NEW RELEASES : In Brief

* * * 1/2, James Newton, “Suite for Frida Kahlo,” Audioquest. Perennial poll-winning flutist Newton emphasizes his compositional side on his first release in four years. The title suite, inspired by four of the famed Mexican artist’s paintings, creates absorbing mood swings by blending the tone colors of an unusual eight-piece ensemble (flute, trombones, bassoon, reeds and rhythm section) with occasional dashes of jazz swing and tempo shifts a la Mingus. Elsewhere, Newton doesn’t neglect his playing, soaring and swooping over the changes on the ballad “The Price of Everything” or engaging trombonist George Lewis in some formidable free improvising in “Elliptical.”

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good, recommended), four stars (excellent).