The quantity and diversity of great jazz albums recorded in the 1960s means that any list of great albums that claims to be in any way 'definitive' is on very shaky ground. Nonetheless, the albums highlighted below are benchmarks in the history of jazz on record and if you are discovering jazz for the first time then you've just found the perfect place to start. Let's start with a masterpiece...
A fortuitous break in lockdown allowed pianist-composer Kathrine Windfeld to record her latest (and best) album Orca and despite the brakes being applied yet again, the Dane is determined to be ready once the scene gets going again, as Stuart Nicholson discovers
If you are discovering jazz for the first time then you've just found the perfect place to start. And if you are a true aficionado then this list is sure to remind you of some albums that you will rush to rediscover. The 1950s saw the release of some of the greatest albums, of any genre, ever made. If you've never heard any of these albums and are wondering where to start, you could do a lot worse than by starting at the top, with Kind of Blue, and working your way down the list
The Cheltenham Jazz Festival returns with a programme packed with big names and exciting newcomers for a greatly enhanced online edition this May. This is thanks to the festival’s new programmer, Dave Gaydon, who spoke to Mike Flynn about the highs and lows of running a major festival in a pandemic
Pianist Shai Maestro was catapulted to international renown in the mid 2000s when fellow Israeli and bass star Avishai Cohen talent-spotted him for his power Trio with Mark Guiliana. He's since forged his own solo path and now releases his striking new album, Human, his second outing for ECM and first with his new Quartet. John Fordham discovers how it reflects Maestro’s ever-deepening artistic vision
Gretchen Parlato’s brilliant new Brazilian-flavoured album on Edition is her best yet, says Peter Quinn. He spoke to the composer-vocalist to find out what’s behind this latest blossoming of a remarkable career
The Editor's pick of the best new albums reviewed in the May 2021 issue of Jazzwise, featuring Vijay Iyer, Nik Bärtsch, Airelle Besson, James Brandon Lewis, and more...
The Editor's pick of the best new albums reviewed in the April 2021 issue of Jazzwise, featuring Charles Lloyd, Gretchen Parlato, Archie Shepp & Jason Moran, Yoko Miwa Trio, Georgia Mancio & Alan Broadbent, Hedvig Mollestad Trio and more
Kind of Blue is frequently cited as the greatest jazz album of all time. Stuart Nicholson tells the full story of how Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb made it
Joe Lovano’s career to date has seen him gradually emerge as one of the most subtle and adventurous innovators of his generation. Stuart Nicholson spoke to this gentle giant of the tenor about his new Trio Tapestry album, Garden of Expression
