Fo[u]r Alto: 4 Compositions By Frank Gratkowski

Christian Weidner | Frank Gratkowski | Florian Bergman | Benjamin Weidekamp

Berlin-based reeds player, Frank Gratkowski, moves equally freely in both avant-jazz and New Music circles, displaying a Braxton-esque ability to...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: March/2013

Album Interview: Erik Truffaz Quartet: El Tiempo de la Revolución

Marc Erbetta | Marcello Giuliani | Anna Aaron | Erik Truffaz | Benoît Corboz

With over 15 Blue Notes now to his name, the French-Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz' discography has been as patchy as...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: March/2013

Jesse Davis Quintet: Live at Smalls

Stacy Dillard | Kush Abadey | Josh Evans | Frank Lacy | Rashaan Carter | Theo Hill

More from the Live at Smalls series, as a veteran Bird-acolyte plays it like it was in a straightahead quartet...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: July/2014

Wayne Shorter Quartet: Without a Net

Wayne Shorter | John Patitucci | Brian Blade | Danilo Pérez

It was 44 years ago that Wayne Shorter made his debut on the Blue Note label, as a precocious 26-year-old...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: March/2013

Madeleine Peyroux: The Blue Room

Madeleine Peyroux

Beginning life as a tribute to Ray Charles' classic 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, this sixth...

Reviewed by Peter Quinn in issue: March/2013

Acuña/Hoff/Mathisen: Barxeta

The ex-Weather Report percussionist Alex Acuña leads a trio that combines all the worst new age-tinged aspects of fusion with...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: March/2013

Charlie Parker: Charlie Parker with Strings

The three Parker-plus-strings Verve albums collected together on one CD preserve the classic fusion of improvisational genius and inventive,...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: March/2013

Charles Lloyd: Hagar's Song

Jason Moran | Charles Lloyd

This duet album places Lloyd's sumptuous tone, articulation and hypnotic melodic invention on tenor sax and alto sax centre stage,...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: March/2013

Mark de Clive-Lowe/The Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra: Take the Space

This top nu-jazz producer rises to the challenge of putting the lush, Thad Jones-like big band arrangements of this Dutch...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: March/2013

Mette Juul: Moon On My Shoulder

Nikolaj Hess | Morten Lund | Lars Danielsson | Ambrose Akinmusire | Mette Juul

On this follow-up to her 2010 debut album, Coming In From The Dark, vocalist Mette Juul puts together an...

Reviewed by Peter Quinn in issue: March/2013