Drummer Jeff Ballard, best known for his work with Brad Mehldau (Where Do You Start, Ode, Highway Rider, Brad Mehldau Trio Live, Day is Done, etc) and Fly, with Mark Turner and Larry Grenadier, has been signed to OKeh and the Californian will make his debut, Time’s Tales, for the label in January with a recording featuring US-based Beninese jazz guitar star Lionel Loueke, whose album Heritage was released by Blue Note to considerable acclaim last year. Remember Loueke's take on Robert Glasper's 'Tribal Dance'? And completing the trio is US-based Puerto Rican saxophone icon Miguel Zenón who in the past has recorded extensively for Marsalis Music.

Also due in January is another new signing, guitarist Nir Felder’s first album for OKeh, called Golden Age. A Berklee graduate from New York state Felder appeared on the Terri Lyne Carrington album Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue this year as a sideman.

February releases are Julliard-trained New York-based Taiwanese pianist Jo-Yu Chen’s label debut Stranger (Sony Taiwan have already released the pianist’s own Obsession). And also due in the second month of 2014 is the Illinois-born Rwandan/Ugandan singer Somi’s label debut, The Lagos Music Salon. Somi joins the dots between Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba. Singer Robin McKelle’s Heart of Memphis is also set for February.

March releases so far are saxophonist James Brandon Lewis’ Divine Travels, the saxman joined by improv legend bassist William Parker, and Wisława drummer, Gerald Cleaver. Also for March is new signing trumpeter Theo Croker’s Afro Physicist produced by Dee Dee Bridgewater plus Nils Petter Molvær’s debut for the label as previously reported http://www.marlbank.net/interviews/1128-legends-of-the-fall. April promises a new Sergio Mendes album, and other releases are in the pipeline.

Jeff Ballard pictured. Check the Ballard trio playing Paris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtG6HLQHCjo