Reviews

Review of Tina Brooks: True Blue

Tina Brooks: True Blue

Freddie Hubbard | Sam Jones | Art Taylor | Duke Jordan | Tina Brooks

Blue Note

Tina Brooks was the most enigmatic of all the Blue Note recording artists. This album, the only one issued under...

Reviewed in issue February/2022

Review of Makaya McCraven: Deciphering the Message

Makaya McCraven: Deciphering the Message

Jeff Parker | Joel Ross | Makaya McCraven | Marquis Hill | Junius Paul | De’Sean Jones | Greg Ward

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★★

Being signed to Blue Note has several advantages. There’s the kudos. The guarantee of quality. Then there’s the access to...

Reviewed in issue December/January/2021/2022

Review of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings

Art Blakey | Bobby Timmons | Wayne Shorter | Jymie Merritt | Lee Morgan

Editor's Choice

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★★

Recorded live at the Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo at the end of Blakey’s first ever tour of Japan, the...

Reviewed in issue November/2021

Review of Terence Blanchard: Absence

Terence Blanchard: Absence

Malcom Parson | Gabe Terracciano | David Balakirshnan | David Ginyard | Charles Aktura | Fabian Almazan | Terence Blanchard | Oscar Seaton | Benjamin von Gutzeit

Editor's Choice

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★★

As the US emerged from lockdown, the American trumpeter Terence Blanchard fine-tuned the music he was composing for Spike Lee’s...

Reviewed in issue October/2021

Review of James Francies: Purest Form

James Francies: Purest Form

Joel Ross | Jeremy Dutton | Immanuel Wilkins | James Francies | Burniss Traviss | Elliott Skinner | Bilal Peyton

Editor's Choice

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★★

Keyboardist-composer James Francies has gained quasi-wunderkind status in the past few years by way of his contributions to veterans such...

Reviewed in issue August/2021

Review of Julian Lage: Squint

Julian Lage: Squint

Julian Lage

Editor's Choice

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★★

Lage was first signed by a major recording company back in 2008, and on Sounding Point and Gladwell on Universal's...

Reviewed in issue June/2021

Review of GoGo Penguin: GGP/RMX

GoGo Penguin: GGP/RMX

Chris Illingworth

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★

Manchester's post-rave piano trio have seen their pioneering achievements somewhat bypassed by the wave of UK jazz which broke only...

Reviewed in issue June/2021

Review of Joe Chambers: Samba de Maracatu

Joe Chambers: Samba de Maracatu

Joe Chambers | Steve Haines | MC Parrain | Brad Merritt | Stephanie Jordan

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★

When Chick Corea died in February, the name of Joe Chambers might have been a peripheral thought for some fans...

Reviewed in issue April/2021

Review of Dr Lonnie Smith: Breathe

Dr Lonnie Smith: Breathe

Olicia Olatuja | Sean Jones | Jason Marshall | Johnathan Blake | Robin Eubanks | John Ellis | Iggy Pop | Jonathan Kreisberg | Dr Lonnie Smith

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★

This is the third album of Lonnie Smith's highly productive return to Blue Note, and the second drawn from his...

Reviewed in issue April/2021

Review of R+R=Now: Live

R+R=Now: Live

Robert Glasper

Blue Note

Rating: ★★★

After the 2018 studio set Collagically Speaking comes a live album drawn from a month-long residency by Robert Glasper, biggest...

Reviewed in issue April/2021

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