Dan Loomis: Job's Trial

New York bassist Dan Loomis’ ‘Jazz Song Cycle’ is more like an avant-psych rock oddity in which he sketches out...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: May/2020

Gerald Clayton: Happening: Live At The Village Vanguard

Gerald Clayton | Joe Sanders | Logan Richardson | Marcus Gilmore | Walter Smith III

In the same month that this set was recorded at New York's legendary Village Vanguard, West Coast resident Gerald Clayton...

Reviewed by John Fordham in issue: August/2020

Butch Miles Sextet: Miles and Miles of Swing

The then Basie drummer's debut as leader from 1977, this is a polished mainstream set with Al Cohn and Scott...

Reviewed by Ayn Shipton in issue: June/2016

Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti: Rakshasa

Jacqueline Shave | Japjit Kaur | Sarvar Sabri | Simon Thacker

On this, Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti’s debut, his ensemble delivers in spades. In an era of declining CD sales, let’s start...

Reviewed by Ken Hunt in issue: August/2013

Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet: The Complete Studio Recordings

Bill Crow | Bob Brookmeyer | Bob Cranshaw | Clark Terry | Dave Bailey | Hank Jones | Roger Kellaway

When in 1954, Clifford Brown moved from Blue Note to Mercury his new label realised that they had acquired a...

Reviewed by Roy Carr in issue: November/2015

Vincent Courtois: Love of Life

A stylishly leftfield French trio of cellist Courtois, ex-London based saxophonist Robin Fincker and Daniel Erdmann pays tribute to the...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: June/2020

João Donato: The Sound of Brazil

Stingy 30-minute playing time, no recording or personnel details, this has all the hallmarks of a lazy production, with Claus...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: October/2014

Marty Ehrlich Large Ensemble: A Trumpet in the Morning

Brad Jones | Drew Gress | EJ Allen | Eric McPherson | Howard Johnson | James Weidman | JD Parran | Marty Ehrlich | Matt Wilson | Ray Anderson

Marty Ehrlich's arrangements for his disciplined, brass-heavy 15-piece ensembles remind me of the genre-crossing blends that the experimental big bands...

Reviewed by Mike Hobart in issue: March/2014

Dan Terry: The Swingingest Dance Band

Based in Hollywood in the early 1950s, trumpeter Terry led some exemplary big bands, continuing his work in NY in...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: August/2017

Al Jarreau: Original Album Series: We Got By/Glow/All Fly Home/This Time/Breakin' Away

Al Jarreau

This 5-CD box set from Rhino brings together the first five studio albums of Al Jarreau’s extensive career. The fact...

Reviewed by Peter Quinn in issue: November/2011