JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026: Santiago Lamisovski Trio(Argentina)-Perel

 The album features Santiago Lamisovski’s original compositions, combining written material with open improvisation and spontaneous interaction within the trio.

Andy Hamilton describes the album as:

“The music is rich and beguiling – an original and distinctive soundworld. All compositions are by Santiago Lamisovski. He is a fine, distinctive composer, whose style shows influences from Herbie Nichols and Andrew Hill.”

Nataniel Edelman – piano
https://www.instagram.com/natanieledelman
Nataniel Edelman is an  Argentine pianist and composer currently based in Bern, Switzerland, where he is pursuing a Master’s degree in Composition at  the Hochschule der Kunste Bern (HKB). He holds a degree in Jazz Piano from the Manuel de Falla  Conservatory in Buenos Aires.

In 2016,   he attended the School for Improvisational Music (SIM) at  the Brooklyn Conservatory in New York, where he studied with Ralph Alessi, Tom Rainey, Kris Davis, Tim Berne, and Michael Formanek. He has also participated in masterclasses with musicians such as Jason Moran, Marilyn Crispell, Gary Versace, and Angelica Sanchez, as well as contemporary music figures including Brian Ferneyhough, JACK Quartet, Anthony Cheung, Toni Arnold, and Amy Williams.

Edelman has performed internationally at  festivals and venues including the Winter Jazz Festival and BeJazz Transnation l Festival in Bern, New Music on the Point (Vermont), the University of Seville Festival, Centrum Kultury Lublin (Poland), Moods Gamut Festival (Zurich), Robalo Series (Lisbon), the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, the Mar del Plata Jazz Festival, and ArtHaus Centro de Musica Contemporanea (Buenos Aires), among others.

He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Michael Formanek, Michael Attias, Rudy Royston, Gerald Cleaver,   Dave Douglas, Sergio Verdinelli, Tony Malaby,  Valentin Garvie, Silvan Schmid, Chris Lightcap and Tim Berne.

As a bandleader, he has released five albums to date, developing a body of work that moves between contemporary jazz and experimental composition In 2018, he received First Prize at  the BeJazz Transnational Festival in Bern with the collective HUM,and in 2020 he was named “Pianist of the Year” by the Argentine jazz critics poll El Intruso.

Santiago Lamisovski – doublebass, composition
https://www.instagram.com/slamisovski/
Santiago Lamisovski is an Argentine double bassist and composer based in Buenos Aires, active in the
field of contemporary jazz and improvised music. He studied at the School of Contemporary Music
(formerly Berklee Global Partner) and holds a degree in JazzPerformance, specializing in double bass,
from the Manuel de Falla Conservatory.

In 2016, he was part of the School for Improvisational Music (SIM)in New York,directed by Ralph Alessi. He also studied privately with musicians such as Michael Formanek, Ron Carter, Thomas Morgan, and Angelica Sanchez.In 2015, He was awarded a scholarship to participate in the third Argentine Meeting on Improvisation and Composition organized by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2024, he attended the International Music Creators + Collaborators Workshop on a full scholarship, directed by Kris Davis and Angelica Sanchez,where he studied with Dave Holland and Billy  Hart.

Lamisovski has performed extensively in Europe, New York,South America, and China. He has appeared at major venues and festivals, including the Taihu International JazzFestival, the Buenos Aires International JazzFestival and the Mar del Plata JazzFestival. He also performed at the Teatro Colon. Over the past decade, he has collaborated in concerts and recordings with leading figures of the Argentine jazzscene, including Adrian laies, Ernesto Jodos, Camila Nebbia, Luis Nacht, Mariano Loiacono, Rodrigo Dominguez, Sergio Wagner,Valentin Garvie, Sergio Verdinelli, among others.

Internationally, he has performed with musicians such as Michael Attias, Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, Bobby Watson, Peter Bernstein, Ed Neumeister, Louis Sclavis, Victor Goines, Duane Eubanks, Georgia Heers, and Steve Davis.

Fermín Merlo – drums
Fermin Merlo is an Argentine drummer born in Buenos Aires in 1992. He holds a degree in Jazz Performance with a specialization in drums from the Manuel de Falla Conservatory, where he graduated in 2013.

He has undertaken multiple study trips to New York, where he studied with musicians such as Barry Altschul, Nasheet Waits, Andrew Cyrille, Randy Peterson, Gerald Cleaver, Joey Baron, Tony Malaby, Angelica Sanchez, Tim Berne, and George Garzone. He was awarded scholarships by the National Endowment for the Arts (FNA) to participate in the First and Fourth Argentine Meetings on Improvisation and Composition (2012, 2015).

Merlo has developed an active career across Argentina and internationally, performing in a wide range of ens mbles and contexts. He has appeared at major jazz festivals in Argentina, including the Cordoba Jazz Festival, Salta Jazz Festival, and the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival.

Internationally, he has performed at events such as Karnaval der Kulturen (Germany), the Festival de Contrabaixos do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Bass&Beat Festival (Poland, 2020), and the Bayerisches Jazzweekend in Regensburg (Germany). He has also toured and performed in New York and Mexico.

His work is marked by a strong engagement with both collaborative and artist-led projects and
includes performances with musicians such as Ralph Alessi, Tony Malaby, Tim Berne, John Hollenbeck, Mike Moreno, Michael Attias, Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud, Camila Nebbia, Sean Conly, KennyWarren, Christopher Hoffman, Felix Henkelhausen, Santiago Leibson, and Julius Windisch.

Currently based in Buenos Aires, after residing for several years in Berlin, he remains active in the contemporary jazz and improvised music scene, contributing to a broad range of projects with a focus on collective interaction and musical exploration.

Bandcamp
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026

New Album: Avant-Garde Jazz Icon Billie Davies Defies Geographic Limits, Bridging Human Soul and AI on New Album "Time to Cut Loose"

Time to Cut Loose

Cobra Basement announces the release of a groundbreaking entry in the "Music for the Future" series by Billie Davies, fusing 2020 New Orleans studio sessions with cutting-edge 2026 digital orchestration.
Time to Cut Loose: A New Avant-Garde Direction
"Honoring the legacy of radical improvisation while pushing its boundaries, this project fuses raw American avant-garde grit with intellectual European free-jazz experimentation."

The Traditional Blueprint
Creating a Free Improvisation and Avant-garde Jazz project is a massive, four-month undertaking. The journey from conceptualizing an album to its release, marketing, and publishing requires an extraordinary investment of time, patience, capital, and organization to deliver a cohesive album.
Billie's vetting process for musicians has always been simple but rigorous. “I search for players who possess a rare combination of technical mastery and deep improvisational savvy. I discover them through existing recordings, live performances, and auditions."
Between 2011 and 2016—spanning the production of all about Love, 12 VOLT, Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon, and On Hollywood Boulevard—this selection process led into two to four months of intense rehearsals. “Together, the band would hone improvisations built around my lead sheets and/or written directives. I often challenged them with a specific avant-garde prompt: “Can you read these notes but not play them?" Only after establishing this deep sonic connection would we enter the studio to lay down the tracks."

The South Florida Avant-garde Void
The blueprint had to change for Billie Davies' latest project, “Time to Cut Loose."
After relocating from the rich musical ecosystem of New Orleans to West Palm Beach, Florida, she began her usual search for local collaborators. Two years later, the search had yielded nothing. “I could not find the caliber of musicians I was used to—the highly technical, deeply creative avant-garde “beasts" essential for this style of music.
At 70 years old, I had to ask myself tough questions. Had I grown out of touch? Or does this specific geographic region simply lack an avant-garde community? Perhaps the beach culture in South Florida just doesn't attract the radical creativity that thrives in places like San Francisco, Los Angeles or New Orleans, but I love the beach, I grew up on the beaches of Europe and I have lived on or close to the beaches of the US for 40 years. I had to make it work here in the south at the Atlantic Ocean, in my favorite sub-tropical climate, here where I love to be with the palm trees and the blue ocean waters."

Visual Identity: “What the Sea Does Not Say"
While the South Florida coastline didn't yield the avant-garde musicians she sought, the ocean itself provided the perfect visual and philosophical anchor for the album. The cover art features a thought-provoking painting by Billie's sister, the Belgian artist Kathleen Goegebeur, entitled “What the Sea Does Not Say."
The painting is accompanied by Goegebeur's poignant reflection, which mirrors the vulnerability and transformation behind the album's creation: “The sea says nothing, and yet I hear her. In her vastness, my significance fades; I become small, vulnerable, and transient. And somewhere within that lies a quiet solace—as if she whispers:

 'You need be nothing more than this moment.'" —Kathleen Goegebeur

This visual concept beautifully ties together the geographic shift to West Palm Beach, the isolation of a missing local band, and the eventual artistic surrender required to embrace AI as a collaborative lifeline.

Sonic Architecture: The “Music for the Future" Series

As a direct continuation of the “Music for the Future" series, this project pushes the boundaries of modern instrumentation. Reviewers and musicians alike will find a challenging, deeply textured sonic landscape driven by complex interactions between strings and rhythm. Billie Davies meticulously directed the AI instrumentation to deliver distinct, track-specific personalities for both the guitars and basses:

Time to Cut Loose

Guitar: Acoustic avant-garde jazz guitar framework utilizing sporadic, intricate atonal leads paired with complex dissonant chords and abstract textural improv.
Bass: Bright, resonant upright bass channeling a dark noir jazz aesthetic. It shifts from a sparse, plucky pizzicato walk to tense, free improvisation.

I Am
Bass: Bright modern jazz upright bass characterized by sparse, sharp pizzicato walks in the high register, evolving continuously into tense, atonal free improvisation.

Why Does it Make Me Cry

Guitar: Electric avant-garde jazz guitar performance, featuring sporadic, intricate atonal leads, complex dissonant chords, and abstract textural improvisation.
Bass: Avant-garde jazz fretless electric bass that is inherently atonal, dissonant, and abstract, utilizing intricate, sporadic textural improv.

Three Days in 1968

Guitar: Acoustic avant-garde jazz lead guitar defined by intricate atonal leads, dissonant complex textures, and uncompromising abstract improvisation.
Bass: Wobbly fretless electric bass playing in the high register. It delivers an atonal, dissonant, and highly experimental textural improvisation with intricate, sporadic phrasing.

Bridging Human Expression and AI

Determined to complete the music, Billie turned her attention to artificial intelligence in 2026. Looking for tools capable of serving serious, professional musicians, she focused on platforms like Suno and Moises. Recognizing that you cannot truly understand a digital tool's limitations or strengths without fully committing, she chose Moises for this project.

The foundation of “Time to Cut Loose" remains entirely human and deeply personal. The drums, piano, and vocals were tracked in 2020 at Dangerous Art Studios in New Orleans, engineered by her husband, Mike Davies. The session captured her on drums and piano, with powerful vocal performances by Raphaelle O'Neil.

Billie adapted her traditional audition process to the digital realm to complete these multi-layered arrangements. By inputting the specific stylistic directives outlined above into Moises AI, she shaped the exact nuance, tension, and phrasing of the virtual players. “I auditioned multiple AI-generated bass and guitar passes until I found the exact tone and improvisational energy required to complement our original New Orleans tape."

Career Accolades & Recognition
Billie Davies has long been established as a visionary force pushing the frontiers of free improvisation and contemporary soundscapes:

Iconic Female Jazz Drummer – Named on Jazz Fuel (2022) alongside elite contemporary percussionists

Best Drummer Nominee – New Orleans Best of the Beat Awards presented by OffBeat Magazine (2019)

Best Contemporary Jazz Artist Nominee – New Orleans Best of the Beat Awards (2017)
Jazz Artist of the Year – Awarded at the 23rd Annual Los Angeles Music Awards (2013)

GRAMMY Award submission

 

How Can Album Notes Compete for a GRAMMY Nomination?

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/how-can-album-notes-compete-for-a-grammy-nomination/

The Story Behind Funky Sonatas

Funky Sonatas contains only five tracks, but the musical distance between their origins is enormous: Sergei Rachmaninoff, Astor Piazzolla, Ennio Morricone, Gato Barbieri and Lalo Schifrin.

The Album and video doesn't attempt to manufacture a convenient genre connecting them.
Instead, it asks why these composers can inhabit the same album.

Its answer appears near the beginning: the sonata can “breathe, syncopate, and groove without losing its backbone.” Classical listeners can recognize the architecture while jazz and global-music listeners encounter rhythm, improvisation, and another kind of musical freedom.

Rachmaninoff meets clave

The booklet's discussion of “Rachmaninoff en Ritmo” doesn't begin with a conventional biography of Rachmaninoff.
Instead, it creates a scene.
Two grand pianos face one another “like fencers.”

Piazzolla: following María

The second track leads backward to Buenos Aires.
“Tema de María” draws inspiration from Astor Piazzolla's María de Buenos Aires, the 1968 tango operita in which tango, theater, classical music and jazz already inhabited the same unusual world.

What do you do with Morricone?

“Cinema Paradiso” creates another problem.
What can musicians possibly add to a melody that millions of listeners already know?
The booklet's answer is unusually restrained.
Don't try to improve it.

Gato Barbieri—and somebody who was there

The chapter devoted to Gato Barbieri is different again.
There is history: Argentina, jazz, Last Tango in Paris, the unmistakable tenor sound.
But then the notes reveal a human connection.

And finally, Lalo Schifrin

The final chapter may be the booklet's most personal.
Lalo Schifrin's 1966 instrumental “Bossa Antique” becomes the starting point for “Bossa Breeze,” after Sino writes lyrics to music composed six decades earlier.

WorldMusicMix: France: Erella-Nouveau single “Quand je chante”

 

Erella

Nouveau single Quand je chante

Disponible en digital

En concert à Paris au Sunside les 23/09, 29/10, 26/11 et 17/12/2026

Invitation : pour venir écouter Erella en concert à Paris au Sunside les 23/09, 29/10, 26/11 et 17/12 à 21h30, merci de me confirmer votre présence avec le jour choisi.

Erella présente Quand je chante, son nouveau single disponible en digital. Compositrice, orchestratrice, pianiste et chanteuse, Erella Atlan développe un univers musical personnel, sensible et authentique, nourri par son parcours classique, ses expériences internationales et son goût pour les rencontres entre les cultures.

Erella presents her new digital single, “Quand je chante“. As a composer, orchestrator, pianist, and singer, Erella Atlan has developed a distinct, deeply personal, and authentic musical style. Her work is shaped by her classical training, international background, and passion for cross-cultural collaboration.

Erella annonce Héritages, un album de chansons, prévu en 2027, dont on connait déjà le titre Souvenirs et dont voici le nouvel extrait, Quand je chante. Inspirée de ses héritages multiples, sa musique nous emporte dans un univers coloré où Orient et Occident, poésie et sonorités méditerranéennes s’entremêlent avec naturel et authenticité. Un voyage unique et sensible, où la compositrice ose la cohabitation entre des influences aussi différentes que Barbara et Avishaï Cohen.

Porté par le piano d’Erella, et les sons envoûtants du oud, de la trompette, de la contrebasse et des percussions, ce nouvel extrait s’impose comme une invitation au voyage intérieur. Captivant, aérien, envoûtant, l’arrangement du morceau rappelle une musique de film, sur laquelle viennent se poser des paroles poétiques et introspectives. Et, toujours en filigrane, le parfum de la Méditerranée au loin.

Découvrez Quand Je Chante en vidéo, une ode à la création et à la liberté, dans la lignée d’artistes qui ont exploré aussi bien la musique à l’image que la chanson : Sébastien Tellier, Alex Beaupain, Yael Naim ou encore Avishai Cohen. Pour nous faire découvrir son futur album Héritages, Erella nous propose 4 concerts à Paris au Sunside les 23/09, 29/10, 26/11 et 17/12/2026 à 21h30.

Pour découvrir la vidéo de Quand je chante :

Compositrice, orchestratrice, pianiste et chanteuse, Erella Atlan a imaginé, écrit, composé, arrangé et produit cet album comme un véritable voyage à travers ses origines et son histoire. À la croisée de plusieurs cultures, Héritages fait dialoguer les sonorités méditerranéennes, andalouses et nord-africaines avec la poésie de la chanson française.

Principalement interprété en français, le projet s’enrichit d’influences flamenco, gnawa et berbères, auxquelles viennent se mêler des rythmes et percussions du monde. Au cœur de cet univers, la voix d’Erella et son piano occupent une place essentielle. La musique classique et la musique de film, qui font partie intégrante de son parcours de compositrice, apportent également une dimension orchestrale et cinématographique à l’ensemble.

Quand je chante s’inscrit pleinement dans cette démarche. Avec ce nouveau titre, Erella affirme une écriture personnelle et une interprétation toute en sensibilité, où la chanson devient un espace de rencontre entre différentes influences et différentes histoires.

Enregistré à Valence avec des musiciens issus d’un réseau international, Héritages célèbre ainsi la richesse des échanges culturels et la possibilité de faire dialoguer des traditions musicales éloignées. L’album dessine un univers où l’intime rejoint l’universel, entre poésie, mémoire et ouverture sur le monde.

Pour découvrir cet univers sur scène, Erella donne également rendez-vous au public parisien au Sunside les 23 septembre, 29 octobre, 26 novembre et 17 décembre 2026.

En concert

17/09 au festival de la fiction à la Rochelle

23/09 : Sunside Paris – 21h30

29/10 : Sunside Paris – 21h30

17/11 : Conservatoire de Fontenay-aux-Roses – 19h30

26/11 : Sunside Paris – 21h30

17/12 : Sunside Paris – 21h30

Site officiel  Instagram   Facebook   Site du Sunside

WorldMusicMix: Erella(France)-Quand je chante

https://jazzworldquest.com/music-mix

#worldmusicmix #jazzworldquest #worldmusic #newalbum2026 #NewMusic #NewMusicAlert @erella.music #composer #singersongwriter #piano #worldmusic #trompette #erellaatlan @xavierattitude

Taiwanese Flutist Lin Hsiao-Feng Brings Paiwan Nose Flute and Free Improvisation to U.S. Stages Sessions

 Taiwanese improvising flutist Lin Hsiao-Feng has completed a 2026 U.S. tour with pianist and harpsichordist Hsuan Chang Kitano as Cadenza Duo, presenting a series of performances, talks, and cross-cultural exchanges in Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.

The tour included appearances at Rhizome DC, JF Books, and the Chinese American Museum DC, before concluding at the World Flute Society Annual Convention in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

At the convention, Lin presented “Taiwan’s Paiwan Nose Flute Tradition,” introducing the cultural background and performance practice of the Indigenous Paiwan nose flute. Cadenza Duo also appeared as Featured Evening Performers, bringing together dizi, xiao, Paiwan nose flute, piano, and free improvisation. Canadian flutist and two-time Grammy nominee Ron Korb joined the duo for an improvised collaboration during the concert.

Lin’s work explores the meeting point between Taiwanese flute traditions, Indigenous wind instruments, free improvisation, and cross-cultural contemporary performance.
https://www.linhsiaofeng.com

 

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026: Hakim Jamal(UK)-Blue Black

“Blue Black” is the latest release of British composer, producer and multi-intsrumentalist Paul Wheatcroft aka Hakim Jamal.

A genuine music historian fusing past and present into unique conceptual projects he delivers a compelling concept-album blending vocal jazz with modern vibes. The sonic balance between past and present gives the theme of lost love a sophisticated timeless feel emerging from velvety bass lines, smooth piano and horns.

This alchemy brings in two worlds reimagined as one spectacular melodic performance composed by four themes explored on eleven colourful variations united by a sonic thread that binds them into an elegant format.

The composer is not contemporizing tradition with modern elements, he explores the essential of various genres to yield a signature sound, which “Blue Black” is the most delightful demonstration.

Hakim Jamal on Bandcamp

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026

JWQ WorldMusicMix: Ann Kittredge on Artistry, Community, and the Meaning of Recognition

 

Ann Kittredge on Artistry, Community, and the Meaning of Recognition

Posted on May 1, 2026 by JWQ

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Photo credit: Conor Weiss

Ann Kittredge on Artistry, Community, and the Meaning of Recognition

In the intimate world of cabaret, authenticity reigns supreme—and few artists embody that truth more fully than Ann Kittredge. Fresh off her 2026 MAC Award win for Best Female Vocalist, Kittredge is energized by collaboration and deeply committed to the craft of storytelling through song. In this candid conversation, Kittredge opens up about artistic evolution, the power of a creative team, and why the connection with an audience will always matter more than any accolade ever will.

Q: Winning the 2026 MAC Award for Best Female Vocalist is a major milestone. What did that moment mean to you personally?

It was really lovely—and awkward. I struggle with the idea of comparing artists as if one is “best” rather than just different. I knew most of the women in my category, and they are incredibly talented, so I was ready to celebrate them.

I’ve been reluctant in the past to even put myself out there for this award because, truly, my audiences are my reward every time I get to go on stage and entertain them. That said, it’s meaningful to know that people in your field appreciate what you’re doing enough to vote for you. I’m sincerely touched and grateful.

Q: Your award recognizes a body of work across your album Romantic Notions, your show When in Love, and your single “You Sleigh Me.” How do these projects reflect where you are artistically right now?

It took me a few years, but I now feel like I have the best creative team around me—people who are masterful in their own right and who truly understand my talent. They challenge me in the best ways.

What we’re creating together feels like a true reflection of who I am. We love exploring the quirky as well as the deeply emotional. I get bored doing the same thing repeatedly, so keeping things eclectic is the way to go for me. The surprise, the depth, the silliness, the irreverence—it’s all part of the joy of sharing.

Q: Your performances at venues like Chelsea Table + Stage and Act2PV in Puerto Vallarta have connected you with very different audiences. How have those experiences shaped your approach to storytelling?

Oops. Was I supposed to change my approach based on the primary language of my audience? Dang, I have work to do!

O.K, to answer your question, every show is different because every audience is different—and I’m different each time, too. But I don’t think language is necessarily a barrier to entertaining people. Storytelling doesn’t always require shared language. Opera has thrived on that idea for centuries. I’ve seen audiences respond deeply to stories told in languages they don’t speak, simply because the emotion is genuine.

I remember performing “Besame Mucho” in New York. At first, there were a few giggles—maybe uncertainty. But within a couple of lines, the room shifted. The audience leaned in. By the end, the response was overwhelming. That moment reminded me that storytelling transcends language when it comes from the heart—or even the funny bone.

Q: Was there a moment when you realized this chapter of your artistry was something special?

Finding my creative team was the shift. You don’t know what you’re missing until you have it.

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten better at letting go during performances and simply being present. That confidence comes from trusting my collaborators—my music director, Christopher Denny, and my director, Barry Kleinbort.

They’ve encouraged me to trust my instincts, and sometimes I think they now regret that because they’ve helped to build up my own creative confidence to push back more when something they suggest doesn’t feel right. And honestly, that back-and-forth is where the magic happens. We all feel it when it’s right.

Ten years ago, I worried I’d run out of ideas. Now it’s the opposite—I have more ideas than I can keep up with. It’s an exciting place to be.

Q: What does it mean to be recognized by your peers in such a close-knit artistic community?

I was sincerely moved. I love this community. I’ve made incredible friends, discovered amazing music, and been surrounded by people who share a deep passion for what we do.

What’s special is that no one tries to dictate what I should bring to the stage. Instead, there’s support, inspiration, and mutual respect. That acceptance is incredibly validating—and I’m deeply grateful for it.

A Continuing Journey

In a world that often measures success by accolades, Kittredge offers a quieter, more enduring metric: connection. And if her recent work is any indication, that connection is only deepening—with every note, every story, every joke, and every stage she steps onto next. Learn more about Ann Kittredge at:

https://www.annkittredge.com

Published at: https://jazzworldquest.com/ann-kittredge-on-artistry-community-and-the-meaning-of-recognition