Spring Jazz Roundup

If the first few months of 2026 are any indication, this is going to be an exceptionally strong year for jazz, improvised, and related music. As soon as the calendar flipped over, the music came as if in a flood, with almost too many excellent albums to acknowledge, let alone write about. This is particularly needed now, when so many people are in so many difficult and untenable situations. Given music’s power to act as a salve and to offer a source of inspiration and political resistance, the timing is a blessing. Here are five new albums, one reissue, and three historical live albums that bring a welcome infusion of positive energy.