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Chris May's Best Releases of 2019
by Chris May
The world may be going to hell in a handcart, but the year has been full of uplifting jazz. Here are ten of the best albums--the first seven newly recorded, the final three reissued or recently unearthed. Each one is the coyote's cojones. Yazz Ahmed Polyhymnia Ropeadope The eagerly ...
Gary Bartz: Music For Expanding One's Own Mind
by Paolo Marra
Some jazz musicians are the embodiment of a specific historical period. Their performances conjure memories of the very ideals, passions, and philosophies that characterized an era. This is certainly true of American saxophonist Gary Bartz. After joining Art Blakey & the Jazz Messangers and collaborating with McCoy Tyner on the pianist's tenth album, Expansions (Blue Note, ...
Joe Armon-Jones: Turn To Clear View
by Chris May
A cornerstone of London's underground jazz sceneas well as leading his own band he plays in Ezra Collective and groups led by the tenor saxophonists Binker Golding and Nubya Garciathe keyboard player Joe Armon-Jones released his first own-name album, Starting Today (Brownswood), in spring 2018. A jewel of nu-fusion which owes almost as much to the ...
We Out Here: The Fast-Forward Evolution of British Jazz
by Chris May
After a lifetime in the shadow of its American parent, British jazz is finally coming of age. A community of young, London-based musicians is forging a style which, while anchored in the American tradition, reflects the modern Caribbean and African cultural heritages of the majority of its vanguard players. The music also addresses the race, class ...
Ezra Collective: You Can't Steal My Joy
by Kevin Press
This sparkling debut from London's Ezra Collective pulls together jazz, hip hop, Latin and reggae influences in a surprisingly cohesive package. A pair of guest vocal performances--powerfully delivered by singer Jorja Smith and rapper Loyle Carner--virtually guarantee this disc serious lounge airplay this summer. Right out of the gate, Dylan Jones' trumpet delivers a ...
Various Artists: Whiskey Juliet Foxtrot
by Luke Seabright
Much like the highly-regarded We Out Here (Brownswood Recordings, 2018), Whiskey Juliet Foxtrot is all about showcasing some exciting new talent in jazz. However, there is perhaps an extra lesson to be learned from Byrd Out's new compilation album; we would be wrong to assume that the UK's flourishing scene is solely concentrated in London.
Cykada: Cykada
by Chris May
Cykada has been making waves on London's genre-melting alternative-jazz scene since 2017, but has yet to acquire a profile akin to those of some of the other bands with which its musicians are involved. These include spiritual-jazz septet Maisha and the Afrobeat-infused Ezra Collective. The release of Cykada, however, is going to strap a booster rocket ...
2019 Winter JazzFest: The Out of Towners
by Ludovico Granvassu
Read Winter JazzFest's Weekend Marathon: A Survival Guide while listening to this program. New York may have the highest density of daily jazz performances in the world, but they mostly feature the countless, and very busy, musicians that belong to the local scene. The Winter JazzFest has traditionally offered a very welcome opportunity to ...
2019 Winter JazzFest's Weekend Marathon: A Survival Guide
by Ludovico Granvassu
With each passing year, Winter JazzFestNew York's premiere jazz festivalhas expanded the number of venues presenting an increasingly diverse array of musicians. There are several ways to approach a programme as dense and exciting as the 2019 edition of the two-day Marathon spanning January 11th and 12th. Thanks to an embarrassment of riches, festival goers face ...
Clarinet Tales with Arun Ghosh
by Nick Davies
This show features an interview with clarinetist Arun Ghosh from the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. We talk about everything, from music in general to his composing and the recorder. We also discuss his latest album But Where Are You Really From. Plus lots of new music from artists like D.F.A. through to Beledo. Playlist ...


