Jazz Articles
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Uneven Eleven: Live In Brighton
by Mark Corroto
Since the dawn of this century, time seems to move faster and faster. Trends flare up and fade almost instantly--what is celebrated today becomes yesterday's news by morning. Music is no exception. Perhaps it is the digital age, meme culture or our shrinking attention spans that push us ever onward in search of the “next new thing." Sometimes, though, it is worth hitting pause and rewinding--not to the 1920s and Louis Armstrong's Hot Five (though that is never ...
Continue ReadingNot One Not Two: Openings And Samādhis
by Mark Corroto
Have you ever considered free improvisation musicians as part of a sangha? The Sanskrit word sangha means community, and in Buddhist practice, it refers to the collective of seekers who support one another along the path toward awakening. For Geoff Bright and Herve Perez--the duo known as Not One Not Two--the concept goes beyond metaphor. Their collaboration embodies the spirit of taking refuge in the sangha: mutual support, shared awareness and the application of compassion and wisdom to creative challenges. ...
Continue ReadingShifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders: Ecliptic
by Mark Corroto
Some books are divided into chapters--numbered, titled, and carefully structured. The musical equivalent is the tracklist: segmented, labeled pieces presented in order. But Ecliptic by the trio Shifa (شفاء, Arabic for “healing") rejects that format entirely. This 46-minute set of improvised music by saxophonist Rachel Musson, pianist Pat Thomas and drummer Mark Sanders unfolds without titles, track divisions, or breaks. It is a single, uninterrupted performance recorded live at London's Café OTO in February 2023. Like their previous ...
Continue ReadingLarry Stabbins & Mark Sanders: Cup & Ring
by John Sharpe
Inspired by the 5000 year old Neolithic rock carvings pictured on the sleeve, Cup & Ring opens and closes with brooding, ritualistic pieces in which Larry Stabbins' breathy flute drifts like mist over Mark Sanders' deliberate, processional percussion. These atmospheric bookends, along with similarly spare interludes throughout, frame a set grounded more deeply in the language of free jazz--a realm both musicians know intimately. Stabbins, returning to performance after a lengthy hiatus, brings a layered backstory to this ...
Continue ReadingJames Mainwaring / Dave Kane / Emil Karlsen: The Exu
by John Sharpe
The Exu, a lean and volatile threesome, makes a forceful first impression on its self-titled debut. Composed of Leeds-based pairing of tenor saxophonist James Mainwaring (best known for his tenure in the Mercury Prize-nominated Roller Trio) and Irish bassist Dave Kane (a longtime collaborator of Paul Dunmall and Matthew Bourne), alongside British-domiciled Norwegian drummer Emil Karlsen, the group draws from improv, metal, hip-hop, and jazz. Across a dozen tightly coiled pieces-- five by Kane, three by Mainwaring, and four group ...
Continue ReadingBilly Marrows And Grande Familia: The Penelope Album Live
by Neil Duggan
In 2024 London-based guitarist and composer Billy Marrows formed a 12-piece chamber-jazz ensemble. Together as Billy Marrows and Grande Familia, they released their debut album, Penelope (Self Produced), in memory of Marrows' mother, Penny. This deeply personal project used tunes he had written during her battle with cancer. The band featured Marrows' musical friends and relations playing in various formats: as a 12-piece ensemble, in smaller combinations and Marrows' solo guitar pieces. The project was used to raise funds for ...
Continue ReadingLaura Jurd & Paul Dunmall: Fanfares & Freedom
by John Sharpe
Well this is an entertaining premise. Free jazz maven Paul Dunmall as featured soloist in a suite composed by up- and-coming trumpeter Laura Jurd. Actually, the reality is more complex. It might be more accurate to say that the unfettered spirits of Dunmall's quartet, with bassist Caius Williams, drummer Miles Levin and pianist Liam Noble, offer the contrast with Jurd's score for a brass quintet. The unlikely combination came about as a commission from the Cheltenham Jazz Festival by promoter ...
Continue ReadingMartin Archer & Walt Shaw: Biyartabiyu
by John Sharpe
Will the real Martin Archer stand up? The head honcho of the Sheffield-located Discus imprint appears in such a variety of guises that one never quite knows what to expect from his name on the sleeve. However, as the press materials make clear, this unadorned saxophone and drum duo finds Archer in his natural habitat, channeling influences derived from the early releases of Chicago's AACM in an equation he defines as blues + abstraction. That sums it up nicely, although ...
Continue ReadingSentient Beings: Truth Is Not The Enemy
by John Sharpe
"Hills And Valleys," “Valleys And Hills." The titles of the two lengthy tracks on Truth Is Not The Enemy furnish oft-used metaphors for the flowing changes in intensity, volume and dynamics of long-form improvisations. However, on this occasion the hills seem more like summit plateau while the valleys are narrow and deep, as the four piece Sentient Beings maintains an almost unbroken stream of engaging high-energy interplay. At the heart of the outfit lies the pre-existing duo of British violinist ...
Continue ReadingRon Caines / Martin Archer Axis: Practical Dreamers
by John Sharpe
Practical Dreamers is the fifth collaboration between Discus label boss multi-instrumentalist Martin Archer and veteran saxophonist Ron Caines, and like the others, situates the latter's largely introspective reeds within varied electro-acoustic soundscapes. Caines was a founding member of progressive British rock band East Of Eden back in 1967, but after leaving to pursue jazzier endeavors, he performed with the likes of Evan Parker, Steve Lacy and Keith Tippett. While the pair's previous release, the excellent Blutopia (Discus, ...
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