John Parry, Author at Backseat Mafia

Album Review: James Yorkston and the Second Hand Orchestra – The Wide, Wide River

Warm, natural, humorous, gentle, empathic ….all words that justifiably get bandied about in the scrabble to describe James Yorkston’s music. What’s often overlooked is his continued pursuit of different pathways…

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Album Review: Casper Clausen – Better Way

For a musician who usually takes a studious approach to making records, Casper Clausen’s new album ‘Better Way’ (available via City Slang from January 9th) could almost be seen as…

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EP: Mylow – Voyager

Founded by the Berlin band Jazzanova, the Sonar Kollectiv label has been steadily releasing enticing music of the nu-jazz/dance/electronica blend for over 20 years now. So any new name that…

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Track: Benjamin Lazar Davis releases new track ‘What if I’

You may have picked up on Benjamin Lazar Davis from his 2018 debut ‘Nothing Matters’, an impressively carefree collection of contemporary song-writing, rhythmic heartbeats and lush musical landscapes. Or maybe…

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Salami Rose Joe Louis – new track ‘We’re Dumb’ and album ‘Chapters of Zdenka’

It fits that Lindsay Olsen, aka. Salami Rose Joe Louis, used to be a scientist. Her music commits to questions and experiments, probing the possibilities of out-there pop with a…

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Live Review: Gwilym Simcock, London Jazz Festival – 606 Club live stream 19.11.20

One of the quirky things about reviewing live streams for BSM during the London Jazz Festival week is that it has actually begun to feel that I’ve been going to…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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