Brad Meldhau

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

One of the most acclaimed jazz pianists of his generation, Mehldau sits down at the piano, for music and conversation. His album, Your Mother Should Know, interprets songs by The Beatles.

Inspired by J.S. Bach, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau alternates originals from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier with his own reinventions.

Drummer Jimmy Cobb, an historically important musician who duly received an NEA Jazz Master award in 2009, needs no introduction. If his only connection…

The jazz trio returns to covering classic rock, folk and pop tunes on its latest album, Where Do You Start. Fresh Air critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the band's take on Elvis Costello, Nick Drake, Sonny Rollins and more.