John Dankworth: What the Dickens!/Off Duty

Alan Branscombe | Art Ellefson | Bobby Wellins | David Snell | Dick Hawdon | Dick Morrissey | Ed Harvey | Gus Galbraith | Jimmie Deuchar | John Dankworth

Here's a game of two halves if ever there was one. What the Dickens! is a themed, programmatic suite in...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: February/2013

Sonny Rollins: Road Shows Vol. 3

Bob Cranshaw | Bobby Broom | Clifton Anderson | Kimati Dinizulu | Kobie Watkins | Perry Wilson | Peter Bernstein | Sammy Figueroa | Sonny Rollins | Stephen Scott

This begins with a lengthy bout of applause, entirely justified by what follows. It's not just Rollins' infernally catchy riff...

Reviewed by Brian Priestley in issue: June/2014

Max Roach: Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note Vol. 2

Calvin Hill | Cecil Bridgewater | Dayne Armstrong | Lee Konitz | Max Roach | Odean Pope | Phil Bowler | Ray Mantilla | Swedenborg String Quartet | Tommaso Lama

The majority of the material here is by Max's long-standing quartet with Bridgewater, Pope and Hill (which also made one...

Reviewed by Brian Priestley in issue: March/2017

Benny Goodman: Small Bands Collection 1935-45

Artie Bernstein | Benny Goodman | Buddy Schutz | Charlie Christian | Cootie Williams | Count Basie | Dave Tough | Dudley Brooks | Fletcher Henderson | Gene Krupa

On one level, this compilation gives a very informative bird's eye view of the Benny Goodman small groups over their...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: April/2021

Ben Williams: State of Art

Ben Williams | Christian Scott | Etienne Charles | Gerald Clayton | Jaleel Shaw | Jamire Williams | John Robinson | Marcus Strickland | Matthew Stevens | string quartet

A bass-sideman for high profile mainstream US jazzers such as Terence Blanchard, Stefon Harris, Jacky Terrasson, and saxophonist Marcus Strickland...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: February/2012

Mahavishnu Orchestra: Between Nothing & Eternity/Visions Of The Emerald Beyond

Billy Cobham | Bob Knapp | Gayle Moran | Jan Hammer | Jean-Luc Ponty | Jerry Goodman | John McLaughlin | Michael Walden | Ralphe Armstrong | Rick Laird

The demise of the Mahavishnu Orchestra is well documented and the box set The Original Mahavishnu Complete Columbia Collection (released...

Reviewed by Andy Robson in issue: Dec/Jan/2014/2015

Directions In Jazz Unit directed by Bill Le Sage: New Directions in Jazz

Bill Le Sage | Bob Burns | Johnny Scott | Ronnie Ross | Spike Heatley | the Freddie Alexander Cello Ensemble | Tony Carr | Vic Ash

This is a valuable addition to the three albums the Directions in Jazz Unit made, two under their own name...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: Dec/Jan/2022/2023

Ron Carter: Finding The Right Notes

Bill Frisell | Christian McBride | Jimmy Greene | Jon Batiste | Koln | Payton Crossley | Renee Rosnes | Ron Carter | Ronald Vega | Russell Malone

This is the soundtrack album to Peter Schnell's PBS documentary of the same name – first aired in October –...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: Dec/Jan/2022/2023

Nick Vayenas

A Michael Buble sideman, this brass specialist croons Chet-style as well, on originals/standards and has a band of young aces,...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: October/2012

Andrew Hill Sextet + 10: A Beautiful Day, Revisited

Aaron Stewart | Andrew Hill | Charlie Gordon | Gregory Tardy | J.D Parran | John Savage | Jose D’Avila | Marty Ehrlich | Nasheet Waits | Ron Horton

Pianist-composer Andrew Hill made a string of brilliant albums for Blue Note from the 1960s to the 1980s, with releases...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: December/2024