Hristo Vitchev Quartet: In Search of Wonders

This Bulgarian-born Bay Area resident guitarist releases a 2CD set of dreamily lyrical originals in a contemporary Metheny-influenced fusion setting....

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: April/2016

Cecil Taylor: Complete Live At The Café Montmartre

Sunny Murray | Jimmy Lyons | Kurt Lindstrom | Cecil Taylor

Such is the overwhelming idiosyncrasy of Taylor’s language it’s easy to overlook the fact that it was not created in...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: April/2016

Zakir Hussain: Distant Kin

Rakesh Chaurasia | Patsy Reid | Charlie McKerron | Jean-Michel Veillon | Ganesh Rajagopalan | Tony Byrne | Fraser Fifield | Zakir Hussain | John Joe Kelly

But nothing in Zakir Hussain’s canon compares to, or matches Distant Kin. This all-instrumental project grew out of Celtic Connections’...

Reviewed by Ken Hunt in issue: April/2016

Hiromi: Spark

Hiromi | Anthony Jackson | Simon Phillips

Hiromi continues her spectacular and spectacularly loud partnership with Jackson and Phillips on another recording reflecting her big bold sound....

Reviewed by Andy Robson in issue: April/2016

Dr Lonnie Smith: Evolution

Joe Dyson | Robert Glasper | Jonathan Kreisberg | Keyon Harrold | Jonathan Blake | John Ellis | Joe Lovano | Dr Lonnie Smith

Smith last recorded for Blue Note 45 years ago, and he still retains the effortless soul that was that label’s...

Reviewed by Mike Hobart in issue: April/2016

Three’s Company: We’ll Be Together Again

Billy Drummond | Ron Carter | Javon Jackson

If you’re a bass player, you’ll want to add at least two more stars to the rating. Ron Carter is...

Reviewed by Tony Hall in issue: April/2016

Huw V Williams: Hon

Laura Jurd | Alam Nathoo | Jim Black | Peter Ibbetson | Huw V Williams | Elliot Galvin

Of the band leaders from London’s Chaos Collective – the most dynamic gathering of jazz conservatoire graduates to have come...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: April/2016

Peter and Will Anderson: A Sax Supreme

One of the only set of identical twins to lead, or even be in the same jazz ensemble, demonstrate plenty...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: April/2016

Samo Salamon Bassless Trio: Unity

John Hollenbeck | Samo Salamon | Julian Argüelles

‘Unity’ is a good jazz word, whether you hear echoes in it of Larry Young’s increasingly freeform 1966 release of...

Reviewed by Robert Shore in issue: April/2016

Ed Cherry: Soul Tree

This erstwhile Dizzy Gillespie veteran sideman and NY-based guitarist heads a 1960s soul-jazz organ trio that covers anything from Mal...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: April/2016