Kevin Figes Quartet: Changing Times review – constantly fascinating
The multi-instrumentalist’s latest quartet recording is a mind-expanding feast for the ears
Jo Harrop and Jamie McCredie: Weathering the Storm review – they get everything right
This north-east duo’s debut captivates from beginning to end
Whit Dickey Trio: Expanding Light review – pin-sharp free jazz finds new heat
Drummer Dickey, saxophonist Rob Brown and bassist Brandon Lopez entwine in tidal ebbs and flows
Don Vappie & Jazz Créole: The Blue Book of Storyville review – delicate rhythm and banjo
The New Orleans banjo maestro goes back to his roots
Tom Green Septet: Tipping Point review – seamless flow
In the freelance world of British jazz, a band that manages to stay in existence long enough to record its second album is something of a rarity. But these seven musicians virtually grew up together, musically at any rate, having … Continue reading
Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur: To the Earth review – eloquent and spirited
The British trumpeter’s third album with her Dinosaur quartet hooks your attention with the very first chord
Santrofi: Alewa review – a welcome return for Ghanaian highlife
Thanks to the lasting influence of the late Fela Kuti, Nigerian Afrobeat has enjoyed a recent resurgence in the west while its close cousin, Ghanaian highlife, has slipped off the radar, despite dominating west Africa in the era following the … Continue reading
Kurt Elling: Secrets Are the Best Stories review – oblique brilliance
The ‘voice in a million’ tackles another clutch of contemporary issues with help from a few talented friends
Lea Bertucci: Acoustic Shadows review – mesmeric 4D sound
This musical piece of civil engineering was assembled from recordings made under a bridge in Cologne
Stefano Bollani: Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar review – jazz virtuosity driven by teenage love
Bollani treats his youthful obsession – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock musical – with a respect that does not limit his inventiveness
Shabaka and the Ancestors: We Are Sent Here By History review – shamanic lyricism
Fronting three different groups may seem like hubris, but the energy and vision of London-based saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings is not easily contained. This second album from his alliance with assorted South African musicians is both calmer and more ominous than … Continue reading
Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Johnathan Blake: Without Deception review – an outstanding trio
In jazz, there are pianists with bass and drums accompaniment and there are piano trios. They look the same on stage, but there is a world of difference between the two and it boils down to rapport. Pianist Kenny Barron, … Continue reading
Sam Gendel: Satin Doll review – a searing new language for sax
NonesuchThe risk-taking Californian pushes the boat out to glorious extremes in this collection of reinterpretations of jazz standards
Jamie Cullum review – fun genre rampage from self-doubting showman
Although some routines are getting well-worn, Cullum hops between hip-hop, crooning and one-liners with aplomb