Chaotic Good Jazz #24
Down Under (the-Radar)
In this weeks issue I’m highlighting some of my favorite finds of the week, spotlighting some really amazing and new (or new-to-me, at least) New Zealand and Australian jazz artists. New releases for the week include at least 2 albums on my April Albums of the Month shortlist and a trio of singles you won’t want to miss.
Down Under (the-Radar)
I’ve got some really great finds this week. Kicking things off is the New-Zealand-based The Circling Sun album that originally sent me down this Oceania-centric rabbit-hole. I saw this album recommended by
’s Substack and it was love at first listen.The self-titled debut album from Fields just released less than a week ago, but I’ve listened to it on repeat repeatedly already. They describe their sound as;
“an open, limitless approach to music, guided by the simple rule to listen and be present. This ethos is woven into the album, capturing a moment in Sydney’s vibrant music scene and reflecting the role of improvisation in fostering connection within family and community.”
Next up is the Perth-based Turiya, a Harp/Bass/Drum trio that pays homage to Hindu philosophy and the late great Alice Coltrane. Followed by Finn Rees, who shared the intent for his debut album;
“My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”
Wrapping things up is the Sydney-based nu jazz fusion powerhouse, COAST. They’ve been compared to BadBadNotGood, Kneebody, and Yussef Dayes, and they’ve got a new album coming out May 9th, so it’s the perfect time to start listening if you’re not already a fan.
Spirits | The Circling Sun | Soundway Records | May 19, 2023
Spiritual Jazz
Favorite Track: “Spirits, Pt. 2“
Fields | Fields | CG Discs | April 18, 2025
Experimental Jazz
Favorite Tracks: “Between Two Points (and yet above)”, “Waves Break”
Bliss | Turiya, POW! Negro | Turiya | June 28, 2024
Modern Jazz
Favorite Track: “Labyrinth“
Dawn Is A Melody | Finn Rees | Mr. Bongo | May 31, 2024
Spiritual Jazz
Favorite Track: “It’s Behind Me Now“
Skim | COAST | Art As Catharsis | May 30, 2019
Jazz Fusion
Favorite Track: “Tazzie“
New COAST album, Ember releases May 9, 2025.
New Releases:
Hauntingly beautiful, the solo double bass debut from Anneleen Boehme is an incredibly peaceful and mesmerizing album. Adrian Younge adds to the Something About April series with his final chapter of the psychedelic soul trilogy.
“Something About April III is the album I wanted to make when I created the first album in 2011. However, I didn’t have the musical knowhow and experience to create the sound that was buried deep in my soul. Essentially, SAA III is the album that has taken me fifteen years to uncover and fully realize. From a cratediggers’ perspective, it’s the album I’ve been diggin’ for in the deepest crates of my soul. A lost album I finally found. I hope this LP resonates with you as much as it has for me.”
Lawne Live at Audio Gold is a 45 minutes straight of super chill vibes with a downtempo/Instrumental hip-hop element.
A couple of amazing albums I could only find on Bandcamp, Sarost by Aurora (Mark Sanders - drums/percussion, Paul Rogers - double bass, and Larry Stabbin - saxophone) and Turiyans by David Mitchell, which is described as;
“A potent mix of Central Asian influences with free jazz and soundtrack synths - imagine Miles Davis and Alice Coltrane exploring the rhythms of Uyghur sufis in a film soundtracked by Johann Johannsson.”
New singles this week include a Sam Fribush-led Allman Brothers cover, a single off the debut album from Cosmic Ear (We Jazz Records), and an all-new track from Roman experimental jazz-rockers, She’s Analog.
Eunoia | Anneleen Boehme | W.E.R.F. Records | April 18, 2025
Chamber Music
You Might Also Like: The Eternal (2025) | Billy Mohler, especially the tracks “Eternal 1-5”.
Something About April III | Adrian Younge | Linear Labs | April 18, 2025
Soul/r&b
You Might Also Like: Adrian Younge’s Something About April (2012) & Something About April II (2016)
Live at Audio Gold | Lawne | Wah Wah 45s Ltd | April 11, 2025
Electronic
You Might Also Like: Attic (2024) | Lawne
Aurora | SAROST | Jazz Now Records | April 18, 2025
Jazz Fusion
You Might Also Like: Strange Oscillation (2024) | 137
Turiyans | David Mitchell | David Mitchell | April 18, 2025
Spiritual Jazz
Favorite Tracks: “The Old God of the Road“, “Turiyans“, “Golgonooza/Rated X“
Singles
“Midnight Rider“ | Sam Fribush, Ari Teitel, Adam Deitch | Flybird Music | April 11, 2025
Organ Trio
From the album Another Side of the Sound releasing May 23, 2025.
“TRACES of Brown Rice“ | Cosmic Ear | We Jazz | DATE, 2025
Spiritual Jazz
From the album TRACES releasing May 23, 2025.
“danse macabre“ | She’s Analog | Carton Records | April 18, 2025
Experimental
From the album no longer, not yet releasing May 30, 2025.
The Playlists
⬆️The Fresh 150, my rolling playlist of new releases.
Tracks added this week:
“Between Two Points (and yet above)” | Fields
“Ember” | COAST
“The Tempest” | Anneleen Boehme
“O Som do Amor” | Adrian Younge
“N8 Medley” | Lawne
“Midnight Rider” | Sam Fribush, Ari Teitel, Adam Deitch
“TRACES of Brown Rice“ | Cosmic Ear
“danse macabre“ | She’s Analog
⬇️ This is Chaotic Good Jazz, my all-time favorite finds. This week I added 3 tracks from my New Zealand/Australian exploration, a track from quartet 137 that is 50% Seb Rochford/Larry Stabbins. Plus a single rotating off The Fresh 150 that I just can’t get enough of and a track from the 2018 Emanative album, Earth, that I shared as a Substack note for Earth Day.
Tracks added this week:
“Spirits, Pt. 2” | The Circling Sun
“Labyrinth” | Turiya
“It’s Behind Me Now“ | Finn Rees
“Two Bass Flute” | 137
“My Garden” - Extended Version | Boozoo Bajou
“Dawn Child (Sunrise)“ | Emanative
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading!
Thanks for the mention! Going to save this post to comb over during the weekend when I have a fair amount of time!
At this point I practically steal every song you list for my jazz playlist. My favorite this week was It’s Behind Me Now by Finn Rees. The song sounds like the cover art, that peaceful moment you get if you go out alone at dawn.