Jorge Roeder: El Suelo Mio

One of the standouts of this month's batch is this poised, deeply expressed solo recording by a rhythmically-sharp, big-toned acoustic...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: August/2020

Sarah Vaughan: Sassy Swings the Tivoli

George Hughes | Sarah Vaughan | Kirk Stuart | Charles Williams

Very few doubt that Sarah Vaughan had one of the most amazing voices in jazz — Gunther Schuller famously described...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: August/2020

Derrick Gardner & The Big Dig! Band: Still I Rise

Bijon Watson | Joel Green | Derrick Gardner | Bill Green | Andrew Littleford | Zen Zadravec | Curtis Nowosad | Jeff Johnson | Greg Gatien | Kasey Kurtz

The brothers Gardner first came to notice with the Count Basie Orchestra in Frank Foster's time; these days trombonist Vincent...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: August/2020

Archie Shepp: New York Contemporary Five Vol.2

JC Moses | Archie Shepp | Don Moore | Don Cherry | John Tchicai

A potent reminder, not only of the early days of Shepp (under whose name it was reissued on Delmark in...

Reviewed by Brian Priestley in issue: August/2020

Meraki

Jonathan Silk | Jacky Naylor | Nick Jurd

Meraki are a new trio formed in Birmingham and led by pianist Jacky Naylor (winner of the prestigious Dankworth Prize...

Reviewed by Thomas Rees in issue: August/2020

Eddie Harris: The In Sound

Billy Higgins | Ray Codrington | Ron Carter | Cedar Walton | Eddie Harris

For many years now, the UK-based Pure Pleasure label has been serving the vinyl lovers’ community with its (usually) 100...

Reviewed by Kevin Whitlock in issue: August/2020

Various artists: Ella 100: Live at the Apollo!

Brian Nova | Cassandra Wilson | Lizz Wright | Shelly Berg | Patti Austin | Nathan East | Ledisi | Gregg Field

It's fascinating to think that, were it not for a last-minute change of heart when she decided to sing rather...

Reviewed by Peter Quinn in issue: August/2020

Karuna Trio: Imaginary Archipelago

Adam Rudolph | Ralph M Jones | Hamid Drake

Think of this ethnographically liberated unit as a direct descendant of Codona, the late-1970s/early-80s trio of percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, sitar/tabla...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: August/2020

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic X: East-West

Aram Lee | Nesrine Belmokh | Yoon Jeong Heo | Majid Bekkas | NES Trio | Nguyên Lê | Jean Oh

When an instrument not usually associated with improvisation is introduced into jazz, it is usually regarded as something of a...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: August/2020

Sara Schoenbeck/Wayne Horvitz: Cell Walk

Sara Schoenbeck | Wayne Horvitz

The bassoon has had a chequered history in jazz and very few convincing soloists have emerged. Sara Schoenbeck might not...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: August/2020