Staff Picks for September 2025
September 2, 2025
Expanding on the double-CD singles collection put out by Evidence in the '90s, this triple-CD set is a more definitive selection of Sun Ra's singles, ranging from early doo wop and rhythm & blues tunes to bugged-out Christmas carols and the infamous "Nuclear War." Essential.
September 1, 2025
Black Fire, Andrew Hill's debut record for Blue Note, was an impressive statement of purpose that retains much of its power six decades after its initial release. Hill's music is quite original, building from a hard bop foundation and moving into uncharted harmonic and rhythmic territory. Hill's complex chording is thoroughly impressive, and Joe Henderson's bold solos are more adventurous than his previous bop outings would have suggested.