Latest stories
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John Coltrane - Blue Train
29th Sep 2026
Marking John Coltrane’s centenary, this review revisits Blue Train, the 1957 hard-bop landmark recorded as he emerged from personal crisis and found renewed artistic focus. Joined by Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller and a formidable rhythm section, Coltrane pushes familiar blues and bebop structures towards the harmonic breakthroughs soon to follow.
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Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue
23rd Sep 2026
Bobby Hutcherson’s first released album as leader places the young vibraphonist alongside Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers, Andrew Hill, Richard Davis and Joe Chambers. Moving between hard bop and the avant-garde, Dialogue combines angular rhythms, shadowed blues and collective improvisation in a remarkably assured statement from Blue Note’s exploratory mid-1960s period.
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Branford Marsalis Quartet - Dedicated to You
18th Sep 2026
Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves revisit the standards from John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman without attempting to recreate it. Reeves brings rhythmic freedom and poise, while Marsalis’s quartet balances spacious vocal arrangements with tougher instrumental pieces. Polished but never merely reverential, Dedicated to You honours Coltrane by allowing his music to support a distinct new partnership.
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Lee Morgan
16th Sep 2026
Lee Morgan helped define hard bop with his brilliant technique, blues-rooted phrasing and unmistakable swagger. Exploring eight essential recordings, from the early sessions, through the soul-jazz breakthrough of The Sidewinder, to the adventurous Live at the Lighthouse, this guide traces his development into an increasingly ambitious composer, improviser and distinctive bandleader.
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The Myth We Choose - Nduduzo Makhathini
3rd Jul 2026
A deeply spiritual and richly collaborative release, The Myth We Choose finds the pianist and composer weaving jazz, Zulu philosophy, and fearless improvisation into one of his most compelling statements yet.
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The Sidewinder – Lee Morgan
20th May 2026
Lee Morgan's 1963 masterpiece, The Sidewinder, revitalised Blue Note Records with its infectious title track. Blending hard bop with soul-jazz and boogaloo rhythms, it remains a definitive, high-energy jazz classic.
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Gabrielle Cavassa - Diavola
1st May 2026
The vocalist makes her debut on the prestigious Blue Note label, blending captivating originals alongside carefully crafted arrangements.
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Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 1
20th Mar 2026
The young saxophonist releases the first volume of three to come this year, with recordings taken from his live performances at New York’s Village Vanguard.
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Bill Frisell - In My Dreams
6th Mar 2026
Inspired by a pivotal dream that transformed how he understood music, the guitarist releases his latest album alongside his favourite musicians.
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Julian Lage - Scenes From Above
23rd Jan 2026
Scenes from Above demonstrates Julian Lage’s expansive range as a performer and writer, bringing a new quartet to the table, each with their own unique voice that excels on the bandleaders’ fifth Blue Note release.
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Out Of/Into - Motion II
5th Dec 2025
Blue Note’s celebrated supergroup, created for their 85th anniversary, returns with their follow-up album featuring a collection of originals recorded during their anniversary tour.
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Dexter Gordon - Our Man In Paris
19th Nov 2025
Dexter Gordon’s 1963 bebop classic Our Man In Paris showcases Gordon and his associates at their finest. Recorded in Paris with Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke and Pierre Michelot, the album features Gordon’s unmistakably robust tenor saxophone alongside the ensemble.
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Aaron Parks - By All Means
7th Nov 2025
The pianist explores the traditional sounds of mid-century jazz in his new quartet album, inspired by the likes of Duke Ellington, Wayne Shorter, and Kenny Wheeler.
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Charles Lloyd - Figure In Blue
31st Oct 2025
At eighty-seven, the pioneering saxophonist reveals his latest album featuring new trio members Jason Moran on piano and Marvin Sewell on guitar.
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Harold López-Nussa - Nueva Timba
5th Sep 2025
The Havana-born pianist returns with the follow-up to his Blue Note debut, continuing his journey chronicling and reimagining the Latin music of Cuba.
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Paul Cornish - You're Exaggerating!
22nd Aug 2025
A new resident on the Blue Note block joins the label’s roster with a contemporary trio album that blends the avant-garde and the lyrical.
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Freddie Hubbard & Woody Shaw - The Eternal Triangle
7th Aug 2025
A high-octane Blue Note release showcases the masterful playing of trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw, supported by a dynamic rhythm section.
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Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Shack
28th May 2025
Back at the Chicken Shack is a landmark 1963 soul jazz album, showcasing the virtuosic Hammond organ talents of Jimmy Smith. Performing alongside Stanley Turrentine and Kenny Burrell, this album is full of bluesy grooves, soulful melodies, and impeccable quartet chemistry.
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Various Artists - Chet Baker Re:imagined
16th May 2025
A selection of artists unite from around the world to celebrate the music of trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker, seventy years after he released his famous album Chet Baker Sings.
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Brandon Woody - For The Love Of It All
9th May 2025
Baltimore trumpet player Brandon Woody delivers a striking debut album, with music designed to move, liberate and inspire connection. Through six original pieces, Woody transports listeners with the help of his band, Upendo.
