Don’t look now, but we’ve reached the midpoint of 2025 — and listened our way through well over a hundred albums, in search of elevated sounds. It feels like the right time for a progress report, so we’re sharing half a dozen of our leading contenders. Nate gives the nod to albums by pianist Myra Melford, alto saxophonist Steve Lehman, and pianist Sullivan Fortner. Josh brings his endorsement to releases by bassist John Clayton, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger. Along the way, they talk about a handful of other noteworthy recordings — and allude to some other highlights that await us in the latter half of the year.

Don&rsquo;t look now, but we&rsquo;ve reached the midpoint of 2025 &mdash; and listened our way through well over a hundred albums, in search of elevated sounds. It feels like the right time for a progress report, so we&rsquo;re sharing half a dozen of our leading contenders. Nate gives the nod to albums by pianist Myra Melford, alto saxophonist Steve Lehman, and pianist Sullivan Fortner. Josh brings his endorsement to releases by bassist John Clayton, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger. Along the way, they talk about a handful of other noteworthy recordings &mdash; and allude to some other highlights that await us in the latter half of the year.

WRTI and JazzDanmark present DANGEROUS SOUNDS--a podcast series in 8 episodes taking listeners on a historical journey of jazz in Denmark.  Starting back in the early 1920s when jazz first arrived on its shores from America, leading up to the time in the ‘50s and ‘60s when the small state of Denmark became a world center for jazz, the series explores the impact that shaped society and the music we listen to today.

WRTI and JazzDanmark present DANGEROUS SOUNDS--a podcast series in 8 episodes taking listeners on a historical journey of jazz in Denmark.&nbsp; Starting back in the early 1920s when jazz first arrived on its shores from America, leading up to the time in the &lsquo;50s and &lsquo;60s when the small state of Denmark became a world center for jazz, the series explores the impact that shaped society and the music we listen to today.

DANGEROUS SOUNDS: Danish Jazz in 8 Stories

DANGEROUS SOUNDS is a podcast series in 8 episodes taking listeners on a historical journey of jazz in Denmark—starting back in the early 1920s when jazz first arrived on its shores from America, and banjos and saxophones were a threat to the bourgeoisie, leading up to the time in the ‘50s and ‘60s when the small state of Denmark became a world center for jazz. The series explores how jazz has impacted and shaped society and the music we listen to today.

DANGEROUS SOUNDS is a podcast series in 8 episodes taking listeners on a historical journey of jazz in Denmark&mdash;starting back in the early 1920s when jazz first arrived on its shores from America, and banjos and saxophones were a threat to the bourgeoisie, leading up to the time in the &lsquo;50s and &lsquo;60s when the small state of Denmark became a world center for jazz. The series explores how jazz has impacted and shaped society and the music we listen to today.

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