Hello!

Hope your end-of-year is treating you well. I'm happy to bring you two great ways to see through the transition!

Pairing for you always makes me listen and taste better, so thank you for this past year of Jazz & Juice. And thank you for those of you who are helping to make 2026 a watershed year for the "Beyond the Frame" project (more on that at the end.)

Juice

Though I'm a firm believer that Champagne is for all days, not just holidays, I'll admit it's particularly perfect for New Year's. What better way to celebrate the passage of time than with the only kind of wine that moves itself?

Ployez Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut NV is one of my go-to Champagnes. Chic and clean, on that balancing point of ripe and refreshing, it's a wine that makes every sip feel like a fresh start.

Laurence Ployez is a winemaker who makes this taste easy -- but of course results like this are anything but. She has three generations of family history informing her technique, which involves painstaking farming and grape selection, very particular winemaking technique, and patience with aging in the cellar.

For all this care to yield a glass of something that feels so off-the-cuff and easy is a masterclass in excellence and approachability. Something to emulate in a resolution or two, perhaps?

You can find yourself a cute half bottle version of this at Terry's Wines in the West Village, and it's happily available in other states and markets too.

Jazz

Patricia Brennan is a vibraphonist/marimbist/composer with mastery of all her instruments and an imagination to match. Unapologetically intelligent and complex, the music also delights and surprises -- this is music that has you on the edge of your seat with anticipation, wondering where she's going to take you next.

I chose "Antilia" from her 2025 release "Of the Near and Far" (Pyroclastic Records)* because her effervescent mallet strikes, the ear-pricking strings, and bubbling guitar solo all elevate as the irregular rhythms keeps us pleasantly dizzy.

Named after a constellation known as the 'air pump' -- the composition and improvisation levitate and its pulsing energy makes the future something to look forward to -- even if it's just the next track.

(If you enjoy this as much as I do, consider supporting Brennan by purchasing an album here.)

Antlia Patricia Brennan PREVIEW   ​

The clock runs out on 2025, and with it the chance to help make "Beyond the Frame" a reality in recording and onstage (in time for your tax deadline, at least, since your contribution is deductible!)

You'll find the fundraiser on Fractured Atlas.

Please enjoy my two-minute video chronicling how I got this far with the project:

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Thank you and happy 2026.

Cheers!🥂

Kristen

*thanks to Sean and Jürgen -- readers and friends who both sent this music my way.:)