The Checkout

Marta Sánchez — a pianist from Madrid, now based in New York City — is celebrated for her inventive use of counterpoint and rhythm, as displayed on her radiant new album, El Rayo de Luz (Fresh Sound New Talent).

Saxophonist and educator George Garzone may not be well known outside of Boston, but if you ask any woodwind player at the Berklee College of Music, he’s nothing short of a jazz legend.

When I landed in Turkey last summer for the 26th Istanbul Jazz Festival , I knew I was arriving at an ancient crossroads — where East meets West, old meets new, and culture still thrives in dazzling convergence. What I didn’t expect is how Istanbul constantly reminded me of New York City: the sheer density of the place, its relentless energy, its occupants rushing about the sprawling metropolis.

One thing I’ve noticed over two decades’ worth of interviews with Vijay Iyer, the award-winning pianist and composer, is that he doesn’t instinctively start talking about himself. He’s much more inclined to spread the musical gospel and teachings of the masters before him.

Vincent Peirani is an accordionist and composer who, earlier this month, won Album of the Year in the prestigious Victoires du Jazz, an annual awards ceremony in France. On this edition of My Music, we’ll join Peirani on a listening tour of his winning album, Living Being II - Night Walker (ACT Music).

We know Justin Stanton as one of the original members of Snarky Puppy, a band that thrives in a state of constant collaboration. But this trumpeter and keyboardist considers it important to find moments for himself, looking inward as a composer — as on his debut album, Secret Place . “Music is a very social thing and certainly in Snarky Puppy, it is a way to bring people together,” Stanton says. “To me, there is a special part of music where you experience it yourself and maybe you have the

As the French multi-instrumentalist known as FKJ boarded a plane early this year, he turned to his manager, Kate Cudbertson, and asked: “Why are we going to Bolivia, again?” The huge risk of filming a remote concert at Salar de Uyuni — the world’s largest salt flat, high in the Andes — was starting to sink in. But they both knew they might be on the verge of making something for the ages.

Samora Pinderhughes lives in a constant state of metamorphosis. Five years after his Transformation Suite , this brilliant pianist and singer-songwriter is ready to burst out of his latest cocoon with Venus . Pinderhughes says the name refers not to the planet but rather a line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet — “Venus smiles not in the house of tears” — that sets the bloom of love against the weight of tragedy.

What does our music sound like now? We mean “now” as in right now — fall of 2019? There’s no simple answer to that question, but The Checkout is here to help. Taking our cue from the WBGO Fall Preview , a rundown of 88 picks for the new season, we’ll explore some of the albums poised to make an impact in the weeks to come.

It’s easy to get excited about Pedro Martins, a young multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter from Brazil. On this edition of My Music on The Checkout, we’ll get to know Martins, who at 26 has toured with Kurt Rosenwinkel and released his own album on the guitarist’s Heartcore label. It was Rosenwinkel who gave Martins the confidence to step out as a vocalist — featuring him in that capacity on a song called “Kama.”

Luciana Souza has one wish for humanity in a troubled time: “That we all can make a difference in every way that we live.” Souza is a singer-songwriter originally from São Paolo, Brazil, and her words carry a certain tragic resonance as the world watches the Amazon rainforest burn. But she spoke those sobering words last March, on The Checkout Live at Berklee College of Music, right before paying homage to her country’s all-time greatest songwriter, Antonio Carlos Jobim.

The New York Gypsy All-Stars perform a modern strain of gypsy jazz unlike any other. By combining fiery Balkan wedding grooves with ancient Turkish traditions, these conservatory-trained musicians are quick to show off their virtuosity while also creating an intoxicating atmosphere for the dance floor.

There’s nothing fake about David Murray.

Whatever else you call Herbie Hancock — jazz-piano paragon, funk-fusion pioneer, Afro-Futurist, humanitarian, sage — you’d have to agree on “moving target.” Forward motion is the hallmark of his multifaceted career, which has yielded all manner of accolades, including a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 2016.

Before he made his leap to stardom as the musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Jon Batiste already showed signs that he wanted to change the world for the better. Batiste, 32, will headline a special concert at the Newport Jazz Festival next Friday, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He has a new album releasing on the same day: Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard (Verve), which was recorded during an engagement last fall.