Category: Album Review

1 March 2020

Album Review: Levitation Orchestra – Inexpressible Infinity

Levitation Orchestra Inexpressible Infinity (Astigmatic Records) A noteworthy feature of the recent upsurge of young London-based jazz musicians has been their re-engagement with the brief and critically rather overlooked era of experimentation that took place in the early 1970s, as jazz artists sought to modernise by incorporating all manner of contemporary influences, from rock rhythms […]

1 March 2020

Album Review: Lakecia Benjamin – Pursuance: The Coltranes

Lakecia Benjamin Pursuance: The Coltranes (Ropeadope) The grand tradition of reinterpreting and bringing to life the music of famous composers past has indeed been done countless times in the history of recorded jazz. Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington springs to mind, Monk’s reimagining of classic big band tunes arranged for a simple trio have since […]

1 March 2020

Album Review: Ian Shaw/Iain Ballamy/Jamie Safir – What’s New

Ian Shaw/Iain Ballamy/Jamie Safir What’s New (Silent Wish SWRCD1) A simple proposition, simply delivered – a programme of evergreen standards performed by the UK’s leading specialist in such matters, backed by his regular accompanist and, for good measure, further enriched by one of our most acclaimed tenor players. Shaw and Ballamy are very well matched: […]

1 March 2020

Album Review: The Goods Project – My Left Hand Man

The Goods Project My Left Hand Man (Richman Music) UK listeners may not be familiar with Richie Goods’ name, and more shame them, as he’s amassed a truly remarkable CV that includes work with everyone from Milt Jackson, Russell Malone, Vincent Herring, the Manhattan Transfer and Walter Beasley to Brian McKnight, DJ Jazzy Jeff & […]

1 March 2020

Album Review: Alabaster DePlume – To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1

Alabaster DePlume To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 (International Anthem IARC0030) London-by-Manchester and spoken word-by-jazz musician Alabaster DePlume visits a collection of instrumentals from various settings and situations. It’s aspirational music, in the sense of breathing in and out – arrangements are loose but by no means sloppy, and the compositions are largely unhurried […]

1 February 2020

Album Review: Terry Pack’s Trees – Into the Woods

Terry Pack’s Trees Into The Woods (New Leaf NL 001) For those of you who are unfamiliar with ‘Trees’ Big Band it is a contemporary jazz orchestra led by bassist, composer, arranger and orchestrator Terry Pack containing some of the finest jazz musicians from South East England and beyond. Back in 2017 they launched their […]

1 February 2020

Album Review: Binking Golding – Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers

Binker Golding Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers (Gearbox  GB1555) Binker Golding constantly confounds expectations. His duo act with Moses Boyd opened the doors to TV appearances and international touring with its raw yet accessible streetwise distillation of beats and melody: his role as sideman with Mr Jukes and Zara McFarlane might lead some […]

1 December 2019

Album Review: Calum Gourlay – New Ears

Calum Gourlay Quartet New Ears (Ubuntu – UBU0043) Dark hues prevail in this bass-led project, with the higher register of Helena Kay’s precise, clear-toned tenor and drummer du jour James Maddren’s restless, polyrhythmic cymbal patterns providing the upper frequencies over the rich low end of bass and trombone. Gourlay is a mainstay of the London […]

You are here: Page 1