Here are some groups that are able to mix the post bop feel with contemporary moods from lands near and far.
Drummer Kenneth Salters brings together a hefty sized band of Tivon Pennicott/ts, Matt Holman/tp, Myron Walden/as-bcl, Aki Ishiguro/g, Brad Whitley-Shai Maestro/p, Spencer Murphy/b and Bridget Kibbey/harp for an ESP-inspired outing. The mix of bass clarinet and trumpet is able to loosely swing on “ When You Find Out” and all along the horns coalesce together to supply a foundation of accompanying choruses, riffs or drapery to pieces like 
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#1” and “Stop The Sun” which has Pennicott’s tenor and Ishiguro’s understated solos flow around the horns. The band gets into a rich groove on “Couldn’t Be” and sways to the gospel beat on “Halos and Horns” with Salters providing a nice backbeat here and a gentle push on “Flakes.” Impressive.
Tenor saxist Ochion Jewell delivers a quiet outing with Amino Belyamani/p, Sam Minaie/b and Qasim Naqvi/dr on this spacious mix of originals and traditional. Jewell’s horn sounds lonely with Minaie on “At The End of The World…” and drearily carries on during “Pathos/Logos,” while he gasps on “Kun Mun Kultani Tulisi.” Dark cymbals are provided by Naqvi on “Give Us A Drink of Water” before guitarist Lionel Loueke mixes with Naqvi to create some tribal sounds on “The Master” and “Gnawa Blues.” A bit of Americana is served when Minaie bows his bass along Jewell’s ambient horn on “Oh Shenandoah,” as the album closes with a sighing “Black is the Color (of My True Love’s Hair). Understated musings.
Trumpeter Chris Pasin leads a hip band of Mark Kleinhaut/g, Wayne Hawkins/key, John Menegon/b and Dave Berger/dr through some nimble originals. His horn is clear and warm sounding softly gliding with Hawkins’ piano on “Liftline Mogues” and bopping gently with Menegon on “Smiling Eyes.” He must have majored in “Lyricism” in college as each solo vibrates melody as on “Fragile Creature.” The rhythm team can form a deep groove as on “Nature of the Beast” and the band shows some free form fun on “OCDC” while Keleinhaut’s guitar gets declaratory on “OM Flux.” Very rewarding listen.
Keyboardist Dave Bryant crates some exciting and experimental moments here with Tom Hall/ts, Neil Leonard/ss-as, Curt Newton-Eric Rosenthal/dr-perc, Jacob William/b and Jeff Song/cello. The release is dominated by two large pieces, ranging around 20 minutes each. The four part “Four Ways In” is vintage jazz fusion with some piano musing slowly evolving into wild electronica and free form jamming along with stratospheric solos by Leonard and Hall. Bryant teams up with William for an ominous title track that takes you there and back, while Bryant goes it alone on a very thoughtful and creative “Solo No. 1”.The band delivers a quirky “Salutations” and Hall gets wild and wooly on “Check Your Lid,” making this a fun white knuckler of a ride for fusion fans.