world jazz Archives - Backseat Mafia

Album Review: Lophae –‘Imagine More’: Another instalment of lyrical, melodic, shape-shifting jazz from the London quartet.

Now here’s something to hunker down with, ‘Imagine More’, a second instalment from new(ish) London jazz quartet Lophae. That’s a logical title for a follow up to the combo’s acclaimed…

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Album Review: Matters Unknown – ‘Silhouettes: A Dream Sphere Journal’ EP’: enriching nu-jazz, poignant and powerful.

Trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Enser is possibly best known as a key member of pioneering global beat collective Nubiyan Twist but away from that thriving collective he’s sculpting his own…

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Album Review : Peter Somuah –‘Highlife’ : A punchy and profound afro-jazz fusion story .

Sometimes ‘world jazz’ or ‘world fusion’ comes across as primarily a musical endeavour. Yes the results have been seminal and spectacular. No-one would question the significance of the ethno-jazz explorations…

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Album Review : Bill Laurance & Michael League – ‘Keeping Company’ : Understated but stunning second album from the Snarky Puppy stalwarts.

And it all began in Leeds in the noughties. Bill Laurance newly graduated from the Uni and trying to earn his crust around the city’s music scene met Michael League,…

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Album Review: Parisian fusion combo Monsieur MÂLÂ deliver a self-titled debut brim-full with energy and ambition.

World Jazz/Jazz Fusion/World Fusion…you sometimes wonder if the genre game is really worth playing. Yes useful for shorthand and signposts but not to be depended on to for the full…

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