Marshall Gilkes and the WDR Big Band: Lifesongs

Marshall Gilkes | Sabeth Perez

While Germany Deutschlandfunk is Germany’s national state radio and TV station, each of the main German regions also have a...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: April/2024

Steve Swell Matthew Shipp: Space Cube Jazz

Matthew Shipp | Steve Swell

A meeting of two of the seminal American musicians on French label Rogueart. Trombonist Steve Swell and pianist Matthew Shipp...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: April/2024

Leon Thomas: Full Circle

Bernard Purdie | Herbie Lovelle | Jimmy Owens | Joe Beck Lloyd Davis | Leon Thomas | Neal Creque | Pee Wee Ellis | Richard Davis | Richard Landrum | Sonny Morgan

An acclaimed singer in his own right, Leon Thomas is also synonymous with the music of Pharoah Sanders but it...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: April/2024

John Donegan – The Irish Sextet: Light Streams

Dan Bodwell | John Daly | John Donegan | Linley Hamilton | Michael Buckley | Richie Buckley

We reviewed the Irish pianist-composer John Donegan’s earlier release Shadows Linger in Jazzwise 286 and gave it a well-earned four...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: March/2024

Charles Lloyd: The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Brian Blade | Charles Lloyd | Jason Moran | Larry Grenedier

After the artistic success of A Trio of Trios in 2023, a trilogy of three quite different trios – the...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: March/2024

Art Farmer: The Art of Farmer – Classic Albums 1953-55

Addison Farmer | Art Farmer | Art Taylor | Charlie Rouse | Clifford Solomon | Danny Bank | Duke Jordan | Freddie Redd | Gigi Gryce | Herbie Lovelle

These are halcyon days for those keen to hoover up Art Farmer reissues at modest cost. Recently, there’s been Art...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: March/2024

John Butcher + 13: Fluid Fixations

Aleksander Kolkowski | Angharad Davies | Dieb13 | dieb13 | Hannah Marshall | Isabelle Duthois | John Butcher | John Edwards | Liz Allbee | Mark Sanders

It’s a measure of UK saxophonist John Butcher’s standing in the global improv community that he’s able to command such...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: September/2024

Jake Leckie: Planter of Seeds

Beth Goodfellow | Cathlene Pineda | Darius Christian | Jake Leckie | Nadav Peled | Randal Fisher

"Jake Leckie creates rootsy acoustic organic funky folk-jazz for the people!" So says Leckie’s own website, and who can disagree?...

Reviewed by Robert Shore in issue: September/2024

Aki Takase Japanic: Thema Prima

Aki Takase | Dag Magnus Narvesen | Daniel Erdmann | DJ Illvibe | Johannes Fink

A long-time Berlin resident, the pianist-composer Aki Takase went into a Budapest recording studio with new band Japanic for her...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: June/2019

Maynard Ferguson: Birdland Dream Band

Despite a small amount of distortion on the original 1956 recordings, this is one of Ferguson's finest bands, with exemplary...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: June/2017