The spring of 2015 has brought new reasons of joy for jazz lovers and record collectors. Cassandra Wilson, Charles Lloyd, Eliane Elias and Ben Williams are just a few of the artists who have come up with new and inciting albums.

Cassandra Wilson's latest album, Coming Forth by Day, celebrates Billie Holiday's 100^th anniversary. Originality has always been a strong point of Wilson's, so her performances from her great predecessor's repertoire, are not included in the widely-known patterns. Inventive instrumentation, modern sonority and a captivating feel are some of the traits of the Coming Forth by Day album. It is not just about Cassandra Wilson's creativity, but also about Billie Holiday's spirit, so compatible with the times we live in.

In the '60s, saxophonist Charles Lloyd was charming the public with his excellent quartet, which included young Keith Jarrett. Then, his spiritual search made Lloyd abandon the world of jazz for a while. He made a comeback in the mid-eighties, and, since then, he has kept amazing us with his new releases. Last year, a new and very ambitious album was released, named Wild Man Dance. It is a suite recorded during the 2013 edition of the Polish Jazztopad Festival. Next to a typical and rhythmical orechestra section for interpreting jazz, Lloyd also used the unusual skills of Sokratis Sinopoulos (lire) and Miklos Lukacs (dulcimer).

Pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias was born in 1960 in São Paulo, but from the '80s until this day she has been performing in the US. Her discography includes not only numerous jazz titles but also classical music recordings. Although she tackles a varied repertoire, Elias periodically returns to her Brazilian roots. This is also the case with her 2015 album, Made in Brazil, that includes both works by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ary Barosso and several of her own.

Of course, new wave artists bring their own interesting suggestions. Ben Williams is a young and talented bass player, winner of the 2009 edition of the Thelonious Monk Competition. Throughout his career, Williams has collaborated with musicians, such as, Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny and Roy Hargrove. Coming of Age, his second album released as a band leader, is currently enjoying enthusiastic reviews. Williams stands out through virtuosity and through his imagination in terms of harmony and orchestration.

For the Jazz Planet show on Saturday, 23^rd May, 18:00, we have prepared a number of songs from these albums, revitalised through their artistic quality.