Tommy Gallant Jazz Fest: This coming Sunday, July 10, the 16th annual Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. in the beautiful setting of Prescott Park in Portsmouth. As in past festivals, the emphasis is placed on local and regional talent, and the lineup for 2011 is one of the strongest in years.

Among the performers will be Boston-based pianist and singer Paul Broadnax, who will front a quintet composed of long-time friends Fred Haas on saxophone, Dave Trefethen on guitar, Peter Kontrimas on bass and Les Harris Jr. on drums. Broadnax is an iconic figure in the regional jazz scene and is known for his smooth vocal work and subtle piano playing. He has appeared at several local venues over the years including The Press Room, Joseph’s Rye on the Rocks and the former Greenhouse Restaurant in Hampton Falls. The Festival Committee, headed by David Seiler, coordinator of Jazz Studies at UNH, is dedicating the festival to Broadnax.

Saxophonist George Garzone, another iconic figure of the Boston jazz scene, will make his first appearance at the event, fronting a trio with Sean Farias on bass and the dynamic Brooke Sofferman on drums. Garzone has appeared with a wide variety of regional artists, from Dick Johnson to Herb Pomeroy, and he is also a founding member of the long-time cooperative trio The Fringe. Garzone is considered one of the foremost contemporary saxophonists in jazz today and is a player of great imagination and depth.

The Press Room Trio, including Ryan Parker on piano and Les Harris, Jr. on drums, will perform with the Ballou Brothers—Marty on bass and Dave on drums. Marty Ballou has been a long-time fixture of the regional scene, crossing back and forth between the jazz and blues arenas. Brother Dave is an exceptional contemporary jazz trumpet player who has played with Sheila Jordan and George Schuller, among many others. Maine-based saxophonist David Wells will round out the group with his incisive playing.

Completing the festival bill will be the Seacoast Big Band, perennial favorites who keep the big band fire burning on the Seacoast. With accomplished performers such as John Hunter on bass, Charlie Jennison and Marc LaForce on saxophones and Chris Oberholzer on trombone, the Seacoast Band, as it is also known, will provide the right finish to a terrific day of jazz at Prescott Park.

New releases: A number of new CD’s have come my way in recent weeks, with an emphasis on trumpet-led ensembles and piano trios.

Brian Lynch is one of the unsung heroes on the jazz scene today. A gifted player with a warm sound from his horn, Lynch’s playing has been found in various ensembles led by pianist Eddie Palmieri. Yet, Lynch has also maintained a steady career in the straight-ahead area, as well, both as a sideman and leader. On his newest CD, “Unsung Heroes,” Lynch pays homage to the music of lesser known trumpet players such as Joe Gordon, Idrees Sulieman, Tommy Turrentine and Howard McGhee. Working with a dynamic sextet, Lynch gives straight-up readings of these masters, faithfully interpreting the material with a contemporary perspective that brings out the wonderful character of each tune. Among the highlights are Turrentine’s “Big Red,” Charles Tolliver’s “Household of Saud” and, my personal favorite, Joe Gordon’s “Terra Firma Irma.” This is a terrific recording and could be one of the top CDs of the year. Visit www.BrianLynchJazz.com.

Terell Stafford’s latest for Max Jazz, “This Side of Strayhorn,” explores 10 tunes from the iconic composer. Some, such as “Raincheck” and “Lush Life,” are quite familiar while others, like “Multicolored Blue” and “Lana Turner,” are more obscure. Working with his long-time quintet of Tim Warfield on saxophones, Bruce Barth on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Dana Hall on drums, Stafford and crew navigate their way through Barth’s slightly updated arrangements with aplomb and dexterity. The results are a stunning recording that pays tribute to an American legend without sounding trite. Visit www.maxjazz.com.

Tom Harrell continues to front one of the finest working groups in jazz today on his latest for Highnote Records, “The Time of the Sun.” Harrell’s warm trumpet and flugelhorn are at the center of nine new compositions from his creative mind. The sounds and textures vary from straight-up jazz to more exotic Latin and groove-oriented material. It flows beautifully from start to finish, with pianist Danny Grissett and drummer Johnathan Blake keeping things lively and interesting with their deft interplay. Visit www.jazzdeot.com.

Speaking of Danny Grissett, his latest recording on Criss Cross Jazz, “Stride,” explores the trio format with superb results. With long-time bassist Vicente Archer and young drum dynamo Marcus Gilmore, Grissett presents a mix of standards and originals that showcase his thoughtfully lyrical approach. His imaginative playing comes to the fore on a remarkable adaptation of Chopin’s “Etude opus 10: No. 6 in E-Flat Minor,” as well as a lovely arrangement of Leonard Bernstein’s “Some Other Time.” Visit www.crisscrossjazz.com.

Pianist Bruce Barth is the latest to join the roster of artists recording live at Small’s Jazz Club in New York. The “Live at Small’s” series presents jazz as it should be heard, in front of a live audience. Barth takes full advantage of the setting, working a program of mostly originals with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Rudy Royston. They delve into several styles and moods from “Almost Blues” to the raucous opener “Oh Yes I Will.” Also included is a sublime rendering of the standard “Good Morning Heartache.” Visit www.smallslive.com.

Lastly, we have “(Re)Conception,” from pianist Helen Sung on the SteepleChase label. A former classical pianist, Sung is a young musician who has the chops to take a tune in any direction with a strong lyrical and imaginative approach. With bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, Sung offers a program of standards from the likes of Shearing, Ellington, Monk, Loesser and Bacharach that covers an array of musical textures and colors, remaining faithful to the songs without presenting them in a rote fashion. Visit www.steeplechase.dk.