Scott Hamilton Quartet: Danish Ballads… & More review – truly great tenor sax

A selection of Danish folk tunes, movie themes, cabaret songs and jazz numbers, played by a truly great tenor saxophonist. Scott Hamilton has been based in Europe (first London, now Florence) for around 20 years. He has his regular venues … Continue reading →

North Sea jazz festival review – all tastes catered for as old meets new

From Anita Baker to Abdullah Ibrahim, legends stole the show at the world’s largest indoor jazz festival

Laura Jurd: Stepping Back, Jumping in review – live-wire trumpeter’s jumble of textures

Another stylistic reinvention from the esteemed trumpeter moves from strident minimalism to orchestrated chaos and fidgety folk

Alan Barnes + Eleven: 60th Birthday Celebration review – happy returns all round

It was only after thinking back to all the albums he’s made, awards he’s won and gigs he’s enlivened, that I concluded it must be true: Alan Barnes, the earthly Peter Pan of British jazz, reaches his 60th birthday this … Continue reading →

Love Supreme festival – mindful, vivacious, beguiling: jazz in infinite variety

From Chick Corea and Jimmy Cliff to Theon Cross, musicians known and new entertained a record 50,000 people

William Parker/In Order to Survive: ShapeShifter Live review – rattlingly rebellious avant-garde jazz

The quietly distinguished bassist steers his talented band through a dynamic fusion of classic and contemporary in this live set

Jeff Goldblum at Glastonbury 2019 review – lounge lizard turns on the charm

He may not be the world’s greatest pianist, but the Hollywood star’s charisma more than makes up for it

Tony Bennett review – a poignant voice for the ages

Advancing years have altered the tone of the singer’s celebrated voice, but not its power, and song references to passing time prove intensely soul-stirring

Andrew Oliver and David Horniblow: The Complete Morton Project – the joy of Jelly Roll

“Have you seen those two guys on YouTube? They’re fantastic!” The word got round last year about pianist Andrew Oliver and clarinettist David Horniblow, who had set themselves the apparently lunatic task of learning all the 94 compositions of Ferdinand … Continue reading →

Georgia Anne Muldrow: Vweto II review – kaleidoscopic, sunshine timewarp jazz

A sprawling, funky blur of past musical references, through a 2050 filter, Muldrow is never done experimenting

Fred Hersch & the WDR Big Band: Begin Again review – lyrical and terrifying

When the conversation turns to contemporary jazz pianists, the name of Fred Hersch is apt to be left out. Not because he’s unknown – far from it – but because his constant, undemonstrative presence is too often taken for granted. … Continue reading →

Tori Freestone Trio: El Mar de Nubes review – tenor sax player’s inventive, pliant trio

The third album from this impressive trio shows formidable range, balancing free-jazz delicacy and bite

Alan Broadbent Trio: New York Notes review – joyful twists and turns

When listening to this, you may imagine that your ears have become just a little sharper. That’s how hearing Alan Broadbent’s piano playing often strikes me anyway. It’s because of the briskness and clarity of his technique, of course, but … Continue reading →

Flying Lotus: Flamagra review – stuck in a cosmic time-warp

Steven “FlyLo” Ellison usually releases an album of his collapsed nu-jazz every other year to roaring acclaim, but has spent much of the past half-decade producing for Kendrick, mentoring Thundercat and rowing back his imbecilic defence of alleged rapist the … Continue reading →

Flying Lotus: Flamagra review – cosmic voyager’s cartoonish cinematic vision

Boasting collabs with everyone from David Lynch to Tierra Whack, it sounds as if FlyLo has written a film soundtrack on his sixth album