jazz
A buyers’ guide to Steely Dan 1972-1980
I disagree with Steely Dan. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that during the period of 1972 – 1980, they released some of the finest albums of that era, and in Walter Becker and Donald Fagen had one of the finest songwriting duos to …
Track: Portico Quartet – Endless
Portico Quartet have revealed a new track “Endless” ahead of their forthcoming album “Art in the Age of Automation”. Minimal beats and industrial soundscapes gradually peal pack to reveal a warm sensuous soundscape. The blend of live instrumentation and electronics combined with the industrial theme harks back to electronica pioneers such as Basil Kirchin, but …
Album Review: Colin Stetson – All This I Do For Glory
Well, this is some way from “a man shouting into a hoover bag full of saxophones”. I can’t remember who described one of the tracks from Stetson’s ‘New History Warfare: Vol 3’ in that way, but it had me scooting down the record shop. It was an accurate description of one of the tracks (Stetson …
Album Review: Thundercat – Drunk
Driving home from picking up my son at school the other day we were listening to Flying Lotus’ Until The Quiet Comes. I looked over to my son and said “What I love about this music is that it’s a perfect mix of woozy trip hop, groovy hip hop, and complex jazz chord structures.” My …
Meet: Moses Boyd ahead of the Jazz Re:Freshed showcase at SXSW
After stamping their authority on the British jazz scene, which appears to be as bright and as relevent as it has in a lonng time, some of the UK biggest talent are heading over to this years SXSW for arts organisation Jazz re:freshed showcase.Industry heavyweights including Don Was (Blue Note), Gennaro Castaldo (Director of Communications, …
Track: Philippe Baden Powell – Chica
‘Chica’ is taken from the new album from French / Brazilian pianist’s new album, his first for Far Out Recordings, which drops on March 24th on heavyweight vinyl, extended ten track CD + digitally. The son of Brazilian musical legend Baden Powell de Aquino (you recognised the name, right?) who, according to Philippe “transmitted to …
News: Belle & Sebastian to headline BBC 6 Music Festival in Glasgow
As the BBC 6 Music Festival prepares to make its Glasgow debut, local stars Belle & Sebastian are announced as headliners. As one of Glasgow’s most loved bands, it’s fitting that Belle & Sebastian are topping the bill on the last night of the BBC 6 Music Festival on Sunday 26 March at the O2 …
See: Colin Stetson releases video for Spindrift
Leather-lunged sax-botherer Colin Stetson is back, back, back! Er, OK then. Stetson whose last release, Sorrow, was a ‘re-imagining’ of Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3, is back building his wonderful layered avant-garde sax noise. Live he hits like a one-man Swans. On record he’s subtler, but still reliant on drones and repetition. Spindrift is a track …
Track: Thundercat – Friend Zone
Just in time for Valentines Day, Thundercat – aka grammy award winning bassist and singer Stephen Bruner, has released a new track, Friend Zone, from his forthcoming third full-length record, Drunk, which drops via Brainfeeder on February 24th. For the 23-track track journey, Thundercat has enlisted a team of intrepid adventurers to go with him, …
Premiere: Pocket Dragon reveal video for new single ‘Vagabond Capulet’
Five piece alternative Funk / jazz band Pocket Dragon have just announced a new double A side single ‘35 Degrees’/‘Vagabond Capulet’. It sees the band, who have been honing their skills both in the studio and playing at the likes of Cheltenham and Cambridge jazz festival give their neo-soul/fusion funk even more of a twist. …