As we barrel towards summer, don’t let the heat get to your head, hepcats. Stay cool and enjoy what’s swinging high this week in KZSC’s Jazz Department.

TOP TEN CHARTS:

1    ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ    The Invasion Parade    Mack Avenue
2    LISA HILTON    Kaleidoscope    Self-Released
3    KRIS BOWERS    Heroes + Misfits    Concord Jazz
4    BAD PLUS    The Rite Of Spring    Sony Masterworks
5    IAN CAREY AND BEN STOLOROW    Duocracy    Kabocha
6    BRAD MEHLDAU AND MARK GUILIANA    Mehliana: Taming The Dragon    Nonesuch
7    JANICE BORLA GROUP    Promises To Burn
8    RUDY ROYSTON    303    Greenleaf
9    ULYSSES OWENS    Onward And Upward    D-Clef
10    AMY CERVINI    Jazz Country    Anzic

ADDS THIS WEEK:

Brianblade_Thefellowshipband_Landmarks1    BRIAN BLADE AND THE FELLOWSHIP BAND    Landmarks    Blue Note
2    MO’FONE    Fonology    Evander
3    JESSICA WILLIAMS    With Love    Origin
4    LENNY MARCUS TRIO    Second Set    Self-Released
5    REGINALD CYNTJE    Elements Of Life    Self-Released

Brian Blade and his fellowship of virtuosos returns with the Brian Blade Fellowship Band’s fourth studio album to date, entitled Landmarks. It’s a pensive, dramatic collection of tasteful compositions – from spatial, spiritual ballads to furious out-bop concourses – with Blade’s dynamic  drum-work that will blast you into aural outer-space. Featuring an instrumentation rarely heard in this capacity, get ready for some Eric Dolphy-esque rips on the bass clarinet and soprano saxophone – courtesy of Myron Walden and Melvin Butler. If I’m not convincing enough, check it out yourself in stores or hear it extensively on Stirrin’ the Soup, Wednesdays 2-4pm. Until then, here’s the Brian Blade Fellowship laying it down at New York’s Village Vanguard last year. This guy sure loves to play.