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Nerija: Blume
by Chris May
Nérija is a collective comprising seven of the brightest stars on London's alternative jazz scene—alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi and tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia, trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, trombonist Rosie Turton, guitarist Shirley Tetteh, bassist Rio Kai and drummer Lizy Exell. All are bandleaders in their own right. You would expect such a line-up to deliver the goods ...
Jon Batiste: Anatomy of Angels
by Chris May
As the bandleader and musical director on CBS TV's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, pianist Jon Batiste will be known to many AAJ readers in the US. Here on the other side of the pond his name rings fewer bells. So before discussing Batiste's piano trio + octet album Anatomy of Angels, some background for ...
Steve Williamson & Guildhall Jazz Orchestra: Celebrating Coltrane at Milton Court
by Chris May
Steve Williamson / Guildhall Jazz Orchestra / Scott Stroman Milton Court Concert Hall Celebrating Coltrane London July 10, 2019 The word “legendary" is bandied around so indiscriminately these days that it has all but lost its meaning. London saxophonist Steve Williamson is among a tiny number ...
Vin Gordon: African Shores
by Chris May
In 2019, British saxophonist Nat Birchall is celebrating twenty years as a bandleader. His specialism is post-John Coltrane spiritual jazz. Since 1999 he has released an album every two years or so. The most recent was the outstanding Cosmic Language (Jazzman, 2018). The next is due later this year. Fittingly for an anniversary year, it will ...
Nat Birchall: Obeah Man
by Chris May
Welcome to the latest analog-era time warp... the vinyl revival has rebirthed the 45rpm seven-inch jazz single. The format faded away in the 1960s. Even back then, chart hits such as Stan Getz's “Desafinado" (Verve, 1962) were freak events, but before the coming of album playing FM radio stations, an edited version of an album track ...
Emanative & Phil Ranelin: Vibes From The Tribe
by Chris May
The Tribe referred to here was a musicians' cooperative in Detroit, Michigan, active from 1972-1977. It was co-founded by trombonist Phil Ranelin and saxophonist Wendell Harrison and was equal parts band, record label and community project. Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave was among the members. The organization had close affinities with Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative ...
Stan Getz: Getz At The Gate
by Chris May
Connoisseurs of Stan Getz continue to get lucky with newly discovered live recordings. The last was Moments In Time (Resonance, 2016), a single CD documenting parts of a week-long residency with a quartet including pianist JoAnne Brackeen in San Francisco in 1976. Getz At The Gate, recorded fifteen years earlier, is another substantial addition ...
Bobbi Humphrey: Blacks And Blues
by Chris May
The title of the album and that of its opening track ("Chicago, Damn"), the original release date (1973) and the 'fro might suggest flautist Bobbi Humphrey's Blacks And Blues came with a clenched-fist salute and a political manifesto. But hey, Humphrey's third Blue Note release was composed and produced in La La Land by brothers Fonce ...
Alice Coltrane: Live At The Berkeley Community Theater 1972
by Chris May
Conventional belief holds that Alice Coltrane was the dreamy, mellifluous partner in John Coltrane's late period, out-there sonic explorations. The truth is otherwise, as attentive listening to the recordings the two Coltranes made together in 1966 and 1967 demonstrates. The misapprehension stems from the gentler albums Alice made for Impulse in the first few years following ...
Horace Tapscott: The Dark Tree
by Chris May
The year of writing this review, 2019, is the thirtieth anniversary of the recording of The Dark Tree. It is also the twentieth anniversary of the passing of Horace Tapscott, a forgotten master of politically engaged African American spiritual jazz. The album, which is among Tapscott's finest, is crying out for a 2019 anniversary reissue. STOP ...
