Dopolarians: Garden Party

Kidd Jordan | Alvin Fielder | William Parker | Chad Fowler | Chris Parker | Kelley Hurt

This happy-go-lucky, unpretentious session was recorded in New Orleans and the blues sits at the core of an album that...

Reviewed by Philip Clark in issue: February/2020

Billie Holiday: Lady in Satin

Lady in Satin was always controversial, teaming Billie with Ray Ellis’s orchestra, when her voice was past its best, yet...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: February/2020

Pat Thomas/Dominic Lash/Tony Orrell: Bley School

A session that swings, grooves and asks questions, with a Bristol-based rhythm-section and Pat Thomas capturing the abstracted melodic lyricism...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: February/2020

Kit Downes: Dreamlife of Debris

Tom Challenger | Lucy Railton | Sebastian Rochford | Kit Downes | Stian Westerhus

Dreamlife of Debris has its roots in Downes’ 2015 recording Vyamanical (Slip), that documents the improvisations on various church organs...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: February/2020

Volker Kriegel: Two Concerts: Lagos 1979 & Bochum 1990

Volker Kriegel | Thomas Bettermann | Hans ‘Batt’ Behrendt | Uli Beckerhoff | Evert Fratermann | Christof Lauer | Michael Sh໲mann | Wolfgang Engstfeld | Thomas Alkier | Hans Peter Ströer

In 1968, the Gary Burton Quartet appeared at the Berlin Jazz Festival playing a synthesis of jazz and rock music....

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: February/2020

Buddy Rich Orchestra: Just in Time: The Final Recording

Jim Martin | Steve Marcus | Jay Craig | Kevin Richardson | Dana Watson | Greg Gisbert | Rob Amster | Cathy Rich | Chris Bacas | Buddy Rich

Daughter Cathy Rich’s note reports that this session was recorded at Ronnie Scott’s in 1986 using the Rolling Stones’ mobile...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: February/2020

Ralph Peterson's Gen-Next Big Band: Listen Up!

Tim Murphy | Chloe Brisson | Kuumba Frank Lacy | Manfredo Caputo | Youngchae Jeong | Ralph Peterson | Brandon Lin | Eric Nakanishi | Yula Yamagichi | Stephan Tinney

A confirmed able and keeper of Art Blakey’s flame, drummer (and-ex-Messenger) Peterson is also a composer of note, the highlight...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: February/2020

Erroll Garner: Campus Concert

It’s over 20 years since Telarc reissued the albums on Garner’s own Octave label and now Mack Avenue have taken...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: February/2020

Ben Webster: The Soul of Ben Webster

The Matchball release is a fine reissue of a Verve classic album from 1958 with some complementary bonus tracks, putting...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: February/2020

Marius Neset and London Sinfonietta: Viaduct

London Sinfonietta | Anton Eger | Marius Neset | Jim Hart | Petter Eldh | Ivo Neame

The now 34-year-old saxophonist-composer Marius Neset showed early promise as a tough tenor with conceptual nous and a sound somewhere...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: February/2020