Articles by Spiritual / Cosmic Jazz

Multiple Reviews

Yosef Gutman Levitt: Day and Night

by Geno Thackara
March 11, 2026

You could say that Yosef Gutman Levitt makes a musical version of land art--that '60s-'70s movement that involved making images or sculptures fitted to existing landscapes, and often using the earth's own materials. The bassist likewise uses a worldly range of tones with no need to fit them into any particular roles, simply letting the sounds grow and flow until it feels like another layer of nature itself. This adjacent pair makes a yin and yang of two beautifully complementary ...

Live Review

Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet at the Jazz Cafe

by Andy Crowther
February 17, 2026

Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet Jazz Cafe London February 11, 2026 It was a wet Wednesday night in London, and the sign outside the Jazz Cafe reads, “Tonight: Fearless contemporary jazz--Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet." The scene recalls a sketch in the surrealist British comedy show The Mighty Boosh, where Howard accuses his colleague of fearing jazz: the lack of rules, the lack of boundaries. It's a hilarious piece, where Howard has to be snapped out of a jazz ...

Radio & Podcasts

Wojtek Mazolewski, Anthony Wilson, Andrea Ayace Ayassot, Cosmic Ear & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
August 26, 2025

Another dive into the lesser-charted corners of the jazz world--recent gems, future classics... with no algorithms involved--this playlist was entirely hand-cranked for your sonic delight.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Anthony Wilson “Walk Tall" House of the Singing Blossoms (Sam First) 0:16 Host talks 7:26 Brandee Younger “Breaking Point" Gadabout Season (Impulse!) 8:37 Host talks 11:16 Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet “Beautiful People (Live)" Live Spirit I (NoPaper) 13:16 James ...

Multiple Reviews

Yosef Gutman Levitt's Joy in Collaboration

by Geno Thackara
March 18, 2025

Maybe Yosef Gutman Levitt just never needs to sleep. Amidst the demands of life and family, the worldly bassist somehow consistently manages to produce three or four albums a year, largely of original material, and each distinct enough that it never seems to be coasting on a formula. It also helps to have a globe-spanning cast of friends with a wealth of their own creativity to bring to the table. With a rotating list of chief collaborators, this is a ...

Radio & Podcasts

Lophae, Atmospheric Trio, Sasha Berliner, Jeremy Stein & Mitchell Shiner, Kasan Belgrave, & More

by Tony Poole
January 17, 2025

An eclectic hour of cutting-edge jazz sounds from around the globe. Join Tony Poole as he explores the freshest worldwide jazz grooves, showcasing all-new releases and captivating rhythms that redefine the genre. Playlist Richard Baratta “I Feel Good" from Looking Back (Savant Records) Atmospheric Trio “Green Chimneys" from Following Polaris (Adhyaropa Recordsl) Kasan Belgrave “Dual Citizen" from Dual Citizen (Institutional Green ) Sasha Berliner “UMMG (feat. Taylor Eigsti)" from Fantome (Outside In Music) Laurence Pike “Hearts Of The ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Bassist / Composer Yosef Gutman Levitt

by AAJ Staff
July 18, 2024

Meet Yosef Gutman Yosef Gutman Levitt, born in 1979 in South Africa, grew up on a farm in Knoppieslaagte. His musical journey began with piano lessons, which he later abandoned for skateboarding. At 16, inspired by the work of Jaco Pastorius, he picked up the bass guitar. He earned a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he honed his skills and collaborated with notable musicians like Lionel Loueke. After graduating magna cum laude, Yosef moved ...

Radio & Podcasts

Joy Guidry, Álvaro Torres, Tom Skinner, The Early Planets & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
July 9, 2024

Guitar/bass/drum trios for the win, the endless relevance of Max Roach, Abdul Wadud and Morphine, and more, through six remarkable albums! Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis “The Time Is the Place" The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!) 0:16 Host talks 6:09 Morphine “A Head with Wings" Cure for Pain (Ryko) 7:40 The Early Planets “Residue Magic" The Waits / ...

Live Review

Tony Bennett

by AAJ Italy Staff
August 7, 2012

Parco della Musica - Roma - 15.07.2012 Ascoltare dal vivo Tony Bennett (classe 1926) è un'esperienza da non perdere: dopo Sinatra è il più grande crooner della storia. Le differenze con The Voice sono molte, includono il timbro e la diversa collocazione generazionale, portando a modalità interpretative assai diverse e guidate dalle peculiarità caratteriali. Al dramma spesso cupo di Sinatra, spesso inframmezzato da un'ironia acida e pungente, Bennett risponde con straripante vitalità e grande voglia di comunicare in modo diretto ...

Album Review

Orchestra Cocò: Passepartout - Canzoni d'amore

Read "Passepartout - Canzoni d'amore" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff

by AAJ Italy Staff
June 27, 2012

Ironia velata di malinconia “manouche" sullo sfondo di questo lavoro dell'Orchestra Cocò. Django è il nume tutelare per spirito ed atmosfera di questa ricerca nel nostro patrimonio della canzone che molte cose ha da offrire a chi abbia l'intenzione di cercarne documenti a volte di non minore valore rispetto ad altri repertori molto più frequentati e giustamente famosi (primo fra tutti, naturalmente, quello americano) e alcune incursioni nel repertorio di maestri come Paolo Conte ("Wanda") e Tom Waits ("Martha"), George ...

Album Review

Les Doigts de l'Homme: 1910

by AAJ Italy Staff
April 26, 2012

Tra i tanti tributi dedicati al grande Django Reinhardt nel centenario della sua nascita da poco passato va inserito anche questo 1910, quarto lavoro del quartetto francese Les Doigts de l'Homme, guidato dal chitarrista Olivier Kikteff. Il repertorio è costituito prevalentemente da brani di Reinhardt e canzoni degli anni dello swing; Kikteff contribuisce con tre composizioni originali, l'ultima delle quali ("Improsture N° 1" - il titolo, come pure il nome del gruppo, testimonia il gusto dell'autore per i giochi di ...