Articles by Mark McKergow

Album Review

Corto Alto: Some Small Fortune

Read "Some Small Fortune" reviewed by Mark McKergow

by Mark McKergow
September 25, 2026

Corto Alto is the creation of Glaswegian trombonist, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Liam Shortall. The youngest graduate from the Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland's undergraduate jazz course (which he started aged just 16), Shortall combines jazz, electronica, hip-hop and broken beat, producing both detailed studio creations and roaring live sets. The band name translates from Italian as “short.tall"; Shortall has Italian roots and was keen to present an attention-grabbing name for his work (a touch of the Fatboy Slim, maybe)? His ...

Live Review

Islay Jazz Festival 2026: Festival Round-Up

by Mark McKergow
September 18, 2026

Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival Islay, Scotland September 11-13, 2026 The 27th jazz festival on the Scottish whisky island of Islay (pronounced eye-la) brought together the best of Scotland's burgeoning jazz talent, particularly younger players, with international guests. With shows in distilleries, village halls, bird sanctuaries and other unexpected venues, the weekend was a magical experience. September 11, 2026 The festival opened with two shows in the hi-tech Caol Ila distillery visitor center. ...

Live Review

Fergus McCreadie Solo: Brahms And Beyond At Islay Jazz Festival

by Mark McKergow
September 17, 2026

Fergus McCreadie Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival Islay, Scotland September 12, 2026 Piano virtuoso Fergus McCreadie stepped into new territory with this extraordinary solo performance, pairing Brahms' piano music with his own improvisation. The idea proved irresistible, drawing the largest ticket sales in the festival's history. The music will stay with everyone lucky enough to hear it. McCreadie is a leading figure in the new wave of Scottish jazz. His award-winning albums Cairn (Edition ...

Live Review

Laura Macdonald Quartet at Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival

by Mark McKergow
September 16, 2026

Laura Macdonald QuartetCaol Ila Islay Jazz Festival Islay, Scotland September 12, 2026 Ayrshire-born and Berklee-educated saxophonist, composer and educator Laura Macdonald has been a central figure in Scottish jazz for a quarter century. She first performed at the Islay festival in 2000, has released four albums and was named Best Scottish Jazz Performer in 2021. In 2022, she became the first female saxophone lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and later stepped into the role ...

Building a Jazz Library

Ronnie Cuber: Baritone Boss

by Mark McKergow
September 14, 2026

Ronnie Cuber (1941-2022) made his mark on the jazz world as a versatile and muscular baritone saxophonist. Born in New York on Christmas Day 1941, he started on tenor saxophone but switched to baritone at 17, attracted by the vacant chair in Marshall Brown's Newport Jazz Youth Band (which also featured lifelong colleagues Eddie Gomez and Michael Abene). He grew from sideman to leader to icon over half a century of hard-blowing hard work. Cuber always gave full value ...

Interview

Lou Marini: A Solo Career Starting At The Age Of 80

by Mark McKergow
August 29, 2026

Saxophonist “Blue" Lou Marini came to the fore in the 1970s as a member of the Saturday Night Live Band and with The Blues Brothers on film, albums and stage. After a lifetime as an in-demand sideman (notably 26 years and counting with James Taylor), Lou has finally started to release albums under his own name, including Playtime (Hip Pickles, 2026) by Lou Marini and the Italian Groovers. Lou was in Rimini, Italy at the end of a short Italian tour during the ...

Book Review

Cool Cat Blues: The Life and Times of Georgie Fame, as told to and adapted by Ben Sidran

by Mark McKergow
August 11, 2026

Cool Cat Blues: The Life and Times of Georgie Fame Ben Sidran 160 Pages ISBN: 9781800509283 Equinox Publishing 2026 British singer and keyboardist Georgie Fame's long career reaches back to the pre-Beatles “swinging London" of the early '60s. After decades with small groups and big bands as well as steady sideman work, this book presents his story as told to senior jazz historian and longtime colleague Ben Sidran. Born Clive Powell ...

Album Review

Kevin Mackenzie: PRIME Play Standards

Read "PRIME Play Standards" reviewed by Mark McKergow

by Mark McKergow
July 17, 2026

Scottish guitarist Kevin Mackenzie steps forward with the second album from his collaborative organ trio PRIME. The music swings with a deft touch, with sharp arrangement adding fuel to a burning set of well-chosen standards. Mackenzie has been a fixture in Scotland's jazz scene for more than three decades. He has worked extensively in trio formats, notably with Tom Bancroft and Phil Bancroft in Trio AAB, whose Cold Fusion (Caber Music, 1998) won the BBC Radio 3 Album Award in ...

Album Review

Colin Steele: Stramash II

Read "Stramash II" reviewed by Mark McKergow

by Mark McKergow
July 4, 2026

Scottish trumpeter and composer Colin Steele returns with his jazz-meets-folk ensemble for another round of boundary-spanning music where technique meets heart and soul. Steele has been a mainstay of Scotland's jazz scene for more than two decades, with recent albums exploring music outside the jazz canon. His interpretations of tunes by Scots emo pop legends The Blue Nile (Marina Records, 2025) drew wide praise, as did Joni (Marina Records, 2020), his collection from the Joni Mitchell songbook. He ...

Record Label Profile

Calligram Records: Chicago Meets the World

by Mark McKergow
June 23, 2026

Chicago-based Calligram Records was founded in 2023 by trumpeter Chad McCullough and saxophonist Geof Bradfield. Three years and 34 albums later, they have emerged as an authoritative and varied voice for creative jazz from the Windy City and around the world. Their output ranges from small groups to chamber jazz to lively, horn-driven soul outings. With third anniversary celebration events coming up, it seems like a good time to look behind the scenes of this small yet distinctive label.