Roberto Fonseca: Yesun

Yipsi Li Avila | Danay Suarez | Joe Lovano | Yandy Martínez Rodríguez | Raúl Herrera | Gema 4 | Roberto Fonseca | Ibrahim Maalouf | Mercedes Cortés | Inor Sotolongo

Afro-Cuban pianist, composer and bandleader Fonseca played a blinder at EartH in Hackney last December, buoyed by the same trio...

Reviewed in issue February/2020

Kirk Whalum: Humanité

Kirk Whalum curls his smooth sax lines around a gaggle of guest vocalists, including UK favourite Liane Carroll, singing soul-pop...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2019/2020

Jesse Palter: Paper Trail

Adult-orientated American mainstream pop-rock with far from obvious jazz references, and though there's some quality to the singer-songwriting, it's unlikely...

Reviewed in issue November/2019

Veronica Swift: Confessions

Veronica Swift | Benny Green | Carl Allen | Emmet Cohen | Russell Hall | Kyle Poole | David Wong

The daughter of the jazz singer, educator and author Stephanie Nakasian and the late jazz pianist Hod O'Brien, Veronica Swift...

Reviewed in issue October/2019

Steve Cole: Gratitude

Anyone up for a smooth jazz revival? Saxophonist Steve Cole and his well-oiled retro funk-fusion ensemble actually offers a more...

Reviewed in issue October/2019

Cyrille Aimée: Move On: A Sondheim Adventure

Yoann Serra | Jérémy Bruyère | Assaf Gleizner | Cyrille Aimée

As its title suggests, this latest release from the French-born, US-based jazz singer represents a number of firsts in her...

Reviewed in issue April/2019

Julian Lage: Love Hurts

Dave King | Julian Lage | Jorge Roeder

Hard to imagine two more different stylists than Hedwig Mollestad and Lage, but both favour the keep ’em brief but...

Reviewed in issue April/2019

Chucho Valdés: Jazz Bata 2

Yaroldy Abreu Robles | Chucho Valdés | Yelsey Heredia | Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé | Regina Carter

Havana-born pianist Chucho Valdés – the granddaddy of Afro-Cuban jazz – has been on fire of late, touring with a...

Reviewed in issue Feb/2019

Christian Sands: Facing Dragons

Cristian Rivera | Keyon Harrold | Jerome Jennings | Yasushi Nakamura | Caio Afune | Roberto Quintero | Christian Sands | Marcus Strickland

At 29 years of age, Christian Sands is reckoned by some to be the leading jazz pianist of his generation....

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2018/2019

Album Interview: Cécile McLorin Salvant: The Window

Sullivan Fortner | Cécile McLorin Salvant | Melissa Aldana

A mix of studio and live tracks, the latter recorded at the Village Vanguard, the 17 songs of The Window,...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2018/2019