Here are four noteworthy releases—from Flyways (Mara Rosenbloom, Anaïs Maviel, Jordyn Davis), Joel Harrison and the Alternative Guitar Summit, Adonis Rose and Phillip Manuel, Duo Corda (Jacqueline Ultan and Pavel Jany)—each inhabiting a completely different musical neighborhood. There’s something for everyone, and everything for some.
Flyways
Mutualism (indie)
A review
On its sophomore release, Mutualism, the blazingly expressive trio Flyways—Mara Rosenbloom (piano, compositions, backup vocals), Anaïs Maviel (vocals, surdo drum, percussion), and Jordyn Davis (bass, backup vocals)—moves through Rosenbloom’s compositions with an astonishing improvisatory connection that mirrors murmuration, clouds of birds moving in synch. Murmuration is also the title of the trio’s superlative debut release (with Rashaan Carter on bass), and a fitting description it is. On both albums, Rosenbloom finds inspiration in the poetry of Adrienne Rich, deriving the lyrics to four of Mutualism’s eight tracks from Rich’s poems “Purely Local” and “Origins and History of Consciousness.” She supplies her own lyrics on one track, the heart-opening “Affirmations.” In her press release, Rosenbloom identifies the project’s raison d’etre: “Mutualism is the big idea, that our interdependence is the key to our survival; that we can find ways to create mutually beneficial partnerships. That being said, this record is a zoom in on the very human trials and tribulations of that process—heartbreak, longing, confusion, and also elation, joy, curiosity, hope.” And zoom in they do, playing with a disciplined abandon energized and shaped by deep connection to the music, which, like any transcendent work of art, simultaneously manages to be instantly familiar and continually surprising. Rosenbloom’s touch, her powerfully kinetic connection to the piano, and her exquisite synching of melodic and rhythmic elements; Maviel’s wide range of tone and pitch, her sui generis phrasing, and her intuitive percussion; Davis’s fluid and well-punctuated foundation—all combine to hit you in the chest and dive deep beyond thought. Conceived as a unit, Mutualism is best listened to from beginning to end, but if you want to test the water, fasten your seatbelt and check out the heart-stoppingly intense “Simple.” Breathtaking and affecting, Mutualism delivers a creative music masterwork.
Joel Harrison & the Alternative Guitar Summit
Don’t Forget Your Guitar (AGS recordings)
A review
Guitarist, composer, producer Joel Harrison and the Alternative Guitar Summit present a stellar 10-track smorgasbord of guitar duos, featuring very well-known and soon-to-be well-known players. The material, which includes originals and covers, touches on a variety of genres, from bluegrass to jazz, experimental noise to the lyrically cinematic, but genre is not the point here. The focus is on the musicality of the players, the communication between them, and their exceptional technique—all of which are at a very high level in every track. I am very happy to have made the acquaintance of several new-to-me players, particularly Tim Watson, Emmanuel Michael, Grant Gordy, and Ben Garnett, and I’m always ready to hear Bill Frisell, Harrison, Cindy Cashdollar, and Ben Monder, among the other veteran players. The highest of the many high points include the Michael/Watson lyrical opener “I Now Know I Meant It Even Then,” the Gordy/Barnett avant-grass cover of “E. Tennessee Blues,” the Frisell/Michael take of the Beatles’ “In My Life,” and the Harrison/Cashdollar duo on Harrison’s buoyant “The Ship Set Sail.” There’s something special for everyone on this album, and some will find all of it well worth their attention.
Adonis Rose and Phillip Manuel
Unusual Suspects (Moocha Music)
A review
Two veteran New Orleans natives, Grammy-winning drummer Adonis Rose and vocalist Phillip Manuel—assisted by Stephen Lands (trumpet), Ricardo Pascal (tenor and soprano saxophones), Steve Masakowski (guitar), Seth Finch (piano/Fender Rhodes), and Max Moran (bass)—combine to deliver an understated gem. Produced by Rose, who convinced the well-traveled and well-respected Manuel not to retire just yet, the album offers a refuge as comfortable and cozy as the corner bar on a cold and windy day. Manuel’s warm and mellow baritone, with its distinctive burr, and his perfectly calibrated phrasing embrace the ear with soulful interpretations. His longtime writing partner, Michael Pellera, produced the arrangements and combined with Manuel on three original tunes. Manuel’s lyrics grace Lee Morgan’s “Party Time,” pianist Peter Martin’s “The Unusual Suspects,” Steve Masakowski’s “Sixth Ward Strut,” which delivers some of that special NOLA sauce, and “The Road Less Traveled” and “I’ll Love You” by Joe Sample. Bill Withers’ “Hello Like Before” gets a sensitive treatment, and Keith Jarrett’s upbeat “Bop Be” gets things swinging. (“Thriller”—yes, that one—seems out of place on an otherwise romantic collection.) Turn down the lights and bask in the warm glow of Rose, Manuel, and friends. Available on the usual streaming suspects.
Duo Corda
Duo Corda (indie)
A review
Jacqueline Ultan (cello) and Pavel Jany (guitar, percussion), the two that form the Minneapolis-based Duo Corda, have two things in common: classical training and a taste for a wide variety of musics, from classical to rock, jazz to pop, tango to bossa. So when they first met, they hit it off immediately. This unusual pairing of cello and guitar arrives on their eponymous first album with an unusual repertoire, covering popular, jazz, folk, and classical music from three continents and multiple centuries, as well as originals, all delivered with an expressive passion and an infectious joi de vivre. “Well, that’s one thing I really love about it and that I actually think is very timely—the concept that we all are connected, and all of these musics are related in some way. All of these cultures coming together in one place,” says Ultan. South America is well represented, with works from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Baden Powell, Jorge Cardoso, Astor Piazolla, on whose “Chiquilín de Bachín” Ultan and Jany penetrate right to the heart, and Luiz Bonfa, with a touching rendition of his “Black Orpheus.” France is represented by Django Reinhardt’s “Douce Ambiance,” Spain by the Adagio from Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” and Ukraine by a traditional folk melody that invites you to dance Slavically like no one is watching. North America offers up Chick Corea’s “Crystal Silence,” on which Jany adds a flamenco touch and Ultan’s bow caresses the melody, Ultan’s lyrical “Dancing Man,” and the Czech/American Jany’s tender “When I Miss You.” Duo Corda offers a singular repertoire delivered with deep feeling by a singularly talented and well-connected duo.
Check out the limited-edition T-shirts and
fridge magnets at the Musically Speaking store.
Your support is much appreciated.
© 2026 Mel Minter