With the release of her aptly named debut album, The Vibe, Japanese-born, Michigan-based Nanami Haruta plants her flag as one of the most thrilling new voices on the jazz trombone in recent memory. Her premiere outing is granted the imprimatur of no less a master of the instrument than Michael Dease, Haruta’s mentor at Michigan State University turned producer and frontline partner for this exhilarating session in the Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson mold.

ROCK AND ROLL GALLERY celebrates its 25th anniversary this year by today (January 8) debuting an exclusive interview with photographer Neal Preston, one of the most renowned and celebrated figures in the history of rock 'n' roll photography.

Montana-bred/Nashville-based indie-folk quartet TopHouse is set to release their new EP, Practice, on February 14th. The six-song collection brims with the group’s genre-bending blend of rock, folk, pop, and Celtic influences, pensive lyrics, soaring vocal harmonies, and proficient musicianship. Their new single, “I Don’t Wanna Move On,” contemplates the aftermath of a long relationship with emotive vocals and frenetic melodies.

Gulf Coast Records proudly announces the March 28, 2025, release of I Love Freddie King, the new album from acclaimed guitarist Popa Chubby, featuring special guests Joe Bonamassa, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and Mike Zito. CD pre-orders are now available at Popa Chubby’s website: https://www.popachubby.com/; digital pre-orders will be available starting January 31.

An ambitious list of singles will be released in advance of the album’s launch:

SONGS OF THE CARTER FAMILY is a rootsy, intimate new offering from Pam Linton, a true troubadour of the road for decades, based largely in the upper Midwest.

Eighty years ago, on January 27, 1945, the survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau stepped out of their living nightmare for the first time, marking the camp’s liberation and a turning point in the Holocaust’s tragic history. To honor this anniversary, The Daniel Pelton Collective, in collaboration with Calgary’s National Music Centre, will release Violins of Hope on January 27, 2025. This powerful collection of three compositions captures the profound experiences of the Holocaust, serving as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed and a call to ensure they are never forgotten.

BLUES PeopleBLUES People, the veteran four-piece band with roots in the vibrant New York/New Jersey music scene, is on a determined quest to conquer the 2025 International Blues Challenge (IBC), taking place January 7–11, 2025 on historic Beale Street. Last year’s IBC Semifinalists aim to make an indelible mark this time around—and land themselves on the Orpheum Theatre stage for the Finals.

The Vermont Jazz Center is thrilled to present harpist Brandee Younger on January 18, 2025. She will perform with her working trio: Rashaan Carter on electric and acoustic basses and Allan Mednard on drums. Many VJC aficionados were moved by Younger’s appearance with Makaya McCraven’s ensemble last February. Since then, she has been on the move, releasing a solo harp EP and touring across London, Germany, Brooklyn, the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Brussels, and beyond.

French-born drummer, composer, and producer Antoine Cara is set to release his highly anticipated album, Status Quo, showcasing an extraordinary roster of world-renowned musicians. This dynamic collection of original compositions blends hard-edged funk, Latin jazz fusion, melodic pop, and uptempo jazz, offering a fresh perspective on modern jazz and ensemble performance.

From the ancient Greeks to medieval court jesters to modern late night talk show hosts, taking comedic jabs at those in power can be as persuasive as a sword. Retired legendary rodeo clown and now musical satirist Sloppy Scales has assembled a world-class band of musicians to create his debut album This Machine Mocks Fascists: The Sloppy Scales Songbook that's released today. It's a hilarious Latin countrypolitan blues-rock bulldogging of America’s far-right politics. It’s refreshingly incendiary in its raw condemnation of injustice.