Home » Jazz Articles » Conor Chaplin
Jazz Articles about Conor Chaplin
Alex Hitchcock: Dream Band Live In London
by Chris May
Viewed in retrospect, the abiding memory of 2023 is that it produced too many jazz albums prioritizing technical facility over emotional engagement. In London, New York and elsewhere (but not, so it seemed, in Chicago), musicians appeared to focus on virtuosity rather than feeling. Dullsville. For the record, some of those albums that did put soul on, at the least, an equal footing with cerebralism, are to be found in the Best Albums of 2023 round-up which can be read ...
Continue ReadingMarius Neset: Geyser
by Chris May
Geyser is Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset's third album with new-music ensemble London Sinfonietta. The piece was commissioned for the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, where this recording was made on September 3, 2022. As on the two previous albums, the Sinfonietta are joined by Neset's high-voltage jazz quintet with pianist Ivo Neame, vibraphonist Jim Hart, bassist Conor Chaplin and drummers Anton Eger. Geyser is a striking wide-screen work that justifies the use of the frequently ...
Continue ReadingEmma Rawicz: Chroma
by Tom Spargo
There are only so many times that one can use phrases such as “emerging talent" or “upcoming star" before one must concede that the artist in question has in fact made it into the major league of jazz. With the August 2023 release of her second full-length album Chroma on the label ACT, this is precisely the point that tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz has reached in her career. Building upon her successes from 2022, which involved featuring as a finalist ...
Continue ReadingTom Ollendorff: Open House
by Chris May
There is technical excellence, there is pretty, there is a well-honed trio, there is an in-sync guest saxophonist, and yet, and yet.... Open House is London-based guitarist Tom Ollendorff's follow-up to A Song For You (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2021), his debut, which also featured bassist Conor Chaplin and drummer Marc Michel. The vibe is the same as on the earlier album, but there are differences in the detail. This time out, five, rather than eight, of ...
Continue ReadingEmma Smith: Meshuga Baby
by Bruce Lindsay
In early 2012, Emma Smith, already an established member of Britain's National Youth Jazz Orchestra but still only 21 years old, released her debut album. The record mixed standards with Smith's own compositions and established the London-based artist as a talented singer and songwriter. Another album would usually have been expected within a year or two, but it would be another decade before the second album, Meshuga Baby, saw the light of day. It's been worth the wait: Smith's early ...
Continue ReadingLauren Bush: Dream Away
by Bruce Lindsay
There's no “i" in “team," or so the motivational speakers of the world will have us believe, but as far as music is concerned every effective team needs an ear or two. The team responsible for Dream Away—from vocalist and lead artist Lauren Bush to the instrumentalists and producers—is well-served by ears and uses them to excellent effect. Throughout this album of standards and contemporary songs it's clear that everyone listens—to the words, the music and each other—crafting a collection ...
Continue ReadingTom Ollendorff: A Song For You
by Chris May
They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice. But sometimes it does. When it comes to new jazz guitarists of more than average talent, London has produced two in fairly rapid succession. In spring 2020, Rob Luft released his immaculate and uplifting sophomore album, Life Is The Dancer (Edition). Exactly a year later, Tom Ollendorff is releasing A Song For You (Fresh Sounds), a debut which delivers much and promises even more. Ollendorff and Luft ...
Continue Reading
