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Alice Coltrane - Ptah, the El Daoud
11th Jan 2021by Joshua Lee
An early entry in Alice Coltrane's bandleading discography, Ptah, the El Daoud, sees the renowned harpist explore the spiritual sounds from her collaboration with her late husband. However, Alice remains a voice of her own.
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3M&Co - Start On
8th Jan 2021by Joshua Lee
The Italian jazz trio channel some early 70s fusion with a pinch of Jaco Pastorius into their modern, funky debut.
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Jazz Vinyl Round-Up - 6th January
6th Jan 2021by Joshua Lee
This week's latest additions to the Presto Jazz vinyl catalogue include nu-jazz versions of Sun Ra classics, a television score from Kamasi Washington, and a live set from veteran drummer Jeff Williams.
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Eugene Wright (1923-2020)
4th Jan 2021by Joshua Lee
The last surviving member of the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet lineup, bassist Eugene Wright, has passed away aged 97.
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Per Oddvar Johansen on finding inspiration in isolation
22nd Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
We sat down with Presto Award-winner, drummer Per Oddvar Johansen, to discuss his latest album The Quiet Cormorant, as well as his compositional process and hopeful plans for next year.
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Jazz Hi-Res Round-Up - 17th December 2020
17th Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh lends an ear to some recent hi-res new releases, including British saxophonist Chris Potter, Nels Cline's improv band, GoGo Penguin, and Rebekka Bakken’s Winter Nights.
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Matthew Tavares & Leland Whitty - January 12th
11th Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
BADBADNOTGOOD bandmates Matthew Tavares and Leland Whitty team up for a live recording that proves the nu-jazz trailblazers are just as comfortable playing it straight.
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Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin
10th Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
Billie Holiday was just a couple months away from her 43rd birthday when she entered Columbia Records’ 30th Street Studio on February 18, 1958 to record her troubled late masterpiece Lady in Satin, as heart-breaking today as it was then.
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Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
1st Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
Wayne Shorter's seminal album was the third in a prolific six years of recordings for Blue Note, and while Speak No Evil still retains the accessibility of early hard bop, it also showcases the saxophonist's unique and unorthodox compositional style.
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Dave Brubeck - Lullabies
27th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh enjoys Dave Brubeck's final studio recording, an intimate set of Lullabies for solo piano, expressing his deep love for his family.
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Tori Handsley on influences and improvisation
22nd Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
On the eve of releasing her new album As We Stand, featuring regular collaborators Ruth Goller and Moses Boyd, Josh catches up with jazz harpist Tori Handsley to talk about her influences, approach to improvisation, and plans for the future.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 19th November 2020
19th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
Beatles for jazz quartet, Norwegian free-improvisation from Hubro, and a live show from Ronnie Scott's by George Benson, are among our picks for this week's new release round-up.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 13th November 2020
13th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
A surprise release from the late Dave Brubeck, the latest from Grammy-nominated Ben Wendel, free jazz fun with Glasshopper, funky latin fusion from pianist Ivan Timbó, landscape painting from saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, and a tribute to the collaborations of Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald by vocalist Cleo and guitarist David Grabowski.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 6th November 2020
6th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
This week's new releases include reissues from Terje Rypdal, a second live recording from Keith Jarrett's 2016 tour, and modern reinterpretations of the music of Sun Ra.
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Rick Simpson - Everything All of the Time: Kid A Revisited
5th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
On the twentieth anniversary of Radiohead's polarising Kid A, Rick Simpson and co. give it a creative re-interpretation.
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Jazz Guitar
2nd Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
From big band to bebop, free jazz to fusion, the guitar has always had a strong presence in jazz music. For this latest Jazz Genre Guide, we go through some of the key players of each era.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 30th October 2020
30th Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
This week's new releases include an electrifying live performance from Ella Fitzgerald, reinterpretations of a classic Radiohead album and a new Blue Note recording from vibraphonist Joel Ross.
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Surprise Chef - Daylight Savings
23rd Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
As we enter the colder months of the year, Surprise Chef keep it colourful with a slice of sun-soaked jazz-funk, taking cues from psychedelic rock and soul with a DIY ethic.
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Louis Armstrong - Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions
21st Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh digs deep to explore Louis Armstrong's landmark sessions with The Hot Fives and Sevens in the twenties, when 'Satchmo' was at the cutting edge of jazz improvisation.
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Blue Note Re:imagined
16th Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
The cream of the crop from the UK's vibrant jazz scene find inventive new ways to re-imagine classics from the Blue Note vaults on this varied and entertaining collection.