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Ruth Goller: Skyllumina
by Chris May
The Italian-born, British-based bassist and composer Ruth Goller has been rattling jazz's cage since 2007, the year she joined Acoustic Ladyland. The band was in the vanguard of what became known as “jazz punk," although its sound was closer to metal than classic punk, and the lineup included tenor saxophonist Pete Wareham and drummer Sebastian Rochford. Four years later, Acoustic Ladyland disbanded and Goller and Wareham morphed into Melt Yourself Down, where they were joined by tenor saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings ...
read moreRuth Goller: Basso Profundo
by Chris May
Altogether easier to talk to than is suggested by the stage makeup in the photo above, Ruth Goller reveals herself as totally down-home when, some ten minutes into this interview, the conversation turns to International Anthem, the Chicago-based label that has released her second solo album, Skyllumina. “I feel so lucky to have them," says Goller. “Because whenever I ask them something, the answer is always 'what's best for the music?' Never 'what's best for selling records?' or stuff like ...
read moreRuth Goller: Below My Skin
by Chris May
Since the mid noughties, Italian-born, British-based bassist Ruth Goller has been one of the backline-going-on-frontline heroes of British jazz, starting with her work with Acoustic Ladyland and Melt Yourself Down and continuing through an honour roll of convention-defying bands. “Below My Skin," on which Goller is joined by drummer Tom Skinner (Sons Of Kemet, The Smile), is taken from Goller's resolutely uncategorisable album Skyllumina (International Anthem), due in March 2024. Its 10 tracks feature Goller in dialogue with nine different ...
read moreChampagne Dub: Rainbow
by Chris May
Rainbow is not a jazz album, not in a million light years, but it is a blast, and the two core members of Champagne Dub are British jazz-and-beyond musicians who have made careers out of going off piste. Good reasons for lending an ear. The renegade twosome are Max Hallett (aka Betamax), who held down the drum chair in The Comet Is Coming until Shabaka Hutchings' decision to drop the tenor sax in favour of shakuhachi flutes ...
read moreLaura Jurd: The Big Friendly Album
by Chris May
The Big Friendly Album is what it is called and that is exactly what it is. London-based trumpeter/cornetist and composer Laura Jurd's fourth album under her own name is a big hearted, gorgeously lyrical, feel-good romp, which does not preclude cerebral engagement but which wears its complexities so lightly that one barely notices them. Jurd last came to the attention of All About Jazz during The Great Pause, with the release of the perfect little masterpiece To ...
read moreTori Handsley: As We Stand
by Claudio Bonomi
Tori Handsley ha il look, la grinta e il piglio degni di una musicista di punk inglese della fine degli anni Settanta. Almeno, così sembrerebbe dal bel ritratto in bianco e nero che appare in copertina realizzato da Pete Williams. Ma la sua musica non ha niente a che vedere con i Sex Pistols o con i The Damned: virtuosa dell'arpa elettrica e valente pianista ha confezionato un album che rilancia il cosiddetto British Jazz ai vertici di una ritrovata ...
read moreThe Golden Age Of Steam: Tomato Brain
by Bruce Lindsay
It's been a while. The Golden Age Of Steam released debut album Raspberry Tongue (Babel Records) in 2009, the follow-up, Welcome To Bat Country (Basho Records), in 2012. Then they laid low until 2020 and the appearance of album number three, Tomato Brain. It's been worth the wait. The album's multi-layered, six-part, “Loftopus" is an atmospheric and often disturbing half-hour. The title track is a reminder of the comic, but dark, inventiveness of Scots poet, songwriter, humorist and all-round genius ...
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