Wes Montgomery: The NDR Hamburg Studio Recordings

Hans Koller | Johnny Griffin | Martial Solal | Michel Gaudry | Ronnie Ross | Ronnie Scott | Ronnie Stephenson | Wes Montgomery

This is the kind of reissue that will delight jazz enthusiasts and discographical anoraks alike. Montgomery's participation in [West] German...

Reviewed by Simon Spillett in issue: May/2021

The Necks: Travel

Chris Abrahams | Lloyd Swanton | Tony Buck

For their 19th album Travel – their first since Three, which was released just prior to the pandemic back in...

Reviewed by Kevin Whitlock in issue: March/2023

The Steve Fishwick/Osian Roberts/Frank Basile Sextet: In The Empire State

Frank Basile | Jeb Patton | Matt Fishwick | Mike Karn | Osian Roberts | Steve Fishwick

For my (rapidly falling off the perch) generation, the British trumpet player was unquestionably Jimmy Deuchar. And for those who...

Reviewed by Tony Hall in issue: March/2016

James Gilmore: Bag of Tricks Vol 2

James Gilmore, a guitarist from North Carolina, prescribes a musical recipe for chaos, one that sees his quartet navigate a...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: September/2018

Polyorchard: Red October

David Menestres | Jeb Bishop | Laurent Estoppey | Shawn Galvin | Storm Nilson

Jeb Bishop wouldn’t be the first trombonist to style improvisation after revolutionary phraseology, and Polyorchard’s Red October will certainly appeal...

Reviewed by Philip Clark in issue: March/2018

Ben Webster: Live at Pio's

Ben Webster | Bob Cranshaw | Junior Mance | Mickey Roker

First issued back in the 1980s, now available again on vinyl (mastered by Cicely Baston at Air), this might be...

Reviewed by Simon Spillett in issue: September/2021

Polyorchard: Sextet/Quintet

Good luck to those up for listening to North Carolina-based upright bassist David Menestres' Polyorchard's extremely cryptic brand of abstract...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: September/2018

Dexter Gordon: Go! + A Swingin‘ Affair

Billy Higgins | Butch Warren | Carl Perkins | Chuck Thompson | Dexter Gordon | Jimmy Robinson | Kenny Drew | Leroy Vinnegar | Paul Chambers | Philly Joe Jones

Oh dear. This is the sort of set that presents a reviewer with a moral dilemma. Should he or she...

Reviewed by Simon Spillett in issue: August/2019

Album Interview: Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: American Adventure

Bill Evans | Clarence Penn | David Kikoski | David Liebman | Donny McCaslin | Joe Locke | Joel Frahm | Kurt Elling | Mike Stern | Randy Brecker

Thumbing through the achievements of Tommy Smith and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra it's necessary to pinch yourself to make...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: March/2014

John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: All Can Work

Alan Ferber | Anna Webber | Ben Kono | Bohdan Hilash | Chris Tordini | Dan Willis | Dave Ballou | Jacob Garchik | JC Sanford | Jeff Nelson

Two Grammy-nominated releases – A Blessing in 2006 and Eternal Interlude in 2009 – is not bad going for a...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: March/2018