Jazz Reviews
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Alice Coltrane - Ptah, the El Daoud
11th Jan 2021by Joshua Lee
An early entry in Alice Coltrane's bandleading discography, Ptah, the El Daoud, sees the renowned harpist explore the spiritual sounds from her collaboration with her late husband. However, Alice remains a voice of her own.
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3M&Co - Start On
8th Jan 2021by Joshua Lee
The Italian jazz trio channel some early 70s fusion with a pinch of Jaco Pastorius into their modern, funky debut.
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Barbara Thompson at the BBC
30th Dec 2020by Matt Groom
A staggering 14 CD collection of saxophonist Barbara Thompson's music, recorded by the BBC over a 21 year period. With a biography due in 2021 this is an ideal introduction to this multi-faceted artist's oeuvre.
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Matthew Tavares & Leland Whitty - January 12th
11th Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
BADBADNOTGOOD bandmates Matthew Tavares and Leland Whitty team up for a live recording that proves the nu-jazz trailblazers are just as comfortable playing it straight.
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Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin
10th Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
Billie Holiday was just a couple months away from her 43rd birthday when she entered Columbia Records’ 30th Street Studio on February 18, 1958 to record her troubled late masterpiece Lady in Satin, as heart-breaking today as it was then.
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Lewis Wright - The Colour of Intention
4th Dec 2020by Matt Groom
British vibraphonist Lewis Wright's The Colour of Intention is a trio session that impresses for both its lyrical flow and the strength of the compositions.
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Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
1st Dec 2020by Joshua Lee
Wayne Shorter's seminal album was the third in a prolific six years of recordings for Blue Note, and while Speak No Evil still retains the accessibility of early hard bop, it also showcases the saxophonist's unique and unorthodox compositional style.
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Dave Brubeck - Lullabies
27th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh enjoys Dave Brubeck's final studio recording, an intimate set of Lullabies for solo piano, expressing his deep love for his family.
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Christian Wallumrød Ensemble - Many
20th Nov 2020by Matt Groom
A distinctly obtuse collection of musical organisms from Norwegian pianist and composer Christian Wallumrød's Ensemble.
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Elina Duni & Rob Luft - Lost Ships
13th Nov 2020by Matt Groom
Lost Ships, a moving series of reflections on loss and displacement by singer Elina Duni and guitarist Rob Luft, marks a promising first release from the partnership, and sounds perfectly at home on ECM.
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Rick Simpson - Everything All of the Time: Kid A Revisited
5th Nov 2020by Joshua Lee
On the twentieth anniversary of Radiohead's polarising Kid A, Rick Simpson and co. give it a creative re-interpretation.
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Erlend Apneseth - Fragmentarium
30th Oct 2020by Matt Groom
Hardingfele master Erlend Apneseth's Fragmentarium is a brilliantly constructed mix of improvisation and folk music, where tradition rubs shoulders with the modernistic.
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Surprise Chef - Daylight Savings
23rd Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
As we enter the colder months of the year, Surprise Chef keep it colourful with a slice of sun-soaked jazz-funk, taking cues from psychedelic rock and soul with a DIY ethic.
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Louis Armstrong - Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions
21st Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh digs deep to explore Louis Armstrong's landmark sessions with The Hot Fives and Sevens in the twenties, when 'Satchmo' was at the cutting edge of jazz improvisation.
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The Complete Hot Five & Hot Seven Recordings
Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives, Johnny Dodds (clarinet), Lil Armstrong (piano), Louis Armstrong (vocal), Louis Armstrong (trumpet), Louis Armstrong (speaker), Kid Ory (speaker), Kid Ory (trombone), Kid Ory (vocal), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo), Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five, Louis Armstrong (cornet), Johnny Dodds (alto saxophone), Lil Armstrong (vocal), Louis Armstrong & His Hot Fives, Clarence Babcock (speaker), Louis Armstrong Hot Five, Johnny Didds (clarinet), May Alix (vocal), Henry (Hy) Clark (trombone), Louis Armstrong And His Hot Five, Lonnie Johnson (guitar), Johnny St. Cyr (guitar), Butterbeans & Susie, Susie Edwards (vocal), Joe "Butterbeans" Edwards (vocal), Louis Armstrong Jazz Four, Hociel Thomas (vocal), Hersal Thomas (piano), Lil's Hot Shots, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven, John Thomas (trombone), Warren "Baby" Dodds (drums), Louis Armstrong Hot Seven, Louis Armstrong And His Hot Seven, Joe Walker (baritone saxophone), Joe Walker (alto saxophone), Earl Hines (piano), Albert Washington (tenor saxophone), Bill Wilson (cornet), Honore Dutrey (trombone), Rip Bassett (guitar), Boyd Atkins (soprano), Boyd Atkins (clarinet), Boyd Atkins (alto saxophone), Tubby Hall (drums), Peter Briggs (tuba), Carroll Dickerson Orchestra, Boyd Atkin (clarinet), Al Washington (tenor saxophone), Earl 'Fatha' Hines (piano), Johnny Dodds Black Bottom Stompers, Barney Bigard (tenor saxophone), Roy Palmer (trombone), Baby Dodds (drums), Bud Scott (banjo), Lillie Delk Christian (vocal), Jimmie Noone (clarinet), Louis Armstrong & His Hot Four, Mancy Carr (guitar), Louis Armstrong Hot Four, Fred Robinson (trombone), Jimmy Strong (clarinet), Johnny Strong (tenor saxophone), Earl Hines (vocal), Mancy Carr (banjo), Mancy Carr (vocal), Zutty Singleton (drums), Earl Hines (speaker), Jimmy Strong (tenor saxophone), Trumpet & Scatting (trumpet), Louis Armstrong & His Savoy Ballroom Five, Louis Armstrong Hot Seven sic - Big Band, Don Redman (alto saxophone), Dave Wilborn (banjo), Don Redman (clarinet), Dave Wilborn (guitar), Don Redman (vocal), Jimmy Strong (saxophone), Louis Armstrong & Earl Hines, Luis Russell (piano), Paul Barbarin (drums), Pops Foster (bass), J.C. Higginbotham (trombone), Teddy Hill (tenor saxophone), Charlie Holmes (alto saxophone), Eddie Condon (banjo), Paul Barabarian (drums), Joe Venuti (violin), Eddie Lang (guitar)
More products from this article -
Blue Note Re:imagined
16th Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
The cream of the crop from the UK's vibrant jazz scene find inventive new ways to re-imagine classics from the Blue Note vaults on this varied and entertaining collection.
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Roland Kirk - I Talk With the Spirits
15th Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
On one of the eminent saxophonist's many essential releases, I Talk With the Spirits sees him taking up the flute and pushing it to its limits in a way that is unmistakably Roland Kirk.
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Django Bates - Tenacity
9th Oct 2020by Matt Groom
Django Bates brings together his Belovèd Trio with the Norrbotten Big Band for a technicolour romp through the Charlie Parker tunes that have inspired Bates throughout his career, making a fitting way to celebrate significant birthday markers for both.
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Horace Silver Quintet - Song for My Father
7th Oct 2020by Joshua Lee
A hard bop classic inspired by the pianist's cultural heritage, Song for My Father is one of the most influential cuts of the era.
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Jersey Street - Love Rising Up
2nd Oct 2020by Matt Groom
Get your dancing shoes on for an irresistible slice of Brit Funk from Manchester's Jersey Street, featuring the smooth vocals of Dawn Zee.
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Thelonious Monk Quartet at Palo Alto
25th Sep 2020by Matt Groom
A unique window into a moment in time; the Thelonious Monk Quartet live a school hall in 1968, at a gig arranged by a 15-year-old, and recorded by the janitor! The results more than live up to the backstory.