Carla Bley/Andy Sheppard/Steve Swallow: Life Goes On

Andy Sheppard | Carla Bley | Steve Swallow

As the whimsical determination that has propelled Carla Bley’s 60-year career edges her into her 80s, neither her productivity or...

Reviewed by John Fordham in issue: April/2020

Jay Phelps: Raw & Unreleased

Jay Phelps

It's a battlefield, the title of Graham Greene's 1934 Depression-era novel said of life, and faced with Covid-19's new erasure...

Reviewed by Nick Hasted in issue: September/2020

Mary Halvorson: Cloudward

Adam O’Farrill | Jacob Garchik | Laurie Anderson | Mary Halvorson | Nick Dunston | Patricia Brennan | Tomas Fujiwara

Halvorson plays in a dizzying array of set ups. So, it’s a pleasure to see how she’s maintained and nurtured...

Reviewed by Andy Robson in issue: February/2024

Mikkel Ploug Trio: At Black Tornado

A Danish guitarist with a sound partly reminiscent of Mark Ribot, his country-blues-ish twang is written all over this likeable...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: May/2015

Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl: Artlessly Falling

Adam O’Farrill | Amirtha Kidami | Maria Gr | Mary Halvorson | Michael Formanek | Robert Wyatt | Tomas Fujiwara

Few artists are in such vibrant dialogue with those twin impostors, rigour and imagination, as Mary Halvorson. Practice, practice, practice,...

Reviewed by Andy Robson in issue: December/2020

Duncan Eagles: Citizen

Dave Hamblett | David Preston | Duncan Eagles | Matt Robinson | Max Luthert

For close to a decade, saxophonist-composer Duncan Eagles has been a guiding influence on the structure-stretching cooperative trio Partikel, a...

Reviewed by John Fordham in issue: April/2019

Fragments

Adam Fairhall | Johnny Hunter | Seth Bennett

Manchester pianist Adam Fairhall, a core member of Matthew Halsall's Gondwana circle and saxophonist Nat Birchall's groups, is a one-off...

Reviewed by John Fordham in issue: June/2019

Andy Emler Megaoctet: No Rush!

Andy Emler | Claude Tchamitchian | Eric Echampard | Francois Thuillier | Francois Verly | Guillaume Orti | Laurent Blondiau | Laurent Dehors | Nguyên Lê | Philippe Sellam

Heading into his ninth Megaoctet album in 30 years, why would French pianist/composer Andy Emler be in a hurry? That...

Reviewed by Tony Benjamin in issue: August/2023

Gene Krupa: Plays Traditional Jazz

Adrian Rollini | Al Hall | Al Morgan | Allan Reuss | Babe Russin | Benny Goodman | Benny Pottle | Bix Beiderbecke | Bob Haggart | Bobby Hackett

Compiler John Petters continues his illuminating commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Gene Krupa’s death by looking back first to...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: February/2024

Arild Andersen/Daniel Sommer/ Rob Luft: As Time Passes

Arild Andersen | Daniel Sommer | Rob Luft

Arild Andersen has long worn the mantle ‘Bass Legend’ with distinction, his playing here as effortless as it is faultless....

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: June/2024