Jazz Reviews
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The Amazing Bud Powell Volumes 1 & 2
19th Jun 2020by Matt Groom
Matt revisits timeless recordings from the genius who defined bebop piano, Bud Powell.
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GoGo Penguin
12th Jun 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh enjoys GoGo Penguin's latest, eponymous album, marvelling at how the small details make for such a rewarding listening experience.
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The Piccolo: Tender Plays Tubby
3rd Jun 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh enjoys the latest offering from prolific London multi-instrumentalist Ed ‘Tenderlonious’ Cawthorne, this time a tribute to English saxophonist Tubby Hayes.
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Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
29th May 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh revisits Miles Davis's pivotal recording In a Silent Way, quieter little brother to the following year's Bitches Brew.
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Stefanie Kunckler Ymonos - Amateur
13th May 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh enjoys the heady mix of accordion, piano, and bass clarinet on Stefanie Kunkler Ymonos's Amateur, composer and double bassist Kunklers's eminently listenable second album for Unit Records.
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Herbie Nichols
7th May 2020by Matt Groom
Between 1955 and 1957 pianist and composer Herbie Nichols recorded four classic albums before passing away in obscurity in 1964, leaving it to later generations to discover his true genius. Matt argues the case for placing Nichols alongside Monk in the pantheon of jazz pianists.
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Tony Kofi - Another Kind of Soul
30th Apr 2020by Matt Groom
Matt enjoys Tony Kofi's jazz salute to the music and influence of Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley.
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Charles Mingus - The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady
24th Apr 2020by Joshua Lee
This week Josh pirouettes to Mingus's celebrated jazz-ballet The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady for the latest Classic Album choice.
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Steve Lacy - Morning Joy
11th Apr 2020by Matt Groom
One of the finest jazz recordings of the eighties, Steve Lacy's Morning Joy continues to hold its fascination over thirty years later.
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Shabaka & The Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History
9th Apr 2020by Joshua Lee
Josh immerses himself in the prophetic messages of Shabaka and the Ancestors.
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John Coltrane - Giant Steps
27th Mar 2020by Joshua Lee
This week Josh revisits John Coltrane's timeless mid-period masterpiece Giant Steps.
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Shri - The Letter
13th Mar 2020by Matt Groom
Bass supremo Shri presents a selection of his vivid tone poems, recorded in a hut in the Norwegian mountains with Bugge Wesseltoft and guests.
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McCoy Tyner - The Real McCoy
6th Mar 2020by Matt Groom
It was a sad coincidence to hear of McCoy Tyner's passing shortly after posting this Classic Album Review of The Real McCoy. Thankfully Tyner's wonderful 60-year contribution to music lives on.
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Ivo Neame & Jim Hart - Multiverse
21st Feb 2020by Matt Groom
Ivo Neame and Jim Hart set the controls for the heart of the sun on the terrific Multiverse project.
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Herbie Hancock - Thrust
17th Feb 2020by Matt Groom
Herbie Hancock's Thrust is a jazz-funk tour de force that saw the keyboard whiz-kid experimenting with new gear and an exciting new drummer.
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Majid Bekkas - Magic Spirit Quartet
7th Feb 2020by Matt Groom
Magic Spirit Quartet finds Majid Bekkas channelling the Gnawa music of his Moroccan homeland to create a powerful collision of world and jazz music.
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The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vols 1 & 2
31st Jan 2020by Matt Groom
Take a trip into the Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, with this brand new issue of volumes 1 & 2 of these classic albums on one disc from the ezz-thetics label.
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Peter Beets & the Henk Meutgeert New Jazz Orchestra
24th Jan 2020by Matt Groom
An impressive set from The Netherlands, with pianist Peter Beets and The Henk Meutgeert New Jazz Orchestra romping through dazzling arrangements of classical music and standards.
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Dave Brubeck Quartet at Oberlin & Wilshire-Ebell
13th Jan 2020by Matt Groom
Two classic Dave Brubeck Quartet concerts from 1953 find the pianist, with saxophonist Paul Desmond, forging the sound that would soon sell a million albums.
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Edmond Hall
10th Jan 2020by Matt Groom
Clarinetist Edmond Hall is the focus of this week's Classic Album feature, a brilliant musician who managed to maintain a long and distinguished career through the changing stylistic tides of jazz.