Mark Masters Ensemble: Ellington Saxophone Encounters

Bill Cunliffe | Gene Cipriano | Gary Smulyan | Mark Masters | Joe LaBarbera | Pete Christlieb | Gary Foster | Don Shelton | Tom Warrington

The in-car blindfold test drew the appropriate double-edged response from a hip spouse: “Is this some people trying to sound...

Reviewed by Brian Priestley in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Album Interview: Manu Katché: Manu Katché

Nils Petter Molvær | Tore Brunborg | Manu Katché | Nils Petter Molvaer | Jim Watson

Four albums in on ECM and French-Ivorian drummer Katché has made some major changes to his band – a self-imposed...

Reviewed by Mike Flynn in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Food: Mercurial Balm

Prakash Sontakke | Thomas Strenen | Nils Petter Molvær | Nils Petter Molvaer | Christian Fennesz | Eivind Aarset | Iain Ballamy

This is an impressive follow-up to Food's 2010 debut on the ECM label, Quiet Inlet. More ambitious in scope, it...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Stan Getz Quartet: Swiss Radio Days Vol. 29

Stan Getz | Jan Johansson | Ray Brown | Ed Thigpen

Impresario Norman Granz could never be accused of ever short-changing concertgoers. By 1960, his twice-yearly JATP road shows had changed...

Reviewed by Roy Carr in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Laura Jurd: Landing Ground

Laura Jurd | Mandhira de Saram | Mandhira De Saram | Corrie Dick | Ben Davis | Patrick Dawkins | Richard Jones | Conor Chaplin | Elliot Galvin

She's only just entered her final year at Trinity College of Music, but the composer-trumpeter Laura Jurd is already creating...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Fourth Page: Blind Horizons

UK avant garde pianist Carolyn Hume makes slowly evolving abstract quartet music and songs of sparsely-textured improvisations here....

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Pierrick Pédron: Kubic's Monk

Thomas Bramerie | Pierrick Pédron | Ambrose Akinmusire | Frank Agulhon

Yes, I know. Yet another Monk tribute album. Actually, this one is very good, but do let's have a moratorium...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Filipe Monteiro: In Bad Company

Now London-based, this world-jazz guitarist writes sweet 'n' mellow tunes on his debut with folk influences coming mostly from Brazilian...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Southern Energy Ensemble: Southern Energy

Adolphus Maples | Judith Spears | Marvin Daniels | Michael Pitt | Nathaniel Lee | William Johnson | Tony Joyner | Al Ciarte | Veronica Jones | Garrie Wayne

Southern Energy Ensemble only released this one album but, for the sake of context, you can slot it into the...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013

Rob Mazurek Pulsar Quartet: Stellar Pulsations

This ubiquitous ultra-hip cornettist brings together members of his Exploding Star Orchestra for some cosmic jazz grooving and fiery Chicago...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: Dec/Jan/2012/2013