Album Review: Tori Handsley – ‘As We Stand’
FOREVER associated with folklore whimsy, celestial mystery and the delicate songstress, maybe the harp will always have an image problem? Of course in jazz there have inevitably been those who have been able to shove this immovable object away from its own clichés – think the improvisational drive of Dorothy Ashby or spiritual lift of …
Live Review: Tenderlonious, London Jazz Festival: Shoreditch Town Hall, November 22nd
So the last night of the London Jazz festival and you can imagine what might have been in the unrestricted freedom of pre-COVID times. Tenderlonious and chums playing a selection of earthy, energetic jazz funk from across the 22a catalogue to a jumping crowd rammed into the grand Victoriana of Shoreditch Town Hall. Sadly for …
Live Review: Binker Golding, London Jazz Festival, King’s Place – 21.11.20
Even before saxophonist Binker Golding’s streamed show at King’s Place on Saturday night, we knew we were in for something a little bit out – there. The pre-show blurb had cautioned ‘expect the conventional boundaries of jazz to be pushed…’and came with a health warning ‘Please note, the ensemble will not be playing material from …
Live Review: Dinosaur – London Jazz Festival, Kings Place 15.11.20
It’s amazing when you realise that trumpet player and composer Laura Jurd and her Dinosaur buddies, Elliott Galvin (keys), Corrie Dick (drums) and Conor Chaplin (bass) have been making music together for a decade now. Three albums in and one Mercury Prize nomination down, they’ve been through the ‘bright new things’ experience, ruffled attention within …
Live Review: SEED Ensemble & Guests- Celebrating Pharoah Sanders 14 /11/20 London Barbican
‘Jazz is cool’ must have been the mantra that the London Jazz Festival organisers offered up many times over the past few turbulent months as they tried maintain calm and keep the 2020 event afloat. In September they announced an ambitious mixed programme of live gigs and streamed events in a determined effort to retain …
Track: James Yorkston- Upcoming album ‘The Wide,Wide River’ + preview track ‘Struggle’
Warm, natural, humorous, gentle, empathic ….all words that justifiably get bandied about in the scrabble to describe James Yorkston’s music. What is often overlooked is his calm navigation of different pathways around the songwriting landscape, quietly opening the gate onto something new. He’s worked with Kieran Hebden, Simon Raymonde, Rustin Man and Alexis Taylor over …
NEWS: London Jazz Festival moves online – schedule updates
LIKE the music itself, the London Jazz Festival, which runs from November 13th to 22nd, just refuses to be silent. A month ago we brought you news of the ambitious mixed programme of live gigs and streamed events … and then lockdown 2 descended. Daunted but not defeated, the festival organisers have reconfigured the programme …
Album Review: Emily Kuhn – Sky Stories
New jazz… Chicago… must be another International Anthem release right? Well no, this is something from outside that powerhouse, the debut by Emily Kuhn, trumpet player out now on the BACE records. As a label BACE has been steadily releasing music from the jazz-tinged, electronic, experimental, post-rock whirlpool for a couple of years now and …
EP: Oscar Jerome- Breathe Deep Remixes
Although it’s been robbed of its live connection this year, the UK Nu- jazz train has kept up the momentum with a roll of dynamic and defining releases. Oscar Jerome’s ‘Breathe Deep’ album was one of those touchstones. It saw the KOKOROKO guitarist and super collaborator (with buddies like Shabaka Hutchings, Moses Boyd and Yussef …
Album review: Ane Brun – ‘After The Great Storm’
HUMILITY, honesty and heart are three key elements of Norwegian singer/songwriter Ane Brun’s music. With a voice that puts you within emotional touching distance plus an eye for visuals that demand attention, each release since her debut in 2003 has marked a restless need to refine, reflect and tell truths. Yet since 2017’s exquisite collection …