VEIN: The Chamber Music Effect

Florian Arbenz | Michael Arbenz | Thomas Lähns

Swiss trio VEIN are masters of musical interplay. Over the course of the last decade they've developed fruitful collaborations with...

Reviewed by Thomas Rees in issue: May/2017

William Parker & Stefano Scodanibbio: Bass Duo

Stefano Scodanibbio | William Parker

Italian double bassist Stefano Scodanibbio, who died in 2012, was renowned for the ease with which he negotiated scores, often...

Reviewed by Philip Clark in issue: May/2017

Freddie Gavita: Transient

Tom Cawley | Freddie Gavita | James Maddren | Calum Gourlay

Freddie Gavita is a trumpeter/flugelhornist who's been turning heads as a member of Ronnie Scott's quintet and orchestra as well...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: May/2017

Omer Klein: Sleepwalkers

A disappointing effort from an otherwise classy Israeli-born German-based pianist, laying bare some of the flaws of diluting piano trio...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: May/2017

Joan Shaw: A Retrospective

One of Fresh Sound's excellent anthologies designed to rehabilitate a forgotten talent, and Shaw is a fine singer, in some...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: May/2017

The Steve Plews Trio: The Importance Of What Is Not

A primarily classical music-influenced, jazzy North West England born pianist-composer leads his trio, on the whole, through a rather plodding...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: May/2017

Eskelin, Weber & Griener: Sensations Of Tone

Christian Weber | Michael Griener | Ellery Eskelin

The concept looks inviting enough on paper. Re-imaginings of compositions by Jelly Roll Morton, Bennie Moten, Fats Waller and the...

Reviewed by Philip Clark in issue: May/2017

Shobaleader One: Elektrac

Company Laser/Adam Betts | Arg Nution/Chris Montague | Strobe Nazard/Dan Nichols | Squarepusher/Tom Jenkinson

Do you know Squarepusher? This is a question anyone who's followed the mercurial multi-instrumentalist, aka Tom Jenkinson, for the last...

Reviewed by Mike Flynn in issue: May/2017

Various Artists: Spiritual Jazz 7 Islam 1957-1989

Maurice McIntyre | Kahil El ‘Zabar's Ritual Trio | Emmanuel Abdul-Rahim | Creative Arts Ensemble | Sabu Martinez | Sahib Shihab | Ahmed Abdul Malik

The embrace of Islam by black American jazz musicians was mostly prevalent in the 1960s, and the adoption of Muslim...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: May/2017

Raul Midón: Bad Ass and Blind

Gerald Clayton | Lionel Cordew | Richard Hammond | Raul Midón

As anyone who's had the pleasure of seeing him perform live will testify, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Raul Midón is...

Reviewed by Peter Quinn in issue: May/2017