With Anthem of Unity, guitarist Joel Harrison invited Jack DeJohnette who played drums for Miles Davis to join him along with saxophonist Greg Tardy and keyboardist Gary Versace. Together they formed an outstanding quartet. They give Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin” a soulful, waltzing interpretation, especially Harrison’s emotional solo. They way he accompanies Tardy is just too damn beautiful. Tardy and Versace were blazing on “Today Is Tomorrow’s Yesterday” and DeJohnette’s opening improvisation on “Parvati” is captivating. The album is a beauty of unity.

On “Abracadabra” Nas rhymes, “2020 when we did the first one / Five album run, not a cursed one, it’s a blessed one / By the time y’all hear this, we be halfway through the next one.” Without a doubt, Nas is a prolific rapper, especially after he found his fruitful collaborator. Nas and Hit-Boy make more magic on this short, concise, compelling album. Only 50 Cent and 21 Savage get the guest spot on Magic 2. Nas continues to churn out dope rhymes himself. He has proven that his assets are his words. Almost 30 years after he released his classic Illmatic, he has not ran out of words. He is a wordsmith and that is how he gets to where he is today. At 49, Nas is a hip-hop living legend.

With 26 tracks clocking in almost 90 minutes, Pink Tape is hard to get through, especially with Uzi’s Auto-Tune singing in the later numbers. Even his sexual braggadocio gets boring. There are some shining moments like “Suicide Doors” and “Mama, I’m So Sorry.” Uzi’s style is not my cup of tea.

Recorded in 1961, the sound quality was poor, but the performances were top-notch. Coltrane’s quintet featured McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and special guests Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute. Dolphy played an eccentric solo on “My Favorite Things” with his flute. Coltrane just blazed it. The rest of the album is filled with extended improvisations and experimentations. It is always a treat to revisit Coltrane.

I keep returning to Pendant World for its natural beauty. I was driving home from work in the scorching heat and yet Balmorhea’s music took my mind to a different space. The melodies, textures, and harmonies are soothing on the surface, yet deeply in the core. I didn’t have to pay attention to the music and yet it was there to please me. I don’t even know what I am writing. Just give it a spin.

Listening to Octava reminds me of Kind of Blue. Right off the opening “Invocation,” the vibe is laid-back, relaxed, yet commanding attention. “Green Dreams” is meditative yet uplifting. It is a soothing album to kick back to after a long, stressful day. A few glasses of wine will also help.

Kaliii has a sexy voice with a laid-back flow. She got hoes in different area codes—a play off on Ludacris’s infamous “Area Codes.” As a female rapper, she turns the toxic, misogynist raps, which dominated by alpha male rappers, on their head. In “Eat It Up,” she boasts, “I’m a classy bitch, never trashy sis’ / Never had a broke nigga on my mattress.” Then she throws in a little political punchline, “If I had a gold digger with a matching wrist / I’d be up a billy’ if they didn’t tax the rich.” Her delivery is a bit monotonous, but the bouncy beats help.

Kevin Sun is a virtuosic saxophonist and a fine composer. As a leader, he leaves plenty of space for his accomplishments and only plays when he finds the right time. “Internal Choruses” is an example of his saxophone blazing in and improvising. His pianist shines on “From the Unseen Center (1) & (2).” From All This Stillness is a captivating modern jazz album. I will spend more time with it for a while.

Females rappers exploit sex as well. Hood Hottest Princess is Sexyy Red’s soundtrack to PornHub videos. Back up by pounding productions, Red gets freaky and filthy as fuck on “Mad At Me,” “Strictly for the Strippers,” and “Pound Town 2” with Nicki Minaj. No crime in that, I suppose. Most of her lyrics are too explicit to be quoted, but I find her some of punchlines hilarious. On “I’m The Shit,” she talks shit, “Bitch, you ain’t tough, I’ll slap you in the head / How you sleepin’ on me? You ain’t even got a bed.”

Mr. George Freeman is obviously living The Good Life. At 96, he still swings “Up and Down” on his guitar with his band. His low notes are airy and hypnotizing. Even he plays the blues on “Lowe Groovin’,” he never used feedback or vibrato. He just keeps it cool. “Sister Tankersley” is another blues beauty. On the title track, which closes out the album, Mr. Freeman showcases his intoxicating fusion chops. I love every track on this album.