Jazz Articles

Adam Holzman: The Deform Variations

by John Kelman
April 2, 2015

He's been Steven Wilson's keyboardist of choice (and rightfully so) since the British progressive rocker first hit the road in 2011, after years fronting Porcupine Tree, in support of the Kscope artist's first two albums as a solo artist--2009's Insurgentes and 2011's Grace for Drowning. But while Adam Holzman continues to work with Wilson to this day--appearing on two subsequent studio albums, 2013's The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories and the recently released Hand. Cannot. Erase. (2015), ...

Cipher: Elemental Forces

by John Kelman
December 1, 2006

On Cipher's third release, Elemental Forces, woodwind multi-instrumentalist Theo Travis and bassist Dave Sturt create soundscapes that are much more than simply background music. Augmented by percussionist Steve Hubback, they explore music that's reliant on programming and looping, but still manages to retain a spirit of adventure and interaction through real-time sonic manipulation and improvisation--making it as engaging of the mind as it is soothing of the spirit.

Travis seems to be popping up everywhere these days. He's a relatively ...

Hugh Hopper and Matt Howarth: The Stolen Hour

by John Kelman
December 21, 2004

The Stolen Hour refers to the year 2000 when, succumbing to pressures of the international media, Australia's government decided to commence Daylight Savings Time over three months early to better synchronize so that the televised Olympic Games could be seen at more acceptable times by other countries. Bassist Hugh Hopper, of Soft Machine fame and more recently numerous other projects including his intriguing Jazzloops series, collaborates with American artist Matt Howarth for a multimedia project that combines Hopper's music with ...

A Marble Calm: Surfacing

by John Kelman
December 20, 2004

Surfacing is the début album by A Marble Calm, a loose collaboration between ex-Alias Grace multi-instrumentalist Peter Chilvers and reclusive vibraphone/marimba player Jon Hart. The result, with guests including recently-reviewed woodwind player Theo Travis , No-Man vocalist Tim Bowness, ex-Alias Grace singer Sandra O'Neill and Boo Hewerdine guitarist Rob Jackson, comfortably blends a variety of aesthetics into a 75-minute program that drifts by in an airy and atmospheric fashion.

With clear debts to the ambient music of Brian Eno, the ...