Marcus Strickland Twi-Life: People Of The Sun

Kyle Miles | Charles Haynes | Greg Tate | Akie Bermiss | Mitch Henry | Pharoah Monch | Marcus Strickland

The intermittent superhero theme as well as underlying statement of African-American identity of this album is fitting in the year...

Reviewed in issue Feb/2019

José James: Lean On Me

Pino Palladino | José James | Takuya Kuroda | Brad Allen Williams | Nate Smith | Lalah Hathawy | Marcus Strickland | Kris Bowers

James's recent foray into FM-friendly contemporary R&B has yielded mixed results and at times the more explicitly commercial slant of...

Reviewed in issue November/2018

Tony Allen & Jeff Mills: Tomorrow Comes The Harvest

An odd coupling of two pioneers in their field; Allen the Afro-beat maestro and Mills, who spearheaded Detroit's 1980s techno...

Reviewed in issue November/2018

James Francies: Flight

Mike Mitchell | Jeremy Dutton | Burniss Traviss | James Francies | Mike Moreno | Joel Ross

Heard to good effect on Stefon Harris' latest album, Sonic Creed, young pianist Francies makes a solid debut here. It...

Reviewed in issue November/2018

Wayne Shorter: Emanon

Wayne Shorter | John Patitucci | Brian Blade | Danilio Perez

On 25 August, Wayne Shorter celebrated his 85th birthday making Emanon an impressive birthday present from his record company, Blue...

Reviewed in issue October/2018

Anthony Joseph: People Of The Sun

Kyle Miles | Charles Haynes | Greg Tate | Akie Bermiss | Mitch Henry | Pharoah Monch | Marcus Strickland

Formidable multi-tasker Anthony Joseph – British-Trinidadian bandleader, poet, academic, novelist, more – went back to the source to realise this...

Reviewed in issue Feb/2019

Kandace Springs: Indigo

Kandace Springs

Produced by renowned Detroit jazz drummer turned hip-hop producer Karriem Riggins, Indigo is 29-yearold Kandace Springs' follow-up to her critically...

Reviewed in issue October/2018

R+R=NOW: Collagically Speaking

Derrick Hodge | Robert Glasper | Justin Tyson | Taylor McFerrin | Christian Scott | Terrace Martin

An all star-group such as this comes with a certain amount of expectation, which was not duly fulfilled on stage...

Reviewed in issue September/2018

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams: Vanished Gardens

Bill Frisell | Charles Lloyd | Reuben Rogers | Greg Leisz | Eric Harland | Lucinda Williams

This is an album that is probably closer to Americana since it draws on, and is informed by, a host...

Reviewed in issue August/2018

Marcus Miller: Laid Black

Julian Miller | Alex Hex | Take 6 | Honey Larochelle | Caleb McCampbell | Marcus Miller | Cliff Barnes | Alex Bailey | Louis Cato | Adam Agati

If you couldn&t afford the remortgage required to catch him live at Ronnie's, Miller kicks off Laid Black with a...

Reviewed in issue August/2018