Yazz Ahmed

Polyhymnia

Ropeadope 

Yazz Ahmed (t, flhn, v, Kaoss pad, perc), Noel Langley (t, flhn, ky, v), Camilla George, Tori Freestone, Helena Kay, Josie Simons (s, v), Gemma Moore, Nubya Garcia (s), Becca Toft (t, v), Alex Ridout, Chloe Abbott (t), Carol Jarvis, Rosie Turton (tb, v), George Crowley (bcl), Alcyona Mick, Nadia Sherrif (ky), Sarah Tandy (ky, v), Sam Halkvist (g), Shirley Teteh (g, v), Johanna Burnheart (vn, v), Charlie Pyne (b, v), Ralph Wyld (vib), Sophie Alloway (d, v), Tom Jenkins (d), Corrina Silverster (perc, v) and Sheila Maurice-Grey (v). Rec. 2016-2019

'A slow cook of a release, its roots deep in a 2015 concert piece commissioned by Tomorrow’s Warriors with support from PRS Women Make Music, Polyhymnia is a celebratory paean to the brave, the gentle, those that won’t back down. We’ll all tip our hat to that: but what’s the music like? Well, as you ask, it’s rich, sonorous, big, melodic, puts a kick in your heels and a smile on your face. Worthily dull it’s not.'

Read the full review in the November issue

Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science

Waiting Game

Motéma

Terri Lyne Carrington (d, perc, v), Aaron Parks (p, ky), Matt Stevens (g), Morgan Guerin (b, as, d), Debo Ray (v), Kassa Overall (dj, v), Esperanza Spalding (b), Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Raydar Ellis (v), Nicholas Payton (t), Kokayi, Mark Kibble, Rapsody, Meshell Ndegeocello and Maimouna Youssef (v). Rec. February 2017-February 2019

'This fiercely political release from drummer and producer Terri Lyne Carrington and her new group, Social Science, offers a message of humanity and takes aim at all manner of social injustices, from homophobia to institutional racism. Part One is genre-fluid – as influenced by rock, hip hop and R&B as it is jazz – with features for a string of guests.'

Read the full review in the November issue

Enrico Rava/ Joe Lovano

Roma

ECM

Enrico Rava (t), Joe Lovano (ts, tarogato), Giovanni Guidi (p), Dezron Douglas (b) and Gerald Cleaver (d). Rec. November 2018

'Enrico Rava, the 80-year-old Italian trumpet star whose expeditions include Miles-infused post-bop, free-jazz with Steve Lacy, and a few personal takes on Italian opera besides, toured with Joe Lovano in November 2018 – this terrific live recording catches their Rome concert. Given Rava’s Miles allegiances (but maybe also a Lacy and Don Cherry-inspired inclination toward looser jazz forms), it’s perhaps not surprising that quite a lot of this music sounds like the almost-free leanings of Miles’ and Wayne Shorter’s 1960s Second Great Quintet pushed further out.'

Read the full review in the November issue

John Coltrane

Blue World

Impulse!

John Coltrane (ts, ss), McCoy Tyner (p), Jimmy Garrison (b) and Elvin Jones (d). Rec. 24 June 1964

'One year on from the international success of Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album comes another ‘lost album’, this from a year later – 1964 – that in many ways is a much richer offering than last year’s release. The music was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio specifically for the soundtrack of French-Canadian director Gilles Grouix’ film Le Chat Dans Le Sac (The Cat In The Bag) and was apparently hidden in plain sight until now. Only some 10 minutes of the recording were actually used on the soundtrack, which can easily be tracked down on the internet courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.'

Read the full review in the November issue

Lee Morgan

Four Classic Albums: Second Set

Avid 

Lee Morgan (t), Curtis Fuller (tb), Clarence Sharpe (as), George Coleman (as, ts), Pepper Adams (bs), Horace Silver, Ray Bryant, Bobby Timmons, Sonny Clark (p), Wilbur Ware, Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones and Art Taylor (d). Rec. 1956-1957

'Hurrah! Here’s an Avid that makes as much sense programmatically as it does commercially! Focusing on four of Morgan’s 1956-57 sessions for Blue Note (Candy, Indeed!, City Lights and The Cooker) it plays like the ultimate audio calling card for his precocious brilliance.'

Read the full review in the November issue