New Release Round-up,
Jazz New Release Round-up - 9th June 2023
The Radiohead-guitarist and composer teams up with esteemed Israeli rock musician Tassa in a cross-cultural release that connects locations as disparate as Ramallah, Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Oxford. Featuring vocalists from across the region, the ensemble succinctly blends traditional Middle Eastern styles with modern elements such as Greenwood’s atmospheric electric guitar accompaniment in a wholly flavoursome way that comes as a delight to the senses.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Intimate and dreamlike, this is Strange’s follow-up to her impressive 2021 release, Bilkan. Always moving forward, the Danish saxophonist develops her sound as she leads her quartet in balancing sombre and contemplative moods with a delicate intensity of emotional feeling. Quietly reflective, this album is dedicated to figures Strange knows and loves. Along with the help of Swedish vocalist Josefine Cronholm, her affections are depicted through the quietly strong musicianship that calmly carries the listener from beginning to end.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
This post-bop recording should be sought out by anyone looking for something slightly ‘out-there’ and unknowable. Kept mostly under the radar, Sphere was led by saxophonist Larry Nozero - known for his record Time, amongst others - and featured Keith Breeland and John Dana, who had performed with Phil Lanelyn. Recorded live in 1970, this would be the group's only production. ‘Inside Ourselves’, ‘Alcia’, and ‘Lonely Girl’ have an avant-garde quality and a cool, unyielding feeling. All the tunes are originals, each penned by the members of the group on this excellent work that displays the calibre of this unique label.
Available Formats: 2 Vinyl Records, MP3, FLAC
Marsalis’ astonishing orchestral effort, his fourth symphony, is a work of post-Ellingtonian proportions that echoes the modernist stylings of Leonard Bernstein and beyond. This recording is a collaboration between two orchestras, the Melbourne Symphony and the trumpeter’s own Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. Having premiered in 2019 but only just receiving its first release, The Jungle is not just an orchestral portrait of New York City but a meditation on the meaning of modern life within the confines of urbanity.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Right on schedule, here comes the hotly-anticipated second instalment of Unabomber’s awe-inspiring compilation of deep cuts from the world of soulful jazz, funky house and beyond. With a tracklisting comprising global scenes from India to Japan, this selection is a real treat for collectors and anyone looking for a good chance to cut a rug at any point over the course of the summer.
Available Format: CD