Now we’re in the thick of summer, what better way to while away the sunshine hours than with the Jazzwise Editor picks this August? From classic sounds of Davis and Jarrett to the fresh new releases from piano icons Sullivan Fortner and Zoe Rahman, the team at Jazzwise are here to bring you the very best for your jazz soundtrack for the summer…
New Releases
Omni
James Brandon Lewis Quartet
“Lewis's muscular, R&B-steeped sound delivers heat, phonics and fluid phrasing and are played full-force. But behind the bluster, you can sense that the tenor saxophonist has full instrumental control. The album is a mature statement that captures Lewis at his best.”
Available Format: CD
Leave That In There
Sullivan Fortner
“Despite being the work of just three musicians, the range of sounds, textures, instruments and styles on this album is not only impressive, but draws the listener in…It's a fascinating musical journey by three musicians who understand each other well.”
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Hull Suite Live
Zoe Rahman
“Rahman can unfurl the giant McCoy Tyner chords ('Synergy'), be elegiacally reflective ('Across the Humber') or remain romantic yet rigorous with a Jarrett-like expansiveness ('Out to Sea' and even more SO 'Piano Story'). 'East Coast' is as much for New York (Calderazzo's home patch) as it is for Hull with its rough-cast blues feel and Monkish mashed notes. Relish. Then hit repeat.”
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Live At Jazz At Lincoln Center
Catherine Russell
“The arrangements move fluidly between Harlem nightlife, territory bands and vintage New Orleans jazz, while special guest tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman adds irresistible rhythmic spark to a quartet of tracks. With incredibly tight ensemble playing, a beautifully put together set list and a first-rate storyteller at its heart, Russell & CO. serve up pure joy here.”
Available Format: CD
Archive/Reissue
Birth of the Cool
Miles Davis
“What is striking about these recordings is their non-frantic approach to jazz, even at the briskest tempos. Even though four arrangers were involved, there was a consistency of style notable for the way the sharp edges of bebop were smoothed down in a way that was less strident and angular than the then prevalent bebop ensembles.”
Available Format: Vinyl Record
New Vienna
Keith Jarrett
“It is a single sequence of nine sections, plus encore, and in common with SO many Jarrett concerts, these encompass a great range of solo piano possibilities…the absolute star turn is a simply gorgeous encore of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', which is worth the price of the whole album.”
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
