Articles by Ian Patterson

Live Review

Hyphen Dash At Satory-Saal

by Ian Patterson
October 3, 2026

Hyphen Dash Satory-Saal 12th European Jazz Conference Cologne, Germany September 26, 2026 Ukrainian band Hyphen Dash's performance at Cologne's storied Satory-Saal carried a significance that extended well beyond the music. Firstly, it was a reminder that no amount of Russian aggression will bring Ukraine to its knees, and that resistance takes many forms. Secondly, the fact that Hyphen Dash's punchy half-hour showcase set was taking place within the program of the 12th European Jazz ...

Album Review

Hilary Geddes: Redleaf

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by Ian Patterson
September 27, 2026

The cover art of Australian guitarist-composer Hilary Geddes' Redleaf is, in some ways, a reflection of the music within. Striking and impressionistic, the bright colors of flower and leaf complement each other against a bold yet soothing backdrop. Such qualities of balance and contrast, thrills and balm, pervade the music. The eight compositions on Geddes' follow-up to Parkside (ABC Jazz, 2021) share some of the qualities of that impressive debut, notably minimalist gestures and exploratory textures. That is ...

In Tribute To...

John Coltrane At 100: A Global Perspective

by Ian Patterson
September 23, 2026

With the advent of his birth centenary, John William Coltrane is on our minds again. But then he nearly always is. His influence on generations of saxophonists is palpable. For countless musicians the term “Coltranesque" can be a badge of honor or a millstone around the neck. With the exception perhaps of Miles Davis--whose centenary also fell in 2026--arguably no other jazz musician has been so imitated--knowingly or otherwise. His main influence, however, is not so much in ...

Album Review

Silvano Monasterios: Solo In Paris

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by Ian Patterson
September 11, 2026

Silvano Monasterios hails from a golden generation of Venezuelan jazz pianists born in the '60s and early '70s. Monasterios, Edward Simon, Otmaro Ruiz and Luis Perdomo--all of whom have long resided in the US--have served as important points of reference for subsequent generations of Venezuelan jazz musicians. Many of these have likewise sought to build their careers abroad, joining an exodus of around eight million Venezuelans who have left the country due to years of political and socio-economic turmoil. Monasterios ...

Album Review

Ilaria Capalbo: The Brightest Sun

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by Ian Patterson
August 31, 2026

"Look at the darkness," penned Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran, “giving birth to the sun." The arrival of a firstborn child also gives birth to the mother, who did not exist before. For Stockholm-based bassist-composer Ilaria Capalbo the profound experience of motherhood triggered a musical response of significant measure. Whereas her impressive debut, Karthago (Bluenord Records, 2022) was a predominantly acoustic affair, The Brightest Sun sees the Neapolitan introduce a little more electricity via bass guitar and pedal effects. Sparingly used, ...

Album Review

CC Syndicate: Flying High

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by Ian Patterson
August 25, 2026

The CC is Peruvian drummer-composer Cote Calmet; the Syndicate is a jazz-funk quartet baring multiple musical signposts. Based in Granada after a decade in Ireland, Calmet has found new creative energy under the Spanish sun. In Andalusia, he has reactivated both Phisqa, his Afro-Peruvian jazz quintet, and CEO(L) Experiment, after long periods of hibernation. African and Latin rhythms are essential drivers of both groups, but with CC Syndicate, Calmet turns to '70s funk and jazz-rock for his grooves.

Play This!

Angélique Kidjo: Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

by Ian Patterson
August 23, 2026

Hollywood has come late to the party. Pretty much the whole world knew that Angélique Kidjo is a major star, decades before the Beninese singer was honored with a place on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in August 2026. At least Kidjo got to enjoy the hoopla while still alive and kicking. Jimi Hendrix only got his star on the Walk of Fame more than two decades after his death. Kidjo has long expressed her admiration for Hendrix, describing ...

Album Review

Insufficient Funs: Chunk

by Ian Patterson
August 20, 2026

Back for even more fun, Irish stalwarts Matthew Jacobson and Sam Comerford follow up their EP Insufficient Funs (Self Produced, 2016) with their debut album, Chunk. Insufficient Funs gigs have been intermittent in the intervening decade. Still, drummer Jacobson and saxophonist Comerford have kept their collaborative fires burning in both Ingo Hipp's AERIE and Chris Guilfoyle's Umbra. That Chunk tops the hour playing time may be par for the course for an album these days, but for a duo of ...

Album Review

Gangbé Brass Band: From Ouidah To Another World

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by Ian Patterson
August 18, 2026

Gangbé Brass Band, more than many groups, embodies the hybrid nature of jazz. From Ouidah to Another World, the Beninese ensemble's sixth album since forming in the late '90s, is a swashbuckling fusion of New Orleans-style brass bands and Beninese rhythms. And with jazz, it was ever thus. The jazz creation story may mythologize New Orleans and proclaim the music a uniquely American art form, but such a neat, essentialist summation downplays the back-and-forth flow of instruments, rhythms and influences ...

Book Review

Reimagining Panama's Musical And Cultural Narratives Of Jazz

by Ian Patterson
August 6, 2026

Reimagining Panama's Musical And Cultural Narratives Of Jazz Patricia Zarate de Perez 203 Pages ISBN: 9781793621832 Lexington Books 2026 A young but precocious music, jazz thrust its way into almost every corner of the planet in double time, shaping and, in turn, being shaped by every culture it has touched. Little wonder then, that the history of jazz--much like the music itself--is an ongoing process of discovery, recalibration, acknowledgment and debate. With Reimagining ...