Jazz Articles about Seamus Blake

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Seamus Blake: Compared to What

by Ludovico Granvassu
July 15, 2026

Any chance to celebrate the brilliance of Eddie Harris is one worth taking, and Seamus Blake--a longtime Harris devotee--does that on EH! The Electrifying Seamus Blake Plays the Music of Eddie Harris (Cellar Music Group), with respect, style, and a dream team along for the ride: Sam Yahel on Hammond B3, Tim Lefebvre on electric bass, and Corey Fonville on drums. Here's their terrific take on “Compared to What," a tune forever linked to Harris through Swiss Movement--the ...

Album Review

Seamus Blake: The Electrifying Seamus Blake Plays The Music Of Eddie Harris EH!

Read "The Electrifying Seamus Blake Plays The Music Of Eddie Harris EH!" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
July 3, 2026

Some musicians seem incapable of standing still, their curiosity drawing them towards unexplored corners of the music world. Seamus Blake may well be one of them. A formidable tenor saxophonist rooted in the post-bop tradition, Blake has spent much of his career quietly erasing stylistic borders. On The Electrifying Seamus Blake Plays The Music Of Eddie Harris EH!, he finds the perfect muse in Harris, another restless spirit who refused to recognize the fences others built around jazz.

Album Review

Alexander Claffy: Alive in Philadelphia, Vol. 1 (At Chris’ Jazz Cafe)

Read "Alive in Philadelphia, Vol. 1 (At Chris’ Jazz Cafe)" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 7, 2026

Bassist Alexander Claffy, a pillar on the New York City jazz scene since 2011, returned “home" in March 2025 to record Alive in Philadelphia Vol. 1 for an enthusiastic audience at Chris' Jazz Club, on whose stage he had performed since he was a teenager in the City of Brotherly Live. He did not return alone, bringing with him an able supporting cast that included a pair of well-respected saxophonists, alto Jaleel Shaw (another Philadelphian) and tenor Seamus ...

Album Review

Tony Tixier: Poems Never End

Read "Poems Never End" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
August 5, 2025

Serendipity is the art of everything being in the right place at the right time, and so it proved for Tony Tixier on a whirlwind trip to New York City. Recorded during a single afternoon and without a predetermined plan for the session, the album Poems Never End was recorded in one take, with nothing added, taken away, or otherwise embellished in post-production. Frenchman Tixier is a highly versatile pianist who has worked in most small group formats ...

Album Review

Joe Robson: Home

by Neil Duggan
January 12, 2025

Many artists draw inspiration from their homeland's folk traditions, which are often reflected in their compositions and playing style. This fusion is particularly evident in Scottish jazz, where prominent performers like Fergus McCreadie, Norman Willmore and Stephen Henderson incorporate strong folk elements. Guitarist Joe Robson advances this blend in his ambitious project Home, achieving a complete marriage of both genres across his ten compositions that make up the album. Supporting his vision are several similarly inspired Scottish musicians. ...

Album Review

Joel Haynes: The Return

Read "The Return" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
December 2, 2023

The Return! is certainly well-named, as it is drummer Joel Haynes' third album as leader of his own group but the first in fifteen years, following Cellar Music recordings The Time Is Now (2005) and Transitions (2008). During his long absence from a recording studio, however, Toronto-based Haynes has managed to stay busy, performing with many of the finest jazz artists in Canada and appearing at jazz festivals and other events in North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. ...

Album Review

Alexander Claffy: Music From Big Orange

Read "Music From Big Orange" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
August 31, 2023

Alexander Claffy has released an impressive album entitled “Music From Big Orange" which showcases his skills as a bassist and composer, and captures the essence of contemporary jazz while paying homage to the rich traditions of the genre. Switching seamlessly from acoustic bass to electric, depending on the sonic flow of any given tune, it is clear that Claffy's bass playing is the foundation upon which the entire album is built. On this orange-coloured vinyl LP, ...