JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Black History Month and the belated anniversary of Natalie Cole’s birth.
Tag: jazz
Throwback: Happy Black History Month: Thundercat
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms continues his annual celebration of Black History Month with Thundercat.
Throwback: Happy 99th Birthday, Stan Getz!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 98th anniversary of the birth of Stan Getz.
Throwback: Happy 88th Birthday, Allen Toussaint!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 88th anniversary of the birth of Allen Toussaint.
Albums of the Year 2025
JOVM turns 16 this year. And for first handful of years, my Best of List was an annual tradition until about 2014 or so. Between 2014 and 2020, it became sporadic and then it stopped. I haven’t done one of these in several years. There was a part of me that wondered if it really mattered much. And then life happened.
So here we are in 2026. And with the year starting in earnest, let’s check out my best of 2025.
- Big Fish Fyra liter stoft
- Tan Cologne Unknown Beyond
- Moondaddy Dove Tapes
- Sessa Pequena Vertigem de Amor
- Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band For Fat Man
- Silk Daisys S/T
- The Circling Sun Orbits
- Gabriel da Rosa Cacofonia
- Yoo Doo Right, Population II & Nolan Potter Yoo II avec Nolan Potter
- bat zoo The Upward Bird EP
- Public Circuit Modern Church
- L’Eclair Cloud Drifter
- Gloin All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry)
- CIVIC Chrome Dipped
- Population II Maintenant Jamais
- White Birches A New Reign
- Anish Kumar and Hagop Tchaparian Kino EP
- Friendship Commanders BEAR
- The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation
- SHOLTO The Sirens
- S.C.A.B. Somebody In New York Loves You!
- Pierpont & Hegeleson Of Time
- RORO and snapir Colors Left
- St. Panther Strange World
- Nation of Language Dance Called Memory
- Quad90 S/T
- Slumbering Sun Starmony
- Tunde Adebimpe Thee Black Boltz
- Quad90 S/T
- Die Spitz Something To Consume
- debdepan LOVERS & OTHERS EP
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Throwback: Happy 118th Birthday, Cab Calloway!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 118th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Cab Calloway.
Throwback: Happy 89th Birthday, Eddie Palmieri!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 89th anniversary of the birth of Eddie Palmieri’s birth.
Throwback: Happy 87th Birthday, McCoy Tyner!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 87th anniversary of the birth of McCoy Tyner.
Throwback: Happy 85th Birthday, Chuck Mangione!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 85th anniversary of the birth of Chuck Mangione.
New Audio: Smag På Dig Selv Teams Up with Viktoria Søndergaard on Thumping “Vik’s Rawcore”
With the release of last year’s full-length debut, SDPS, Copenhagen-based jazz punks Smag På Dig Selv (SPDS) — Oliver Lauridsen (tenor sax), Thorbjørn Øllgaard (baritone sax, bass sax, vocals) and Albert Holberg (drums) — firmly cemented their reputation as one of most boundary pushing groups out on the contemporary Danish scene. With a sound that’s an explosive, party starting mixture of acoustic techno, punk energy, jazz and 90s EDM, the Danish trio have begun to make the round of the international festival and touring circuit, playing sets at Roskilde Festival, SXSW, The Great Escape, Eurosonic, Winter Jazzfest NYC and Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage.
SPDS’s highly-anticipated sophomore album is slated for a March 2026 through Stunt Records. The album will feature the previously released, TMI Tammi-produced “Let’s Go!,” a mix sneering, in-your-face punk attitude, ambient electronics, pulsing beats, thunderous Viking drumming and modal-influenced jazz that’s mind-bending, mischievously unhinged yet accessible and dance floor friendly.
The album’s third and latest single, “Vik’s Rawcore” sees the rising Danish trio collaborating with vibraphonist Viktoria Søndergaard on a track that’s a mischievous blend of jazz lyricism and the relentless, industrial-inspired club rocking thump of drum ‘n’ bass while adding a gorgeous sense of counterpoint and texture.
The composition was inspired by Oliver Lauridsen’s time in Holland, where he became immersed in the local underground scene.
Throwback: Happy Belated 80th Birthday, Randy Brecker!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Randy Brecker’s 80th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 84th Birthday, Dr. John!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 84th anniversary of the birth of Dr. John.