It’s time for a roundup of CDs that have come this way over the past several months, with an emphasis on recordings from various artists in the Northeast. The many fine musicians in the Boston to Portland corridor—including those from the Seacoast—prove that jazz and related creative music are alive and well.

Singer Julie Hardy offers a nicely balanced program of originals and refreshing versions of standards on her forthcoming CD “The Wish,” on World Culture Music. A New Hampshire native, graduate of the University of New Hampshire and current resident of the New York City area, Hardy is the type of jazz singer I like to hear. Not content to simply sing lyrics, then stand back and let the instrumentalists do all the work, Hardy takes risks. The result is a wonderful recording that places her warm soprano square in the middle of the ensemble, creating a remarkable sense of interplay with the various instrumentalists on the disc. Choice cuts include superb arrangements of Lennon and McCartney’s “I’m Looking Through You,” Wayne Shorter’s “Song of the Iris” and the original “On the Verge,” which features a burning tenor sax solo from Sam Sadigusrky. Other excellent work comes from guitarist Ben Monder and pianist Randy Ingram, who displays fine stylistic diversity and sensitivity. Drummer Kendrick Scott lays down a variety of groove textures with equal sensitivity. This is a fine effort from a creative voice that is steadily on the rise. For more info, visit www.juliehardy.com. Hardy will appear at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Thursday, June 14.

From Maine come two excellent CDs. “The Garden Above” on Invisible Music Records is a fine example of interactive jazz from the trio of saxophonist David Wells, guitarist Tony Gaboury and drummer Steve Grover. With no bass, there is a nice open sound and sense of freedom, not unlike that of drummer Paul Motian’s trio of the same instrumentation. All three musicians have a strong sense of time, yet don’t allow themselves to get too locked in. You’ll hear this on cuts like the opening original “Rise and Shine,” the version of Charlie Parker’s “Big Foot” and the beautifully rendered version of Cole Porter’s “Do I Love You,” which features Wells’ warm sound and imaginative ideas interacting with Gaboury’s colorfully melodic counterlines. It’s been years since I’ve heard Gaboury in any context, and his playing throughout this disc is superb. So, too, is the drumming of Grover, who displays his usual fine sense of time and color. Check the Web sites at www.invisiblemusicrecords.com or at www.stevegrover.com.

Pianist Tom Snow offers up an excellent solo set of standards on his latest self-produced and self-released disc, “Some Other Time.” Not one for flaunting his considerable technique at the expense of melodic development, Snow explores a variety of melodic textures with stellar results on tunes such as “Love Letters,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Some Other Time,” “Emily” and an inspired version of “Fever.” This is a terrific set for any occasion. It can be found at www.tomsnow.com.

From the Boston area come three distinctive CDs that offer a different approach to the jazz tradition. “Drop 2,” by pianist Pamela Hines on Spice Rack Records, offers a nice blend of standards and originals. With stellar support from the always creatively reliable John Lockwood on bass and Bob Guilotti on drums, Hines takes a less-is-more approach, relying on a good sense of melodicism in her improvisatory explorations, which can be heard on the fine versions of “It Could Happen to You,” “East of the Sun” and “This Can’t Be Love.” My one problem with the disc is that, despite her obvious gifts as a pianist and improviser, Hines doesn’t sound relaxed, giving her solos a slight stiffness. She has all the tools necessary, and with a bass/drum tandem as in-sync as Lockwood and Guilotti, Hines should be able to relax and just be herself. She has that kind of ability, so hopefully this will happen on future CDs. “Drop 2” is available at www.pamelahines.com.

Tre Corda consists of pianist Tim Ray, cellist Eugene Friesen and trumpet/flugelhorn player Greg Hopkins. On their self-titled CD on Agitated Cat Music, the trio explores the freer aspects of the jazz tradition. These accomplished musicians infuse the disc with elements of classical and world-beat music to give the tunes a very open, spatial sound. Highlights include the “Shorter Suite,” a series of improvised variations on melodies by Wayne Shorter, and a wild version of Rogers and Hart’s “Blue Moon,” as well as several distinctive originals. A fine example of music without borders, this CD can be found at www.AgitatedCatMusic.com.

Bassist Bruce Gertz also goes the self-produced and self-released route with “It Wasn’t Me” on his Open Mind Jazz label. With the front line of saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi and Ken Cervenka on trumpet, accompanied by pianist Gabriel Guerrero and drummer Tim Horner, Gertz and crew navigate their way through eight original tunes in the style of ’60s contemporary acoustic jazz exemplified by Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter. The playing is all first-rate, with Bergonzi’s explosive explorations matched by the equally fiery Cervenka. The rhythm section gets in several fine moments as well, with Horner stoking things with the right amount of heat. For fans of good contemporary jazz, this one’s for you. Available at www.enmindjazz.com.

With the recent demise of Sony’s Legacy reissue division, a couple of independent labels are taking up the slack. Mosaic Singles recently reissued an excellent 1965 live recording by the Woody Herman Band, titled “Woody’s Winners.” Originally spread out over three different LPs, Mosaic pulled all the material into one CD. This was one of Herman’s great bands, and it had several musicians from New England, including Maine trombonist Don Doane, Boston-based Bill Chase and Gerry Lamy on trumpets, and saxophonists Andy McGhee and Tom Anastas, also from Boston. You can order this CD from www.mosaicrecords.com. Meanwhile, Wounded Bird Records, from New York, has reissued a fantastic mid-1970s live set from the late Maynard Ferguson. “MF Horn 4&5 Live at Jimmy’s” features one of Ferguson’s great bands. A mix of American and European players, it included, most notably, New Zealand native Bruce Johnstone on baritone sax, who is featured extensively in this mostly straight-ahead session. His opening slow blues statement on the tune “Got the Spirit” is one for the ages, as is this entire CD. You can find it at Bull Moose Music or you can visit www.woundedbird.com.