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Conor Chaplin
The Action 4S: The Action 4s
by Neil Duggan
This is the debut album from The Action 4S, a quartet comprising Scandinavian and British musicians. Their music is a powerful combination of jazz, fusion and electronica built on a rock-solid rhythmic foundation. The quartet is made up of acclaimed musicians, none more celebrated than multi-award-winning harmonica virtuoso Mathias Heise. A true virtuoso of the chromatic harmonica, Heise became a world champion harmonica player when aged 20 and has since been expanding the confines of jazz improvisation on ...
Continue ReadingMarius Neset: Cabaret
by Neil Duggan
Norwegian saxophonist and composer Marius Neset first captured the imagination with his 2011 album Golden Xplosion (Edition, 2011). Since then, his creative impetus has seen him release numerous albums, write pieces for large ensembles including the London Sinfonietta and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborate with classical pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and fulfill a busy touring schedule, winning multiple awards along the way. In 2022, he formed a quintet and released Happy (Act Music). The quintet featured one of the ...
Continue ReadingIiro Rantala HEL trio: Tough Stuff
by Neil Duggan
There has always been a hint of playfulness evident in the work of Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala. That was clear in his much-admired recordings with Trio Töykeät. That trio called it a day in 2006 after multiple worldwide tours and 20 years together. Since then, the multi-talented Rantala has been involved in a range of activities, including orchestral recordings, presenting TV comedies and music programs, pop, opera, rock, podcasts and a variety of jazz formats. He has now ...
Continue ReadingAlex Hitchcock: Dream Band: Live in London
by Glenn Astarita
This is a bold expedition into the heart of progressive jazz, rendered across a vast canvas of three enthralling nights at the Vortex Jazz Club in London. This three-CD collection is not just a mere album, but a grand, audacious gathering of talents which blurs the line between a larger ensemble setup and a more intimate, modern band experience. Hitchcock's nifty approach to ensemble creation is at the core of this live recording. Rather than sticking ...
Continue ReadingAlex 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 ...
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Music
Frim Fram Sauce
From: Bitter OrangeBy Conor Chaplin
In The Wee Small Hours
From: In The Wee Small Hours (Omar...By Conor Chaplin
