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UK Jazz News
UK Jazz News — formerly LondonJazz News — was started in 2009, and now involves a substantial team of contributors and helpers. The website publishes a daily flow of news, previews, reviews and interviews, with occasionally up to 80 new pieces per month during peak seasons and a record of 11 on a single day. The unmediated voice of the musician is a feature. One commentator wrote: “LJN has given musicians a voice in the jazz press.” The site provides what has been called “the most in-depth local jazz coverage on the planet” — The Jazz Line (May 2013).
Parents In Jazz (104): Liam Noble – London Jazz News
For more than two decades pianist Liam Noble has been a key figure on the vibrant British Jazz scene, both as a sideman and leader. He has collaborated with musicians including Dave Liebman, Tim Berne, Tom Herbert and Seb Rochford. Liam’s growing reputation as a free improviser has also resulted in performances with Mary Halverson,…
Mondays with Morgan: Louis Marks and Fabian Brown – Ropeadope at 25 – London Jazz News
The following is an interview between jazz journalist Morgan Enos and Ropeadope’s CEO, Louis Marks, and president, Fabian Brown. The pair are ringing in the anniversary of this multifarious label with a scrolling multimedia documentary, a series of panel discussions, and much more. For more information on Ropeadope at 25, click the link at the…
Shabaka – ‘Now’s the Time’ at the Royal Festival Hall, 30 Nov. – London Jazz News
Shabaka, who will be at the Royal Festival Hall on 30 November, is "an emblematic artist for the age." Feature by Phil Johnson Shabaka. Photo credit Lauren Luxenburg Much of the well-deserved attention for ‘Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace’, the debut solo album by Shabaka - the artist previously known as Shabaka Hutchings -…
Down for the Count Swing Orchestra, Cadogan Hall, 12 October – London Jazz News
"Our aim is that when audiences leave, they feel like they know us and that they'll come back and see us again." Top UK swing orchestra Down for the Count is returning to Cadogan Hall with an iconic show on 12 October. Lovers of the golden era of jazz are in for a treat, as 'Down for the Count' include a 12-piece string…
Pete Allen Jazz Band at Pizza Express, 27 Nov. – London Jazz News
At Pizza Express in Dean Street on 27 November, the audience will experience "a very special one-off appearance by the Pete Allen Jazz Band….whole-hearted ensemble playing, and confident, out-going solo work, a driving rhythm section, some sparky vocals, and a sense of everything being right in the world… even if it isn’t!" Preview feature by…
Tord Gustavsen Trio – ‘Seeing’ – London Jazz News
Tord Gustavsen Trio - Seeing (ECM 2820 / 6516879. Album review by Phil Johnson) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Admirers of Tord Gustavsen’s breakthrough series of trio albums beginning with the inspired ECM debut, Changing Places in 2003, will find much to please them in this very enjoyable continued return to the format.…
Benoit Viellefon and his Hot Club: ‘Out of Dates (Live)’ album launch) in Hove, 10 Oct. – London Jazz News
On Thursday 10 October, French guitarist / singer / band leader Benoit Viellefon is launching his new album Out of Dates at The Brunswick, Hove with a concert by his Hot Club. Preview feature by Jane Mann Benoit Viellefon. Photo credit: Daniel Escalé Benoit Viellefon, originally from Northern France, has led various bands since arriving…
The Kris Davis Trio – ‘Run the Gauntlet’ – London Jazz News
The Kris Davis Trio featuring Robert Hurst and Johnathan Blake - Run The Gauntlet In the 20 years since pianist composer Kris Davis released her debut album Lifespan, she has been the lead/co-lead on more than 30 albums, and has featured in the credits of well over 100 more. Davis has now put a trio…
Louis Stewart & Jim Hall – ‘The Dublin Concert, rec. 1982 – London Jazz News
Louis Stewart & Jim Hall - The Dublin Concert(Livia Records LRCD2402. CD review by Julian Maynard-Smith) Since 2023, Livia Records have meticulously restored and re-released three Louis Stewart albums: Some Other Blues, Out On His Own and Louis the First. Now they’ve released a rarity that will surely have jazz-guitar fans salivating: a cleaned-up and…
Ezra Collective – ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’ – London Jazz News
Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching (Partisan Records. Album review by Andrew Taylor-Dawson) The release of Dance, No One’s Watching sees London quintet Ezra Collective riding the crest of a wave of popularity that started building in 2018. Their last album Where I’m Meant to Be took them to places few thought a UK…
Tigran Hamasyan: new album ‘The Bird of a Thousand Voices’ – London Jazz News
“This story tells me that if we wish to change the world, we will all need to change individually. I feel it’s time to tell this tale, with its universal message of spiritual awakening.” Tigran Hamasyan's new double album, The Bird of a Thousand Voices is a deeply personal project which pulls together many strands…
Tommy Smith & John Taylor – ‘Love Unrequited’, rec. 2003 – London Jazz News
Tommy Smith & John Taylor - Love Unrequited(Available from Bandcamp. Download Review by Patrick Hadfield) Recorded in New York at the same time as saxophonist Tommy Smith's 2003 release Evolution, on which pianist John Taylor also appears, Love Unrequited is a collection of four standards plus "Pure Imagination", from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and one spontaneous improvisation. A…
Rob Cope’s ‘Gemini’ at Sandbach Concert Series – London Jazz News
Rob Cope’s ‘Gemini’ (St Mary’s Hall. Sandbach Concert Series. 25 September 2024. Review by John Quinn) Andy Scott and Rob Cope with Liam Noble (partly hidden). Photo by John Quinn This performance by Rob Cope’s ‘Gemini’ was the second half of the opening concert of the 15th series of concerts in Sandbach. Originally setup in…
25 September 2024 – London Jazz News
READ ELSEWHERE Legendary saxophonist Benny Golson (RIP) is memorialised in the New York Times - read more Richard Williams recommends part one of Brad Mehldau's new autobiography, Formation: Building a Personal Cannon, in his latest Blue Moment blog - read more Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's new album celebrating the Max…
Claire Martin – new album ‘Almost in Your Arms’ – London Jazz News
"Almost in Your Arms is a ravishing album — adroit, surefooted and masterful." Claire Martin's new album, with her Swedish trio of Martin Sjöstedt (piano/arranger), Niklas Fernqvist (bass) and Daniel Fredriksson (drums), is released on Stunt Records on 27 September. Feature by Andrew Cartmel, If there’s jazz royalty in Britain, Claire Martin OBE is definitely ermine…
Claire Cope’s Ensemble C at the Vortex – London Jazz News
Brigitte Beraha (foreground) and Ensemble C. Photo credit Rob Blackham Claire Cope’s Ensemble C: ‘Every Journey’ album preview(Vortex Jazz Club, Gillett Square, London. 11 September 2024. Review by Julian Maynard-Smith) ‘So nice to see a busy room,’ said pianist and composer Claire Cope after her eleven-piece ensemble had played their first piece, the eponymous ‘Every…
Joel Frahm Trio – ‘Lumination’ – London Jazz News
Joel Frahm Trio – Lumination(Anzic Records ANZ-0091. Album review by Charles Rees - SEE FULL LIST OF UK/EUROPEAN TOUR DATES 28 SEP-6 OCT BELOW) Joel Frahm is one of the world's most accomplished saxophonists, recognisable early in his career for a style akin to Johnny Griffin, and later praised for his work in singer Jane…
Parents In Jazz (103): Cat Henry – London Jazz News
Cat Henry is a British-American creative producer specializing in the visioning and planning of concerts, tours, and public programs. Curator of jazz programs for Hudson Hall, she previously curated concerts for MoMA Summergarden: New Music for New York, from 2005-2015, featuring composers such as Henry Threadgill, Myra Melford, and Don Byron, and produced the inaugural…
Mondays with Morgan: Simon Moullier – new album ‘Elements of Light’ – London Jazz News
The following is jazz journalist Morgan Enos’s interview with vibraphonist, composer, arranger, and producer Simon Moullier. His new album Elements of Light, released 20 September, features his quartet - pianist Lex Korten, bassist Rick Rosato, and drummer Jongkuk “JK” Kim - as well as guest pianist Gerald Clayton ('Elements of Light') and guest trumpeter Marquis…
Patricia Brennan Septet – ‘Breaking Stretch’ – London Jazz News
Patricia Brennan Septet - Breaking Stretch(Pyroclastic Records. Review by Tony Dudley-Evans) Patricia Brennan is a vibes and marimba player originally from Veracruz in Mexico who has spent the last 20 years in the USA. For her latest album she has added three horns - trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and saxophonists, Jon Irabagon and Mark Shim -…
Raffy Bushman – ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’ – London Jazz News
Raffy Bushman – Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Bridge The Gap. Album review by Andrew Taylor-Dawson) Among aficionados of contemporary UK jazz, Raffy Bushman is something of a cult figure. He has developed a serious reputation, particularly among other musicians, having been musical director of the influential Unit 31, a precursor to the likes of the…
Arun Ramamurthy Trio – ‘New Moon’ – London Jazz News
Arun Ramamurthy Trio - New Moon(Greenleaf Music. Album review by Jon Turney) This second recording from violinist Arun Ramamurthy’s trio sees him stretching himself compositionally, the set centring on a four-part suite which explores the Brooklyn-born player’s Indian roots. Although raised in the US (New Jersey), Ramamurthy is steeped in the Carnatic tradition of Indian…
Elaine Delmar- ‘Speak Low’ – London Jazz News
Elaine Delmar- Speak Low(Ubuntu Music. UBUO165CD. Album review by Frank Griffith) Fabled British singer Elaine Delmar's first album in several years, Speak Low (as Elaine writes on the liner note) "is a selection of my favourite songs, arranged by some of my wonderful colleagues and collaborators past and present". A fine selection it is too…
Zomerjazzfietstour 2024, Groningen, Netherlands – London Jazz News
Zomerjazzfietstour, Groningen, 30-31 August 2024, Report by Oliver Weindling Han Bennink and Ingrid Laubrock. Photo Willem_Schwertmann Artists: * Han Bennink, Ingrid Laubrock, Marta Warelis* Christophe Monniot /Didier Ithursarry* Kuhn Fu (Christoph Kühn, Tobias Delius, Frank Gratkowski, John Dikeman, Ziv Taubenfeld)* Julie Sassoon Quartet with Lothar Ohlmeier, Rudy Fischerlehner, Meinrad Kneer* Max Andrzejewski, Camila Nebbia /James…
Southbank Centre + Montreux Jazz Festival: New Three-Year Creative Partnership – London Jazz News
Montreux Jazz Festival and the Southbank Centre. Photo credits: Markus Schweizer - creative commons / Southbank Centre Sebastian writes: The Season Press Launch today at the Southbank Centre contained an announcement that the Montreux Jazz Festival will be embarking on its first partnership in the UK. The first manifestation of this initiative will be an…
Alan Barnes, David Newton – ‘ ‘Tis Autumn’ – London Jazz News
Alan Barnes, David Newton - ‘Tis Autumn(Woodville Records WVCD154 BBC - review by Len Weinreich) Be warned. If you’re the sort of fan who prefers jazz performances in-your-face bristling with high octane aggression, go elsewhere.Because, when two veteran virtuosi, Alan Barnes on a selection of reeds and David Newton on piano (combined ages totalling 131…
Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado – ‘Za Górami’ – London Jazz News
Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado - Za Górami(ECM 2810/6512008. Album review by Phil Johnson) This debut release by the sui generis trio of Alice Zawadzki (voice, violin), Fred Thomas (piano, vielle, drums) and Misha Mullov-Abbado (double bass) is an enticing yet resolutely high-toned survey of songs from varying traditions, including the lost language of…
Billy Marrows ‘A Grande Familia’ band at the Vortex – London Jazz News
Billy Marrows ‘A Grande Familia’ band (The Vortex, Dalston. 13 September 2024. Review by Sam Norris) A Grande Familia Band a the Vortex. Photo credit Jack Wilson London-based guitarist and composer Billy Marrows has a knack for choosing song names. His debut album, named for his late mum Penelope (Penny), is full of great ones,…
Nico Widdowson wins Musicians’ Company Tina May Young Jazz Musician of the Year Competition 2024 – London Jazz News
The Winner of the Musicians’ Company Tina May Young Jazz Musician of the Year Competition 2024, held at Pizza Express Dean Street last night, was pianist Nico Widdowson, originally from Leeds. The Hon Richard Lyttelton presenting the award to Nico Widdowson.Photo credit: Jonny Beament The other Finalists were:Kieland Sheard bassMatt Holmes drumsHelena Kay tenor sax…
Mondays with Morgan: Marquis Hill – new album ‘Composers Collective: Beyond the Jukebox’ – London Jazz News
The following is jazz journalist Morgan Enos’ interview with trumpeter, composer and bandleader Marquis Hill. Hill's new album, Composers Collective: Beyond the Jukebox, was released 30 August. It features Hill’s core quintet: vibraphonist Joel Ross; pianist Michael King; bassist Junius Paul; and drummer Corey Fonville, as well as guests - pianist Gerald Clayton; drummer Makaya…
Loz Speyer’s Inner Space at 1000 Trades, Birmingham – London Jazz News
Loz Speyer’s Inner Space (1000 Trades, Birmingham. 13 September 2024. Review by Jon Turney) Loz Speyer. Photo credit Brian Homer Three recordings in 20 years for Inner Space, one of the two principal groups led by London-based trumpeter Loz Speyer, indicates a patient cultivation of their art. And the way that the group sound remains…
18 September 2024 – London Jazz News
READ ELSEWHERE Bassist and veteran sideman Herbie Flowers (RIP) is remembered by John Keenan in the Guardian - read more “My favourite new artist”: Rick Beato interviews and recommends London-based singer-songwriter Hohnen Ford (Ella Hohnen-Ford) - watch THE DAYS/WEEKS AHEAD 1) Live gigs Wednesday 18 September ECCM pianist Giovanni Guidi is at Gallery Rosenfeld 37 Rathbone…
‘The Drawing Room After Dark’ at Brown’s Hotel, W1. New jazz series starting 1 Oct. – London Jazz News
Sebastian writes: Brown’s Hotel has been called the jewel in the crown of luxury hotels in London. ...and on Tuesdays to Thursday evenings from 1 October to 19 December, its welcoming Drawing Room, which is normally known as one of the poshest places in the world to have afternoon tea... is going to be alchemically…
Parents In Jazz (102): Ulysses Owens Jr. – London Jazz News
Ulysses Owens Jr. is a drummer, educator and producer. ulysses Owens Jr. Photo credit Felicia Bass As a bandleader, he has performed internationally and recorded albums with big bands and smaller ensembles. His most recent album, “A New Beat”, features his Generation Y quintet and is modelled on bands like Art Blakey and the Jazz…
Reinier Baas & Ben van Gelder – ‘This Is Water’ – London Jazz News
Reinier Baas & Ben van Gelder – This Is Water(DoYouMInd? Records. Album review by Dick Hovenga*) It is always sheer delight to see and hear alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder and guitarist Reinier Bass. This is jazz without the brakes. Adventurous, challenging, unpredictable, the arrangements have a richness about them, and everything is played with…
Neil Cowley Trio — ‘Entity’ – London Jazz News
Neil Cowley Trio — Entity(Naim/Hide Inside Records HIDECD003. Album review by Bruce Lindsay) Seven years. It doesn’t seem likely, but it is, indeed, seven years since the Neil Cowley Trio decided to take a break, a short while after releasing Spacebound Apes. Now the trio has returned, with Entity, and it’s extremely good to have…
Paradise Cinema – ‘returning, dream’ – London Jazz News
Paradise Cinema/ Jack Wyllie – returning, dream(Gondwana Records. Review by Andrew Taylor-Dawson) Four years after their debut, Paradise Cinema return with another genre blending project on ‘returning, dream’. This eight-track set features many of the hallmarks of that 2020 album, with dense West-African polyrhythms, cycling drones and a penchant for blending sounds and influences. Leader…
Mondays with Morgan: Dave Holland’s residency at Smoke Jazz Club – London Jazz News
The following is a review of revered bassist Dave Holland’s debut as a leader at Smoke Jazz Club in New York City. His “New Quartet” featured alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Kris Davis, and drummer Nasheet Waits. Holland's New Quartet playing at Smoke Jazz Club. Photo courtesy of Morgan Enos. “They’re all musicians that I’ve had a chance to…
The Jazz Repertory Company presents ‘Jazz in New York: The 1930s’. Cadogan Hall, 29 Sept. – London Jazz News
The Jazz Repertory Company will present 'Jazz in New York: The 1930s', with Kerry Shale as presenter, and Vimala Rowe performing the songs of Billie Holiday, at Cadogan Hall, on Sunday 29 September at 6:30pm. Feature by Richard Pite (*) Vimala Rowe, who is performing the songs of Billie HolidayPhoto credit Charlotte Baladi Richard Pite…