Corinne Bailey Rae review – a genre-mashing celebration of her artistic freedom

Showcasing her fourth album, Black Rainbows, the singer-songwriter moves away from her soulful roots to a more anguished, angry sound that is also joyful and cathartic

Yussef Dayes review – London jazz linchpin delivers a masterful set

One of this generation’s finest, the south London drummer’s homecoming gig shows his uniformity of groove is his greatest strength – and his only weakness

Nigel Kennedy review – banter, birdsong and violin heroics

Shifting gears between Bach, Hendrix and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kennedy and his quartet perform a characteristically wide-ranging and virtuosic set

Gilberto Gil review – farewell London concert for a joyful musical great

At 81, Gil says goodbye to the city that was once his home in political exile, playing a set that hops deftly between bossa nova, tropicália, reggae and funk

Angelika Niescier/ Tomeka Reid/ Savannah Harris: Beyond Dragons review – immense improv

Seven original tracks of free jazz span fast, jagged pieces and quiet tone poems, with a composer’s ear giving shape, drama and contrast

Tomas Fujiwara: Pith review – incredibly detailed pieces go far beyond jazz

Patricia Brennan and Tomeka Reid’s unique talents are foregrounded in an album that spirals into ambient, post-rock and classical

Emma Rawicz: Chroma review – young British jazz star taking admirable risks

After the success of her teenage breakthrough Incantation, the saxophonist’s new album continues her warp-speed evolution

Kofi Flexxx: Flowers in the Dark review – jazz-hip-hop ensemble masterminded by Shabaka Hutchings

The Sons of Kemet frontman joins forces with associates including Alan Hawkins and Daisy George in an expansive collaboration that’s more than the sum of its parts

Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View review – a rich musical meditation

The Manchester trumpeter’s ninth album mixes ambient percussion and yearning melodies in enticing if familiar fashion

Alabaster DePlume: Come With Fierce Grace review – sublime, minimalist improvisation

The saxophonist-poet offers a looser, more eclectic counterpart to last year’s Gold, backed by skilled musicians who explore to striking effect

Jaimie Branch: Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((world war)) review – last post from a psychedelic warrior

The punk-jazz trumpeter died last year without star recognition but this posthumous album is testament to her inventiveness and commitment to ‘make music into the void’

Jon Batiste: World Music Radio review – safety-first global pop from a jazz superstar

The Grammy winner has amassed an array of international guest stars – reggaeton rappers, Lana Del Rey, Kenny G – for his vision of global pop, but the bland effect is more amiable than eclectic

Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Continuing review – genre-hopping triumph from award-winning drummer

Standard-song jazz interpretations by this group, helmed by drummer, composer and improviser Sorey, just don’t sound like anybody else’s

Johnathan Blake: Passage review – a vibrant tribute to his father

The Philadelphia drummer reunites his much-praised quintet for an uplifting tribute, featuring lush vibes, funky jams and irrepressible energy

Herbie Hancock review – still seeking the new after 50 years of jazz curiosity

Band featuring Terence Blanchard and drummer Jaylen Petinaud is firmly rooted in the present