Jazz Reviews
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Arve Henriksen - Places of Worship
8th Jan 2025
Guest writer Spencer Grady waxes lyrical about Arve Henriksen's haunting Places of Worship. Prepare yourself for a near-mystical experience...
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Places of Worship
Arve Henriksen
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The Jazz Composer's Orchestra
23rd Dec 2024
A sprawling opus of sixties avant-garde jazz, The Jazz Composer's Orchestra is Michael Mantler’s bold vision of orchestral chaos and free improvisation. Featuring legends like Pharoah Sanders and Cecil Taylor, it’s a dark, brooding masterpiece that challenges conventions, rewarding those ready to embrace its dense, anarchic beauty.
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Oz Noy - Fun One
20th Dec 2024
Fun One combines guitarist Oz Noy’s signature fusion style with traditional jazz, marking his debut on the prestigious Criss Cross Jazz label.
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Alexi Tuomarila - Departing the Wasteland
13th Dec 2024
Departing the Wasteland celebrates 20 years of Alexi Tuomarila's core trio, while marking a fresh creative direction in contemporary jazz composition. New faces join him on this latest release, adding richness and texture through electronics and synthesized tones.
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Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago
11th Dec 2024
Capturing two saxophone giants, Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, in a pivotal 1959 hard bop recording session that preceded by only a matter of months, some of the genre's most influential recordings.
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Out Of/Into - Motion I
6th Dec 2024
Out Of/Into's debut album Motion I showcases the collective's progressive sound, featuring original compositions by its members; the album embodies the Blue Note ethos, celebrating the label's 85th anniversary.
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Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner & Peter Bernstein - Solid Jackson
29th Nov 2024
The powerhouse New York-based frontline of Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner and Peter Bernstein reunites with bassist Larry Grenadier for the first time in 30 years, breaking bread and recovering old ground while paving the way for fresh explorations.
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Charlie Parker - Bird in Kansas City
22nd Nov 2024
Consisting of several rare, unheard performances, the early Bird doesn’t only catch the worm on this archive release, but flaunts it. This is Bird captured in his key years, 1941–1951, these primordial recordings serving as a timely reminder that there really is nothing new under the sun.
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Bird in Kansas City
Charlie Parker (altosaxophone), Efferge Ware (guitar), Edward “Little Phil” Phillips (drumkit), Jay McShann (piano, orchestramember), Orville Minor (trumpet), Bernard Anderson (trombone), Harold Bruce (trombone), Joe Baird (trombone), Joe Coleman (vocalist), Harry Ferguson (tenorsaxophone), Bob Mabane (tenorsaxophone), Gene Ramey (bass), Gus Johnson (drumkit), John Jackson (altosaxophone)
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The Bad Plus - Complex Emotions
15th Nov 2024
The Bad Plus push boundaries with their latest album, Complex Emotions. Transitioning from a piano trio to include saxophonist Chris Speed and guitarist Ben Monder, the band explores new sonic territories. Featuring all original compositions, the album blends diverse influences and showcases dynamic interplay.
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Keith Jarrett Quartet featuring Jan Garbarek - Belonging
12th Nov 2024
A seminal jazz album in European jazz, Belonging by the Keith Jarrett Quartet showcases Jarrett's innovative compositions and the genesis of a new group, featuring the unique tones of Jan Garbarek's saxophone.
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Brandon Sanders - The Tables Will Turn
8th Nov 2024
Returning for his second album in two years, New York-based drummer Brandon Sanders infuses new life into a compelling selection of jazz classics as he pays homage to his grandmother, who once ran a celebrated venue.
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Ineza with Alex Webb & The Copasetics - Women's Words - Sisters' Stories
1st Nov 2024
Women’s Words - Sisters’ Stories sung by Ineza with Alex Webb and The Copasetics, weaves intimate narratives of women’s experiences to explore themes of love, resilience, and identity through a uniquely personal lens.
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The Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
31st Oct 2024
Clifford Brown and Max Roach's self-titled album, released in 1954, marked a pivotal moment in jazz history. Featuring Brown's virtuosic trumpet and Roach's innovative drumming, the album exemplifies the spirit of hard bop at its finest.
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Aaron Parks & Little Big - Little Big III
25th Oct 2024
Pianist and composer Aaron Parks returns with the third iteration of his band Little Big, marking his return to Blue Note Records. Parks continues to expand and deepen his music, describing this album as “the most focused album Little Big has recorded—the most distilled down to the essence.”
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Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
24th Oct 2024
The landmark 1959 jazz album by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is renowned for its innovative yet tuneful use of unusual time signatures. Featuring the iconic title-track the album blends jazz and classical elements, challenging rhythmic norms.
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Immanuel Wilkins - Blues Blood
18th Oct 2024
The talented young saxophonist’s latest Blue Note album is his first to feature vocal guests, delving into themes of identity, culture and the African-American experience.
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Blues Blood
Immanuel Wilkins (altosaxophone, saxophone, vocalist, synthesizer), June McDoom (vocalist), Yaw Agyeman (vocalist), Ganavya (vocalist), Micah Thomas (piano, organ), Rick Rosato (bass), Kweku Sumbry (drumkit), Esi Sumbry (vocalist), Cécile McLorin Salvant (vocalist), Marvin Sewell (guitar), Chris Dave (drumkit)
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Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
17th Oct 2024
The third collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans produced the masterly Sketches of Spain, an expansive album with flavours of flamenco and classical orchestration, and still regarded as a transformative album in jazz history.
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Samara Joy - Portrait
11th Oct 2024
With her most intimate collection of songs to date, the three-time Grammy Award-winning American chanteuse unveils a captivating new album that, for the first time, combines timeless standards with original songwriting.
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Portrait
Samara Joy (vocalist), Jason Charos (trumpet, flugelhorn, recordingarranger), David Mason (altosaxophone, flute, recordingarranger), Kendric McCallister (tenorsaxophone, recordingarranger), Donavan Austin (trombone, recordingarranger), Conor Rohrer (piano), Felix Moseholm (bass), Evan Sherman (drumkit, recordingarranger)
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Jazz at Massey Hall with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Max Roach, & Charles Mingus
10th Oct 2024
Billed as ‘The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever’ Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach came together for one night only. Recorded live in Toronto at Massey Hall, on May 15th 1953, the quintet were captured into jazz folklore. A historic performance that featured titans of the jazz world, it would be the first and last time this quintet shared the stage.
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Tord Gustavsen Trio - Seeing
4th Oct 2024
Tord Gustavsen's 'Seeing' blends jazz, folk, and classical traditions into a deeply satisfying experience. Joined by Steinar Raknes and Jarle Vespestad, Gustavsen crafts serene, structured compositions that emphasize subtle interplay, minimalist beauty, and emotionally resonant performances.
