battle with prostate cancer.

The composer and percussionist was "shocked beyond belief" after hearing the news on Monday afternoon.